An Essay on the Ancient Topography of Jerusalem; With Restored Plans of the Temple, &C., and Plans, Sections, and Details of the Church Built by Constantine the Great Over the Holy Sepulchre, Now Known as the Mosque of Omar (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1847 Excerpt: ...now called the Sepulchre, which is neither a rock nor a cave, not one syllable of it is applicable or intelligible.1 1 Mr. Findlay uses his argument, derived from the correct statistical information at the command of Constantine, to prove that the present church stands over the tomb and place of crucifixion of our Lord; and so satisfied is he with his premises, that he conceives his conclusion to be inevitable. I wonder he did not see that the stronger they were, the more impossible his conclusion became; and that if it is quite certain that Constantine knew where the sacred spot was, it only became clearer that the present church docs not stand on the site of the one erected by him; and I desire no better support for my assumption than Mr. Findlay's pamphlet, and if I could go the whole length of his premises with him, would consider the case proved without further argument. For it appears to me, that the only excuse for the present church being the church of Constantine, is that he knew nothing about the matter: but if it is quite certain he did know, which I believe to be the case, it is equally so that he built his church where I have placed it, and not where it is now shown. 2 Vita Const, in. xxvi. et seq. 3 'Theophania, ' translated by Dr. Lee, p. 199. I may also mention here, that the position of the cave on the Sakrah exactly corresponds with the indication in the Bible narrative, for the Evangelists all agree that those that came to look for the body of Christ "looked down into the Sepulchre," which they must have done in the Sakrah;--but in the modern building, the tomb is several feet above the pavement of the church; and if that pavement and the filling up were removed, --which, I presume, did not exist at the time we are speaking of, --t...