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to the left, that of Sarah. In the body of the church, 
which is Gothic, between two large pillars on the right, 
is seen a small house in which is the sepulchre of Isaac, 
and in a similar one upon the left is that of his wife. 
This church, which has been converted into a mosque, 
has a meherel, the tribune for the preacher upon Fri- 
days; and another tribune for the mueddens, or singers. 
On the other side of the court is another vestibule, 
which has also a room on each side. In that upon the 
left is the sepulchre of Jacob, and in that upon the right, 
that of his wife. 
At the extremity of the portico of the Temple upon 
the right, is a door which leads to a sort of long galle- 
ry, that still serves as a mosque; from thence I passed 
into another room, in which is the sepulchre of Joseph 
who died in Egypt; and whose ashes were brought 
hither by the people of Israel. All the sepulchres of the 
patriarchs are covered with rich carpets of green silk, 
magnificently embroidered with gold; those of their 
wives are red, embroidered in like manner. The Sultans 
of Constantinople furnish these carpets, which are re- 
newed from time to time. I counted nine, one over the 
other, upon the sepulchre of Abraham. The rooms also 
which contain the tombs are covered with rich carpets; 
the entrance to them is guarded by iron gates and 
wooden doors plated with silver, with bolts and pad- 
locks of the same metal. 
There are reckoned more than a hundred persons 
employed in the service of the Temple, it is consequent- 
ly easy to imagine how many alms must be made. 
Having terminated my visit to the sepulchres, I set 
out for Jerusalem the next day, Sunday the 26th July, 
a little after day-break. A short distance from Hebron 
Vol. II. 2 L 
