342. clarke’s travels, 
CHAP. XVII. 
THE HOLY LAND—JERUSALEM. 
The subject continued—Identity of the Holy Sepulchre again 
contested—Origin of its supposed Locality—Improbability 
of the Tale—Further View of the Jewish Cemeteries — -Acel¬ 
dama — Inscriptions—Ancient Paintings—Age of the Cryp- 
tae —Fountain Siloa, and Oak Rogcl—Mount of Olives 
—View from the Summit—Difference between the Modem 
and A ncient City-—Situation of Mount Sion—Pagan remains 
of Mount Olivet—Their possible Origin—Ascent of David— 
Lake Asphaltites— General Appearance of Judaea — Mi¬ 
raculous Impression of our Saviour's Foot — Garden of 
Gkthsemane— Olives of the Mount—Tomb of the Virgin 
Mary—Sepulchres of the Patriarchs — Bazars—Sepulchres 
of the Kings—History of that Cemetery—Mosque of Omar 
—Greek and Armenian Convents—State of Politics in - Je¬ 
rusalem, 
Perhaps it may now be manifest, that so far from deriving 
accurate notions of the topography and antiquities of Jerusa¬ 
lem in the descriptions of former writers, these objects really 
remain for future investigation. If, during an endeavour to 
remove existing prejudices, and to excite a due contempt for 
Monkish errors, the subject seem rather perplexed than eluci¬ 
dated, it is because, in the subversion of.a fabric raised by ig¬ 
norance and superstition, its parts must necessarily lie scatter¬ 
ed and confused. The materials have been falsely put toge- 
iheiybut they are genuine; and others, coming after, will ar¬ 
range and connect them in a more reasonable manner. Since 
the period of the author’s visit to Jerusalem, the building, 
which had received the appellation of the church of Mount 
Calvary, has been destroyed by fire. In all probability it 
will now be seen, that what was called the Holy Sepulchre was 
a mere ddusion—-a Monkish juggle ; that there was, in fact, no 
crypt nor oiooumerit, resembling a Jewish place of burial, be¬ 
neath the dome of that building; that we must seek elsewhere 
for the place of our Saviour’s Tomb ; and that the city never 
was so limited in its extent, toward the northw est, as to admit 
a wall in that situation. A, sepulchre, such as was that of the 
