clarke’s travels. 
peared upon the sides and upon the roof of each sepulchral 
chamber, preserving a wonderful freshness of colour, although 
much injured by Arabs or Turks, whose endeavours to efface 
them were visibly displayed in many instances. The sepul¬ 
chres themselves are, from these documents, evidently of 
Christian origin, and of more recent construction than the 
tombs we first noticed in our descent from the southern gate of 
the city, where there exists no such internal ornament, and 
where the inscriptions, from their brevity, and the immense 
size of the letters, seem to denote higher antiquity. Yet, to 
what period can we ascribe them P During all the time that 
Jerusalem has remained in subjection to the Moslems, the la¬ 
bour requisite in their formation could not have been carried 
on; since nothing excites the jealousy and opposition of Ma¬ 
hometans more, than seeing a Christian dig, or nrake excava¬ 
tion of any kind. They believe such works always originate 
in some knowledge of hidden treasure. From the great ex¬ 
pense required in hewing and completing them, it cannot be 
supposed that these were the tombs of vulgar persons; but af¬ 
ter Jerusalem was rescued from the hands of the Saracens, in¬ 
dividuals of rank were interred beneath monuments of a very 
different description, and in quite another situation, as may be 
proved by reference to the tombs of Godfrey de Bouillon, his 
brother Baldwin, and four others, in trie church of the Holy 
Sepulchre.* The only age to which, jvith any probability, 
they may be referred, is that long interval of prosperity and 
peace enjoyed by the Christians of Jerusalem after the disper¬ 
sion of the Jews by Adrian ; that is to say, from the establish¬ 
ment of the Gentile church, and the ordination of Markvj- until 
the reign of Dioclesian. If this be true, the paintings may be 
considered as exhibiting specimens of the art belonging to the 
second century ; and thereby illustrating, by very ancient ex¬ 
amples, the remarks made, in the Aidhoi’s travels in Russia,f 
* See De Chateaubriand's Travels,II. p. 15. Lend. 1811. 
•f He is called Saint (Vjark by r J illemont, which, unless attention be paid to the date 
of his ordination,.may cau^fe him to be eontounded with Mark H e evangelist. Mark 
was made bishop before-the.death of Adrian,'which-happened in the middle'of the 
year 138. (See T illemont, Hist des Emp. tom. II. p. ,294. .Paris, 1702. and the au¬ 
thorities by him cited.) The establishment of the Gentile ehurrh bears date from 
that peripd. See the list of Mark’s successors, as given by Eusebius. .Hist. Eccles. 
lib. v. cap. 12. Paris, 1659 
X The fact, however, if established, will prove the existence of such paintings long 
before the council of Jiliberis Portraits were in use thorn the earliest ages. Jose¬ 
phus relates, that it was a common practice with the Greeks, and other nations, to 
set a high esteem upon the portraits of friends, relations, and even of servants.-. This 
p:v sage of Josephus is only preserved, however, in the Latin version. “■ Grascis ita 
que. et aliii qnilmsdam, bonum esse'creditor imagines insituere. • Dcnique et -patrum 
