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  • The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine
  • Sept. 5, 1868
  • Page 4
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Sept. 5, 1868: Page 4

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    Article PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND. ← Page 3 of 5
    Article PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND. Page 3 of 5 →
Page 4

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Palestine Exploration Fund.

level with reference to Jerusalem , but there is the possibility of its being in connection with the cleft where we were excavating near the Russian buildings , which some suppose to be the shaft of an acqueduct by which the town used to be supplied with water . " 2 . Within the walls . —I have examined and

surveyed the large tank at the Burj al Kibryt ; it is fully described at p . 221 , Lewin ' s " Siege of Jerusalem , " The plans and sections shall be sent by an early mail . "I have also examined the Hammam esh

Shafa . * Captain Wilson ' s plans give every information on the subject . The smell of the water was disgusting , exactly similar to what is encountered in any of the dirty bath-rooms of Jerusalem . I conclude that a portion of the dirty water from

the baths finds its ivay back again into the well . The level of rock at this well I calculate to be 50 feet below the surface of the Haram Area . On ascending , I found a second shaft reaching from top to bottom , and it is evident that at one time the water was obtained by means of a Na ' ura , or "Persian water-wheel" ( p . 276 , "The Land and

the Book ) , which leads one to suppose that water may have then been more plentiful than it is at present . " 3 . Siloam . —I have examined and surveyed the rock-cut passage leading from tho Virgin's

Eountf to Siloam . We entered from the Siloam end , so as to have as much clean work as possible . Eor the first 350 feet it was very plain sailing ; the height of passage sloping down from 16 feet at entrance to -i feet 4 inches ; the width 2 feet ;

the direction a wavy lino to the east . At 450 feet the height of passage was reduced to 3 feet 9 inches , and here ive found a shaft leading upwards apparently to the open air . This mi ght be made use of to great advantage by the owners of the

soil overhead . Prom this shaft the passage takes a north-easterly direction , and at 600 feet is only 2 feet 6 inches high .

At 900 feet we came upon two false cuttings , one on each side of the acqueduct . They go in for about 2 feet each . I could not discover any appearance of their being passages ; if they are , and are stopped up for any distance , it will be

Palestine Exploration Fund.

next to impossible to clear them out m such a place . Just here I involuntarily swallowed a portion of my lead pencil , nearly choking for a minute or two . We ivere now going in a zig-zag direction towards the north-west , and the height

increased to 4 feet 6 inches , which gave us a little breathing space ; but at 1 , 050 feet we were reduced to 2 feet 6 inches , and at 1 , 100 feet we were again crawling with a height of only 1 foot 10 inches .

"At 1 , 1 oO feet the passage again averaged a height of 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches . At 1 , 400 we heard the same sound of water dripping as described by Captain Wilson , the Rev . Dr . Barclay , and others . I carefully looked backwards and

forwards , and at last found a fault in the rock , where the water ivas gurgling , but whether rushing in or out I could not ascertain . At 1 , 450 feet we commenced turning to the east , and the passage attained a height of 6 feet . At 1 , 658 feet

we came upon our old friend , the passage leading to the Ophel shaft , and , after a further 50 feet , to the Virgin's Fount . Our candles were just becoming exhausted , and the last three angles I could not take very exactly . There were

fiftyseven stations of the compass . When we came out it was dark , and we had to stand shivering for some minutes before our : clothes were brought us ; we were nearly four hours in the water . I find a difference of 42 feet between my

measurements and those of Dr . Robinson , but if he took the length of the Virgin's Eount into account we shall very nearly agree .

" Entrance to the ' Tomb of Aaron s Sons , ' in the Aksa Mosque . —The wail at this point was broken through , and found to be very rough on thc outside ; 10 feet 6 inches thick ; stones , 2 feet by 1 foot G inches by I foot 6 inches ; it is backed

up with made earth . " ' Standing-place of Elias , ' in the Aksa . — The end of the passage or doorway here was broken through ; it is about 1 foot 6 inches thick . Behind it is a mass of loose rubbish , and

after removing about a ton of it I was able to get through , but could see nothing to lead me to suppose that there is anything beyond but made earth . Somebody has opened the Tomb of Jehosaphat ;

it is the place Avhere the Jews threw away the old copies of their books . The Rabbi seemed to think that I had done it , and sent to ask me to close it up . I sent at once to tell him that I had

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1868-09-05, Page 4” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 4 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_05091868/page/4/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. Article 1
PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND. Article 2
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 7
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 9
MASONIC MEMS. Article 10
GRAND LODGE. Article 10
PROVINCIAL. Article 14
INDIA. Article 15
SCOTLAND. Article 16
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 18
Obituary. Article 18
THE LATE BRO. THOMAS POWRIE. Article 20
METROPOLITAN LODGE MEETINGS, ETC., FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 12th, 1868. Article 20
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Palestine Exploration Fund.

level with reference to Jerusalem , but there is the possibility of its being in connection with the cleft where we were excavating near the Russian buildings , which some suppose to be the shaft of an acqueduct by which the town used to be supplied with water . " 2 . Within the walls . —I have examined and

surveyed the large tank at the Burj al Kibryt ; it is fully described at p . 221 , Lewin ' s " Siege of Jerusalem , " The plans and sections shall be sent by an early mail . "I have also examined the Hammam esh

Shafa . * Captain Wilson ' s plans give every information on the subject . The smell of the water was disgusting , exactly similar to what is encountered in any of the dirty bath-rooms of Jerusalem . I conclude that a portion of the dirty water from

the baths finds its ivay back again into the well . The level of rock at this well I calculate to be 50 feet below the surface of the Haram Area . On ascending , I found a second shaft reaching from top to bottom , and it is evident that at one time the water was obtained by means of a Na ' ura , or "Persian water-wheel" ( p . 276 , "The Land and

the Book ) , which leads one to suppose that water may have then been more plentiful than it is at present . " 3 . Siloam . —I have examined and surveyed the rock-cut passage leading from tho Virgin's

Eountf to Siloam . We entered from the Siloam end , so as to have as much clean work as possible . Eor the first 350 feet it was very plain sailing ; the height of passage sloping down from 16 feet at entrance to -i feet 4 inches ; the width 2 feet ;

the direction a wavy lino to the east . At 450 feet the height of passage was reduced to 3 feet 9 inches , and here ive found a shaft leading upwards apparently to the open air . This mi ght be made use of to great advantage by the owners of the

soil overhead . Prom this shaft the passage takes a north-easterly direction , and at 600 feet is only 2 feet 6 inches high .

At 900 feet we came upon two false cuttings , one on each side of the acqueduct . They go in for about 2 feet each . I could not discover any appearance of their being passages ; if they are , and are stopped up for any distance , it will be

Palestine Exploration Fund.

next to impossible to clear them out m such a place . Just here I involuntarily swallowed a portion of my lead pencil , nearly choking for a minute or two . We ivere now going in a zig-zag direction towards the north-west , and the height

increased to 4 feet 6 inches , which gave us a little breathing space ; but at 1 , 050 feet we were reduced to 2 feet 6 inches , and at 1 , 100 feet we were again crawling with a height of only 1 foot 10 inches .

"At 1 , 1 oO feet the passage again averaged a height of 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches . At 1 , 400 we heard the same sound of water dripping as described by Captain Wilson , the Rev . Dr . Barclay , and others . I carefully looked backwards and

forwards , and at last found a fault in the rock , where the water ivas gurgling , but whether rushing in or out I could not ascertain . At 1 , 450 feet we commenced turning to the east , and the passage attained a height of 6 feet . At 1 , 658 feet

we came upon our old friend , the passage leading to the Ophel shaft , and , after a further 50 feet , to the Virgin's Fount . Our candles were just becoming exhausted , and the last three angles I could not take very exactly . There were

fiftyseven stations of the compass . When we came out it was dark , and we had to stand shivering for some minutes before our : clothes were brought us ; we were nearly four hours in the water . I find a difference of 42 feet between my

measurements and those of Dr . Robinson , but if he took the length of the Virgin's Eount into account we shall very nearly agree .

" Entrance to the ' Tomb of Aaron s Sons , ' in the Aksa Mosque . —The wail at this point was broken through , and found to be very rough on thc outside ; 10 feet 6 inches thick ; stones , 2 feet by 1 foot G inches by I foot 6 inches ; it is backed

up with made earth . " ' Standing-place of Elias , ' in the Aksa . — The end of the passage or doorway here was broken through ; it is about 1 foot 6 inches thick . Behind it is a mass of loose rubbish , and

after removing about a ton of it I was able to get through , but could see nothing to lead me to suppose that there is anything beyond but made earth . Somebody has opened the Tomb of Jehosaphat ;

it is the place Avhere the Jews threw away the old copies of their books . The Rabbi seemed to think that I had done it , and sent to ask me to close it up . I sent at once to tell him that I had

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