was made whole of whatever | Jehoshaphat, is a well called sickness he had; and there our Natatorium Siloa (the pool of Lord healed a man of the palsy, Siloah), where our Lord was with which he had lain thirty- washed after his baptism; and eight years; and our Lord said there our Lord made the blind to him, 'Take up thy bed and man to see. There was buried go." And near it was Pilate's Isaiah the prophet. Also straight house. And fast by is king from Natatorium Siloa is an Herod's house, who caused the image of stone, and of ancient Innocents to be slain. work, which Absalom caused to be made, on account of which they call it the hand of Absalom. And fast by is still the elder-tree on which Judas hanged himself for despair, when he sold and betrayed our Lord. Mount Sion is within the city, and is a little higher than the other side of the city; and the city is strongest on that side. For at the foot of Mount Sion is a fair and strong castle made by the Sultan. In Mount Sion were buried king David and king Solomon, and many other Jewish kings of Jerusalem. And there is the place where the Jews would have cast up the body of our Lady, when the apostles carried the body to be buried in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And there is the place where St. Peter wept bitterly after he had forsaken our Lord. And a stone's cast from that chapel is another chapel, where our Lord was judged; for at that time the house of Caiaphas stood there. One hundred and forty paces from that chapel, to the east, is a deep cave under the rock, which is called the Galilee of our Lord, where St. Peter hid himself when he had forsaken our Lord. Between Mount Sion and the Temple of Solomon is the place where our Lord raised the maiden in her father's house. Under Mount Sion, towards the Valley of 1 Matt. ix. 6. To the west of Jerusalem is a fair church, where the tree of the cross grew. And two miles from thence is a handsome church, where our Lady met with Elizabeth when they were both with child; and St. John stirred in his mother's womb, and made reverence to his Creator, whom he saw not. Under the altar of that church is the place where St. John was born. A mile from that church is the Castle of Emmaus, where our Lord showed himself to two of His disciples after His resurrection. Also on the other side, two hundred paces from Jerusalem, is a church where was formerly the cave of the lion; and under that church, at thirty steps deep, were interred twelve thousand martyrs, in the time of King Cosrhoes, that the lion met in a night, by the will of God. Two miles from Jerusalem is Mount Joy, a very fair and delicious place. There Samuel the prophet lies in a In O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.'1 And when he came again to his disciples he found them sleeping. fair tomb; and it is called | earth hath so been cloven since Mount Joy, because it gives the time that our Lady was joy to pilgrims' hearts, for from buried there; and men also say that place men first see Jeru- there, that it grows and increases salem. Between Jerusalem and every day, without doubt. Mount Olivet is the Valley of that church were formerly black Jehoshaphat, under the walls of monks, who had their abbot. the city, as I have said before; Beside that church is a chapel, and in the middle of the valley beside the rock called Gethseis a little river, which is called mane, where our Lord was kissed the brook Cedron; and across by Judas, and where he was it lies a tree (of which the cross taken by the Jews; and there was made) on which men passed our Lord left his disciples when over; and fast by it is a little he went to pray before his paspit in the earth, where the sion, when he prayed and said, foot of the pillar still remains at which our Lord was first scourged; for he was scourged and shamefully treated in many places. Also in the middle of the Valley of Jehoshaphat is the Church of our Lady, which is forty-three steps below the sepulchre of our Lady, who was seventy-two years of age when she died. Beside the sepulchre of our Lady is an altar, where our Lord forgave St. Peter all his sins. From thence, toward the west, under an altar, is a well which comes out of the river of Paradise. You must know that that church is very low in the earth, and a part is quite within the earth. But I imagine that it was not founded so; but since Jerusalem has often been destroyed, and the walls beaten down and tumbled into the valley, and that they have been so filled again and the ground raised, for that reason the church is so low within the earth. Nevertheless, men say there commonly, that the And in the rock within the chapel we still see the mark of the fingers of our Lord's hand, when he put them on the rock when the Jews would have taken him. And a stone's cast from thence, to the south, is another chapel, where our Lord sweat drops of blood. And close to it is the tomb of king Jehoshaphat, from whom the valley takes its name. This Jehoshaphat was king of that country, and was converted by a hermit, who was a worthy man, and did much good. A bow-shot from thence, to the south, is the church where St. James and Zechariah the prophet were buried. Above the vale is Mount Olivet, so called for the abundance of olives that grow there. That mount is higher than the city of Jerusalem; and therefore from that 1 Matt xxvi. 39. mount we may see many of the streets of the city. Between that mount and the city is only the valley of Jehoshaphat, which is not wide. From that mount our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven on Ascension Day, and yet there appears the imprint of his left foot in the stone. And there is a church where was formerly an abbot and canons regular. About twentyeight paces thence is a chapel, in which is the stone on the which our Lord sat when he preached the eight blessings. And there he taught his disciples the Paternoster, and wrote with his finger on a stone. And near it is a church of St. Mary, the Egyptian, where she lies in a tomb. Three bow-shots thence, to the east, is Bethphage, whither our Lord sent St. Peter and St. James, on Palm Sunday, to seek the ass on which he rode into Jerusalem. In descending from Mount Olivet, to the east, is a castle called Bethany, where dwelt Simon the leper; and there he entertained our Lord; and afterwards he was baptized by the apostles, and was called Julian, and was Lord raised Lazarus, who was dead four days, and stank. There also dwelt Mary Cleophas. That castle is a mile from Jerusalem. Also in coming down from Mount Olivet is the place where our Lord wept upon Jerusalem. And there beside is the place where our Lady appeared to St. Thomas the apostle after her assumption, and gave him her girdle. And very near it is the stone on which our Lord often sat when he preached; and upon that same shall he sit at the day of doom, right as he said himself. After Mount Olivet is the Mount of Galilee, where the apostles assembled when Mary Magdalene came and told them of Christ's ascension. And there, between Mount Olivet and the Mount of Galilee is a church, where the angel foretold our Lady of her death. We next go from Bethany to Jericho, which was once a little city, but it is now destroyed, and is but a little village. CHAPTER IV. made bishop; and this is the of the Dead Sea, and of the River Jordan same Julian to whom men pray for good entertainment, because our Lord was entertained by him in his house. In that house our Lord forgave Mary Magdalene her sins, and there she washed his feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. And there St. Martha waited upon our Lord. There our --Of the province of Galilee-Of the age of our Lady-Of the city of Damas cus-The way to Jerusalem by land. FROM Jericho it is three miles to the Dead Sea. About that sea groweth much alum and alkatran.1 The water of that sea is very bitter and salt, and if the earth were moistened 1 Supposed to mean bitumen. with that water it would never bear fruit. And the earth and land changeth often its colour. The water casteth out a thing that is called asphalt, in pieces as large as a horse, every day, and on all sides. And there beside grow trees that bear apples very fair of colour to behold; but when we break or cut them in two we find within | ashes and cinders, which is a token that by the wrath of God the cities and the land were burnt and sunk into hell. Some call that sea the Lake Dasfetidee; some, the River of Devils; and some the river | that is ever stinking. Into that sea, by the wrath of God, sunk the five cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, Aldama, Seboym, and Segor, for the abominable sin that reigned in them. And you shall understand that the river Jordan runs into the Dead Sea, and there it dies, for it runs no farther; and its entrance is a mile from the church of St. John the Baptist, toward the west, a little beneath the place where Christians bathe commonly. A mile from the river Jordan is the river of Jabbok, which Jacob passed over when he came from Mesopotamia. This river Jordan is no great river, but it has plenty of good fish; and it cometh out of the hill of Libanus by two wells that are called Jor and Dan; and of those two wells it hath its name. In going eastward from the Dead Sea, out of the borders of 1 the Holy Land, is a strong and fair castle, on a hill which is called Carak, in Sarmoyz; that is to say, Royal. That castle was made by king Baldwin, when he had conquered that land, who put it into the hands of Christians, to keep that part of the country; and for that cause it was called the Mount Royal; and under it there is a town called Sobache; and there all about dwell Christians under tribute. From thence men go to Nazareth, of which our Lord beareth the surname. And thence it is three days to Jerusalem: and men go by the province of Galilee, by Ramoth, by Sodom, and by the high hill of Ephraim, where Elkanah and Hannah, the mother of Samuel the prophet, dwelt. There this prophet was born; and, after his death, he was buried at Mount Joy, as I have said before. And then men go to Shiloh, where the ark of God with the relics were long kept under Eli the prophet. There the people of Hebron sacrificed to our Lord; and there they yielded up their vows; and there God first spake to Samuel, and showed him the change of the order of priesthood, and the mystery of the sacrament. And right nigh, on the left side, is Gibeon, and Ramah, and Benjamin, of which Holy Writ speaketh. And after men go to Shechem, formerly called Sichar, which is in the province in the neighbourhood of the ancient Petra. 1 Mount Royal is supposed to have stood of the Samaritans; and there is a very fair and fruitful vale, and there is a fair and good city called Neapolis, whence it is a day's journey to Jerusalem. And there is the well where our Lord spake to the woman of Samaria; and there was wont to be a church, but it is beaten down. And there beside is the hill of Gerizim, where the Samaritans make their sacrifice: on that hill would Abraham have sacrificed his son Isaac. And there beside is the valley of Dothan; and there is the cistern wherein Joseph was cast by his brethren, when they sold him, and that is two miles from Sichar. From thence we go to Samaria, which is now called Sebaste; it is the chief city of that country, and is situated between the hill of Aygnes in a similar manner to Jerusalem. In that city was the sittings of the twelve tribes of Israel; but the city is not now so great as it was formerly. From this city of Sebaste unto Jerusalem it is twelve miles. The Samaritans believe well in one God; and they say that there is only one God, who created all things, and judges all things; and they hold the Bible according to the letter, and use the Psalter as the Jews do; and they say that they are the right sons of God. From this country of the Samaritans men go to the plains of Galilee, and leave the hills on the one side. Galilee is one of the provinces of the Holy Land; and in that province are the cities of Nain, and Capernaum, and Chorazin and Bethsaida. In this Bethsaida St. Peter and St. Andrew were born. And four miles thence is Chorazin; and five miles from Chorazin is the city of Kedar, whereof the Psalter speaketh: 'I dwell in the tents of Kedar." In Chorazin shall Antichrist be born, as some men say; and others say he shall be born in Babylon; for the prophet saith, 'Out of Babylon shall come a serpent that shall devour all the world.' This Antichrist shall be nourished in Bethsaida, and he shall reign in Capernaum; and therefore saith Holy Writ, 'Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! and thou, Capernaum.' And all these towns are in the land of Galilee; and also Cana of Galilee is four miles from Nazareth, of which city was Simon the Canaanite and his wife Cance, of whom the holy Evangelist speaks: there our Lord per| formed the first miracle at the wedding, when he turned water into wine. And at the extremity of Galilee, on the hills, was the ark of God taken; and on the other side is Mount Hendor, or Hermon. And thereabout goeth the brook of Kishon; and near there Baruch, who was son of Abimelech, with Deborah the prophetess, overcame the host of Idumea, when Sisera the king was slain 2 Luke x. 13, 15. 1 Ps. cxx. 5. 2 |