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
The Tomb of Zacharias is a monolith, hewn out of the mountain; so
excavated that there is a passage five feet wide round all the sides,
except of course the western. Each of its faces is 17-1/2 feet long,
decorated with two columns in the middle, and two half-columns each
attached to pilasters at the corners, all forming part of the same
block[615]. Around it is a number of Jewish graves, which make it
impossible to determine its true elevation; but the height of the
portion visible above them is 19 feet. The decoration is not completed
in every part. On the eastern side the columns are only rough-hewn, and
not finished off as on the three other sides. Inside the monolith is a
sepulchral chamber connected with the corridor from the Tomb of S.
James. This Zacharias is thought to be the son of Jehoiada, who was
slain by king Joash between the temple and the altar[616]; with whose
death the Jews are reproached by Christ[617]. So the Jews at the present
time believe, consequently they hold the place in great veneration, and
pay very highly to be interred after death anywhere near it; which is
the cause of the accumulation of stones round it. The Pilgrim of
Bordeaux calls it the Tomb of Isaiah, and Benjamin of Tudela the Tomb of
Hosea.
To the south of this is another tomb almost buried, on which however two
columns can be distinguished. By partially uncovering it I ascertained
that it was an ancient monument. It might be supposed to be that of
Hosea, but I will not undertake to prove it. I am very much disposed to
think that the piece of ground containing these four monuments may be
the garden of Uzza, in which Manasseh and Amon were buried[618]; or, at
any rate, that they were tombs intended to receive the remains of
members of the royal family, or of men of distinction in the country. I
refer my readers to the excellent description of the four monuments in
M. de Saulcy's work[619]. I think that when they were first constructed
they were without decorations, and that they were elaborated at a much
later period; because on them we find the Greek and Egyptian styles of
architecture; consequently I attribute this part to the time of Herod.
Dr Robinson[620], struck with the similarity between these and the rock
sepulchres of Petra, in the mixture of Grecian and Egyptian
architecture, considered the decorations to be perhaps contemporaneous
with the Herods, who were of Idumæan origin, or possibly to belong even
to the era of Hadrian.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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