[465] Guy le Strange, “Pal. under Moslems,” pp. 91, 144–5, quoting the “Muthîr el Ghirâm,” 1351 A. D., ch. vi. [466] Guy le Strange, “Pal. under Moslems,” pp. 92, 93, 98. [467] De Vogüé, “Temple de Jérusalem,” 1863, p. 69. [468] Prof. Hayter Lewis, “Holy Places of Jer.,” 1888, p. 78; Sir C. Wilson, “Ord. Survey Notes,” 1865, p. 40; El Muḳaddasi (_c._ 985 A. D.). The account by Nâṣr-i-Khosrau, in 1047 A. D., is unreliable, or at least confused. He makes the length 420 _arsh_ (about 630 feet), and the breadth 150 _arsh_ (about 225 feet), which is quite impossible if referring to the _maḳṣurah_ or roofed building, which measures about 250 feet north and south by 180 feet east and west. He also speaks of 280 marble columns in the _masjid_, but the Aḳṣa itself has only 76 columns. No traces of any larger building exist. [469] The present mosque has 3 doors on north, 3 on east, and 3 on west, but El Muḳaddasi speaks of 11 on east and 15 on north--perhaps including double doors, _i. e._ 6 on east, and 7 on north (for the nave and 6 aisles). Nâṣr-i-Khosrau says 17 gates in all, 7 on north and 10 on east. [470] _Pal. Expl. Fund Quarterly_, July 1900, p. 225, _seq._ My own copies were imperfect, and de Vogüé’s appear to be wrong as to a few letters. [471] _Tou ekostou_ is probably a mistaken spelling for _tou ekastou_. [472] De Vogüé, “Temple de Jérusalem,” p. 134. The words are abbreviated: _Thes_ is for _Theisa_, and _As_ for _Astu_ or for _Aisa_. [473] Rohricht, “Regesta Regni Hierosol.,” No. 131. [474] Arculphus says that pilgrims were buried in Aceldama. [475] Robinson, “Bib. Res.,” 1838, p. 392; Eginhard, “Vita Car. Magni.,” v. [476] “Publications de la Société de l’Orient Latin,” Serie Géographique, 1882. [477] Prof. Hayter Lewis, “Holy Places of Jerusalem,” p. 33; “Mem. West Pal. Survey,” 1883, Jerusalem vol., pp. 248, 249, 307–17; _Pal. Expl. Fund Quarterly_, 1873, p. 155. The beam with the date answering to 913–14 A. D. was found in 1873, on removal of the wooden ceiling put up in 1776 A. D. [478] Carved slabs from some other building have been used up in this marble casing. One of them bears, in Greek uncial characters, the words “Huper Sotêrias Marias” being evidently Christian. “Ord. Survey Notes,” p. 33, and plates xiii., xiv. A Byzantine tombstone is also re-used in the paving of the floor of the Dome of the Rock. “Mem. West Pal. Survey,” Jerusalem vol., p. 426. [479] See my volume, “Syrian Stone Lore,” 1st edit. 1886, pp. 352–62. In “Mem. East Pal. Survey,” 1889, pp. 57–63, I have given a full account, with the plans and drawings which I made of the kiosque and mosque in 1881. [480] Guy le Strange, “Pal. under the Moslems,” 1890, p. 107. CHAPTER XII THE TURKS [Sidenote: THE EARLY TURKS]