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should henceforth be exposed to shame by this fountain; which fountain, from that day, was united to the fountain of Siloam. Another, speaking of the well attributed to our Lord Job, (peace be upon him!) said, I have read, that water being very scarce in the Holy City, men had recourse to this well: they sank it to the depth. of eighty cubits; and the size of its head or spring was ten cubits; four of which were blocked up by great stones; every stone being five cubits long, and from one to two in length and breadth; so that they wondered how these stones could have been brought down to such a place. Amidst these stones sprang up the fountain, spouting up briskly and cool. For many years they supplied themselves with water from this well, eighty cubits in depth. In winter the water of this spring overflowed, and inundated the surface in the lower parts of valleys, so that mills were turned by it, whereby flour was ground. Whenever they needed this fountain, or the fountain of Siloam, they went down to the lower part of the well, where the water remained at a certain height, and brought with them great dams and pieces of wood, to block up the holes whereby the water effected its egress. Then they saw the water rushing up from the stones, to the height of two cubits, to all appearance. Here also was a cave, whose entrance

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was three cubits by one, from the midst of which rushed a wind of intense coldness. Then they brought a light there, and saw the cave blocked up with immense masses of stone; and, entering more nearly, the light could not be kept in, by reason of the force of the wind proceeding thence. This fountain is in the very heart of a valley, and this cave in the very midst of the fountain, on one side. It is surrounded by mountains of immense altitude, which no one can scale or ascend but by extreme labour. And this is according to God's word revealed unto his prophet Job, (peace be with him!) viz. "Move thy feet quickly to this bathing-place; this cool and swift water, fit for drinking." So much for this matter. Now, to despatch all that is to be said of subterraneous caverns, narrow at the orifice and wide at the extremity, and holes in the earth, a commentator observes, that Kaab said, Go ye not unto the Church of Maria in the Holy House, or to the Church of the Body of Christ, or to the Two Pillars, in the church of Mount Olivet; for these are all of them idolatrous. Whosoever cometh thereunto shall be disappointed in his desire. Others say, that Kaab met two men, whom he asked, Whither bound? They said, To Elia. Then said Kaab, Say not Elia, but say Baitu-lMukaddas, or God's Holy Abode. Neither go

to Maria's Church, nor to the Two Pillars; for they are idols. Whosoever goeth there shall be disappointed and frustrated in his prayer until that he turn back from those Christians who say that God was killed. All is inefficacious which they have built, except the church in the Valley of Gehenna. Another says, that the Tomb of Maria is in the church called the Church of the Body. So it is now said; but no revelation has ever asserted that her tomb is beneath the crypt of that church. The above churches and places cannot be approached by Musalmáns without permission; a wall is built to keep them off. A commentator observes, that a Musalmán pilgrim may approach the shrines and oratories of these churches, under four conditions: First, that on entering any one of them, a person should be chanting the Korán, provided it be a church in which the Christian books are read, just as he chants the Korán in entering his own house: but if it be not a church wherein books are read, and such as the churches of Egypt, then he may enter without this chant. Here is an obvious and necessary distinction, which cannot be dispensed with. Secondly, provided there be no paintings or figures therein; for if there be paintings and figures on the walls, this forms an insuperable and overpowering objection to the permission of entrance. Let not any one

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stand or take up his abode within a house wherein are any paintings, for if there be paintings no dispensation can possibly be permitted; and, truly, that commentator is very wide of the mark, who says that this prohibition is repealed. Thirdly, that no corrupt opinion result from thus entering, such as making any account of their stocks and stones, or exalting and embellishing the beauty of their hymns, or suffering any suspicion or idea to enter the mind respecting the truth and soundness of their mode of worship, nor any heightening commendation of the objects of their adoration. Fourthly, provided there be no impurity therein; for if there be, it cannot be sound, or orthodox, for us to do any thing else than walk around it; entrance is absolutely prohibited. (In my opinion this condition, is here needlessly introduced; for purification is a prescribed duty in all places.) Entrance into a church, and prayer there, is, says a commentator, forbidden, if there be pictures therein, under pain of God's indignation coming down upon the offender; so that, upon the whole, we conclude that we may not enter the church at Bethlehem, because there is imagery therein.

Now, for the Fish-ponds and Pools of the Holy House, and the places consecrated by the murder of Alí and Hussain, and the guardian Places of Refuge, the Sanctuaries and Talismans which be

long to its inhabitants, or pertain to the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. First, it is said, that one of the kings of the sons of Israël, named Khaskil (Hezekiah), provided in the Holy City six ponds; three in the city-the Pool of the sons of Israël, the Pool of Solomon, and the Pool of Eyád (Gad); and three without the city. These he made to be reservoirs of water for the sons of Israël. With respect to the murder of Alí and Hussain, it is said, that the Christians asserted, that when Ali was murdered, and on the night that Hussain was slain, there fell down at Jerusalem stones, on the under side of which was streaming blood. Not a stone of Jerusalem could be picked up, which did not stain the fingers with blood. A certain woman asserted that darkness came over her when Hussain was slain, and that no one dressed in yellow or dark colour passed by, but shone brightly, and their faces appeared all in a blaze.

A commentator says again, The Holy House is like a lion's den. Whosoever entereth therein, he will either eat him up, or become a friend to him. Whosoever entereth therein will either find safety or utter ruin and destruction (as another says). Also another says, The Lion will either eat you, or you will find an asylum which will preserve you, among the interweaving and luxuriant

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