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 mountain has three summits in a line lying north and south. The
northernmost, which joins on to Mount Scopus, is known by the name of
Viri Galilæi; on it we find a large cistern and some ruins, apparently
the remains of a watchtower. The guides call them the ruins of a
convent, and not improbably one belonging to the Syrians stood here at
the time of the Crusades, as is shewn by the following passages: "Near
the Mount of Olives, on the left, is a monastery of the Syrians[657],"
and "there is a place suited for a camp, and buildings seem to have been
there. On the summit there is a cistern, and the whole place is
delightsome[658]." The name of Viri Galilæi is given by the inhabitants
of the country, who believe that the two men clothed in white stood
there and addressed the Apostles, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye
gazing up into heaven[659]?" The legend is obviously inadmissible, as
the vision evidently occurred at the place of the Ascension[660]. The
more probable reason, according to Quaresmius[661], is, that a house
stood there bearing that name, which was so called because it was
frequented by the Galilæans when they visited the city on the occasion
of any festival.
The second and highest summit is the one traditionally pointed out as
the place of the Ascension[662]; in accordance with the words of the
Acts of the Apostles[663], "Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the
mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey."
Some consider the account in S. Luke's Gospel[664] opposed to this
belief, where it is said, "He led them out as far as Bethany." But as
the Mount of Olives is in the district of Bethany, the Evangelist may
very well have put the whole for the part; so that there is no reason
why we should not accept the site at present known as the scene of the
Ascension.
The third summit is the Mount of Offence, of which we have already
spoken. The name of Olivet is derived from the olive-trees, which are
still cultivated upon its slopes, though now in very small numbers.
Mariti[665] says, "it is still known by the name of the Celebrated and
Holy Mountain[666]." Quaresmius and Ludolph[667] remark that in some
ancient versions of the Acts of the Apostles, we find in ch. i. ver. 12,
the 'Mount of the Three Lights' instead of the 'Mount of Olives.' Both
of them explain the origin of this name to be that during the night
these three summits were illuminated on the west by the light of the
fire on the altar of the Lord, which was kept always burning, and in the
morning on the east by the beams of the rising sun, before they fell
upon Jerusalem. Reland asserts that from its three eminences it is
called the Mount of the Three Summits.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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