Note 81 — THE TRAVELS OF SÆWULF.

It may be necessary to remind the reader that the building of which Sæwulf is here talking was the Mosque of Omar, which, during the long period that Jerusalem had remained in the hands of the Saracens, had been entirely closed from the examination of Christians. Now that the Holy City had fallen under the power of the Crusaders, it was thrown open to public inspection, and the monks appear to have laboured industriously to identify every part of the Saracenic edifice with the events of Scripture. Probably some portions of the ancient building were worked up into the Mohammedan mosque; but Sæwulf's description will show us how cautious we ought to be in receiving these traditionary identifications of the localities of Scripture history. [81]