A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 3 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII,
Of Mount Bethzetha, and the two Houſes of Pilat and Herod.
FRom the Temple Mount towards the North, you come preſently towards the Houſe of Judicature, where Pontius Pilat did Live, and condemn Innocent Lord Chriſt, to that Heinous Death of the Croſs. But becauſe the Houſe hath been ſince ſurrounded with …igh Walls we ſaw in the Court (where the Soldiers … cloath ou… Lord Chriſt with the Purple Cloke, and … …pon his Head the Crown of Thorns, and afterwards did ſpit upon him, and Mock, Beat and Whip him) nothing Remarkable, but only without, a very Old and High Arch, like unto an Arched Bridge. This is almoſt black with Age, and ſo Artificially Erected, that one can hardly find any juncture, where the Stones are put together. This was the High Place (as it is ſaid) before the Judgment Hall, whereon the Condemned Men uſe to be expoſed to the ſight of the People, becauſe the Jews durſt not go into the Houſe of Judicature at their High Feaſts, as Eaſter and Whitſunday (as you may Read in the 18th Chap. of St. John) that they might not make themſelves Unclean, but Eat of the Paſchal Lamb: Wherefore Pilat did ſeveral times go out to the People to ſhew them our Lord Chriſt, and ſit down in the Judgment Seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew Gabbatha, as you Read in the 19th Chap. of St. John Verſ. 13. This Arch is open at the Top in the Middle, and hath two other ſmall Arches about the widneſs of an ordinary door one by the other ſupported by a Marble Column, in one of them ſtood Chriſt with his Crown of Thorns on, and Pontius Pilat in the other, when he ſaid to the People, Behold the Man.
Hard by at the other ſide of the Arch, at the Right Hand, on an Aſcent, they ſhew the Habitation of King Herod, which is ſtill very fine, and gloriouſly built of Marble. Wherefore, although it is not the ſame (which hath been burnt long agone by the Jews, and afterwards Rooted out by the Romans) yet it is built in the ſame Place, where the King's Palace did ſtand, on the height of Mount Bethzetha, as Joſephus Teſtifieth, from the North over againſt the Temple, and the Fort Antonia: Where our dear Lord Chriſt was Mocked and Abuſed by Herod and his Servants, and had a White Garment put upon him, and ſo was ſent back again to Pilate. In theſe Habitations, chiefly theſe of Pilate, are ſtill to this day, Turkiſh Magiſtrates (Sanchiachs, Cadis, and Soubaſhaws) dwelling, that keep Courts of Judicature there; and therefore no body is admitted to come in, before he hath Gratified the Maſter and Servants. Theſe Magiſtrates are very ſevere, and Puniſh their Subjects for no great Matter, either in their Body or Purſe, or with a certain Number of Stripes, which they give with ſtraps of rough Neats Leather upon the Soles of their Feet, fewer or more, in proportion to their committed Crimes more or leſs, which ſort of puniſhment is very common to all Eaſtern Countries. This ſort of Puniſhment is very Ancient, and mention thereof is made in the 25th Chapt of Deuteronomy Verſe 2. And it ſhall be, if the Wicked Man be Worthy to be beaten, that the Judge ſhall cauſe him to lie down, and to be beaten before his Face, according to his Fault by a certain Number, Forty Stripes he may give him and not exceed; least if he ſhould exceed, and beat him above theſe with many Stripes, then thy Brother ſhould ſeem vile unto thee. So the Holy Apoſtle St. Paul hath received them ſeveral times, whereof he maketh mention in the 2 Corinthians chap. 11. verſ. 23. Where he ſaith, I am in Labours more abundant, in Stripes above meaſure, in Priſons more frequent, in Deaths often. Of the Jews five times Received I forty Stripes ſaw one.
When we came back from theſe Habitations, we ſaw ſome more Remarkable Places, which are uſually ſhewn unto Pilgrims, ſome whereof are mentioned in Scripture. Viz. The Iron Gate, through which the Angel of the Lord, did conduct St. Peter out of Priſon: The Habitation of Mary the Mother of St. John, where the Holy Apoſtle Peter did knock at the Door: The Temple of St. John the Evangeliſt, whereof the Knights of the Order of St. John call themſelves, and ſeveral others, which are for the moſt part fallen down, and lie in Ruins. But becauſe in theſe times, it is uncertain in what Condition they were then, I alſo omit to ſay any more of them. After we had ſeen theſe two Places, with their Habitations; we returned back again at Night, according to the appointment of the Father Guardian, to go with us into the Temple of Mount Calvaria.