■Jerusalem'. 
itself, by means of the mechanism alone; and after a short inter¬ 
val closed again. Such was the case at the time stated: had 
you tried to open it at any other time, you would not have 
succeeded, but have broken it first, in the attempt.” Fausa- 
nias here evidently alludes to the art thus possessed, and to a 
door like that which Maundrell has described as belonging to 
this sepulchre. When doors of this kind were once closed, it 
was not very probable that any one would attempt to open 
them by violence ; although certain instances did occur of the 
plunder of tombs, as in the example afforded by Josephus in 
the history of Herod.* But such conduct was always con¬ 
sidered to be, in a very high degree, impious;! and the super¬ 
stition mentioned by Q/uaresmius, as recorded by Livy,J which 
considered a ruined sepulchre an ill omen; must have tended, 
together with the veneration in which tombs were held, 
toward their constant preservation 
After leaving these tombs, we again made the circuit of the 
whole city, keeping as close to the walls as possible, and re¬ 
maining all the while on horseback. In this manner we were 
exactly one hour and a half employed, from the time we left 
the gate of Damascus until we returned to it again, our horses 
proceeding at a foot’s pace. When we regained the city, we 
waited upon the governor, to thank him for the civilities we 
had received. Upon this occasion we used all the interest we 
had with him, by means of Djezzar Pacha’s own interpreter* 
to obtain admission into the mosque of the temple of Solomon* 
or mosque erected upon the site of that temple by the Caliph 
Omar, in the seventh century. § He entreated us not to urge 
the request, saying his own life would certainly be required as 
the price of our admission : we were therefore compelled to 
rest satisfied with the interesting view it afforded from his win¬ 
dows, which regarded the area of the temple. The sight w as 
so grand, that we did not hesitate in pronouncing it the most 
magnificent piece of architecture in the Turkish empire; and, 
considered externally, far superior to the Mosque of Saint 
Sophia in Constantinople. By the sides of the spacious area 
ia which it stands, are certain vaulted remains: these plainly 
* Josephus, lib. xvi. Antiq. 0. 11. Colon. 1691. 
Ubid. 
1 “ Q,uod si apud priscos, sepulchrum dirulum fuisse, res full habita mali ominis> 
*altestatur Livius, et Alexander con'ciso s-ermone retulit; Hannibali, inquit, cum ex 
Italia Africam peteret, sepulchrum diruptum au^pkium ferale.” Gluaresm. Elucld- 
:jp. jit,, iv. c. 8. Alltv. 1639. 
$ A. 13.637 • 
