A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 3 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
A ſhort Deſcription of ſome Places, Hills, Valleys, &c. that lye near and about Jeruſalem. Of the Mount of Olives, and its Holy Places.
I Having hitherto briefly deſcribed the ſituation of Jeruſalem, and alſo related what Buildings and Holy Places are ſtill in being, and to be ſeen there, after it hath ſuſtained ſo many Wars, Aſſaults, and Deſolations, I cannot but ſpeak of ſome adjacent places before I conclude. And ſo I begin with the Mount of Olives, which lyeth towards the Eaſt before the Temple-hill, over againſt the Sheeps-gate, on the other ſide of the Brook of Cedron, as the Holy Prophet Zachariah, teſtifieth in his 14th Chapter and 4th Verſe, when he ſaith, And his feet ſhall ſtand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jeruſalem on the Eaſt. This Mount is about a quarter of a League, on as St. Luke ſaith, A Sabbath-days Journey diſtant from Jeruſalem, pretty high, rough and ſtony, full of pleaſant Olive-Trees, (from whence it hath its Name) and alſo others; as Fig-Trees, Lemon and Orange, and Citron, and Siliqua-Trees, by the Inhabitants called Charnubi, Turpentine-Trees, and Palm-Trees; the like I have ſeen but few, &c, There is alſo ſome good Herbs, viz. A ſtrange Origanum, Tragoriganum, Roman Mother of Time, Spicanardi, and a peculiar ſort of Coniza, &c.
At the foot of the Mount they ſhew us firſt a great Church, between the Rivolet Cedron and the Valley of Joſaphat, which was ſo covered with Earth, that you could ſee nothing of it but the Entry, and before it without, a large place three ſteps deep. This Church was built by Helena Mother of Conſtantine the Emperor, and called the Sepulchre of our Lady the Mother of God; to go into it, you muſt go down 44 ſteps: Within it toward the right, there is a ſmall Chapel, where they ſay our Lady was Buried; and therefore, by the Benevolence of the Pope, there is diſtributed and given to the Pilgrims, full forgiveneſs of all Tranſgreſſions and Puniſhments for ever. Some are of Opinion, That this Church did formerly ſtand even with the Ground, and that after the Devaſtation of Jeruſalem, when part of the Valley of Joſaphat was filled up, it was covered thus over. This Church ſtands (as Nicephorus ſaith in his 8th Book and the 30th Chapter) on that place where the Village Gethſemane ſtood, whereby the Garden was whither our dear Lord Chriſt did, juſt before his Paſſion, go with his Eleven Diſciples, after he had Eaten the Paſchal Lamb with them, and given Thanks, according to his uſual Cuſtom, over the Rivolet of Cedron, to regain us that which was formerly loſt by our Anceſtors in the Garden. There he left his Eight Diſciples, while he went to Pray, as the Scripture telleth us; when he took with him Peter, James and John, the two Sons of Zebedeus, and began to mourn, to quake, and to tremble, and ſaid to them, My ſoul is ſorrowful unto death, ſtay here, watch with me, and pray that you enter not into temptation; and he withdrew from them about a Stones caſt (where he kneeled down, fell three times on his face, and prayed to his Heavenly Father, where he wreſtled with Death, and Sweat a bloody Sweat, ſo that an Angel muſt come down from Heaven at laſt to Comfort him). This place is underneath a great Rock that hangeth over a great Cave, juſt at the Entry of the Valley of Joſaphat.
This Valley is ſtill where it cometh down from the Mount of Olives, pretty deep, and is called by the holy Prophet Joel the Valley of Judgment, as you may read in his 3d Chapter, 14 Verſe; which words of Joel give us to underſtand, that the Lord, as he was (when he came firſt upon Earth) in this Valley taken Priſoner, Bound, and carried away to the place of his bitter Suffering, Crucifixion and Dying, ſo he ſhall in his ſecond and glorious coming, appear in this Valley of Judgment again to Judge all people of the whole Earth, &c. that then the Impious ſhall ſee whom they have pierced. Zacharias ſpeaks alſo of it in the above-mentioned place.
As you go from thence to the Mount of Olives, you ſee below towards your left hand, near unto the Bridge of the River Cedron, an old ſquare Building like unto a Steeple. This, altho it is believed to this day not only by Chriſtians, but alſo by the Turks and Moors, to be the Grave of Abſalom, as you ſhall ſee them fling Stones into it as they go by, to revenge his Undutifulneſs ſhewn to his Father King David, yet notwithſtanding he was not Buried there, as we read in the 2d Book of Samuel, the 18th Chapter, Verſ. 17. And they took Abſalom and caſt him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of ſtones upon him. Yet for all this, when Abſalom was alive (as you may farther read in the before-mention'd Chapter) he erected a Column in the Kings Dale, for he ſaid, I have no Son, therefore this ſhall be for a remembrance of my Name, and called this Pillar after his Name; and it is ſtill called to this day Abſaloms Place. Of this Pillar writes alſo Joſephus in the 7th Book of his Antiquities and the 10th Chapter, ſaying, And Abſalom did erect a Kingly Column of Marble in the Valley (Geneſ. chap. 14. it is called the Kings Valley) that is two Furlongs from Jeruſalem. Juſt by this Pillar beginneth a very ſteep Foot-Path, which parts a little above it into two, one whereof goeth Southward, at the bottom of the Mount of Olives towards Bethania and Jericho, &c. down through the Valley that is made by this and the other part of the Hill (called Maſhit in the 4th of the Kings, Chap. 23.) but the other goeth over the height of the Mount of Olives out by Bethania to the Houſe of Mary and Martha. A little higher on this Hill did our Saviour ſit, over againſt the Temple, when he foretold his Diſciples that ſhewed him the glorious Buildings thereof, That not one Stone ſhould remain upon another that ſhould not be thrown down. And did alſo tell them at length, the terrible and prodigious Signs that ſhould come to paſs before the Deſolation of Jeruſalem, and the end of the World. To this day we ſtill ſee into the Turkiſh Moſque, with its large Paved Court-yard, over the Walls thereof, ſo perfectly, that you may diſtinguiſh almoſt the Perſons that walk there. From thence, when you go up to the Hill, which is very ſteep and rough, there is a large Plain, from whence our dear Lord Jeſus Chriſt was taken up, and aſcended into Heaven, as you may ſee by the words of the Holy Evangeliſt St. Luke, in his firſt Chapter of the Acts, Verſe 9. where he ſaith, And he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their ſight. And Verſe 12. Then returned they unto Jeruſalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is from Jeruſalem a Sabbath-days journey. On this place (as Nicephorus mentioneth) did Queen Helena alſo afterward Build a ſtately Church, which now is ſo decayed, that there is no more to be ſeen of it but a New built Chapel in a large Yard ſurrounded with a Wall. Juſt by it on a Hill of the Mount towards the North and Galilea, there is an old decayed Building, which was formerly (as my Guide informed me) an Inn for the Galileans, where commonly did take up thoſe that went to Jeruſalem from Galilea. Wherefore they are of opinion, that ſome of them were there in the time of Chriſt, that alſo were Spectators of his Glorious Aſcenſion, as it doth appear by the Words of the two Angels, that ſpoke to them, and ſaid, You men of Galilea, why ſtand you here gazing up into Heaven, &c. But if you duly conſider theſe words, you will find, as you read it in the Second Chapter of the Acts, Verſe 7. that the Apoſtles themſelves were theſe Galileans, where it is written: Behold, are not all thoſe which ſpeak Galileans? and how hear we every man in our own tongue, &c. So did alſo the holy Angels ſpeak to the Apoſtles after the ſame manner, and called them Galileans, rather to bring them, as Elders of the Chriſtian Church, off their worldly thoughts, which they had conceived in their Hearts, of the reſtoring of the worldly Regiment or Kingdom again (which they ſhould have left, and inſtead thereof looked upon the Heavenly Kingdom, whereinto Chriſt was aſcended, unto the Kingdom of God, whereinto they were received as Members, which is a more ſpiritual Kingdom, that doth not conſiſt in outward things, Eating and Drinking, &c. but in a clean and faithful heart. After this they ought to ſtrive, and to make it their only buſineſs, that it may be notified to all men, and be ſpread abroad all the World over.
From the top of the Mountain, you have a proſpect over all the holy Land, towards the North over the Valley Joſaphat, (which is juſt at the bottom of the Hill) into the Country of Galilea: towards the Eaſt, over ſome naked Mountains, down into a large Field which extends it ſelf to the Dead Sea, that is, as Joſephus mentioneth, Twenty nine Leagues long, and Fifteen broad, whereof the Scripture maketh often mention, chiefly in the Books of Macchabees, and in the Second of Samuel, Chap, 15. where it is written, That when King David did flie from his Son Abſolon, he tarried in the Plain Fields until he had intelligence of him. In theſe is ſtill remaining the Pillar of Salt that Lot's Wife was turn'd into, when ſhe againſt the Command of God, turned to look back to the City. The famous Hiſtoriographer Flavius Joſephus did in his time ſee it in his own perſon: and the Pilgrims viſit it to this day, and beat off of it ſome ſmall pieces, as they do every where, chiefly in holy places, and yet it is found ſtill whole, and without any defect; which did put ſome Pilgrims, that once went towards the Dead Sea, into great admiration. Now, that they might be certain and aſſured of the Truth of the common Aſſertion, That whatſoever was broken off of this Pillar, was always found whole again; they did, chiefly one of them, (as I was informed by one that had had been there before) knock a whole Hand off, and took it away with them. Now after they had been at the end of their Journey, and came back again, and went to look for it on purpoſe, they found it whole again, and exactly like unto the old one as it had been before. Further beyond the Plain Fields, at the other ſide of Jordan that runs through it, there appear the Arabian Mountains, that were inhabited by Ruben, Gad, and half the Tribe of Manaſſe, they are very high, and afford very good Paſtures for the Cattle: ſome among them were much noted and famous of old, as the Mountain of Seir beyond the Dead Sea, Mount Garizim and Ebal, whereof is made mention in the Twenty ſeventh Chapter of Deuterenomy; and alſo in the Thirty ſecond Chapter, of Mount Abarim, Nebo, and the point of Piſgah, ſituated in the Land of the Moabites, overgainſt Jericho, which together with all the adjacent places are very well ſeen; as well as towards the Weſt the Rivulet Cedron, and the ſituation and largeneſs of the City of Jeruſalem. After we had looked about ſufficiently, we went down to the place of the Village Bethphage, which is at the other ſide on the Aſcent of Mount Olivet, and belongeth to the Prieſts of Jeruſalem: this is ſo ruined, that now adays there is nothing left of it ſave only a few Foundation-Walls. Into this did Chriſt ſend his Diſciples, to looſen the She-aſs and the Colt which was tied to the Door in the Road) and to bring them to him, whereon our Lord Chriſt alſo did ride to Jeruſalem Five days before he ſuffered, being the true Saviour.
Before it the Mount is pretty plain, and is very rough and rocky, wherein Bethania lieth on the Right Hand upon one aſcent, of the other part of Mount Olivet, as is before ſaid, But the Village of Mary and Martha (whereof you read in the Goſpel of St. John, Chapter XI,) is further out by the beginning of the Road towards Jericho, which is ſtill very dangerous, becauſe of the Arabian Vagabonds. In theſe Habitations did our dear Saviour oftentimes take up his Lodgings with them; and in the ſame did Mary the Siſter of Lazarus, and Martha anoint the Feet of our Lord Chriſt with a precious Ointment of Nard, and dry them again with her hair: in our days they are quite deſolated, and nothing left thereof but Ruins. Near it as you come back again to Bethania, in the Plain lieth a large Stone, where alſo you may ſee the above-mentioned places very plain: where they ſay that Martha did meet the Lord, when he came up the Steps, and reſted on the Mount, and talked with him of the Reſurrection of her Brother, before her Siſter Mary did know any thing of the arrival of the Lord. Wherefore ſhe went back again into their Village, to call her Siſter Mary ſecretly, who, when ſhe heard that our Lord Chriſt was near, at hand, did haſten and went to him, for he was not yet come into the Village, and fell down at his Feet, and ſaid weeping, Lord, if thou hadſt been here my brother had not died: then he groaned in his ſpirit, and enquired preſently after the place where Lazarus, his dear Friend was laid, and went with them to it to Bethania that Village, diſtant a League, (about an hours going) or as the Scripture ſaith, about fifteen furlongs from Jeruſalem on an aſcent: wherein was a ſmall Chapel, and underneath it a deep covered Cave, wherein Lazarus had lain Four Days, as you may alſo ſee in the before quoted Chapter, where it is in the Thirty eighth Verſe ſaid: It was a cave, and a ſtone lay upon it. When the Franciſcan Friars would go to the Grave of Lazarus, they were forced to go through this Village, and a great concourſe of the poor Inhabitants uſed to flock about them, and did ſurround them, and detained them till they gave them ſomething to be diſtributed amongſt them; that they might evade this Trouble, and not be neceſſitated to go through his Village, when they go to the Grave, they have made behind at the other ſide on the heighth, another Avenue, but they do not eſcape the Mobile for all that, for they meet them notwithſtanding, chiefly, if they know or have intelligence, that any Pilgrims came along with them to ſee the Grave. So we did find it, for they came and kept us locked up in it ſo long, till we had given them ſo much as did ſatisfie them. As you come out again from Bethania towards Jeruſalem, the Friars ſhew an old Building, where Simon the Leper did dwell, in which when Chriſt was at the Table, Mary the Siſter of Lazarus did come, and did break again, yet ſeveral days after, a Glaſs of pretious Unguent of Nard over his Head, which filled the whole Houſe with a fragrant Scent; which pleaſed Chriſt ſo well, that he took her part againſt his Diſciples, and commended her proceedings ſo highly, that it is recorded to her perpetual memory. From thence if you come nearer into the Valley between the Mounts of Olives, there is ſtill to be ſeen ſeveral Fig-trees whereabouts Chriſt did curſe one of that kind, becauſe he found no Fruit thereon when he was hungry. Juſt at the coming out of the Valley near unto the Steps of Mount Olivet, you ſee the City again, but chiefly the Mount of the Temple and Gate where you go up, walled up in the new Wall. From this Valley, when our Lord Chriſt came in ſight, and came down the Mount Olivet, the People, as he came riding long, cried, ſaying, Hoſanna, to the Son of David, &c. And a little after when he came nearer unto it, he lamented with tears alſo their future miſery, and the terrible deſtruction of the Town, and went in from thence toward the Golden Gate into the Temple, and drove out the Buyers and Sellers.