Page:Travels from Aleppo, to the city of Jerusalem, and through the most remarkable parts of the Holy Land, in 1776.pdf/12

their religion, it had been impossible to have miss’d heavens for we had received indulgences for all our lives; which fancy I wish do not deceive too many. June 2. We began to search for the holy places, which are these following: I. The immolation of Isaac near the temple called Mount Moriah, inlaid with silver, and a dish set by for your offering. 2. Peter’s prison, still made a prison by the Turks; at the end of which, is a hole in the wall, where they say the chain was fastened with which St. Peter was chained; little rememhering how oft Jerusalem hath been destroyed, and the stones of that old wall are now probably as far under ground as those are above. 3. The monastery of the knights of Malta; a very fair building, one room hath several partitions for beds, with a hole in the middle, that if any of them are sick or fluxitive, they are laid there, to which the water being bad, and the air unwholesome, doth very much incline them. 4 Solomon’s temple, which if any Christian go into, or but up the stairs, he must turn Turk, or be burnt; the rarity of which, I shall give you an account of when I come to a prospect. 5. St. Helena’s hospital, where there are seven great caldrons, in which she used to have provisions dressed for the poor, where we pay one livre for entrance. 6. The judgment gate at which our Saviour was brought in; and near the gate is the place where he was condemned. 7. The dolorous way which Christ went to be crucified; and in the way is the bouse of Veronica, who gave our Saviour a napkin to wipe his face, as he passed by; there is also Lazarus’s house, and the house of the rich glutton, and the place where our Saviour fainted (as they say) and Simon took up the cross; and near that is the church where the Virgin Mary stood to see him pass by, and fainted with grief, now called the Virgin Mary’s church. 8. Herod’s palace, now in ruins, and is now the Bassa’s Seraglio; in one room is the place where they clothed our Saviour with purple. 9. Pilate’s house, here they shew the place where our Saviour was crowned with thorns, and the pillar to which he was bound, which was brought from thence and put into the temple; next we enter the hall where pilate washed his hands, and declared himself innocent of our Saviour’s blood; out of which we had a fair prospect Solomon’s temple, it is built within the middle of a spacious yard, of about 500 paces long, and 370 broad, very well paved, and there are several arches, good walks, and buildings about it. The temple is wrought with Mosaic work, and by the Turks report, is very rich within, it being one of their temples or Mosques; and tho’ they have a have a half moon upon all their Mosques, yet this only hath a cross thro’ the middle, the fathers reporting it would not stand till the cross was made. But this Mosque or temple is a considerable way to the south-east, where Solomon’s temple stood; for Julian the Roman emperor, in concurrence with the Jews, to give the lie to our