There being several gentlemen of our nation (fourteen in number) determined for a visit to the Holy Land, at the approaching Easter, I resolved, though but newly come to Aleppo, to make one in the same design: considering that as it was my purpose to undertake this pilgrimage some time or other, before my return to England, so I could never do it, either with less prejudice to my cure, or with greater pleasure to myself, than at this juncture; having so large a part of my congregation abroad at the same time, and in my company.
Pursuant to this resolution, we set out from Aleppo, Friday, February 26, 1696, at three in the afternoon, intending to make only a short step that evening, in order to prove how well we were provided with necessaries for our journey.
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March 25.
In two hours and one third we came to the top of a hill, from whence we had the first prospect of Jerusalem; Rama, anciently called Gibeah of Saul, being within view on the right hand, and the plain of Jericho, and the mountains of Gilead on the left. In one hour more we approached the walls of the holy city; but we could not enter immediately, it being necessary first to send a messenger to acquaint the governor of our arrival, and to desire liberty of entrance.
Without which preceding ceremony, no Frank dares come within the walls. We therefore passed along by the west side of the city, and coming to the corner above Bethlehem gate, made a stop there, in order to expect the return of our messenger. We had not waited above half an hour, when he brought us our permission, and we entered accordingly at Bethlehem gate. It is required of all Franks, unless they happen to come in with some public minister, to dismount at the gate, to deliver their arms, and enter on foot: but we coming in company with the French consul, had the privilege to enter mounted and armed. Just within the gate, we turned up a street on the left hand, and were conducted by the consul to his own house, with most friendly and generous invitations to make that our home, as long as we should continue at Jerusalem. Having taken a little refreshment, we went to the Latin convent, at which all Frank pilgrims are entertained. The guardian and friars received us with many kind welcomes; and kept us with them at supper: after which, we returned to the French consul's to bed. And thus we continued to take our lodging at the consul's, and our board with the friars, during our whole stay at Jerusalem.
Friday, March 26.
The next day being Good Friday, in the Latin style, the consul was obliged to go into the church of the sepulchre, in order to keep his feast; whither we accompanied him although our own Easter was not till a week after theirs. We found the church doors guarded by several Janizaries, and other Turkish officers; who are placed here to watch, that none enter in, but such as have paid first their appointed caphar. This is more or less according to the country, or character of the persons that enter. For Franks, it is ordinarily fourteen dollars per head, unless they are ecclesiastics; for in that case it is but half as much.
Having once paid this caphar, you may go in and out gratis as often as you please during the whole feast; provided you take the ordinary opportunities, in which it is customary to open the doors: but if you would have them opened at any time out of the common course, purposely for your own private occasion, then the first expense must be paid again.
The pilgrims being all admitted this day, the church doors were locked in the evening, and opened no more till Easter day; by which we were kept in a close but very happy confinement for three days. We spent our time in viewing the ceremonies practised by the Latins at this festival, and in visiting the several holy places; all which we had opportunity to survey, with as much freedom and deliberation as we pleased.
And now being got under the sacred roof, and having the advantage of so much leisure and freedom, I might expatiate in a large description of the several holy places, which this church (as a cabinet) contains in it. But this would be a superfluous prolixity, so many pilgrims having discharged this office with so much exactness already, and especially our learned sagacious countryman Mr. Sandys: whose descriptions and draughts, both of this church, and also of the other remarkable places in and about Jerusalem, must be acknowledged so faithful and perfect, that they leave very little to be added by after-comers, and nothing to be corrected. I shall content myself therefore, to relate only what passed in the church during this festival, saying no more of the church itself, than just what is necessary to make my account intelligible. The church of the holy sepulchre is founded upon mount Calvary, which is a small eminence or hill upon the greater mount of Moriah. It was anciently appropriated to the execution of malefactors, and therefore shut out of the walls of the city, as an execrable and polluted place. But since it was made the altar on which was offered up the precious, and all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, it has recovered itself from that infamy, and has been always reverenced and resorted to with such devotion by all Christians, that it has attracted the city round about it, and stands now in the midst of Jerusalem, a great part of the hill of Sion being shut out of the walls, to make room for the admission of Calvary.
In order to the fitting of this hill for the foundation of a church, the first founders were obliged to reduce it to a plain area; which they did by cutting down several parts of the rock, and by elevating others. But in this work, care was taken, that none of those parts of the hill, which were reckoned to be more immediately concerned in our blessed Lord's passion, should be altered or diminished. Thus that very part of Calvary, where they say Christ was fastened to, and lifted upon his cross, is left entire; being about ten or twelve yards square and standing at this day so high above the common floor of the church, that you have twenty-one steps or stairs to go up to its top: and the holy sepulchre itself, which was at first a cave hewn into the rock under ground, having had the rock cut away from it all round, is now as it were a grotto above ground. The church is less than one hundred paces long, and not more than sixty wide: and yet is so contrived, that it is supposed to contain under its roof twelve or thirteen sanctuaries, or places consecrated to a more than ordinary veneration by being reputed to have some particular actions done in them relating to the death and resurrection of Christ As first, the place where he was derided by the soldiers: secondly, where the soldiers divided his garments: thirdly, where he was shut up, whilst they dug the hole to set the foot of the cross in, and made all ready for his crucifixion: fourthly, where he was nailed to the cross: fifthly, where the cross was erected: sixthly, where the soldier stood, that pierced his side: seventhly, where his body was anointed in order to his burial: eighthly, where his body was deposited in the sepulchre: ninthly, where the angels appeared to the women after his resurrection: tenthly, where Christ himself appeared to Mary Magdalen, &c, The places where these and many other things relating to our blessed Lord are said to have been done, are all supposed to be contained within the narrow precincts of this church, and are all distinguished and adorned with so many several altars.
In galleries round about the church, and also in little buildings annexed to it on the outside, are certain apartments for the reception of friars and pilgrims; and in these places almost every Christian nation anciently maintained a small society of monks; each society having its proper quarter assigned to it, by the appointment of the Turks: such as the Latins, Greeks, Syrians, Armenians, Abyssines, Georgians, Nestorians, Cophtites, Maronites, &c., all which had anciently their several apartments in the church. But these have all, except four, forsaken their quarters; not being able to sustain the severe rents and extortions, which their Turkish land-lords impose upon them. The Latins, Greeks, Armenians, and Cophtites, keep their footing still. But of these four, the Cophtites have now only one poor representative of their nation left; and the Armenians are run so much in debt, that it is supposed they are hastening apace to follow the examples of their brethren, who have deserted before them.
Besides their several apartments, each fraternity have their altars and sanctuary, properly and distinctly allotted to their own use. At which places they have a peculiar right to perform their own divine service, and to exclude other nations from them.
But that which has always been the great prize contended for by the several sects, is the command and appropriation of the Holy sepulchre: a privilege contested with so much unchristian fury and animosity, especially between the Greeks and Latins, that in disputing which party should go into it to celebrate their mass, they have sometimes proceeded to blows and wounds even at the very door of the sepulchre; mingling their own blood with their sacrifices. An evidence of which fury the father guardian showed us in a great scar upon his arm, which he told us was the mark of a wound, given him by a sturdy Greek priest in one of these unholy wars. Who can expect ever to see these holy places rescued from the hands of infidels? Or if they should be recovered, what deplorable contest might be expected to follow about them? seeing even in their present state of captivity, they are made the occasion of such unchristian rage and animosity.
For putting an end to these infamous quarrels, the French king interposed by a letter to the grand visier about twelve years since; requesting him to order the holy sepulchre to be put into the hands of the Latins, according to the tenor of the capitulation made in the year 1673. The consequence of which letter, and of ether instances made by the French king, was, that the holy sepulchre was appropriated to the Latins: this was not accomplished till the year 1690 they alone having the privilege to say mass in it. And though it be permitted to Christians of all nations to go into it for their private devotions, yet none may solemnize any public office of religion there, but the Latins.
The daily employment of these recluses is to trim the lamps, and to make devotional visits and processions to the several sanctuaries in the church. Thus they spend their time, many of them for four Or six years together: nay so far are some transported with the pleasing contemplations in which they here entertain themselves, that they will never come out to their dying day burying themselves (as it were) alive in our Lord's grave.
The Latins, of whom there are always about ten or twelve residing at the church, with a president over them, make every day a solemn procession with tapers and crucifixes, and other processionary solemnities, to the several sanctuaries; singing at every one of them a Latin hymn relating to the subject of each place. These Latins being more polite and exact in their functions than the other monks here residing, and also our conversation being chiefly with them, I will only describe their ceremonies, without taking notice of what was done by others, which did not so much come under our observation.
Their ceremony begins on Good Friday night, which is called by them the Nox tenebrosa, and is observed with such an extraordinary solemnity, that I cannot omit to give a particular description of it.
As soon as it grew dusk, all the friars and pilgrims were convened in the chapel of the apparition (which is a small oratory on the north side of the holy grave, adjoining to the apartments of the Latins,) in order to go in a procession round the church. But, before they set out, one of the friars preached a sermon in Italian in that chapel. He began his discourse thus; In questa notte tenebrosa, &c. at which words all the candles were instantly put out, to yield a livelier image of the occasion. And so we were held by the preacher, for near half an hour very much in the dark. Sermon being ended, every person present had a large lighted taper put into his hand, as if it were to make amends for the former darkness; and the crucifixes and other utensils were disposed in order for beginning the procession. Amongst the other crucifixes there was one of a very large size, which bore upon it the image of our Lord, as big as the life. The image was fastened to it with great nails, crowned with thorns, besmeared with blood; and so exquisitely was it formed, that it represented in a very lively manner the lamentable spectacle of our Lord's body, as it hung upon the cross. This figure was carried all along in the head of the procession; after which, the company followed to all the sanctuaries in the church, singing their appointed hymn at every one.
The first place they visited was that of the pillar of flaggellation, a large piece of which is kept in a little cell just at the door of the chapel of the apparition. There they sung their proper hymn; and another friar entertained the company with a sermon in Spanish, touching the scourging of our Lord.
From hence they proceeded in solemn order to the prison of Christ, where they pretend he was secured whilst the soldiers made things ready for his crucifixion; here likewise they sung their hymn, and a third friar preached in French.
From the prison they went to the altar of the division of Christ's garments, where they only sung their hymn, without adding any sermon.
Having done here, they advanced to the chapel of the derision; at which, after their hymn, they had a fourth sermon (as I remember) in French.
From this place they went up to Calvary, leaving their shoes at the bottom of the stairs. Here are two altars to be visited: one where our 'Lord is supposed to have been nailed to his cross; another where his cross was erected. At the former of these they laid down the great crucifix, (which I but now described) upon the floor, and acted a kind of resemblance of Christ's being nailed to the cross; and after the hymn, one of the friars preached another sermon in Spanish upon the crucifixion.
From hence they removed to the adjoining altar, where the cross is supposed to have been erected, bearing the image of our Lord's body;
At this altar is a hole in the natural rock, said to be the very same individual one, in which the foot of our Lord's cross stood. Here they set up their cross with the bloody crucified image upon it; and leaving it in that posture, they first sung their hymn, and then the father guardian, sitting in a chair before it, preached a passion-sermon in Italian.
At about one yard and a half distance from the hole in which the foot of the cross was fixed, is seen that memorable cleft in the rock, said to have been made by the earthquake which happened at the suffering of our Lord; when (as St. Matthew, Chap, xxvii. ver. 51, witnesseth) the rocks rent, and the very graves were opened. This cleft, as to what now appears of it, is about a span wide at its upper part, and two deep; after which it closes: but it opens again below, (as you may see in another chapel contiguous to the side of Calvary,) and runs down to an unknown depth in the earth. That this rent was made by the earthquake, that happened at our Lord's passion, there is only tradition to prove: but that it is a natural and genuine breach, and not counterfeited by any art, the sense and reason of every one that sees it may convince him; for the sides of it fit like two tallies to each other: and yet it runs in such intricate windings as could not well be counterfeited by art, nor arrived at by any instruments.
The ceremony of the passion being over, and the Guardian's sermon ended, two friars, personating, the one Joseph of Arimathea, the other Nicodemus, approached the cross, and with a most solemn concerned air, both of aspect and behavior, drew out the great nails, and took down the feigned body from the cross. It was an effigy so contrived, that its limbs were soft and flexible, as if they had been real flesh: and nothing could be more surprising, than to see the two pretended mourners bend down the arms, which were before extended, and dispose them upon the trunk, in such a manner as is usual in corpses.
The body being taken down from the cross, was received in a fair large winding-sheet, and carried down from Calvary; the whole company attending as before, to the stone of unction. This is taken for the very place where the precious body of our Lord was anointed, and prepared for the burial, John xix. 39. Here they laid down their imaginary corpse; and casting over it several sweet powders and spices, wrapt it up in the winding-sheet: whilst this was doing, they sung their proper hymn, and after-wards one of the friars preached in Arabic a funeral sermon.
These obsequies being finished, they carried off their fancied corpse, and laid it in the sepulchre; shutting up the door till Easter morning. And now after so many sermons, and so long, not to say tedious a ceremony, it may well be imagined that the weariness of the congregation, as well as the hour of the night, made it needful to go to rest.
Saturday, March 27.
The next morning nothing extraordinary passed; which gave many of the pilgrims leisure to have their arms marked with the usual ensigns of Jerusalem. The artists, who undertake the operation, do it in this manner. They have stamps in wood of any figure that you desire; which they first print off upon your arm with powder of charcoal: then taking two very fine needles tied close together, and dipping them often, like a pen in certain ink, compounded as I was informed of gunpowder and ox-gall, they make with them small punctures all along the lines of the figure which they have printed; and then washing the part in wine, conclude the work. These punctures they make with great quickness and dexterity, and with scarce any smart, seldom piercing so deep as to draw blood. In the afternoon of this day, the congregation was assembled in the area before the holy grave, where the friars spent some hours in singing over the Lamentations of Jeremiah; which function, with the usual procession to the holy places, was all the ceremony of this day.
Sunday, March 28.
On Easter morning, the sepulchre was again set open very early. The clouds of the former morning were cleared up; and the friars put on a face of joy and serenity, as if it had been the real juncture of our Lord's resurrection. Nor doubtless was this joy feigned, whatever their mourning might be, this being the day in which their lenten disciplines expired, and they were to come to a full belly again.
The mass was celebrated this morning just before the holy sepulchre, being the most eminent place in the church; where the father guardian had a throne erected, and being arrayed in episcopal robes, with a mitre on his head, in the sight of the Turks, he gave the host to all that were disposed to receive it; not refusing children of seven or eight years old. This office being ended, we made our exit out of the sepulchre, and returning to the convent, dined with the friars.
After dinner, we took an opportunity to go and visit some of the remarkable places without the city walls; we began with those on the north side.
The first place we were conducted to was a large grot, a little without Damascus Gate; said to have been some time the residence of Jeremiah. On the left side of it is shown the prophet's bed, being a shelve on the rock, about eight feet from the ground, and not far from this, is the place where they say he wrote his lamentations. This place is at present a college of Dervises, and is held in great veneration by the Turks and Jews, as well as Christians.
The next place we came to was those famous grots called the sepulchres of the kings; but for what reason they go by that name is hard to resolve: for it is certain none of the kings, either of Israel or Judah, were buried here, the holy scriptures, assigning other places for their sepultures; unless it may be thought perhaps that Hezekiah was here interred, and that these were the sepulchres of the sons of David, mentioned 2 Chron. xxxii. 33. Whoever was buried here, this is certain, that the place itself discovers so great an expense both of labor and treasure, that we may well suppose it to have been the work of kings. You approach to it at the east side, through an entrance cut out of the natural rock, which admits you into an open court of about forty paces square, cut down into the rock with which it is encompassed, instead of walls. On the south side of the court, is a portico nine paces long and four broad, hewn likewise out of the natural rock. This has a kind of architrave running along its front, adorned with sculpture of fruits and flowers, still discernible, but by time much defaced. At the end of the portico on the left hand, you descend to the passage into the sepulchres. The door is now so obstructed with stones and rubbish, that it is a thing of some difficulty to creep through it. But within you arrive in a large fair room, about seven or eight yards square, cut out of the natural rock. Its sides and ceiling are so exactly square, and its angles so just, that no architect with levels and plummets could build a room more regular: and the whole is so firm and entire, that it may be called a chamber hollowed out of one piece of marble. From this room, you pass into (I think) six more, one within another, all of the same fabric with the first Of these, the two innermost are deeper than the rest, having a second descent of about six or seven steps into them.
In every one of these rooms except the first, were coffins of stone placed in niches in the sides of the chambers. They had been at first covered with handsome lids, and carved with garlands; but now most of them were broke to pieces by sacrilegious hands. The sides and ceiling of the rooms were always dropping, with the moist damps condensing upon them. To remedy which nuisance, and to preserve these chambers of the dead polite and clean, there was in each room a small channel cut in the floor, which served to drain the drops that fall constantly into it.
But the most surprising thing belonging to these subterraneous chambers was their doors; of which there is only one that remains hang tag, being left as it were on purpose to puzzle the beholders. It consisted of a plank of stone of about six inches in thickness, and in its other dimensions equalling the size of an ordinary door, or somewhat less. It was carved in such a manner, as to resemble a piece of wainscot. The stone of which it was made was visibly of the same kind with the whole rock, and it turned upon two hinges in the nature of axles. These hinges were of the same entire piece of stone with the door; and were contained in two holes of the immovable rock, one at the top, the other at the bottom.
From this description it is obvious to start a question, how such doors as these were made? Whether they were cut out of the rock, in the same place and manner as they now hang; or whether they were brought, and fixed in their station like other doors? One of these must be supposed to have been .done: and whichsoever part we choose, as most probable, it seems at first glance to be not without its difficulty. But thus much I have to say, for the resolving of this riddle, (which is wont to create no small dispute amongst pilgrims,) viz. that the door which was left hanging did not touch its lintel, by at least two inches; so that I believe it might easily hare been lifted up and unhinged. And the doors which had been thrown down, had their hinges at the upper end, twice as long as those at the bottom; which seems to intimate pretty plainly, by what method this work was accomplished.
From these sepulchres, we returned toward the city again, and just by Herod's Gate were shewn a grotto full of filthy water and mire. This passes for the dungeon in which Jeremiah was kept by Zedekiah, till enlarged by the charity of Ebed Melech. Jer. xxxviii. At this place we concluded our visits for that evening.
