'FKOM ACSE TO NAZAttETH. 
255- 
ia the middle of the seventeenth century, but was prevented 
halting, in consequence of the eyil disposition of the inhabi¬ 
tants toward,the Christians.* As no author more patiently, or 
more faithfully, concentrated the evidences of former writers, 
if any document had existed upon the subject, it would,at least 
have had a reference in Doubdan’s valuable work : he contents 
himself, however, with barely mentioning the desolated condi¬ 
tion of the town, and the ruins of its clmreh.f Egmont and 
Heyman found the vaulted part of the building, facing the 
east, entire and it has sustained no alteration since their time* 
Maundrell,§ Hasse!quist.|| and Fococke, ## allude slightly to its 
remains. In this survey, it is not easy to account for the dis¬ 
regard shown to a monument of antiquity, highly interesting, 
from its title to consideration in the history of ancient archi¬ 
tecture ; or to the city of which it vras the pride, once renowned 
as the metropolis of Galilee. 
Here, protected by the stone roof of the building from the, 
scorching rays of the sun, all our party were assembled, and 
breakfasted upon unleavened bread, in thin cakes, served hot, 
with fowls, eggs, and milk, both sweet and sour. Surrounded 
by so many objects, causing the events of ages to crowd upon 
the memory, we would gladly have reposed a longer time. 
We dreaded a second trial of the intense heat to w hich we had 
been exposed; but Nazareth was only five miles distant, aricl 
we had resolved to halt there for the remainder of the day and 
night. Full of curiosity to see a place so memorable, we there¬ 
fore abandoned our interesting asylum in Sephoury, and once 
more encountered a Galilaean sun. Our journey led us over 
a hilly and stony tract of land, having no resemblance to the 
deep and rich soil we had before passed. The rocks consist- 
r * Voy. de la Terre Saincte, p. 5P-8. Par. 1657. 
t “ A present la ville est toute ,cbm hie'e de rubies. et sur la cime de la montagne, 
cni n’estpas haute, on volt encore un reste de bastiment d’une eglise qui avoit este 
Acdifiee a la place de la maison de Saincte Joachim et Sainte Anne. ,v 
t Travel* through Europe, Asia, fee. voj. IT. p. i 5. Land. 1759. 
I He calls the place Scpkaria. “ On the west side of the town stands good part o? 
a large church, built on the same place where they say stood the' house of Joachim 
and Anna; it is fifty paces long, and in breadth proportionable MaundnU's Jaicrn. 
"frein Alep: to Jeriis. p. 137. Oxf. 1721. 
'\\" u Stifuri, a village inhabited by Greets:.. In this place, Ihe monks who were with 
me alighted to honour the ruins of an old destroyed church, which is said to have been 
ybuilt- in memory of the mother.of St, Anne and St. Mary, who are reported to have 
dwelt here.” BasselquisVs Ttav. ioific Easl+.p. 153. Loud.. 1766.. 
** “ There 1 is a castle bn the top of the ’niil, with a fine tower of hewn stone ; 
and near half a mile below it is the village of Sepkcniry, called: by.’lhe Christian? 
M Anna, because they have a tradition that Joacturn and Anna, the parents of the, 
blessed Virgin, lived here, - and that their house stood on the spot where there are 
ruins Of a church. with-some fragments of pillars Of grey granite about .it,” Fococki' .' 
Observ. on Palacstinc, p. 62, Lend, 1745 • ’ A- v 
