VIII. 
J E R U S A L E M. 375 
Scripture to have borne the name of " Absalom's ^^\^^- 
Place,'" in the beginning of the eleventh century v. 
before the Christian aera^ A very extraordinary 
circumstance respecting the two principal sepul- 
chres is, that, at present, there is no perceptible 
entrance to the interior. The only way of gain- 
ing admittance to that of Absalom is through a 
hole recently broken for the purpose : and to 
that of Zechariah, although the Jews pretend to a 
secret knowledge of some such opening, there 
is no entrance of any kind. After viewing these 
monuments, and having now examined all the 
antiquities to the south and to the east of Jerusa- 
lem, we crossed the bed of the torrent Kedron by 
the bridge before mentioned : then, ascending to 
the city by a very steep hill, on which tradition 
relates that St. Stephen was stoned, we made the 
circuit of the walls upon the northern and 
ivestern side ; and, having found nothing re- 
markable, entered by the Gate of Jaffa. 
The streets of Jerusalem are cleaner than 
those of any other town in the Levant; but, like 
all of them, they are very narrow. The houses 
are lofty ; and, as no windows appear on any 
(3) " Now Absalom, in his life-time, had taken and reared up for 
himself a Pillar, which is in the King's Dale ; for he said, I have no 
son to keep up my name in remembrance : and he called the jrillar 
after his own name ; and it is called unto this day, /Ibsaloin's Place." 
3 Sam, xviii. 18. 
