Jerusalem Explored Part 54

[Sidenote: nigh at hand.]

"There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." xix. 42. (p. 104.)

[Sidenote: Gardener.]

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away." xx. 15.

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.

[Sidenote: Ascension.]

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." i. 9. (p. 191.)

[Sidenote: Ye men of Galilee.]

"Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." i 11. (p. 191.)

[Sidenote: Sabbath-day's journey.]

"Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey." i. 12. (pp. 21, 191, 284.)

[Sidenote: Aceldama.]

"And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood." i. 19. (p. 206.)

[Sidenote: Pentecost.]

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." ii. 1. (p. 217.)

[Sidenote: Sepulchre of David.]

"Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day." ii. 29. (p. 211.)

[Sidenote: Gate of the temple.]

"And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple." iii. 2.

[Sidenote: S. Stephen stoned.]

"And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul." vii. 58.

(pp. 168, 223.)

[Sidenote: S. James martyred.]

"And he killed James the brother of John with the sword." xii. 2. (p.

157.)

Pa.s.sAGES FROM JOSEPHUS'S ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS,

TAKEN FROM THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF

WILLIAM WHISTON, A.M.

[Sidenote: King of Salem.]

[Sidenote: King's Dale.]

"So Abram, when he had saved the captive Sodomites, who had been taken by the a.s.syrians, and Lot also, his kinsman, returned home in peace. Now the king of Sodom met him at a certain place, which they called the King's Dale, where Melchisedec, king of the city Salem, received him.

That name signifies the righteous king; and such he was, without dispute, insomuch that, on this account, he was made the priest of G.o.d: however, they afterwards called Salem Jerusalem." Book I. chap. X. par.

2.

[Sidenote: King of Jerusalem.]

"But the king of Jerusalem took it to heart, that the Gibeonites had gone over to Joshua; so he called upon the kings of the neighbouring nations to join together, and make war against them." V. I. 17.

[Sidenote: The allies, that is, the tribes of Judah and Simeon. The lower city.]

"And when they had taken the greatest part of them [the cities], they besieged Jerusalem; and when they had taken the lower city, which was not under a considerable time, they slew all the inhabitants; but the upper city was not to be taken without great difficulty, through the strength of its walls, and the nature of the place." V. II. 2.

[Sidenote: David takes the city by a.s.sault.]

"Now the Jebusites, who were the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and were by extraction Canaanites, shut their gates, and placed the blind, and the lame, and all their maimed persons, upon the wall, in way of derision of the king; and said, that the very lame themselves would hinder his entrance into it. This they did out of contempt of his power, and as depending on the strength of their walls. David was hereby enraged, and began the siege of Jerusalem, and employed his utmost diligence and alacrity therein, as intending by the taking of this place to demonstrate his power, and to intimidate all others that might be of the like [evil] disposition towards him; so he took the lower city by force, but the citadel held out still; whence it was that the king, knowing that the proposal of dignities and rewards would encourage the soldiers to greater actions, promised that he who should first go over the ditches that were beneath the citadel, and should ascend to the citadel itself and take it, should have the command of the entire people conferred upon him. So they all were ambitious to ascend, and thought no pains too great in order to ascend thither; out of their desire of the chief command. However, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, prevented the rest; and as soon as he was got up to the citadel, cried out to the king, and claimed the chief command." VII. III. 1.

[Sidenote: City of David.]

"When David had cast the Jebusites out of the citadel, he also rebuilt Jerusalem, and named it, 'The City of David,' and abode there all the time of his reign." VII. III. 2.

[Sidenote: Hiram, king of Tyre.]

[Sidenote: The lower city united with the upper.]

"Hiram also, the king of the Tyrians, sent amba.s.sadors to him, and made a league of mutual friendship and a.s.sistance with him. He also sent him presents, cedar-trees and mechanics, and men skilful in building and architecture, that they might build him a royal palace at Jerusalem. Now David made buildings round about the lower city: he also joined the citadel to it, and made it one body; and when he had encompa.s.sed all with walls, he appointed Joab to take care of them. It was David, therefore, who first cast the Jebusites out of Jerusalem, and called it by his own name, the City of David: for under our forefather, Abraham, it was called [Salem or] Solyma." VII. III. 2.

[Sidenote: Araunah the Jebusite is saved by David.]

"I shall now make mention of Araunah, who was a wealthy man among the Jebusites, but was not slain by David in the siege of Jerusalem, because of the good-will he bore to the Hebrews, and a particular benignity and affection which he had to the king himself, which I shall take a more seasonable opportunity to speak a little of afterwards." VII. III. 3.

[Sidenote: Tomb of Absalom.]

"Joab's armour-bearers stood round about the tree, and pulled down his dead body, and cast it into a great chasm that was out of sight, and laid a heap of stones upon him till the cavity was filled up, and had both the appearance and bigness of a grave." VII. X. 2.

[Sidenote: Absalom's Pillar. King's Dale.]