CHAPTER IV.

CYCLING ROUND ABOUT EL KUDS.

"This lande of ierusalem bath been in dyvors nations bands, for Cbryste will not that it be long in the bands of traytours ne sinners, be they Cbristian or other. And now bath the mistrowing men bolden that land in theyre bandes LF yeare and more, but they sball not bolde it long and if God wyll.-Maundeville.

November 21st, the Sunday before Advent.-There is a double solemnity in the Lord's Day at Jerusalem for anyone who can be quiet, who does not make it a day of feverish sight-seeing. My cycle was laid aside on the Sundays altogether, and I wandered with my Bible to familiar spots outside the City Walls.

Soon after daybreak, this Sunday, I found my way down to the Green Hill, where the pretty pink crocuses were forcing their way up in response to showers which were now beginning to fall occasionally, the heralds of the "former " rains.

The doctrine of the Christian's identity with his Christ upon the Cross is emphasized in the Latin poem of which we sometimes sing a beautiful translation as an evening

hymn.

"As Christ upon the Cross

His Head inclined,

And to His Father's hands

His parting Soul resign'd;

"So now herself my soul
Would wholly give
Into His sacred charge.

In whom all spirits live;

"So now beneath his eye

Would calmly rest,
Without a wish or thought

Abiding in the breast,

"Save that His Will be done,
Whate'er betide,

Dead to herself, and dead
In Him to all beside.

"Thus would I live; yet now
Not I, but He,

In all His power and love,

Henceforth alive in me."

These last two verses are but a paraphrase of Galatians,

ii. 20.

This Green Hill is the first spot to become verdant after the dusty days of summer and autumn, and the last place to lose its verdure when the hot weather sets in, so Mr. Hensman tells me. The Moslem graves at El Hieremîyeh preserve it from being acquired by Greek or Latin, and it is generally very quiet, so that one is undisturbed when meditating there.

In Christ Church on Mount Zion, and also with Bishop Blyth in his Church, I joined with Jerusalem Christians in their worship, later on in the day.

November 22nd. Monday. I cycled over all the roads and by-roads to the north-west of the city, noting the great number of new houses, and the extensions in that direction. An Italian town in appearance, a very NEW Jerusalem indeed.

Y

November 23rd. Tuesday. Photographing along the Jaffa Road. Arabs from the country crowded round my cycle.

In the afternoon I cycled out to Bethany. The people of El-Azariah turned out in strong force to watch the Arabiyeh.

On the road down to Jericho there opened out exquisitely clear views of the Jordan Vale and Dead Sea, and mountains of Moab. I was chased by two Bedouins with guns but they did not use them. Rode past groups of lepers near Gethsemane, they were astonished at the Arabiyeh, but moaned "Lebbra, Lebbra, Bakshish, 'Howaja."

November 24th. Wednesday.-Went to the Green Hill with Miss Hussey, a resident in Palestine. She is an authority on antiques, and a thorough student of history and topography. She takes a special interest in the Garden Tomb. At my request she wrote, and permits me to make use of, the account printed below. It was deeply interesting to stand in that rock hewn sepulchre, and by the light streaming in through the doorway to read aloud the description in St. John's Gospel (Chapter xix. 38 to xx. 18). To picture, also, that other disciple stooping down and looking in, and Peter going within to see the slab where the linen clothes and the headgear may have lain when Christ's Quickened Body passed through them, or left them behind.

THE GARDEN TOMB.

"Outside the 'Damascus Gate,' on the north side of the city, is a rocky hill which slopes gently down to the north

and east, but on the southern side presents a cliff with one or two caves in it, which gives it the well-known skull-like appearance to anyone looking at it from the city walls.

"This hill is now generally known as the Skull Hill' or 'Green Hill' among English residents and travellers, but it is called by the Arabs El Hieremiyeh,' and by the Jews one side is known as 'The House of Stoning,' as it is their traditional place of execution. Two main roads passed very near this hill in Roman times, one on the west side northward to Nablûs, the other on the south to Jericho and Damascus. For these and other reasons this hill is supposed by many who do not believe in the traditional 'Church of the Holy Sepulchre,' to be the place of crucifixion of our Lord; The place which is called a skull' (John xix. 17.)

"At the foot of this hill, to the south-west, is a garden, the only one which could ever have existed in the place,' unless on the top of the hill, and here, therefore, we must look for the tomb, that is if we believe the hill to have been Calvary. Wonderful to say, some thirty years ago or more, a tomb was found hewn in the rock that forms the hill, with the opening in this garden. It is the only rock-hewn tomb which can be said to have been in the place where He was crucified,' and the only tomb for one family which exists near it. It is a small double room intended to hold at least four bodies, but never finished. The place for one corpse only is finished, or nearly so, for there are no traces of the slab which should have been placed over it. This is on the

north side of the inner or eastern room, the entrance to the

A step

cave being at the south side of the western room. leads from one to the other. A window-like opening, which is unusual in these tombs, lets light in, so that we can understand how St. Peter stooping down,' 'looking in' could see the linen clothes lying' without going in. I do not know of any other rock tomb near Jerusalem in which this would be possible.

"When discovered, this tomb was half full of earth, and on this a good many bones were found, possibly belonging to Crusading times; but no traces of any remains in the lower strata of earth, which was examined by the British Museum specialists, in order to find out. About the time that these bones were thrown into the cave, two crosses were painted on the rock walls, one of which can still be seen, though it is fast disappearing. There is no doubt, I believe, that the Tomb is of the Herodian period, but has been altered since in several ways, such as the enlargement of the doorway, and the cuttings in the rock outside.

"There is a sort of channel or groove just outside the door, which might have been intended for a rolling stone, but this may have been cut later, and the Bible does not mention a rolling stone,' merely a great stone.' (Matthew xxvii. 60.)

"The Tomb and Garden have been bought within the last few years by an English committee, formed for the purpose, in order to save them from being built over.

"The Hill is safe as it is a Moslem cemetery, but there