2l8 
Travels into the L e v a n t. 
Parti. 
Court is paved with lovely Stones, molt part of Marble, fhining like Lookin- 
glafles. Round about this Court there are feveral Pillars of Marble, porphy- 
rie and Jafper, incomparably well wrought, which fupport an Arch that ranges 
all round, painted with feveral pieces in Mofaick work. The Porch of the 
Mofque faces this Court, and the entry into it is by twelve large Copper- Doors 
embofled with Figures, with feveral Pillars, moft part of porphyrie, whofe 
Capitals are gilt. The walls are painted with lovely figures in Gold and Azure. 
The Turks themfeLves have fo great a veneration for this place, that tliey dare 
not pafs through the Court without taking off their Pabouches j and certainly 
'tis one of the loveliefl: Mofques in all the Turkiih Empire. It was heretofore 
aChriftian Church, built by the Empereur //er^c/zz^j, in Honour oî^t. Zacha- 
n^;,the Father of St. 5Fofe« Baptifl;,and they fay,there is a Sepulchre in it where 
the Bones of that holy Prophet reft. You muft alfo fee the Fountain w^here 
St. Pad recovered his fight, and was Baptized by Ananias^ which is in the 
Strei^ht'fireet^ fo called in the Afts of the Apoftles, under a Vault in the 
Bazaar J near to a thick Pillar, called the Ancient Pillar; then you go up to the 
'Houfe of that fame yW^j, with whom St. Paul Sojourned, to be inftruded in 
the Chriftian Religion, and Baptized : there you fee a great door armed with 
Iron and huge Nails -, within which is the Chamber where the faid Saint Fafted 
three Days and three Mights. After that, you go out of the Town by a Gate 
Bib cherki. called Bab cherki. That "is to fay, Eaft Gate, near to which ( in former times^ 
there was a great Church, built in honour of St. PW, but at prefent the 
Turks have made a fJan of it ; the Steeple remains ftill, and is very ancient 
Work. Continuing your way along the Town-Ditches, and about fifty paces 
South ward,from the faid gate,you fee a great fquareTower joining to the walls, 
in the middle of which there are two Flowers de luce cut in Relief, and well 
lhaped,and at the fide of each of them a Lyon cut in the fame manner : Betwixt 
thefe Flowers de Luce^ there is a great Stone with an Infcription upon it in 
Turkiih Characters. About three hundred paces further,you come to the Gate 
BubKJfa. called BabKjfa-, that is walled up, under which is the place where St. Paul 
was let down in a Basket, to avoid the perfecution of the Jews. Sixty 
The Porter paces from thence over againft the Gate, is the Sepulchre of St. George the 
St. George. Porter, who had his Head ftruck off upon pretence that he was a Chriftian, 
and had made St. efcape: TheChriftians of the Countrey reckon him 
a Saint, and have commonly a Lamp burning upon his Tomb. Returning 
TheHoufeof the fame way back to the Town, you pais by the Houfc of Amniasy which is 
Ananm: betwixt the Eaft Gate and St. T^o^î^i Gate j and there you find fourteen fteps 
down to a Grott, which is the place where Ananias inftruded St, Paul-, and 
taught him the Chriftian Dodrine : And on the left hand is the hole, (but now 
ftopp'd up) by which Ananias went under ground to St. Paul in the Houfe of 
Judas. They fay that the Turks have feveral times attempted to build a 
Mofque over that Grott but that all that they had built in the day-time, was in 
the Evening thrown down in an inftant. You may alfo go to a little Hermitage 
two miles from the City,where Dervipes live; it ftands upon a little Hill,above a 
sakhia. great Village called Salahia. There you may fee the Cave where the feven 
The Cave of Sleepers hid themfelves when they were Perfecuted by Decius, who would 
the feven have made them renounce the Chriftian Faith, and where they flept till the 
eepers. ^.j^^^ of Theo^dofius the Younger. This is a very pleafant place, and the more, 
that from thence one may fee all the Countrey about Damafcus. Three Leagues 
from thence towards the way of Baal bel, is the place where they fay, Cain 
where c5« • his Brother Abel, and where alfo they Sacrificed. You muft alfo go to a 
Hew his Bro^ Village called Jobar, half a League from the City, inhabited only by Jews, 
ther Abd. who have a Synagogue there, at the end of whieh on the ri^ht fide there is a 
^obar. Grott four paces fquare, with a hole and feven fteps cut in the Rock, to go 
Ehush Grott. ^^y^^ j-q . f hgy fay^ that this is the place where the Prophet Elias hid 
himfelf, when he fled frorfl the Perfecution of Queen Jez^abel. The hole by 
which the Ravens brought him Viduals fçr the fpace of forty days, is ftill 
whe-e^!^^ to be feen there. There are three little Pl-efles in this Grott ferving to fet 
î^dm¥o\.r'\\t. thrtt Lamps in. A League and a half from thence is the place wliere (as they 
^ fay) the Patriarch Abrahafn gave Battel to the five Kings, who 'carried away 
chum. his Nephew Xp^, and overcame them. Damafcus which the-Turks call Chat»^ 
is 
