-
Articles/Ads
Article PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND. ← Page 3 of 5 Article PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND. Page 3 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
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
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
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