Tombs

Tombs.

(see image) Exterior of the Golden Gate, Jerusalem.(From a photograph by Bonfils.)

The valleys lying north and east of the city were from the earliest times used as burial-places. A number of the latter, hewn out of the rock, still exist; though the assumption of their use for the burial of judges and prophets is not founded on any real tradition. The Tombs of the Judges, north of Jerusalem, were called by the Jews the "Tombs of the Seventy" and were connected with the Sanhedrin (Carmoly, l.c. pp. 387, 430, 443). They have been accurately described by Robinson and Tobler. Formerly a court existed, which measured nearly 10 m. x 9 m. The tombs are made up of a series of rooms, the first being 6 m. square and 2.52 m. high. On the northern side there are two tiers of loculi ("kukim"), 2 m. long, 0.81 to 0.90 m. high, and 0.47 to 0.62 m. wide. Above these are three arched recesses each with two loculi. A door leads from this room to the second room, which contains 21 niches, and to a third, with 9 niches. At the end of the series of rooms is a small chamber used for depositing bones removed from the ossuaries in order to secure space for other bodies. Another, similar tomb, south of the Tombs of the Judges, on the road to Nabi Samwil, was very finely conceived, but apparently was not finished (see Barton in "Jour. Bib. Lit." xxii. 164 et seq.). About 1,500 ft. northeast of the Tombs of the Judges another series of tombs was found; they have been described in the "Mittheilungen" of the GermanPalestine Assoc., 1898, p. 39; in the "Revue Biblique," 1899, p. 297; and in the "P. E. F. S." 1900, p. 54. They are like the Tombs of the Judges in their internal decoration and elaborate workmanship. They are said to date from the Hasmonean period, though their use by Christians at a later time is evidenced by the crosses scratched on the walls. The "Tombs of the Prophets" or the "Small Labyrinth" on the Mount of Olives is very extensive and very old. A few steps lead under a low arch into a rotunda, lighted from above. From this rotunda passageways radiate into rooms cut farther into the rocks, and these again are intersected by semicircular passages. In the wall of the outermost circular passage are 24 loculi (see "P. E. F. S." 1901, p. 309, and Baedeker, l.c. p. cxiii.). Other tombs are to be found on Mt. Scopus, close to the road leading to Anata ("P. E. F. S." 1900, p. 75), and a few of the Roman period opposite the southwestern corner of the city wall ("Z. D. P. V." xvi. 202).

A series of tombs somewhat differently arranged was found some years ago on the northern extremity of the Mount of Olives, now called "Karm al-Sayyid," but formerly "Viri Galilæ," because the Galileans who came to the festivals spread their tents here. The general plan is that of a road with rooms lying on either side; but there seems to be no definite architectural arrangement. The entrance was originally closed by a stone; and in many of the chambers the center was scooped out to catch the rain that ran down the walls. Though many of the rooms were used by Christians, the tombs are evidently of Jewish origin. The Jewish graves are farther apart from each other than the Christian ones. This series is supposed by Schick to be the "Peristereon" mentioned by Josephus ("B. J." v. 12, § 2). Roman bricks with the mark of the 10th Legion and Jewish coins have been found there ("Z. D. P. V." xii. 193). The oldest Jewish gravestones near and in Jerusalem date from about the year 1690 ("Jerusalem," v. 53). To be buried in Jerusalem was always considered a special favor; see the passages cited in "Yalkut 'Erez Yisrael," pp. 78 et seq. Among the prominent men supposed to be buried in and around the city may be mentioned: the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; Mordecai, Simon the Just, Johanan b. Zakkai, NaHmanides, Obadiah of Bertinoro. See "YuHasin," p. 228b, ed. London; Conforte, "kore," p. 19a; Carmoly, "Itinéraires," passim; the list in Pinner's Catal. p. 7 (Fragment, 1861 ?); and Basset, "Nédromah," pp. 158 et seq., Paris, 1901.

The climate of Jerusalem has been carefully studied since 1883 by Dr. Thomas Chaplin. The mean annual temperature is 62.8°; maximum 112°; minimum 25°. See the résumé by Kersten in "Z. D. P. V." xiv. 93 et seq. The mean annual rainfall is 26.06 in.; see the result of observations made from 1861 to 1892 by James Glaisher in "P. E. F. S." 1894, p. 39.
(see image) Plan of the Tombs of the Judges, Upper Level.(From the "Journal of Biblical Literature.")

The following chronological table gives a list of the more important incidents that had a direct or indirect bearing on the history of the Jews of Jerusalem:

B.C.

1500. Earliest historical mention of Jerusalem, found in the El-Amarna tablets.

1048. David takes possession of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, calling it "Ir Dawid."
(see image) Sectional View of the Tombs of the Judges.(From the "Journal of Biblical Literature.")

1007. Solomon's Temple completed after seven years' labor.

972. Shishak of Egypt takes the city from Rehoboam.

713. Sennacherib advances toward Jerusalem.

700. Hezekiah perfects the water-supply.

586. (Ab 9.) Captured by Nebuzar-adan.

516. Rebuilt during reign of Darius.

350. Seized by the Persians.

332. Visited by Alexander the Great?

320 or 305. Seized by Ptolemy Soter.

170. Plundered by Antiochus Epiphanes.

165. (Kislew 25.) Judas Maccabeus recaptures Jerusalem and reconsecrates the Temple.

66. Pompey enters Jerusalem.

37. Besieged and taken by Herod the Great.

20. Restoration of the Temple begun by Herod the Great.

C.E.

29. (April.) Jesus of Nazareth executed at Jerusalem.

70. (Nisan 14.) Siege commenced by Vespasian, lasting 134 days.
(see image) Plan of the Catacombs on the Mount of Olives, East of Jerusalem.(After Schick.)
(see image) Cave Leading to the Traditional Tombs of the Judges, near Jerusalem.(From a photograph of the Palestine Exploration Fund.)

70. (Ab 9.) Jerusalem destroyed by Titus.

135. Hadrian rebuilds the city.

136. Jerusalem called Ælia Capitolina.

362. Restoration of the Temple undertaken by Julian the Apostate.

614. Jews aid the Persian Chosroes II. in attack on Jerusalem.

628. Retaken by Heraclius; Jews forbidden to enter the city.

637. Omar puts Jerusalem under Moslem power.

688. 'Abd al-Malik builds the Dome of the Rock.

1046. Solomon ben Judah head of the yeshibah at Jerusalem.

1077. Seljuk Turks capture Jerusalem.

1099. (July 15.) Crusaders put 70,000 infidels to the sword, and found a new Christian kingdom.

1100. "Assize of Jerusalem" established by Godfrey of Bouillon.

1140. Judah ha-Levi visits Jerusalem.

1173. Benjamin of Tudela visits Jerusalem.

1187. (Oct. 2.) Saladin defeats the Franks and takes Jerusalem.

1211. Several hundred English and French rabbis settle in Jerusalem.

1218. Al-Harizi visits Jerusalem.

1267. (Aug. 12.) NaHmanides visits Jerusalem.

1437. Elijah of Ferrara made chief rabbi.

1492. Jews expelled from Spain settle in Jerusalem.

1517. Capture by Ottoman Turks.

1580. NaHmanides synagogue closed by the Moslems, claiming that it had previously been a mosque.

1621. Isaiah Horowitz and a number of his friends settle in Jerusalem.

1627. Ibn Farukh, governor of Jerusalem and persecutor of the Jews, deposed.

1705. Jews subjected to certain vexatious restrictions in matters of attire.

1798. Napoleon visits Palestine; Jewish community of Jerusalem accused of assisting him and its members threatened with death.

1827. First visit of Moses Montefiore.

1838. Edward Robinson commences archeological research in Jerusalem.

1840. Crémieux, Montefiore, and Albert Cohn visit Jerusalem.

1841. (Nov. 7.) S. M. S. Alexander, convert to Christianity, consecrated first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem.

1854. Albert Cohn establishes many charitable institutions.

1862. (Sept. 5.) Treaty to preserve the Holy Sepulcher signed by Russia, France, and Turkey.

1880. Siloam Inscription discovered.

1892. (Sept. 13.) Railway from Jerusalem to Jaffa, built by a French company, opened.

1898. (Nov. 1.) William II. of Germany visits Jerusalem in state and receives a Jewish deputation.

1900. Abarbanel Library founded.

Jerusalem