Volume 2 — PART. III.

CHAP. I.

A short description of his departure from Tripoli, a town of Phœnicia in Syria, and how he went from thence to Joppa.

After my return to Tripoli, when I found myself near to the confines of Canaan, the land of promise, promised and given to the Israelites by the Lord of Zebaoth, and considered, that our long before promised Messias, Lord and Saviour of the Gentiles was there, according to the prophecies of the prophets born in Bethlehem of the virgin Mary, and by the Jews suffered the shameful death of crucifixion at Jerusalem on the mount of Calvaria, and afterwards was laid in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, that was cut out of a rock, &c. I found in me a great desire to see these and other the like holy places: Not that I thought still to find there Christ our Lord, as the two young men Peter and John and the three Maries did, but to exercise my outward senses in the contemplation thereof, that I might the more fervently consider with my inward ones his bitter passion, death, resurrection and ascension, and to appropriate to myself, and to apprehend the better, and to make my own, by faith and firm confidence, Christ our Lord himself together with his heavenly gifts and treasures, as he has manifested himself in the holy scriptures; wherefore I was fully resolved to look out for fellow travellers to accompany me in this journey before I returned home again. I staid not long in quest of company, but quickly met four Pilgrims that came out of the Low Countries that had the same intention; there also came to us a Grecian Monk of the order of the Carmelites whom I knew before when he lived with his master, that I cured of a very dangerous distemper, and desired to go in company with us. So we agreed together, and bespoke a small Turkish vessel with eight oars, by them called Caramusala whereof there were many in the harbour, that wait constantly for travellers, goods and provision, to be carried into the neighbouring towns and provinces, viz. to Antiochia, Caramania, anciently called Cilicia, Cyprus, Baruthi, Caramania, or quite into Egypt. We bought some biskets, cibets, eggs, cheese, pompions, which the Arabians call Batticas, Margeropfel, oranges, good wine, &c. which we had occasion of for our journey, of which as much as would last us eight days; for the ship-masters do not willingly land, chiefly with Pilgrims, because of the great customs the roguish Turks demand unjustly from us Christians every where, until we arrive at our designed stations.

After we had thus fitted ourselves, and got a good wind, we went aboard the ship on the seventh of September, in the year 1575, and put off, and came before night to the point Capugio, to the village Aniffe, anciently called Neuphrus, which was in former ages very well fortified, as still appeareth by some remainders to this day. This village is pretty big, but every where open, that one might easily take it with a handful of men; it is situated on the foot of mount Libanus, which is very high there, and reacheth unto the sea. It is chiefly inhabited by Maronites, as are also many more villages of this mountain, chiefly those that lie in vallies towards Aleppo, where I have inned many times when I went through it, and was very kindly received; they keep very good wine by them, which the Turks know very well, and come there very often for it, altho they are forbidden (by the laws of their Mahometan Koran) to satisfy their desire. These Maronites are Christians, and speak the Arabian language, and have their Patriarchs, which are first chosen by the people, and then confirmed by the Pope. After we had went on from thence very well all night long, all along the steep mountainous shore, and had made the utmost point of the promontory of Baruthi, we saw in the morning a far off, that famous town lying behind it, where formerly great commerce has been drove, well fortified with strong towers towards the sea, and surrounded with fruitful orchards and vineyards. In this, and also in more adjacent towns and villages, live a very warlike people, called Trusci, very nimble and expert in shooting with guns and bows, and call themselves the posterity of the ancient Frenchmen, which took and possessed many years agone, under Godfrid and Baldwin, Jerusalem, and all the Land of Promise. They are still a free people to this day, and not subject unto the Great Sultan as others are; wherefore he hath many times attempted to bring them under his yoak. And in order thereunto he did send in the year 1574 last past, a great army consisting of two hundred thousand horse and foot to subdue them; but what harm he did them I have already mentioned in the preceding part of this Journal. They are very willing to accommodate and serve outlandish Christians, as Germans, Frenchmen and Italians, whereof they make no difference, and to take them up into their habitations, and to shew them all civility and kindness; nay, and what is more, to assist them according to their utmost power against the common enemy of Christendom, as we have formerly found indeed before Cyprus was taken by the Turks; for after they were informed that some Italian gallies were to arrive to make an incursion into the adjacent towns and places, chiefly to plunder Tripoli, they raised seven thousand men very well armed to help them, and to come to their assistance, some of which did then appear and shew themselves on the frontiers; but finding that their gallies did not arrive, they also returned home again, and left their design unaccomplished. The Trusci have a head called Ermin Mackfur, that is, a judicious man, and a very experienced soldier, whom they acknowledge to be their supreme governor, and are obedient to him; he liveth in a castle on the bottom of the mountain not far from the town we went by; he taketh great pains, chiefly now after the Turkish war, and maketh great provision to keep the country in peace and security. He also keepeth good correspondence with the neighbouring people, chiefly the Maronites, that have lived long before in these mountains, with whom he hath lately renewed the old confederacy again, as I know very well, and their Patriarch himself was with him, before I was called to cure him of his distemper. He also leaveth no stone unturned to get in with others, and to make them his confederates; so that he hath already secured to himself the Syrians, which are also Christians, yet not without gross errors, by paying to them a yearly pension. These speak also Arabick, and are very like unto them in shape, manners, fashion and cloaths; and I found two of them among our seamen, that confirmed this to me.

After we had gone on a great while, and were passed by the point of the promontary of Barnti, which extendeth itself far into the sea, our ship-master, who was a Turk, and understood the Arabian language, shewed me a village lying beyond it, called Burgi, and told me, that that was also inhabited altogether by Harani Quibir, that is, great robbers and murtherers, as they always call these people. But I being better informed beforehand, I prayed by myself that God would be pleased to let the poor slaves that live in hard servitude under the Turks, who were these they call Harani; and I do not at all question, but they would soon take their refuge to them to make themselves free of their servitude, as those might easily do, that live about these countries in Syria.

We saw also upon the shoar some ancient towers, and among them chiefly two, which are renewed again, wherein the Trusci keep watches to observe the pirates, but the others whereof there are a great many not above a league distant from one another, are for the greatest part by age decayed. Some say that they were formerly built by the potent Emperors, that if any nation should rise up in rebellion, they might immediately give notice thereof to Constantinople. These gave notice, before guns were invented, in the night by a flaming fire, and by day-time by a great smoak. And they still keep to this in many places, altho’ guns are now invented.

In the afternoon we were becalmed, and so our journey went on but slowly, we saw late at night a small village called Carniola upon the height: and soon after at the foot of the high mount of Libanus, southward of the city of Sidon, by the inhabitants still called Scida, which is not very great, but as far as I could see, very well built, and defended by two castles, one whereof is situated towards the north on a high rock, the other on a little hill. Those that are going to Saphet, which is a day’s journey distant from it, land there. Before we could reach it, night befel us, and brought contrary winds, which hindered us so much, that we could hardly reach the glorious and rich town of Tyrus, now by the inhabitants called Sur, which lieth in a manner close to it, until the next morning. This is still pretty large, and lieth on a rock in the sea, about five hundred paces distant from the shoar of Phœnicia. In former ages Alexander the Great did besiege it for seven months, and during the siege he filled up the streight of the sea, and did join it to the continent, and after he had taken it, he laid it into ashes, so that punishment was inflicted on the inhabitants which the Prophet Esaias denounced against them four hundred years before.

On the confines of Tirus and Sidon, that Cananean woman came to Christ on behalf of her daughter that was possessed of an unclean spirit, whereof the Lord, seeing her faith, did deliver her immediately.

Just before it, we heard a great noise of large running springs, which rise within the country with so great a vehemency, that they drive several mills. Within a large distance from thence, we saw a very fine new house called Nacora.

Two miles farther near mount Saron within, southward, we saw a large village called Sib, without it in the sea round about were several banks and rocks, behind which we hid ourselves, the wind being contrary, and staid for a more favourable one; in the mean while, some of our men got out among the rocks to catch fish, and to find oisters, where they also gathered so much sea-salt, that they filled up a great sack with it.

Between this and mount Carmelo, which are eight leagues distant, and run out a great way into the seas, lieth almost in the middle thereof, as it were in a half moon, the famous town of Acon, anciently called Ptolemais, on a high rocky shoar, which some years ago, when Baldewin, the brother of Gotefrid, first, and Guidon after him, did possess themselves of the Holy Land, was not without great loss of many men taken by them, from Saladine King of the Saracens in Ægypt, which had (after some obtained victories) surrendered itself again a second time, after a long siege. This town hath very good fields of a fertile soil about it, and is at this time, together with the Land of Promise and others, (to the great grief of the Christians) subjected under the yoak and slavery of the Turkish Emperor.

The next day the wind favouring us, we hoisted up our sails, and got out at sea, with less danger to get before the point of the mountain, but our design was frustrated; for about noon a contrary wind arose, which did not only hinder us in our course, but violently drove us back again, so that we were forced to have recourse to our old shelter behind the rocks again. After midnight when it began to be calm, and another wind arose, we put out two hours before break of day, and went along the shore towards the town Hayphe, formerly call’d Caypha or Porphyria, four leagues beyond Acon, lying just within mount Carmel, where on the evening when we came very near it, several frigats came out of all sides to surround us. As soon as the master of our ship perceived them, he did not like it, wherefore he let fall his sails, and exhorted his men to ply their oars to get clear of them. When they saw they could not reach us, they left their design and went back; but we landed without on that mount Carmelo, to put out again in the night. This mountain is very high and famous in Scripture; for we read in the third book of the Kings, and the eighteenth chapter, that the holy Prophet Elias call’d before him upon the hill the people of Israel, the four hundred and fifty of Baal’s priests, and the four hundred of Hayns, to chide them for their idolatery; where also God heard him, and consumed his sacrifice by fire that came down from Heaven; but the priests of Baal were not only not heard by their idols, but kill’d as idolaters near the river Kison; and also in the fifth of the epistle of James; that after the Heavens had been lock’d up for the space of three years and an half, Elias did pray to God on this mount, and the Lord heard him, and let rain fall down upon the dry and barren earth. From this mountain, the (presumed) holy order of the Carmelites taketh it’s name, which was first there endowed with several privileges by Pope Innocent the third, and Albert the Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the year 1205; and afterwards when they were encreased to a great number, under pretence of greater holiness, confirmed by the name of The Brothers of our Lady, by Pope Honorius the third, in the year 1226. These pretend to be the followers of the doctrine of Cyrillus, wear daily black girded coats, and over them, when they say mass, white Monks habits. Some years ago without doubt, have a great many of this order lived hereabouts, as still to this day doth appear, by their cloisters and churches, which by age are so mightily decay’d, that they are left deserted and uninhabited. This mountain is also round about towards the sea-coast very bare and rough, that we may very well say with the holy Prophet Amos, That the pastures of the herdsmen shall look miserably, and the top of the mountain dry up.

The town Hayphe lieth at the bottom of the mount Carmelo, is pretty large but very ill built, and the houses are so decay’d, that half of it is not fit to be inhabited. Salidinus, King of the Saracens, who in his time carry’d on long and heavy wars against the Christians, and was almost hardly able to resist them, caused the walls of it, and also that of Cæsarea in Palestina, and others of less strength, to be pull’d down, that his enemies might not find any place of reception against him.

Out of this port, as we were afterwards inform’d, was a little time before taken away a pretty large and richly loaden ship by some pirates, which vexed the inhabitants very much, and being that the Christians chiefly were much suspected by them, they had a great desire to revenge it upon them again; so that we, had not our master been very honest, should have suffered for the loss they had sustain’d.

After we had lain there at anchor till after midnight, not without danger, as you may imagine, our master made haste to get out to sea, although it was very calm, in hopes to get good weather. After they had wrought very hard, a good wind arose behind us towards the morning, and drove us along, so that we got soon about, and pass’d the point of the mountain, and saw the country on the other side, which was above on the height so pleasant, green and shady, that there in a village resides a Turkish Sangiack for pleasure’s sake.

Nor far from thence lieth the castle of the Pilgrims in the sea, by the inhabitants call’d Altlit, where most of them touch that take their way through Galilæa and Nazareth to Jerusalem. This hath been in former ages so well fortify’d with walls and bastions, that it was thought to be impregnable; but now it is on two sides towards the sea so demolish’d and destroy’d, that one may very reasonably guess, that it hath been formerly taken by storm.

The wind still encreasing more and more, we went on with such a swiftness, that although two little ships pursued us towards morning, yet they were forced to leave us, and so we soon passed the castle, and came towards Dor, three leagues distance from thence; it lieth near mount Carmel in the country of Phœnecia, as Josephus testifieth; and it is so decay’d that there is nothing more extant than a large and high tower, which the inhabitants still call Dortaite. In this country when the Jews took Canaan the Land of Promise, they let the inhabitants remain, as you may read in the first chapter of the Judges.

At a leagues distance from thence, you see the ancient and famous town Cæsaria of Palestine, situated by the sea on a high bank, which King Herod did renew; and call’d it after the Emperor Cæsarea, which still to this day, among the Turks and Moors, retaineth it’s ancient name Kæsarie. In this town did live the pious centurian Cornelius, who was baptized there with his whole family by Peter the Apostle, who was call’d thither from the town Joppe. There did also live Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven Deacons, into whose house the holy Apostle Paul did go, and staid there some days; where also the Prophet Agabus did foretel him, That he was to be made a prisoner at Jerusalem. Now although this town in those days was very well built, as one may still see by the important and stately antiquities that are still remaining there, yet now in our times it is in walls and buildings so mightily decay’d, that it is hardly fit to be inhabited, much less to be defended, or to make any resistance. And for all that it is still pretty large, but so lonesome and so depopulated, that we could hardly see any body in the large and broad streets thereof as we passed by.

For some leagues before, or about it, I saw nothing remarkable, only a Turkish Mosque, or church, in the height upon a hilly shore, where they meet to worship Mahomet.

When the evening broke in, we had still ten leagues to sail to the port or harbour of Joppe, where the pilgrims use to go ashore to travel by land to Jerusalem, yet the wind drove us on with such a force, that we got into it two hours after sun-set.

CHAP. II.

A short relation of my travels by land from the harbour of Joppe, to the city of Jerusalem.

In the morning early as soon as the day did appear, which was the thirteenth day of September 1575, we got on shore, and dispatch’d immediately some to the town of Rama, two leagues distant from thence, to get us a safe conduct or pass, from the Sangiack, and to bring along with them some Mockeri, or ass-driving carriers, to provide us carriage to Jerusalem. In the mean while we stay’d upon the high rocky shore, where the town Joppe did stand formerly, which at this time was so demolish’d that there was not one house to be found, where the pilgrims at their arrival could shelter themselves, save only three large vaults, which went very deep into the hill, and extended themselves towards the sea. Into these are sometimes the Pilgrims let in, but being that at that time, a great deal of corn was laid up there, whereunto they still daily added, on purpose to supply Constantinople during the scarcity, it was forbidden that any body should be let in.

The town Joppe, by the inhabitants call’d Japha, is by it’s old name very well known to us, by the books of the Prophets and Apostles, &c. where we read, That the Prophet Jonas, when the Lord bid him to preach to the Ninevites desolation and destruction, for fear did retire thither, and there took ship, where he was thrown out into the seas in the great storm and tempest, and swallow’d up by a great fish; and after he had been there for three days and nights he was vomited out again. And we read also in the Acts of the Apostles, in the ninth and tenth chapter, from Peter the Apostle, That he lay, or tarry’d, for a while at the house of Simon the Tanner, where he raised the sister Tabitha from the dead, &c.

Joppe at that time was very well built and fortify’d, which doth appear, because a good many of the Jews did, at the time of the desolation of Jerusalem, retire thither, to defend themselves against the might of the Romans, although it was but in vain; for being that the time of the punishment, that was to befall them, was at hand, the city therefore was two several times one after another, besieged and taken, and demolish’d, and as Josephus testifieth, about 12600 Jews were kill’d in it. We also read, That after the time of Gotfrid de Boullion, when the Christians lost again the Land of Promise, that then this town was also retaken again by the infidels, and razed to the foundations; so that now there are no antiquities at all to be seen. And I should have doubted very much whether there did ever stand such a town there, had I not seen some large pieces of the ancient town walls still remaining, which are so near to the sea, that there is hardly room to go at the outside of them.

Hard by this I suppose was the habitation of Simon the Tanner, where Peter sojourn’d, because the Evangelist St Luke saith, That it was near to the sea shore.

Above it on the height stand two towers, where some watchmen attend to look after the vaults and ships in the harbour, that they may not be assaulted by the pirates; this harbour, although it is surrounded with rocks and banks, yet it is but very slightly secured, and very narrow and shallow, so that ships of any great bulk or heavy laden, cannot ride in it.

Near to them groweth the Hemerocallis, which I have also found about Montpelier and Aigemort near to the sea. And also in the adjacent moist and mashy meadows, I found a delicate kind of Limonium which hath about ten or twelve Aspleniun or Cetarach leaves on both sides; these proceed from a long root of a brown colour without, and red within; between them sprout out two three-square stalks, about a cubit high, with a great many joints, that have three long small leaves, and are adorn’d at the top with beautiful and stately blue and purple colour’d flowers; they are of a drying nature, and the inhabitants use to eat them in sallads.

Presently after dinner our men return’d, and brought along with them the pass and the carriers; our master of the ship left some of the crew in his Caramusala to look after it in our absence; we mounted and went away, and came soon into the plain fields where Jonathas, slew Apollonius the Captain, as is said in the first of Maccabees the tenth chapter.

Soon after we saw a pleasant village call’d Jasura, and when we came a little nearer, a camp of a great Turkish Lord, who sent (as soon as he espy’d us on the road, and found that we were pilgrims) some of his men to us, to call us before him, and also to tell us, That he was one of them to whom the Grand Sultan had given charge of the Temple and the mount Calvaria, with strict order to let no Pilgrim in before they had paid a certain sum of money. So we went along with them, and appeared before him in his tent, put our right hand on our breast, bended ourselves forwards, and made him, according to their custom, his compliments. After he had look’d upon us for a great while, he bid his men to receive the money of us; so each of us paid him nine ducats that had their full weight, except the Grecian who paid only five, and at their request we staid with them all night, because their master intended to send a Janizary with us the next day, to let us into the temple. This Lord, who was an Eunuch, had a great many offices; for in these countries they are by the great ones, as Bashaws, Sangiacks, Cadees, &c. so much esteem’d, that in their absence they make them stewards over all their goods and chattels, wives and children, &c.

At that time he was there to gather great quantity of corn from these fruitful countries, it being harvest time, and to send it from thence to Joppe, to go by sea for Constantinople.

After midnight we mounted again, and came early in the morning to the town Rama, and went into the house of the pilgrims, which Philip Duke of Burgundy bought, and gave it to the Pilgrims as their inn. This is very large, and hath a great many arched chambers within, and a fine well; within the inner court is a pretty large place, all grown over with green Aloës, the juice whereof is brought over to us in large pieces, from the eastern countries, and is very useful in many tedious distempers; Nicodemus did also bring with him, together with myrrh, to the quantity of one hundred pounds, to the grave of Christ our Lord, to bury his body decently according to the Jewish fashion, as you may read in the nineteenth chapter of St John. Here we staid almost three days, and had all along enough to do to agree with the Cadi, Subashaw, Clerks, Janizaries and Paityfs, &c. about our free passage; so unjust, malicious, and infidel a people are they, that one would hardly believe it.

The town is situated on an ascent in plain fields, as is before said, which extend themselves for two leagues to the hill of the city of Jerusalem. These fields are very fruitful, and very well till’d and sown with corn, cotton, and Indian millet. Hereabouts do also grow Indian muskmelions in great quantity, by the Arabians call’d Batiere, which are very pleasant and well tasted, chiefly those that are red within; so that in all my travels I hardly met with the like.

The town is pretty large, but very open like unto a village, very pitifully built, where one may still see here and there some signs of old building.

From thence northwards within half a league lieth the town Diospolis, formerly call’d Lidda, where Peter did visit the Saints, and cured one named Æneas, that had had a palsie for eight years. Nothing else is to be seen there, but the church of St George, whom the Turks chiefly honour, as a Knight and Hero, before all other Saints. After they had quite tired us, during this time, with their continual impertinencies, we agreed with them, and went away early in the morning, and came in good time over the plain, to the mountain of the city of Jerusalem, to which we had still four leagues to travel. By the way there appeared presently on the mountains several Arabians, and ran before us in great clusters to cut us off in our way, with such violence, that we were almost forced to come to our defence, and to push our way through them by force; for our Janizaries had already flung their iron club into the backside of one of them, and had almost spoil’d him. When they found us to be in earnest, they took something to drink of us and let us alone. So we must, before we arrived at the old destroy’d and ruinated Jerusalem (where there is no joy nor hopes to get any thing, as is in the Heavenly one) soon one after another pay them, just like boys that have lost their game and run the gauntlet.

After we had endured all these brushes we went on, and came to the middle of the way of the mountains, where it was very rough and stony, into a small village call’d Anatoth, lying on a height, where we rested a little, and water’d our beasts at a very rich spring, that runs through it by an ancient little church down the hill; this is situated (as Josephus writes in his tenth book and tenth chapter of his Antiquities, or Ancient History) within twenty furlongs of Jerusalem. There was born the holy Prophet Jeremiah, as you may see in his first chapter; and it is also call’d by Esaiah a pitiful village, which, together with the town Rama, did formerly belong to the inheritance of the children of Benjamin. Thither went also Abiathar, when King Salomon did depose or exclude him from his priesthood, to live on his own ground. A little before it they shew’d us at the top of the height of Silo, of mount Ephraim, some relicts of the grave of the Holy Prophet Samuel, where we could look about for several leagues round, which was of Ramatha, or Arimathea, as also Joseph the Just, who helped to take Christ down from the cross, and did put him into his own new grave. The town was underneath the mountain where the Prophet Samuel was buried at first, but carry’d up to Silo, after the town was taken.

Just when you come to Jerusalem, Nicopolis lieth on the left hand upon the height, formerly call’d Emmaus, from Jerusalem threescore furlongs distant, as the Scripture telleth us; whither Christ did accompany the two disciples, and explained the Scriptures to them, and at last made himself known to them. We left it and went up to Jerusalem, which is now call’d Gotz by the Arabians and Turks. The road is very rough and rocky; so that we saw very little, but on each side in the valleys many delicate large olive-trees, and some few vineyards.

The city lieth on the height of the mountains, as the 125th Psalm testifieth. It is not to be seen, until you come over the bare and rough mountains intercepting the prospect of it on this side.

Just before it without on the top of mount Gihon, are to be seen still some antiquities of the town Helia, which Adrian the Emperor built after the desolation of Jerusalem, and called it after his own name Helia. This was first taken by Cosroë, King of Persia, in the time of the Emperor Heraclius who did overcome him again, and afterwards by Homar the third King of the Saracens, who demolish’d it; afterwards it was more contracted, and somewhat built again in it’s old place. In these days it is, as well as all that country, under the dominion of the Turkish Emperor.

Before it we dismounted, for no outlandish man hath permission to ride into their towns, and went under the gate Hebron, to stay there for the Father Guardian, to whom we had by one of our carriers given notice of our arrival, and also desired him to get us license from the Sangiack to come in. In the mean time some Mendicant Friars came out of the monastry, and received us very kindly. Soon after the Ermin came also riding with his clerk, and ask’d us from whence we came, how many there were of us, and what our names were. And after they had written it down, and every one had paid him his due, to have safe conduct to see the holy places, the Ermin promised it us, and put his right hand upon his head, which is the fashion in these countries, and bended forwards to let us know that we might confide in his promise. Then they let us pass, and the Friars conducted us in, towards the left hand, through some small streets or lanes into the monastry, which is behind on the town-wall towards the west.

This although it is not large and spacious, yet is it very handsome and strong built; we went into lodge there as all Pilgrims do that come there, where Father Jeremy of Brixen, a brother of the order of the Minorites of St Francis, a Guardian of the holy mount Zion, who had been president of this monastry of Jerusalem, and of the other of Bethlehem for eighteen years together, received us very kindly. There are but very few Monks in it, and they are of all sorts of nations, as Italians, Spaniards, French, and Germans, yet of the last named I found not one when I arrived there. These lead the Pilgrims about, together with an interpreter or Truschemant, that understands the Arabian and Turkish language, and shew them the holy places as well within as without the city. But before we went out the Father Guardian admonish’d us, that we must have a care, and not go to the graves of the heathens, which are almost throughout Turkey without the towns near to the highways; for if one or more should, before he was aware of it, which may easily happen, go to them, the Turks would be very much offended at it, partly because they take any one that is not circumcised to be unclean, and so they fear that they might make them also unclean; partly because they are very jealous of their wives, wherefore they permit them not easily to walk or appear in the open street, except they have a mind to go into the bath or bagnio, or to visit the graves of their deceased parents or relations; and where women are present, every one had best to come away, to avoid danger.

After he had said this he went on, saying, That if any should be among us, that were come over the sea, hither, that could not bring very good proof, that they did appear before his Holiness the Pope at Rome, and were there absolved by him, that such were in his Holiness’s excommunication, and therefore could not be admitted to see those holy places, much less obtain the indulgences, which in former ages had been left with them, out of great kindness of the Popes, to be distributed among the Pilgrims, wherefore he desired, that every one might shew him their certificates. All these points he used to propound to every one that cometh there, in course, as I had heard before of several that had been there formerly; that they were very glad to see Pilgrims arrive, and that they used to shew the holy places to them also that bring no recommendation from his Holiness the Pope, hoping that they will recompense them at their departure. Wherefore I did not much mind this excommunication, but let that remain in it’s ancient credit; but my comrades, two whereof were Priests that used to say mass, were very much astonish’d at it, and full of trouble, that they should be under his Holiness’s excommunication before they were aware of it; wherefore they began to excuse themselves, and said, That they did not know any thing of it, neither had they had any opportunity in their travels to come to Rome; but although this had been omitted before their arrival, yet they would certainly do it as they went back. Notwithstanding all this the Guardian seem’d to be very earnest, and made shew as if he could not absolve them; yet at last, after he had long enough kept them in this fear, he began to declare, that he had also received full power from his Holiness, and the whole Roman Catholic church, to absolve all those that did not bring any certificates. And so at last absolved us in the cloisters of his monastry in Latin with these words: I absolve you of all your sins in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And with this he concluded his speech.

CHAP. III.

A plain description of the city of Jerusalem, as it was to be seen in our time; and of the adjacent countries.

The glorious and kingly city of Jerusalem (which formerly the Saracens called Kurzitadon, but now is named Chutz by the inhabitants) is still situated in the old place, in the middle of Judea on the high mountains, and as the head is extolled above the rest; which may be concluded, partly because from thence you may see all the country as from a center, partly also because the springs rise here, and so run down, as from a higher place, every way and to every part thereof; as the holy Prophet Ezekiel doth testify in his fourteenth chapter, where he saith; That at that time fresh streams shall flow from Jerusalem, half thereof to the sea toward the east, and the other half towards the farthest sea. There are also many other places of Scripture that[4] testify the high situation of Jerusalem, as in the eighth chapter of the Acts, verse 26. where the angel of the Lord spake unto Phillip, saying, Arise and go towards the south, unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, &c. And in the tenth chapter of St Mark, and the thirty-second verse, And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem. And the tenth chapter of St Luke, verse 30. A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. And verse 31. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way, &c.

The situation of Jericho, together with the great plains thereabout, through which the river Jordan runs from the north towards the south, together with the Dead-sea, where formerly Sodom and Gomorrah stood, you see from the town, over a barren hill below, so plainly, that one would think we might go thither with ease in three hours, and yet it would require a whole day’s journey. Beyond the river that separateth Arabia from Judæa, lie the high hills Abarim and Nebo, over-against Jericho, whence Moses, (as is said, Deuteronomy the 32d and 34th chapters) had a full prospect of the land of Canaan, promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; one may see them thence so plainly, as also the mount Seir, which toucheth them beyond the Dead-sea in the land of the Moabites and Ammonites, that one would also think they were very near.

They bring yearly a vast quantity of sheep to Jerusalem from off the mountains, which feeding upon the fragrant, delicate and hearty herbs that grow there, have meat that tastes very pleasantly, the tails thereof are very fat, above half a span thick, and one and a half broad and long. The Levetical Priest (as we read in Leviticus the ninth chapter, and other places) used to burn this together with all the fat of the entrails, and the two kidneys for a sin-offering.

There are also goats, with hanging ears almost two foot long. And therefore some Arabians, called Balduini, keep in the desarts, that have no certain abode, but lie continually in the fields, and go from country to country in great numbers, wheresoever they find good pasture for their beasts and camels. I have met with many of them in my travels, and have some time staid with them all night in their tents, they are commonly soldiers armed usually with bows and long pikes made of cane, as the other Arabians, and because of their nimbleness and courage they are very much preferred before the rest.

This Holy Land (which, according to the promise made to the Patriarchs, was for many years in the possession of the Israelites) was, as you read in Deuteronomy chap. viii. a most fruitful and rich country, abounding with corn, fruits, wine, and all that is required to the maintenance of man’s life. So the Lord himself saith, That he will give them a land, that still floweth with milk and honey. For it hath rich valleys, hills, fields and gardens, richly adorned with fountains and trees, so that it was very well chosen to be the worldly Paradise, wherein Adam and Eve did live, honour and serve God. Now as the land in it’s goodness surpassed other lands, so did Jerusalem excel all other cities in building, glory, fortification, and number of inhabitants. Moreover God visited the Israelites from the beginning, and had a house built in this city for himself, which he chose before all others to sanctify his name there. And above all this he provided them with High Priests, Kings and Prophets, until God the Father did send his only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, to reveal to them his will with teaching and miracles.

But when they would not acknowledge his merciful visitation, nor receive his messengers, but did rather abuse, ridicule, and kill them, rejected the Lord of Glory himself, and adhered to, and adored strange Gods and served them; God did reject and disperse them among the heathens, burnt and destroyed their city and temple, and reduced their fruitful country into barren desarts and a desolate wilderness, and so the punishment came upon them, which the holy Prophet Esaiah did foretel them in the thirteenth chapter, and ninth verse, saying, Behold the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. And further in the twenty-fifth chapter, and second verse, Thou hast made of a city a heap; of a defenced city a ruin; a place of strangers to be no city, it shall never be built. And Daniel also maketh mention of this in his ninth chapter, &c. This ought to serve us and all men as an example of the fervent anger of God, to be a warning to us for ever. For if of the glorious city of Jerusalem, which God had chosen before others, and of it’s vast buildings that made her famous before her desolation, there is at this day nothing at all to be seen, so that one might very well doubt whether it ever stood there, were it not for some holy places and it’s situation, that give us demonstration thereof. If I say this worldly Jerusalem, because of it’s unbelieving inhabitants, that would not acknowledge the Blessed Messias, nor adhere to his doctrine to their salvation, is quite rooted out; and instead thereof, the way of the heavenly Jerusalem opened to us heathens by the holy apostles: How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? This way to our Lord Christ, hath for many years past been shewed us sincerely by the ministers of the holy word of God, but we do not only not much care for it, but seek rather other by-ways, that lead us to idolatry, sin and vices, nay, to our utter ruin. Wherefore it is to be feared, that if we do not repent in time, and return to God again, that he will come upon us with his wrath (as he hath already begun) and deliver us up into the hands of our adversaries, that we may fall by their swords (as Ezekiel doth threaten us in his thirty-ninth chapter) and to punish us according to the deserts of our sins. Wherefore we ought to lay to heart the terrible example of the Jews, and turn from our evil ways, that we may avoid the punishments that befel them. We see that those who were formerly the people of God, are now come to be so blind, and full of errors, and of so depraved a life, that there is hardly any like them to be found even among the infidels and impious. Wherefore they are by all men despised and hated, chiefly by the Turks (who hate them more than any other nation) so that they would not let them live among them, if the Turkish Emperor had not for a great sum of money given them a peculiar freedom. And besides all this, now-a-days, their towns and countries are inhabited by Turks, Moors, and Arabians, that do not love to till or cultivate the ground, but will rather starve than take pains to get a good livelihood by their hand-labour. And although the country about Jerusalem is very rocky, rough, stony, and ill managed, yet notwithstanding they will not endeavour to mend and improve it, but find out the fruitful lands that are here and there, and over-run the country like grashoppers, so that you may observe it yearly to decay more and more. Seeing then that there is but little tillage about the city, therefore the product of the earth there is but very small, so that they must have almost all necessaries brought them from other places.

The town of Jerusalem which is still pretty large; but very ill built, hath within it’s wall, which the Turkish Emperor caused to be built about twenty years ago, large places that lie desolated, and are so full of stones and rocks, that one can hardly walk in them. The gardens (even those that are within the city, and are but ill managed) are surrounded with mud walls, not above four foot high, so that one may climb over them without any difficulty. These are washed down again by rain in a very little time, so that they want mending continually.

Their habitations are also little and low, have clay walls, and many of them are decayed, some lie quite in a heap. The churches of the two Apostles, that of St John and St Peter, are in the same condition, as also the prison where St Peter was kept, the habitation of Veronica, which the Cordeliers shew us for them, and a great many places more. In some streets chiefly near to their Batzar, or exchange, are very old vaults, part whereof are decayed and broken, part filled up with dust, which runs out into the streets; wherefore (chiefly in the summer) the dust lieth so thick in them, that you may see every step in it, as in snow or sand.

All which sheweth, that the Turks destroy or ruin more than they build; wherefore they are deservedly called Turks, that is to say, destroyers. The present town, as to the extent of it’s walls, is not much less than the old one was, wherefore one should admire, considering how it is built now, how it was possible it should hold so many people as it is said were in it at the time of it’s desolation, viz. a million of men, or as Josephus and Eusebius say, three millions. Jerusalem was formerly surrounded with very steep cliffs, deep ditches and vallies, chiefly on three sides towards the south, east and west, so that one could not easily get up to it but only on the north side, where the town was low, lying in a plain; therefore did Titus first attack it in a place near the village called Scapas, seven miles distant from it, and afterward advanced and took it; which the holy Prophet Jeremiah did foretel many years before, in the first chapter and twelfth verse, saying, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

These ditches and vallies are now quite filled up with the ruins of the broken walls and buildings, so that one may go into the town, as into an open village, without any hinderance or pain. But when the Grand Signior, after he had taken it, saw that the town was open, and that the Christian Pilgrims came thither in great numbers from all places and countries, he feared that they might make themselves masters of it again, as they had done some years agone, wherefore he ordered it to be surrounded again with new walls, which although they are very high, yet they are so thin and slight, that they are not able to withstand the least violence. But as the town was anciently built four square, so it is now built more round, chiefly towards mount Calvaria, which formerly was without the town, but now is walled in; so that you may still see two corners, one whereof is towards Galilee, where the gate of that corner is which is still open, and almost one of the handsomest, through which you go to Nazareth, distant three days journey; as also to Cæsarea Philippi, which is now called Balbec, where still are to be seen some very fine antiquities; and also towards Damascus, which is six days journey distant from Jerusalem, and from thence six days journey more to Aleppo, the greatest town for trade in all Syria. Jeremiah maketh mention of this gate in his 31st chapter and the 38th verse. Behold the days come saith the Lord, that the city shall be built to the Lord, from the town of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner. And also Zacharias, in his 14th chapter, and in the 2d book of Chronicles, the 26th chapter, and 9th verse: It is said Uzzia built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, &c. The second corner mount Zion maketh, where it doth end toward the south, whereon, as also on the mount Moria, the city is rising towards the north. The old city had twelve gates, as you read in the Revelation. The 1st, the Fish-gate, which was also called the gate of Hebron, because the road of Hebron went through it, which is about seven or eight hours walking distant from it. 2. The Old-Gate. 3. The Prison Gate, whereof Nehemiah maketh mention in his 12th chapter, through which our Saviour Christ carried his cross. 4. Rayn-Gate. 5. The Gate of Ephraim, before which St Stephen was stoned to death, as you may read in the 2d book of the Ecclesiastical History in the 1st chapter. 6. The Gate of Benjamin, where the holy Prophet Jeremiah was taken and imprisoned, as he saith himself in the 37th chapter. 7. Corner-Gate. 8. Horse-Gate. 9. Valley-Gate, thro’ which they went into the valley of Josaphat. 10. Dung-Gate, through which the water carried out all the soil into the valley of Josaphat; and about this river is still to this day a great stink. 11. Sheep-Gate. 12. Fountain-Gate, which is now walled up. The Prophet Nehemiah maketh mention of them in his 3d, 8th, and 12th chapter, so that it is not needful to say any more. These gates are so mightily decayed, that there is not to be seen the least of the old buildings. The Turks have instead of them, built others in the new raised wall, but yet not half so many in number, whereof some (according as the town is inlarged in some places, and contracted in others) are displaced; others are erected again in the same places, according to the old streets, viz. 1. The Fish-Gate, which is still standing towards the west behind mount Sion, and over-against mount Gihon, as you may conclude out of the words of the 2d book of Chronicles in the 33d chapter and 14th verse. Manasses built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entring in at the Fish-Gate. This gate hath it’s name, because they brought many fishes from the sea side through this gate into the city. So is also still standing, on the outside of the valley Tiropæon(which distinguished the two mounts, Sion, and the temple mount called Moriah) the gate of the fountain, which hath it’s name because it leadeth towards the fountain of Siloah, which Nehemiah his 2d chapter, verse 14. calleth the King’s Pool. Through this was our dear Lord Christ, the true promised Siloah, brought a prisoner bound from the mount of Olives over the brook Kidron, into the house of Hannas and Caiphas in the upper town, as we read in the 12th chapter, verse 37, that by the Fountain-Gate they went up to the city of David. The same way also the two disciples, Peter and John, were sent to bespeak the paschal lamb by Christ, where they met the man with the pitcher of water.

The Sheep, or Beast-Gate, is also still standing by Moriah, the mountain of the temple, which the Turks have taken to themselves, and have built on it a Turkish mosque, or temple, because that God Almighty hath done many and great miracles on this mount; and besides Mahomet did find himself again on this mount, after he had been carried up (as his lying writings tell us) through the heavens before God by the angel Gabriel. Wherefore they take this mount to be holy, so that none that is not circumcised and so unclean, dare approach or come near it, nor take the nearest way without over the height of the mount as Nehemiah did, as you may see in the before quoted place; so that the Christians must take a farther way about, and from the gate Siloah, go below through the valley of the brook Cedron, between this and the mount of Olives to the Beast-Gate, which hath it’s name because the beasts that were to be offerr’d in the temple were driven through it.

Near the gate you see still the sheep pond, which is large and deep, yet hath but little water in it, wherein the Nathineens used to wash the beasts, and then to give them to the priests. And also immediately within towards the north, a conduit, which was the pool by St John the Evangelist (in the 2d verse of his 5th chapter) called Bathesda, erected by King Ezechia; that had five porches, wherein lay a great multitude of impotent folk, that waited for the moving of the water. Through this gate is the straight way over the brook Cedron, by the mount of Olives toward Bethania, down to Jericho on the river Jordan, into the valley of Josaphat, wherefore this also, being nearer now in these days, is called the Valley-Gate.

There is also still the Corner-Gate in it’s old place, where the north and east walls meet on large and high rocks, and is called still by some the gate of Napthali.

This I thought convenient to say of the city of Jerusalem in the general of it’s buildings, fruitfulness, and adjacent countries; what famous and holy places are within and without the city, thereof I intend to treat in particular.

CHAP. IV.

Of Mount Sion, and it’s Holy Places.

Mount Sion, very famous in holy Scripture, hath round about it steep sides, high rocks, deep ditches and vallies, so that it is not easy to climb up to it, only on one side towards the north, where it buts upon the lower town, so that the castle and town of David situated on it, was very strong, and almost invincible, as you may read in the 48th Psalm, verse 2. The joy of the whole earth is mount Sion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her places for a refuge, for the Kings were assembled, &c. Seeing then that the castle, and the upper town Millo was so well fortified with towers and walls, that it was not easily to be taken, the Jebusites, after that Canaan the whole Land of Promise, together with the town of Jerusalem was taken, did defend themselves in it against the whole force of Israel for a long time, although they often attempted to take it, and called the town of Jerusalem after their name Jebus, until the kingly Prophet David came, who took it by force; and after he had rebuilt the upper town, and joined the castle with it into one building, and surrounded it with walls, he called it after his own name, The city of David, and kept his court there, and gave also lodgings to his hero’s and officers, whereof Uriah was one, who had his lodgings near to the King’s palace, wherein the King walking on the roof of his house, saw the fair Bathsheba his wife, and committed adultery with her.

These their habitations, as they are still built in these days, have instead of thatch or tiles, plaistered roofs, so that one may walk on them, as you may see here, that King David walked on it. And also in the second chapter of the book of Joshua, where is said, That when the two spies sent into the Land of Promise to Jericho, came into Rahab’s house, and the King sent to search after them, they went at her request up to the roof of the house, where she hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. But seeing there is nothing so strong in this world that is not transitory, therefore is also this worldly mount Zion, together with it’s strong building and fortification (which was rather a type of the true rock in Zion, Christ our Lord, and his heavenly kingdom and holy church that was built thereon) so ruined and desolated, that the greatest and highest part thereof before the town, except a Turkish mosque, some tile houses and a few acres of it, lieth quite a desart, covered with rocks and stones. So it is come to pass, what Micah in his third chapter and the twelfth verse predicted: ‘Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house, as the high places of the forest.’ And Jeremiah in his Lamentations, chap. 5. verse 18. saith, ‘The mountain of Zion which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.’ And Isaiah in his thirty-second chapter, verse 14. ‘The palaces shall be forsaken, the multitude of the city shall be left, the forts and towns shall be dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks.’

The great castle of the Turks is situated at the top of the inward part of the mount, towards the west side near the Fish-Gate, which is also newly built, and very well surrounded with walls and ditches; under the gate are several great guns to frighten the Christians that come thither in great flocks, chiefly against great feasts from all nations, Armenians, Georgians, Abyssins, Latinists, &c. for they fear that else the town might be taken from them again.

Within the fort near the Fish-Gate, is still a strong high tower, built up with great free-stone, which is quite black through age; wherefore some say, that it did anciently belong to the fort, and was built by one of the Kings of Juda.

So much I thought convenient to mention of mount Zion, concerning other famous places that are to be seen upon and about it, I will only mention the chiefest thereof.

First, As you go out of the New-Gate of mount Zion, there is a long street wherein on the left hand is an ancient church, of the holy Apostle James the Greater, brother of John, which Helena the mother of Constantine the Emperor, as also many more did build on the market place of the upper city where he was beheaded. The Armenians that have possession thereof, did conduct us into it, shewed us the building, and the place where the holy Apostle was beheaded with the sword (as you read in the Acts of the Apostles, the twelfth chapter) by order of Herod Agrippa, to whom he was delivered out of spite, as a seditious person, by the High Priest Abiathar.

Then we came to the place of the habitation of Hannas, whereto Christ our Lord was first of all brought a prisoner and bound, or fetter’d, wherein was nothing observable, only a large court, and in it an old chapel, called the Angels, which we soon left, and went out of the gate of mount Zion to the habitation of Caiaphas, where we saw an orange tree planted in the place where the holy apostle Peter did warm himself when he denied our Saviour the third time; farther within a chapel, called St Salvators, where, in former ages was the place of the High Priest, where Christ was severely accused by Caiaphas, and by his servants mocked, spit upon, and beaten; wherein is an altar, whereon the great stone of the grave still lieth, that stopped the door of the sepulchre, which is very like unto the rock of the grave in it’s breaking. That the habitation of the High Priest was in the upper city, Josephus does testify in the seventeenth chapter of his second book of the Desolation of Jerusalem, where he saith thus: ‘When the rebellious Jews, that had the lower town in possession with the temple, did undertake to possess themselves also of the upper town, they did assault it with all might and power, and at last take it; then they drove out the soldiers, which had the chief priests and men in power with them, out of the upper town, set the habitation of Ananias the High Priest on fire and burnt it.’

Before this, on the top of the mount, stands on the plain a large church, which the Franciscan monks had not long ago in possession, and lived in it, wherefore their father did call himself a Guardian of the holy mount Zion. But after that the Turks did about twenty years agon possess themselves of it, and kept it to themselves, and made a Mahometan mosque of it; the monks were forced to fly, and take the habitation where they now live instead thereof.

Of this church or mosque, we saw only the outside of the habitation of Caiaphas, for no Christian is allowed to go into it. It was built many years agone by Helena, mother of Constantine the Emperor, as Nicephorus testifieth in the thirtieth chapter of his eighth book; wherein is also included the habitation the Disciples were lock’d up in for fear of the Jews; and also the paved dining room, or hall, wherein Christ with his Disciples did eat the Passover; where he also washed their feet, and sent the Holy Ghost after his ascension to them; where also James[5] the Lesser was elected Overseer, and first Bishop of Jerusalem. In this temple, which is above a thousand paces distant from Golgotha, or the place of a skull, was, for some time kept the stone pillar, whereto Christ our Lord and Saviour was tied and whipped. Near unto this, in the place of the palace of Caiaphas, the same Queen Helena ordered a church to be built for the holy Apostle Peter, and many more, whereof mention is made at large in the above quoted place.

This mount extendeth itself towards the south, out before the city, and hath on the other side where it is highest, other higher ones about it, distinguished with ditches and vallies, viz. towards the west mount Gihon, at the bottom whereof Solomon was anointed King by the Priest Zadock and the Prophet Nathan, as we read in the first chapter of the first book of Kings; upon this, at the top towards the road of Bethlehem, lieth the field of blood, in their language called Hakeldemas, that was bought for thirty silver pieces to bury the pilgrims there, where you see still to this day here and there large and deep holes, and one among the rest very big, wherein are still to be seen several whole bodies lying by one another.

A deep valley separates this mount from mount Zion, which beginneth at the Fish-Gate, and goeth down to the brook Cedron; in it is a conduit by the upper pool called Asuia in the third chapter of Nehemiah, which is pretty large, yet without any water, which receiveth it’s water from the high spring of Gihon, this was covered by King Hezekias, and laid down to the town of David, as we read in the second book of Chronicles, chap. 32. The holy Prophet Isaiah, chap. 7. verse 3. mentioneth it, when the Lord saith to him; ‘Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the path of the fullers field, &c.’ And in the fourth book of Kings, in the eighteenth chapter, verse seventeen: ‘The King of Assyria sent a great host against Jerusalem, and when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the high way of the Fullers field.’

Before mount Zion, towards the south, at the other side of the rivulet Kidron, lieth the mount of Transgression, in the fourth book of Kings, chap. 23. called Mashith; between this and mount Olivet is a valley, through which goeth down the road by Bethania to Jericho, &c. This is higher and steeper than any hereabout. There you see still some old walls of the habitation wherein the concubines of Solomon did live, after whom the King ran in his old age; and they did so possess him, that they turned his heart from God Almighty after their gods, and so he did that that did not please the Lord God, as you may read in the first book of Kings, chap. 11. verse 4.

Underneath the mount was the valley Benhinnom, wherein the Kings of Jerusalem did build a temple to the idol Moloch, and did worship him, viz. Solomon, Ahaz, Manasseh, &c. whereof we read in several places in the holy Scripture, Levit. 18. 21. ‘Thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Moloch.’ And also Jerem. 7. 30. ‘And they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart, therefore behold, the days come saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter; for they shall bury in Tophet till there be no place.’ And also 2 Chron. 18. 2. ‘Ahaz made molten images for Baalim, and burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen.’ The holy Prophet Amos doth also make mention of these abominable idolatries in his fifth chapter; which St Luke in the seventh chapter, verse the forty third, of the Acts doth thus explain: ‘Ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, &c.’ which the holy Prophet calleth Sicchuth and Chiun: But the heathen called them Jupiter and Saturn, the Devourer of children, and so he is also painted. This statue was hollow within, of cast brass, whereinto they did put the children, and burnt them alive, and did believe they served God in it, as Abraham when he would sacrifice his son Isaac; they had also kettle drums and other musical instruments which they played on, that the parents might not hear their children cry; wherefore Christ gave unto hell itself, and it’s perpetual flames, the name of the valley Benhinnom, calling it Gehenna; to give us warning and exhortation, that we hate false and abominable idolatries, introduced contrary to his command, worse than the devil himself.

Besides this, there is little else seen hereabout, only above on the steepest and highest part of the mount many little tents and habitations, as if they hung at it, which in these times are not inhabited either by Turks or Moors; in the valley you see the rivulet Kidron, where over they brought our Lord Christ bound as a prisoner, from mount Olivet; this proceedeth only from rain water near to the place Gethsemane, and runs without by the town from south to west. Beside this brook did King Asa burn the images of Priapus as Josias and Hezekiah the idols of Baal, all incenses and uncleannesses that are found in the temple of the Lord.

Farther towards the east you see from the top of mount Zion the fountain and pool of Siloah below in the valley, call’d by Josephus Tiropæon, which divideth this and the temple mount, and becometh to be very narrow between them, and extendeth itself from the rivulet Kidron towards the north to the place of skulls, where it groweth so large again, that the lower town of Jerusalem, (by Isaiah in his tenth, and Zachariah in his ninth chapter, call’d The Daughter of Zion and Jerusalem) was situated therein. Out of which near to the gate of the fountain of Siloah, which is now wall’d up, the way goeth up to the gate of Zion into the upper town, thro’ which two our Lord Christ was brought a prisoner to the houses of Hannas and Caiphas.

This valley hath been since the desolation so fill’d up, that no depth at all appeareth in our days; but only without the fountain-gate by the fountain Siloah, that is very rich of water, where is still the pool wherein the blind man wash’d his eyes, that were anointed with clay and spittle, St John ix. 6. according to the command of our Lord, and did see.

Just by it are still the two hills whereof Josephus maketh mention, with a very steep cliff, very rocky on both sides, one whereof towards the east, call’d the rock of the pidgeons, hath a great cave, out of which the fountain springs, and runs off immediately below through a channel, that goeth so strait and smooth through the rock, as if it had been made on purpose.

Near to the fountain and gate of Siloah, stood the tower of Siloah, that killed eighteen men, as we read in St Luke, chap. xiii.

Without between the fountain and stream of Kidron, they shew a great mulberry-tree, fenced in below; this stands in the place where the holy Prophet Isaias was buried, whom the King Manasse ordered to be cut in pieces with a wooden saw, as being an Heretick.

This may suffice of mount Zion, it’s situation and some adjacent places.

As we went about, and came to one of the places, the Monks did shew the Pilgrims in each of them, the number of the years for the pardons laid there by his Holiness, as in some seven years and seven indulgences; but in some others, as in the place where the Holy Ghost was sent, where Christ did eat the Passover with his disciples, and wash’d their feet, and where he at several times appeared when the doors were shut; and where also, as Nicephorus saith, the Virgin Mary, after the resurrection of Christ her dear child, did dwell for fourteen years, &c. full absolution and indulgences from all sins and facts for ever.

Now that all those that come there, may receive it more worthily, the monks exhort them to kneel down before every of such places, and to pray the Lord’s Prayer and Ave Maria with devotion; and that when they have done so, they need not to doubt, but that they have fully received the absolution that was given for that place by his Holiness. After they had thus pray’d in several places, some of our company rejoiced mightily, and confessed, that after it they were holy, and so innocent, that if they should die then, they were secure, that their soul should go immediately out of their mouth into heaven, and eternal life. To this I answer’d them: That I expected remission of sin no other ways but only in the name and for the merits, of our Lord Jesus Christ; and that I had not undertaken this pilgrimage as they did, to get any thing by it as by a good work; nor to visit stone and wood to obtain indulgence; or with opinion to come here nearer to Christ; because all these things are directly contrary to Scripture. As the Lord himself saith: ‘Time will come that you shall neither on this mount nor at Jerusalem worship the Father.’ And he also forewarneth us of those that say: ‘Lo Christ is here, Christ is there, he is in the desarts, he is in the chamber;’ that we should not believe them, nor go out, but rather confide on his promise, that he will be with us, to the end of the world; and where two or three are met together in his name that he will be in the middle of them. Wherefore our dear Lord Christ hath no need, because he is himself present with them that believe in him, of any Vicegerent, that should on earth usurp such power, and take such honour and glory to himself, as to give indulgence at his pleasure; because all these things belong only to God. When I saw, that they did not much mind this my discourse, I let them alone in their opinions, but yet I saw here and there all these places, and considered by myself what our Lord Christ had, by his bitter sufferings and death, by his glorious resurrection and ascension, procured us from his Heavenly Father. When the Pilgrims came to one of the above-mention’d places of mount Zion, and had said their prayers, they went into it, and contemplated it, fell down again before it, and kissed it with great submission and devotion; pull’d out several pieces, viz. beads and rosaries turned of the wood of the trees of the mount of Olives, some wrought points, laces, &c. tied together in bundles, to touch the holy place with it; they also knock’d off in some places (where they might) some small pieces, to take them along with them as consecrated sanctuaries, to distribute them among their friends at their return.

All the while that they were thus busy, I consider’d rather standing behind, what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ had suffered for us in these places, how he had humbled himself, and came down to us miserable sinners, to help us, and to extol us that were fall’n, and to make us free of the heavy burthen of our sins; how he was led before the seat of judicature of Caiphas, that we might not be led before the severe Judgment-seat of the Almighty God; that he suffer’d himself to be led captive and bound, to deliver us from the bands of the devil and death, and to save us from the jaws of hell; and as Esaias saith in his fifty third chapter vers. 5. ‘He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are heal’d.’ But that our dear Lord Christ was delivered to the high Priest, and Scribes, &c. for our sakes, and that he was obedient to his Heavenly Father, unto death, even the death of the cross, to deliver us from the curse of God and eternal death. And to make us certain, that he had procured these his unspeakable benefits and heavenly treasures for us, and that we really should be partakers thereof; before his passion he did institute his holy Supper upon the mount, in the large upper room, wherein he doth not only communicate them to us, but giveth us also (if we receive the holy broken bread, and the blessed cup with true faith according to the institution) his real body and blood, to feed us to eternal life; where we then shall sit with our Lord Christ, and all the elected ones (after this life) as coheirs in the high upper room of his Heavenly Father, at his table, to eat and drink it with him anew. And that we might heartily comfort ourselves with these his unspeakable benefits, he also, after his ascension, sent us on the day of Pentecost his Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, to incline our hearts, to believe steadfastly all that he hath promised us in his holy Word and Sacraments. So the sending of the Holy Ghost, which was long before predicted by the holy Prophets was fulfill’d on this mount; whereof we read in several places of the holy Scripture, viz. Joel ii. 28. ‘And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, &c. For on mount Zion and in Jerusalem, must be a deliverance according to the promise of the Lord.’ And Isaiah ii. 3. ‘Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, &c. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’ So that the preaching of Christ’s holy Gospel, and his kingdom did begin from Zion and Jerusalem, and was afterwards spread abroad by his holy Apostles throughout the whole world.

‘Grant then, O our dear Lord Christ, unto us, thy Holy Ghost; that he may keep us in the knowledge of thy holy Word, and that he may so strengthen and comfort us in it, that we may freely and without any fear confess it before the face of our enemies and adversaries; and if they offend and prosecute us, that we may overcome our crosses and persecutions with patience; that thy honour may be advanced, and our constancy appear. Grant us also that he may plant these thy graces in our hearts, that we may comfort ourselves with the hope and expectation of those treasures which thou hast by thy death and passion merited and purchased for us. So that we may abide in thy Tabernacle, and dwell in thy holy Hill for ever, Amen.’ Psalm xv. 1.

CHAP. V.

Of the mount Moria and the glorious temple of Solomon.

Within the city near, to mount Zion lieth another call’d Moria, divided from it by the valley of Tiropæon, which is now fill’d up and made even with the top, as I have said before, that hereabouts is hardly any depth or unevenness to be seen. This as well as the other meets with the rivulet or brook of Kidron towards the north, and on both of them the town lieth on the sides or descent. This is very famous in the holy Scripture, as you read Genesis xxii, That the pious Patriarch Abraham was ready to offer his son Isaac on this hill, for a burnt-offering to the Lord; whereon Melchisedec the first founder and King of the town Salem, and Priest of the Almighty God, did first build a temple, and therefore named the city Jerusalem. So we read in the second book of Chronicles, chap. iii. That on the same holy mount King Solomon did begin to build a house for the Lord, at Jerusalem, many years afterwards. This was formerly very high, surrounded with deep ditches and cliffs, so that it would make a man giddy to look down from the top into the depth. Wherefore Pompey and Titus took a great deal of pains before they could get upon it, to take and destroy that glorious and well-built temple, which was in the last desolation, as well as before in the first burnt by Nabuchodonosor, demolish’d and razed to the foundations, as Christ foretold them, Mark xiii. ‘That there should not be left one stone upon another that should not be thrown down, because they did not acknowledge the gracious time of their visitation.’

And that all hopes might be taken away from the Jews to return and to build the temple again, to re-establish their worship; Hadrian the Emperor to prevent all, order’d, in the year of Christ 134, all to be broken down that was left, and to root it up, to demolish all heights, to fill all ditches, to level cliffs, and to make the ground even all over; he did also alter the name and religion of the inhabitants, and instead thereof introduced the heathenish idolatry. In the place of the grave of Christ he built a temple for the idol Jupiter; on mount Calvaria another for the idol Venus; and another at Bethlehem to the idol Adonis; and at last in the place where formerly in the temple of Solomon did stand the Sanctum Sanctorum, he erected his own image on a high column for his memory, which was still standing, in Hieronymus’s time. The height of this mount cannot be observed any where else now than without by the fountain Siloah, and in the valley of Benhinnom, and so it did remain desolate to the times of the great Emperor Constantine.

After that when the Jews undertook to re-build the temple at the charge of Julian the Apostate, who would make Christ a liar, the Lord having said that their house should be left unbuilt, a great earthquake (when they had open’d the ground to lay the foundation) did move and shake the whole place to that degree, that every thing was turn’d upside down, and abundance of Jews did perish in it. But when the Jews did not matter this, but endeavour’d to go on with the work in hand, the next day flames of fire broke out of the ground, and fiery beams struck down from Heaven, which destroy’d more than the earthquake, and burnt all their tools, viz. saws, axes, shovels, hammers, &c. When the Jews would not leave their error for all this, the night following some small glittering crosses like stars fell down upon their cloaths, which they could not wash off the next morning, nor get out by any means; and an earthquake and such a violent hurricane came upon it, that it dissipated all their mortar and other materials into the air, so that frightened and full of fear, they were forced to confess, that Christ, whom their ancestors crucified, was the true and only Lord and God.

Seeing that the temple, together with the mount it stood upon, are razed and desolated, so that one can hardly now discern what they have been anciently, every one that goeth by, because the Lord did not favour his own house, where his name was sanctify’d, hath reason to be astonish’d at it, and to call to mind the strange anger of God against those that leave the Lord their God, and adhere to other gods, serve and adore them.

Now a-days the Turks have taken possession of this mount, and all the ground whereon Solomon’s temple did stand, and have built a Mahometan Mosque on it; which Homar the third after the great Imposter Mahomet built when he had taken the holy land and the city of Jerusalem. This is not very large nor high, but fine and cover’d with lead, hath a great court-yard about it, paved with white marble, and here and there orange and date-trees are planted in it, which is very pleasant; about the sides thereof are some high towers and gates, one whereof is vastly bigger than any of the rest, which is near to their Batzar or exchange, which is very old, high, and hath very good workmanship in it, wherefore the Franciscan Monks shew it instead of the gate of Solomon’s temple, before which lay the man that was lame from his mother’s womb, that begg’d alms from Peter and John, to whom Peter said: ‘Silver and gold I have none, but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’

At the end of the gate of this yard, as commonly in all their church-porches, hung some lamps. I could have willingly gone in before them, to see the rock and fountain, whereof Ezek. in his forty seventh chapter maketh mention, together with the inward building, but because according to their Mahometan laws, all those that are not circumcised are accounted to be unclean, therefore going into their churches is forbid to Christians: if any one is catch’d within, he is in danger of his life, or else he must deny his faith, and be made a Mamaluck or Renegado.

In this court-yard is still another gate, call’d the Golden Gate by the Franciscans, but because it stands just over against the mount of Olives, therefore it is to be taken to be the gate Sur, or rather, as Nehemiah iii. Ezek. xlvii. and 2 Chron. xxxi. say, for the gate of the stairs, which Semia, the son of Sahamia, the keeper of them did build; thro’ which our Lord Christ did go into the temple on Palm-day, to drive out the buyers and sellers. Now altho’ this is wall’d up in the new town wall, so that you cannot go either out or in; yet considering it’s ancient arches, it looketh rather like a church than a town-gate.

In the middle of the yard stands a Turkish Mosque or temple, call’d the Rock; this is esteem’d very much by the Turks, and next to those of Mecca and Medina reputed to be the most holy. Because God Almighty hath wrought many great miracles there; and that there Mahomet, as they falsly write of him in their books, call’d by God to be the last and greatest Prophet, did ride from Mecca to that of the holy Rock of the temple of Jerusalem, which is forty days journey, on a very swift beast call’d Elmparae, conducted thither by the Angel Gabriel, who at his arrival did help him off of his beast, ty’d it up, and then led him by the hand into the temple, where he found many Prophets standing together in a circle, which God had resuscitated for his honour, and to receive him, and to acquaint him with new good tidings, and what God had prepared for him, (I suppose ever burning flames of fire): Among the rest he did also find Abraham, Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary, each of them presenting him, first Moses with a fatt of wine, Abraham with a fatt full of milk, and Jesus with a fatt of water. Then a voice spake to him from heaven saying ‘If thou chusest the fatt with wine, thou and thy people shall perish; if thou chusest the fatt with milk, thou shalt also perish; but if thou chusest the fatt of water, thou and thy people shall be saved eternally.’

These and many more insipid lies of their Mahomet, which are very ridiculous and silly fables, are believed to be as true as the Gospel by the Turks, Moors, and Arabians, &c. They also certainly believe (chiefly these that live at Jerusalem as the Pilgrims know) that on the last day their Mahomet is to come and seat himself on the rock of the temple of Moria, and Christ on the other side of the valley of Josaphat on the mount of Olives, over-against him. Then when all the people of the earth shall appear before the Lord of Judicature, he shall ask Mahomet, who the rest are (meaning the Christians that have been under the yoak of the Turkish Emperor) then shall Mahomet answer and say, They are these that served me faithfully; whereupon Christ shall let them pass into Paradise and eternal felicity; which they believe to consist in gratifying fleshly lusts and desires, in eating and drinking, fine cloaths, costly jewels, gold, silver, pearls, pleasant spring gardens, beautiful and cleanly women. Therefore the temple is so highly esteem’d by the Turks and others of the same faith, and believed to be so holy, that they go into it on their bare feet with great devotion, and come twice a year thither in pilgrimage in great Caravans from all places, moved thereunto by the great zeal they have towards their Mahomet; but chiefly these Pilgrims that have been at Madina-Talnabi, and Mecca, that is three days journey farther, who return by the way of Jerusalem (which is now by them call’d Chutz) to say also their prayers there, and are of opinion that if they should do otherwise, than to come thither, their peregrination would not be acceptable to God. Amongst these are a good many Renegado Christians, that go with them to Mecca, to get by their devotion into greater preferment and wealth, wherefore they are esteem’d by them as holy and creditable ones, although they are full of knavery and roguery, as those that come from Mahomet’s own blood; they keep them very honourably, and pray for them as their victors, and endue them with great and peculiar privileges, so that their single witness is as valuable as three, four, six, or ten of others, according as they have been oftner in these places. And that every body may know them, they put upon their turbants on their heads, their Mahomet’s green colours, as those of their priests do, who esteem themselves to be his relations, who are only permitted, (as the Persians wear their red colour) to wear such turbants. Wherefore the Turks believe it to be a sin to cover those members, which nature hath made secret, with that colour which their Prophet did bear on his head. When the before-mention’d Renegado Christians are come to this degree, they are bought by every body for money, to bear witness before the Cady, or any other Turkish magistrate, and that even in causes whereof they have not the least knowledge. So it happens daily, that those that give larger bribes to the magistrate, and do exceed their adversaries in number of witnesses, make their lost and foul cause good; and of this they make no conscience, because their Koran teacheth them, that God does not impute to them perjury, but only if they do not invoke him; so that it is full satisfaction, if they feed ten poor ones for this transgression, or if they cloath them, or if they redeem one prisoner; but if they are not substantial enough to do this, they fast three times. This is of a very ill consequence, because they are not afraid to be perjur’d and to cheat others. And although these and other the like sins, are very common amongst the Turks, viz. robbing, and to break their faith, &c. which are directly against God, yet for all that these (because they have lost all remembrance of confession, penitence or mending of their lives) exceed them in this by far. Besides all this they do not let the Christians know who or what they are, but rather study to their utmost power, to abuse and hurt them as often as they find an opportunity, nay they would not spare their very lives, if they dare do it for fear of the Turkish magistrates. In this they are very like unto the Abyssins, who in former ages were subject unto the Soldans of Ægypt, and did live on the south side of mount Libanus, who, as defenders and protectors of their own religion, were set out before other Saracens, to murder and kill clandestinely all those that did oppose their Mahometan laws and religion. But after the Turkish Emperor did beat the Soldan, and took his dominions from him, the fury of these assassinators was also soon quelled; for the great Turk doth not allow, in any of his provinces, of murthers, as the Saracenes did, but punish’d them severely, and keepeth very strict laws that no body may hurt the other; which you may conclude by this, that if one doth but fetch blood from the other in the least, he is not only mulcted in one or two ducats, but sometimes in forty, fifty, nay sometimes in a hundred, according to the heinousness of the crime, and the ability of the offender; and so he keepeth subjects in peace and quietness.

Besides these Pilgrims that go to Mecca, there are many others in their great Caravans, that rather, like unto pedlers, endeavour to get thither with small charges, by the help of their Carvatschares, or Inns, and Hospitals, to make good profit there, by buying and selling, than out of devotion to wait on their Mahomet, and amongst them there are also sometimes Christians, but at their arrival they must not visit the holy places, much less touch them. Wherefore they buy before hand all sorts of merchandizes, chiefly at Cayro (from whence to Jerusalem it is ten days journey) to sell or swap them at Mecca, and other places. Which custom we need not think to be strange among the Turks, seeing that a great many are found among the Roman Pilgrims, that pretend to be good Christians, that go pilgrimages to Rome, St Jacob, Jerusalem, &c. not only to get his Holiness’s absolution and indulgences, but rather to make good profit of goods they buy for that purpose; or which is more, they pass over their estates during their absence, into the hands of others, to reap the benefit thereof with this condition, that if they return home from these places where they vow’d to go to, they shall have them restored again with great profit. Now as among all these Pilgrims, chiefly those that have been oftnest at Mecca are by the Turks in greatest esteem, and that green colour (which only belongeth to the Priests to wear) is the sooner allow’d them, whereby they may be known, as the brothers of St Jacob are known, by the scallop-shells. The fame it is also with their camels, for on the lower part of one of their fore-feet you may see as many small chains hung as they have been times there in Caravans, so that you also may soon discern them.

And that I may return to my purpose again; near to the Turkish Mosque of the holy Rock, is also another church, which by the Christians, when they were in possession of Jerusalem, was call’d the Virgin Mary’s church, which is very well built, rather bigger than the Turkish, and stands without towards the south on the place of the great porch of the Israelites, which is several times mention’d in the Scriptures Viz. Joh. x. Matth. xxi. where it is calleth the temple and porch of Solomon, where Christ did preach, and drove out the buyers and sellers, &c. Underneath it is a great cave, so wide that some hundred horses may with ease be drawn up in battalia therein. This is also in the possession of the Turks, and the Christians dare no more come in here than in the other. By this prohibition viz. That the Mahometans shall admit into their churches or porches thereof no strangers which according to their laws are not cleansed and washed, you may easily see, that the Turks have taken many ceremonies and laws from the Jews, and according to their depraved understanding and mind, transcribed them into their Koran; so we see that anciently they have their circumcision, offerings, washings, fasts at certain times of the year, marrying more than one wife, not eating any thing that is unclean, or pork, or what is suffocated, not having bells, nor drinking wine, as the Levitical Priests must not do, derived from the Jews; but this last law concerning not drinking of wine, is not only not kept, for they drink thereof without mixture, let it be as strong as it can, more than any other nation. It being then true that they choose the fatt with wine presented them by Moses, as is before said, to their own ruin and destruction, wherefore I pray that God may fulfil their prophecy, Amen.