Jerusalem Explored, Volume 1—Text: Being a Description of the Ancient and Modern City, with Numerous Illustrations Consisting of Views, Ground Plans and SectionsPierotti, Ermete
History
Jerusalem Explored, Volume 1—Text: Being a Description of the Ancient and Modern City, with Numerous Illustrations Consisting of Views, Ground Plans and Sections
Pierotti, Ermete
Jerusalem -- Antiquities; Jerusalem -- Description and travel
(x). A mark on the pavement at the south side of the platform of the
Calvary (before the window opposite to the Chapel of the Agony); _Jesus
stripped of his garments_.
(xi). A small square of mosaic work before the Latin altar (also in the
south part); _Jesus nailed to the Cross_.
(xii). A hole at the east end of the north side of the platform of the
Calvary, beneath the Greek altar; _Place where the Cross was erected.
Death of Jesus_.
(xiii). In front of the last station (six feet from the Greek altar);
_Jesus taken down from the Cross_.
(xiv). _Sepulchre of Jesus Christ_, under the middle of the great dome.
This is the description of the stations given by the Latins; but the
Greeks and Armenians do not agree with them about all the places; and I
attach importance to this fact, since the Greeks have lived in the city
for the longest time; and this difference of opinion on their part very
much diminishes the value of the tradition. I said that the sole
authority for the Via Dolorosa was tradition; because neither the Bible,
nor Josephus, nor the configuration of the ground, afford us any
positive _data_ to aid in identifying the present road with that trodden
by our Saviour on His way to Calvary; and the tradition is of very
little weight, as I will presently shew.
Let us then consider in detail the places mentioned above. The Prætorium
of Pilate is noticed by the Evangelists, who, however, do not say
exactly where it was situated. However, with the help of Josephus I
have been able to ascertain its position. In the third chapter[461] I
shewed that the tower Antonia occupied the north-west corner of the
_Haram_[462], and that the rock which rises high in the south wall of
the barrack was the _north_ side of that fortress. Hence the Prætorium,
which was inside the tower[463], cannot be identified with the barrack,
which stretches across the greater part of the valley that formerly
defended the Temple on the north, and divided it from Bezetha[464]; and
consequently is outside the Antonia, and so cannot be on the site of the
Prætorium. This therefore I consider to have stood on the surface of
rock now exposed at the north-west corner inside the _Haram_ wall[465].
The tradition relating to the Prætorium is very ancient. The Pilgrim of
Bordeaux, A.D. 333, says, in his description of the city: "As you go
from Sion to the Neapolitan gate, on the right in the valley below are
walls where was once the palace of Pontius Pilate." I think that these
walls were founded, at least in part, on the rock exposed in the south
side of the present barrack, or else he would not have been able to see
them; and since this was the north side of the tower Antonia, it is
quite possible that they belonged to the Prætorium, and perhaps the
projecting rock was mistaken for walls; a thing which is not improbable,
since S. Cyril[466] (in the fourth century) in mentioning the Prætorium
states that 'it is now laid waste.' Antoninus of Piacenza found there
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