VI.

in the road to Jerusalem; and has been visited CHAP. by pilgrims of all ages; but particularly since the Christian æra, as the place where our SAVIOUR revealed himself to the woman of Samaria. The spot is so distinctly marked by the Evangelist, and so little liable to uncertainty, from the circumstance of the well itself and the features of the country, that, if no tradition existed for its identity, the site of it could hardly be mistaken. Perhaps no Christian scholar ever attentively read the fourth chapter of St. John, without being struck with the numerous internal evidences of truth which crowd upon the mind, in its perusal. Within so small a compass it is impossible to find, in other writings, so many sources of reflection and of interest. Independently of its importance as a theological document, it concentrates so much information, that a volume might be filled with its singular illustration of the history of the Jews, and the geography of their country. All that can be collected upon these subjects from Josephus seems but as a comment to this chapter. The journey of our LORD from Judea into Galilee; the cause of it; his passage

(6) John, c. iv.

(7) Vid. Antiq. lib. xi. c. 4, 7, 8. lib. xii. c. 3, 7, &c.

VI.

CHAP. through the territory of Samaria; his approach to the metropolis of that country; its name; his arrival at the Amorite field which terminates the narrow valley of Sichem'; the antient custom of halting at a well; the female employment of drawing water; the Disciples sent into the city for food, by which its situation out of the town is so obviously implied; the question of the woman referring to existing prejudices which separated the Jews from the Samaritans; the depth of the well; the Oriental allusion contained in the expression "living water;" the history of the well, and the customs thereby illustrated; the worship upon Mount Gerizim; all these occur within the space of twenty verses: and if to these be added, what has already been referred to in the remainder of the same chapter, we shall perhaps consider it as a field, which, in the words of HIM who contemplated its ultimate produce", "WE MAY LIFT UP OUR EYES, AND LOOK UPON, FOR IT IS WHITE ALREADY TO HARVEST."

2

(1) "At this well, the narrow valley of Sychem ends; opening itself into a wide field, which is probably part of that parcel of ground given by JACOB to his son JOSEPH." Journey from Alep, to Jerus. p. 63. Oxf. 1721.

(2) See p. 185, Note 1; and p.186; of this volume.

(3) John, iv. 35,

THE HOLY LAND-NAPOLOSE TO JERUSALEM. Journey to Jerusalem-Singular Cultivation of Judæa

Jacal's Field-Bethel-Beer-Prospect of the Holy City-Formalities of a Public Entry-Reception by the Inhabitants-Gate of Damascus-Identity of "the Holy Places"-Visit to the Governor-Convent of St. Salvador -Appearance of the Monks-Dormitory for Travellers -Pilgrim's Chamber-Convent Stores-LibraryExactions of the Turks-Manufactures of JerusalemMecca Fruit-Fetid Limestone-Water of the Dead Sea -Visit to "the Holy Places"-Sepulchre of the Messiah

-Its

CHAP.
VII.

-Its Identity disputed-Its present Appearance-Other Relics-Plan for the Survey of the City-Sion GateDiscovery made by the Author-Inference derived from it-Possible Site of Golgotha, or Calvary-Greek Inscriptions-Remarkable Tomb-Hebrew InscriptionsConjecture respecting Mount Sion.

WE left Napolose one hour after midnight, that

Journey to we might reach JERUSALEM early in the same JERUSALEM. day. We were however much deceived concerning the distance. Our guides represented the journey as a short excursion of five hours: it proved to be a most fatiguing pilgrimage of eighteen'. The road was mountainous, rocky,

(1) Authors disagree very much concerning this distance. Reland, who compares the computed measure, by time, with the Roman miles (Vid. "Mensuræ quibus veteres locorum intervalla metiuntur," Palæst. Illust. lib. ii. c 1.) makes an hour's journey equivalent to three miles; and this corresponds with its relative proportion to a French league, or to three English miles. But, in the valuable map wherein he has exhibited the distances of places in Roman miles, from Josephus, Eusebius, Arrian, Diodorus Siculus, and the Itinerary of Antoninus, (Vid. cap. 5. id. lib.) he states the distance between Napolose and Jerusalem as equal to forty Roman miles; that is to say, twenty-eight from Napolose to Bethel, and twelve from Bethel to Jerusalem. Again, in estimating the extent of the HOLY LAND (Vid. tom. I. p. 423. Traj. Bat. 1714.) he gives, from Jose

phus, Eusebius, and an antient anonymous Itinerary, the following distances: Ab Hierosolymis ad Bethel, ex Itinerar. veter. Hieros.

et Eusebio

Inde ad Neapolin, ex eodem Itiner

},

mil. 12.

mil. 28, vel 29.

The fact is, that, notwithstanding the numerous authors who have written in illustration of the geography of this country, the subject still remains undecided. We have no accurate map of the Holy Land; and were we to collect the distances from books of Travels the labour would be fruitless.

Phocas

VII.

Singular

and full of loose stones: yet the cultivation CHAP. was everywhere marvellous : it afforded one of the most striking pictures of human industry Cultivation which it is possible to behold. The limestone rocks and stony valleys of Judea were entirely covered with plantations of figs, vines, and olive

Phocas, who is generally accurate, states the distance between SAMARIA (i. e. Sichem, vel Neapolis) and JERUSALEM most erroneously; making it only equal to eighty-four stadia, or ten miles and a half: 'Axò ñs Σαμαρείας ἕως τῆς ἁγίας πόλεως εἰσὶ σταδία ὀγδοήκοντα τέσσαρα.

"A Samaria ad sacram civitatem stadia numerantur quatuor et octoginta." (Phocæ Descript. T. S. cap. 14.) This would only allow a journey of three hours and a half. Maundrell makes it eleven hours and thirty-five minutes, according to the following statement from his Journal. (See pp. 62, 63, 64, 66, 67. Journ. from Alep. to Jerus. Oxf. 1721.)

Adapting, therefore, Maundrell's time to Reland's scale, the distance would be little more than thirty-four miles and a half. We considered it to be much more; but it is difficult to obtain accurate measure, even by actual observation of the country, owing to its mountainous and rug. ged nature.

(2) If the following passage from Phocas afforded the only internal evidence to be found in his Work, of his having visited the country, travellers, who follow him, will deem it satisfactory. Ἡ δίοδος πᾶσα λιθόστρω της, καὶ ταῦτα, κατάξηρος οὔσα ἡ πᾶσα τοιαύτη χώρα, καὶ αὐχμηρὰ ἐστὶ καὶ κατάμπελος καὶ ὑπόδενδρος. "Via est omnis lapidibus strata; et, licet tota ea regio siccitate arescat, et squalleat, ubique tamen vitibus et arboribus constipatur." Phoca Descr. Terr. Sanct. c. 14. Colon. 1653. The extraordinary cultivation of this singular country, and the mode of it, is also noticed by Maundrell. See Journ. from Alep. to Jerus. pp. 64, 65.