JERUSALEM, PAST AND PRESENT. 



267 



are no good grounds for the idea, and it is doubtful whether 

 the tomb could have been in existence at the time of the 

 Crucifixion. 



Proceeding along the north wall one soon comes to the 

 Valley of the Kedron, with the Garden of Gethsemane, and 

 the Mount of Olives, with the Church of the Ascension on the 

 top. None of the sacred trees, of course, remain ; for when the 

 Romans besieged Jerusalem they cut down every tree. The 

 Turks, by their method of taxation, discourage the growth 



of the olive. Near the latter there have recently 

 Remains of been found the foundations of the Church of the 

 the Eleoiia. Eleona, built by the Empress Helena in the fourth 



century. The Church was destroyed in very early 

 Apse of times, and its site was unknown until the founda- 

 the Eleona. tions were recently found by accident in the 



vicinity of the modern Church of the Paternoster. 

 It is interesting to compare the map of modern Jerusalem 

 with the oldest plan of the city that exists. This forms part 



of a mosaic map of Palestine which was found a few 

 The Medeba years ago in the ruins of an ancient church at 

 Mosaic. Medeba, east of Jordan. It probably dates from 



the end of the sixth century. The mosaic has 



been much injured, but the part containing the 

 Plan of plan of Jerusalem has been fairly well preserved 

 Jerusalem, ^^j^j gives a good idea of the city and the churches, 



as they then existed, so that it is very helpful in a 

 study of the history of Jerusalem. 



A notable feature in the east wall of the city is the Golden 

 Gate with its two portals, which formerly led into the Valley 



of the Kedron from the Haram area. The date of 

 The Golden its erection is uncertain but it may possibly have 

 Gate. been originally built in the fourth century. It was 



closed when the walls of Jerusalem were restored 

 by the Turks in the sixteenth century. 



'J'he Haram area, in the south-east portion of Jerusalem, 

 corresponds more or less to the enclosure constructed by Herod 



for his great Temple. Following the east wall of 

 The South- the city southwards we reach the south-eastern 

 East Angle, corner of the Haram enclosure, a point where 



Captain Warren made some remarkable explora- 



tions, and proved that the wall at this place is 

 Anile covered with 80 feet of rubbish, and that at that 



under- depth the original foundations are as perfect as 

 ground. when they were laid, possibly in the time of King 



