A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 3 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Of the Mount Moria and the Glorious Temple of Solomon.
WIthin the City near to Mount Zion lieth another called Moria, divided from it by the Valley of Tiropaeon, which is now filled up and made even with the top (as I have ſaid before) that hereabout is hardly any Depth or Unevenneſs to be ſeen. This as well as the other meets with the Rivulet or Brook of Kidron towards the North, and on both of them the Town lieth on the ſides or deſcent. This is very famous in the Holy Scripture, as you read Geneſis xxii. That the pious Patriarch Abraham was ready to offer his Son Iſaac on this Hill, for a Burnt-Offering to the Lord: whereon Melchiſedec the firſt Founder and King of the Town Salem, and Prieſt of the Almighty God, did firſt build a Temple, and therefore named the City Jeruſalem. So we read in the Second Book of Chronicles, Chap. iii. That on the ſame holy Mount King Solomon did begin to build a Houſe for the Lord, at Jeruſalem, many years afterwards. This was formerly very high, ſurrounded with deep Ditches and Cliffs, ſo that it would make a Man giddy to look down from the top into the depth. Wherefore Pompey and Titus took a great deal of pains before they could get upon it, to take and deſtroy that glorious and well-built Temple, which was in the laſt Deſolation (as well as before in the firſt burnt by Nabuhcodonoſor) demoliſhed and razed to the Foundations, as Chriſt foretold them, Mark xiii. That there ſhould not be left one ſtone upon another that ſhould not be thrown down, becauſe they did not acknowledge the gracious time of their viſitation.
And that all hopes might be taken away from the Jews, to return and to build the Temple again, to reeſtabliſh their Worſhip; Hadrian the Emperor, to prevent all, ordered, in the year of Chriſt 134, all to be broken down that was left, and to root it up, to demoliſh all heighths▪ to fill up all Ditches, to level Cliffs, and to make the Ground even all over: he did alſo alter the Name and Religion of the Inhabitants, and inſtead thereof introduced the Heatheniſh Idolatry. In the place of the Grave of Chriſt he built a Temple for the Idol Jupiter; on Mount Calvaria another for the Idol Venus; and another at Bethlehem to the Idol Adonis: and at laſt in the place where formerly in the Temple of Solomon did ſtand the Sanctum Sanctorum, he erected his own Image on a high Column for his memory, which was ſtill ſtanding, in Hieronymus's time. The heighth of this Mount cannot be obſerved any where elſe now then without by the Fountain Siloah, and in the Valley of Benhinnon, and ſo it did remain deſolate to the times of the great Emperor Conſtantine.
After that, when the Jews undertook to rebuild the Temple at the Charge of Julian the Apoſtate (who would make Chriſt a liar, the Lord having ſaid that their Houſe ſhould be left unbuilt) a great Earthquake (when they had opened the Ground to lay the Foundation) did move and ſhake the whole place to that degree, that every thing was turned upſide down, and abundance of Jews did periſh in it. But when the Jews did not matter this, but endeavoured to go on with the Work in hand, the next day Flames of Fire broke out of the Ground, and fiery Beams ſtruck down from Heaven, which deſtroyed more than the Earthquake, and burnt all their Tools, viz. Saws, Axes, Shovels, Hammers, &c. When the Jews would not leave their Error for all this, the night following ſome ſmall glittering Croſſes like Stars fell down upon their Cloaths, which they could not waſh off the next Morning, nor get out by any means: and an Earthquake and ſuch a violent Hurricane came upon it, that it diſſipated all t… Mortar and other Materials into the Air, ſo that frightened, and full of fear, they were forced to confeſs, that Chriſt, whom their Anceſtors Crucified, was the true and only Lord and God.
Seeing that the Temple, together with the Mount it ſtood upon, are razed and deſolated, ſo that one can hardly now diſcern what they have been anciently every one that goeth by (becauſe the Lord did not favour his own Houſe, where his Name was ſanctified) hath reaſon to be aſtoniſhed at it, and to call to mind the ſtrange anger of God againſt thoſe that leave the Lord their God, and adhere to other gods, ſerve and adore them.
Now adays the Turks have taken poſſeſſion of this Mount, and all the Ground whereon Solomon's Temple did ſtand, and have built a Mahumetan Moſche on it; which Homar the Third after the great Impoſtor Mahomet built when he had taken the holy Land and the City of Jeruſalem. This is not very large nor high, but fine and covered with Lead, hath a great Court Yard about it, paved with white Marble, and here and there Orange and Date Trees are planted in it, which is very pleaſant, about the ſides thereof are ſome high Towers and Gates, one whereof is vaſtly bigger than any of the reſt, which is near to their Batzar, or Exchange, which is very old, high, and hath very good Workmanſhip in it, wherefore the Franciſcan Monks ſhew it inſtead of the Gate of Solomon's Temple, before which lay the Man that was lame from his Mother's Womb, that begged Alms from Peter and John, to whom Peter ſaid: Silver and gold I have none, but ſuch as I have give I thee: In the Name of Jeſus Chriſt of Nazareth, riſe up and walk.
At the end of the Gate of this Yard, as commonly in all their Church Porches, hung ſome Lamps. I could have willingly gone in before them, to ſee the Rock and Fountain, whereof Ezek. in his Forty ſeventh Chapter maketh mention, together with the inward Building, but becauſe according to their Mahumetan Laws, all thoſe that are not circumciſed are accounted to be unclean, therefore going into their Churches is forbid to Chriſtians: if any one is catch'd …ithin, he is in danger of his life, or elſe he muſt deny his Faith, and be made a Mamaluck or Renegado.
In this Court-Yard is ſtill another Gate, called the Golden Gate by the Franciſcans, but becauſe it ſtands juſt over againſt the Mount of Olives, therefore it is to be taken to be the Gate Sur, or rather, as Nehemias ch. iii. Ezek. xlvii. and 2 Chron. xxxi. ſay; For the Gate of the Stairs, which Semaia, the Son of Sahamia, the Keeper of them did build: through which our Lord Chriſt did go into the Temple on Palm-Day, to drive out the Buyers and Sellers. Now altho this is walled up in the New Town Wall, ſo that you cannot go either out or in; yet conſidering its ancient Arches, it looketh rather like a Church than a Town-Gate.
In the middle of the Yard ſtands a Turkiſh Moſche, or Temple, called the Rock: this is eſteemed very much by the Turks, and next to thoſe of Mecha and Medina reputed to be the moſt holy. Becauſe God Almighty hath wrought many great Miracles there: and that there Mahomet (as they falſly write of him in their Books) called by God to be the laſt and greateſt Prophet, did ride from Mecha to that of the holy Rock of the Temple of Jeruſalem, which is Forty Days Journey, on a very ſwift Beaſt called Elmparae, conducted thither by the Angel Gabriel, who, at his arrival did help him off of his Beaſt, tied it up, and then led him by the Hand into the Temple, where he found many Prophets ſtanding together in a Circle, which God had reſuſcitated for his Honor, and to receive him, and to acquaint him with new good Tidings, and what God had prepared for him (I ſuppoſe ever burning Flames of Fire) among the reſt he did alſo find Abraham, Moſes, and Jeſus the Son of Mary, each of them preſenting him, firſt Moſes with a Fatt of Wine, Abraham with a Fatt full of Milk, and Jeſus with a Fatt of Water. Then a Voice ſpake to him from Heaven, ſaying, If thou chuſeſt the Fatt with Wine, thou and thy People ſhall periſh: if thou chuſeſt the Fatt with Milk, thou ſhalt alſo periſh: but if thou chuſeſt the Fatt of Water, thou and thy People ſhall be ſaved eternally ▪
Theſe and many more inſipid Lies of their Mahomet, which are very ridiculous and ſilly Fables, are believed to be as true as the Goſpel by the Turks, Moors, and Arabians, &c. They alſo certainly believe (chiefly theſe that live at Jeruſalem as the Pilgrims know) that on the laſt day their Mahomet is to come and ſeat himſelf on the Rock of the Temple of M…ria, and Chriſt on the other ſide of the Valley of Joſaphat on the Mount of Olives, over againſt him. Then when all the People of the Earth ſhall appear before the Lord of Judicature, he ſhall ask Mahomet, who the reſt are (meaning the Christians that have been under the Yoak of the Turkiſh Emperor) then ſhall Mahomet anſwer and ſay, They are theſe that have ſerved me faithfully: whereupon Chriſt ſhall let them paſs into Paradiſe and eternal Felicity: which they believe to conſiſt in gratifying Fleſhly Luſts and Deſires, in Eating and Drinking, Fine Cloaths, coſtly Jewels, Gold, Silver, Pearls, pleaſant Spring-Gardens, beautiful and cleanly Women. Therefore the Temple is ſo highly eſteemed by the Turks and others of the ſame Faith, and believed to be ſo holy, that they go into it on their bare Feet with great Devotion, and come twice a year thither in Pilgrimage in great Caravans from all places, moved thereunto by the great Zeal they have towards their Mahomet: but chiefly theſe Pilgrims that have been at Madina-Talnabi, and Mecha, that is Three Days Journey farther, who return by the way of Jeruſalem (which is now by them caled Chutz) to ſay alſo their Prayers there: and are of opinion, that if they ſhould do otherwiſe, than to come thither, their Peregrination would not be acceptable to God. Amongſt theſe are a good many Renegado Chriſtians, that go with them to Mecha, to get by their Devotion into greater preferment, and Wealth, wherefore they are eſteemed by them as holy and creditable ones (altho they are full of Knavery and Roguery) as theſe that come from Mahomets own Blood: they keep them very honorably, and pray for them as their Victors, and endue them with great great and peculiar Privileges, ſo that their ſingle Witneſs is as valueable as three, four, ſix, ten of others, according as they have been oftener in theſe places. And that every body may know them, they put upon their Turbans on their Heads, their Mahomet's green Colours, as thoſe of their Prieſts do, which eſteem themſelves to be his Relations, which are only permitted (as the Perſians wear their red Colour) to wear ſuch Turbants. Wherefore the Turks believe it to be a ſin to cover thoſe Members, which Nature hath made ſecret, with that Colour which their Prophet did bear on his Head. When the before-mentioned Renegado-Chriſtians; are come to this degree, they are bought by every Body for Money, to bear witneſs before the Cady, or any other Turkiſh Magiſtrate, and that even in Cauſes whereof they have not the leaſt knowledge. So it happens daily, that thoſe that give larger Bribes to the Magiſtrate, and do exceed their Adverſaries in number of Witneſſes, make their loſt and foul cauſe good: and of this they make no Conſcience, becauſe their Alcoran teacheth them, that God doth not impute to them perjury, but only if they do not invoke him: ſo that it is full Satisfaction, if they feed ten poor ones for this Tranſgreſſion, or if they cloath them, or if they redeem one priſoner: but if they are not ſubſtantial enough to do this, they faſt for it three times. This is of a very ill conſequence, becauſe they are not afraid to be Perjured and to cheat others. And although theſe and other the like Sins, are very common amongſt the Turks, Viz. Robbing, and to break their Faith, &c. (which are directly againſt God) yet for all that theſe (becauſe they have loſt all remembrance of Confeſſion, Penitence or mending of their Lives) exceed them in this by far. Beſides all this they do not let the Chriſtians know who or what they are, but rather ſtudy to their utmoſt Power, to abuſe and hurt them, as often as they find an opportunity, nay they would not ſpare their very Lives, if they dare do it for fear of the Turkiſh Magiſtrates. In this they are very like unto the Abyſſins (which in former Ages were ſubject unto the Soldans of Aegypt, and did live on the ſouth ſide of Mount Libanus) which, as Defenders and Protectors of their own Religion, were ſet out before other Saracens, to Murder and Kill clandeſtinly all thoſe that did oppoſe their Mahometan Laws and Religion. But after the Turkiſh Emperor did beat the Soldan, and took his Dominions from him, the Fury of theſe Aſſaſſinators was alſo ſoon quelled. For the Great Turk, doth not allow in any of his Provinces, of Murthers, as the Saracens did, but puniſheth them ſeverely, and keepeth very ſtrict Laws that no Body may hurt the other, which you may Conclude by this, that if one doth but fetch Blood from the other in the leaſt, he is not only mulcted in one or two Ducats, but ſometimes in Forty, Fifty, Nay, ſometimes in a Hundred, according to the Hainouſneſs of the Crime, and the Ability of the Offender; and ſo he keepeth his Subjects in Peace and Quietneſs.
Beſides theſe Pilgrims that go to Mecha, there are many others in their great Caravans, that rather, like unto Pedlers, endeavour to get thither with ſmall Charges, by the help of their Carvatſcharas, or Inns, and Hoſpitals, to make good Profit there, by Buying and Selling, then out of Devotion to wait on their Mahomet, and amongſt them there are alſo ſometimes Chriſtians, but at their Arrival they muſt not Viſit the Holy Places, much leſs touch them. Wherefore they buy before hand all ſorts of Merchandiſes, chiefly at Cayro, (from whence, to Jeruſalem it's ten days Journey) to ſell or ſwap them at Mecha, and other places. Which cuſtom we need not think to be ſtrange among the Turks, ſeeing that a great many are found among the Roman Pilgrims, that pretend to be good Chriſtians, that go Pilgrimages to Rome, St. Jacob, Jeruſalem, &c. not only to get his Holineſſes Abſolution and Indulgences, but rather to make good… profit of Goods they buy for that purpoſe: Or which is more, they paſs over their Eſtates during their Abſence, into the Hands of others, to reap the Benefit thereof with this Condition, that if they return home from theſe places where they Vowed to go, they ſhall have them reſtored again with great profit. Now as among all theſe Pilgrims, chiefly theſe that have been oftneſt at Mecha are by the Turks in greateſt eſteem, and that Green Colour, which only belongeth to the Prieſts to wear, is the ſooner allowed them, whereby they may be known, as the Brothers of St. Jacob are known by the Scallopſhells: The ſame is alſo with their Camels, for on the lower part of one of their Forefeet, you may ſee as many ſmall Chains hung as they have been times there in Caravans, ſo that you alſo may ſoon diſcern them.
And that I may return to my purpoſe again; near to the Turkiſh Moſchèe of the Holy Rock, is alſo an other Church, which by the Chriſtians (when they were in poſſeſſion of Jeruſalem) was called the Virgin Mary's Church, which is very well built, rather bigger then the Turkiſh, and ſtands without towards the South on the place of the great Porch of the Iſraelites, which is ſeveral times mentioned in the Scriptures: Viz. Joh. 10. Math. 21. where it is called the Temple and Porch of Solomon, where Chriſt did Preach, and drove out the Buyers and Sellers, &c. Underneath it is a great Cave, ſo wide that ſome hundred Horſe may with eaſe be drawn up in Battalia therein. This is alſo in the Poſſeſſion of the Turks, and the Chriſtians dare no more come in here then in the other. By this Prohibition (Viz. That the Mahumetans ſhall admit into their Churches or Porches thereof no Strangers which according to their Laws are not Cleanſed and Waſhed) you may eaſily ſee, that the Turks have taken many Ceremonies and Laws from the Jews, and according to their depraved underſtanding and mind, Tranſcribed them into their Alcoran: So we ſee that anciently they have their Circumciſion, Offerings, Waſhings, Faſts at certain times of the year, marrying more then one Wife, not Eating any thing that is Unclean, or Pork, or what is ſuffocated, not having Bells, not drinking Wine, as the Levitical Prieſt muſt not do, derived from the Jews: But this laſt Law concerning not drinking of Wine, is not only not kept, for they drink thereof without mixture, let it be as ſtrong as it can, more than ony other Nation. It being then true that they chooſe the Fatt with Wine preſented them by Moſes, as is before ſaid, to their own Ruin and Deſtruction, wherefore I pray that God may fulfil their Prophecy, Amen.