A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Mount Calvaria▪ and the Holy Grave of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
ON the 27th of Septemb. in the year 1575 after Dinner, the Father Guardian did ſend to the other Lords of the Temple, to let us in to the Temple of Mount Calvaria (which the Turks keep always Locked up.) But we and ſome other Friers in their own Habit, went with their Father Guardian to the Temple of the Mount, which firſt of all the Pious Queen Hellen Mother of the Great Emperor Conſtantine (after ſhe had deſtroyed the Temple of Venus that was Built upon the Place of the Grave) did Build, as ſhe did alſo build ſeveral Churches in ſeveral Places, Viz. That at Bethlehem, where Chriſt was Born: That of the Holy Apoſtle James the greater, in the Place of the Upper Town, where he was Beheaded: And an other on the Mount of Olives, where Chriſt did Aſcend into Heaven: As alſo another at Bethania, where Chriſt did Raiſe Lazarus his dear Friend, from the Dead, and in many other places, at Nazareth, and on the Mount Thabor, &c. But when afterward the City of Jeruſalem was many times Beſieged, and at length taken from the Chriſtians, by the unbelieving Saracens, Hequen that malicious King of Aegypt did in the year of Chriſt 1011. Demoliſh theſe Churches, and ſo they remained until after his Deceaſe his Son Daber came to the Government, who afterwards in the year 37. did give leave to Conſtantine the Emperor of Conſtantinople (when he renewed with him their Old Correſpondency) to Rebuild it again at his own Coſt and Charges. In theſe our times, when it remaineth in the poſſeſſion of the Turks, free Egreſs and Regreſs, is quite denied to the Chriſtian Pilgrims, that come to ſee the Holy Places: For when they ſaw that many Chriſtians came yearly thither from all Places, Viz. From Armenia, Aethiopia, Syria, Aegypt, Greece, Italy, Nay from all Places of Europe, they have put a certain Sum of Mony (according as they are near, or further off, under his Dominions or not) to be paid by them, to be admitted. For ſome pay two or three Seckins or Ducats, other four and five; but we that are Outlandiſh, as Italians, French-men, and Germans (as well knowing that we do not ſpare for Mony) muſt pay Nine Seckins a piece, and that without any Remiſſion, muſt be paid in weighty Turkiſh or Venetian Ducats: And they keep the Temple Locked up cloſe, until every one of them have paid their due: By theſe means the Grand Senior hath acquired himſelf a conſiderable yearly Revenue, which amounts to ſeveral thouſand Ducats yearly. But yet it is now adays nothing near to what it hath been formerly, when all was under Popiſh Darkneſs, and the Pilgrims uſed to Flock thither in great Numbers. For ſince in our time, by the Grace of God, the Holy Goſpel hath been brought to Light again, and began to be Preached (which ſheweth us a far nearer and better way to find Chriſt, and to have true and full Pardon and Remiſſion of our Sins) ſo that daily more come to the knowledge of the Truth, and return to the Lord, his Revenues decreaſe as much as the Number of the Pilgrims that uſed to reſort thither.
When we came pretty near to the Temple, and expected to have ſeen Mount Calvaria, the Franciſcans told us, that this Mount, together with the holy Grave, and the Garden (wherein Chriſt did firſt appear unto Mary Magdalen) were intirely taken into the Temple, ſo that no heigth at all was to be ſeen without.
Juſt when we came into the Court of the Temple there appeared an old Heatheniſh Priſon, wherein are Priſoners kept to this day, near which did ſtand the Priſon-Gate (whereof we ſaw ſtill ſome part of the Wall up in the Wall of the Church) through which Chriſt did carry his Croſs to the place of Sculls, which in former days was without the Town, as you may chiefly in St. Mark, Chap. 17. V. 20. clearly ſee, where he writes; And they led him out to crucifie him. And in the Thirteenth Chapter to the Hebrews, Verſ. 12. where it is plainly writ, that Chriſt ſuffered without the Gate. But when afterwards the Emperor Adrian did rebuild and enlarge the deſolated Town, he did alſo ſurround with a Wall the place where our Lord Jeſus Chriſt did ſuffer, which was without towards the North-Weſt, beyond the Mount Moria, ſo that now it is ſituated almoſt in the middle of the City of Jeruſalem, and becuſe of this Inlargement he call'd the Town after his Sirname Helia.
We ſtaying a great while at the Gate, before they did open it unto us, ſeveral Oriental Chriſtians, to wit, Greeks, JACOBITES, Armenians, &c. came to us to viſit their Prieſts, and to perform their Devotion in it, ſo that about Three-ſcore went in with us.
The Building of the Temple is very large, of ſtrong Walls, and ſo thick, that it taketh away the Light within: it is richly covered with Grey Marble within and without, and ſupported by ſome Marble Pillars about a Fathom and a half thick, ſo ſtrongly, that one may conclude from thence, that neither Labour nor Coſts were ſpared in its Building. Yet the Turks, (notwithſtanding the holy Places and the Coſtlineſs of the Building) have in ſome places ſpoiled and demoliſhed ſome part of the Walls thereof, ſo that now they are no more like to the old ones that were before, and beſides (as the Guardian told us) half of it is hardly remaining. Yet it is ſtill very large, and ſo well cloſed up again, that one can hardly perceive the Loſs thereof.
As we went through, we paſſed by the Grave of Chriſt, in a glorious large Chapel, called our Ladies which the Franciſcans have in poſſeſſion, and is hung with Tapeſtry very well wrought. Within it is a great Altar, on each ſide whereof is to be ſeen a Nick, artificially made of white Marble, the Windows whereof are very well guarded with Iron Bars: in that towards the Left Hand is kept a piece of the Column whereon Chriſt was whip'd; it is of a reddiſh Colour, three ſpans long, and four over. In the other on the Right there is a ſmall Crucifix, in the middle whereof is in-laid a ſmall piece of the true Croſs of Chriſt.
From thence we went further into their Veſtiary; which hath ſeveral large Rooms, where we ſtaid until the Franciſcans had put on their uſual Habits to go their Rounds with us, and to ſhew us the holy places with the uſual Ceremonies. When they had made themſelves ready we came out again into the Church, and left the Chancel of the Grecians, that is in the middle, and the holy Grave upon our Right Hand, and went to the Left to another Chapel, whereby the Grecians have an Altar without, by which in the Marble Floor, are two Holes to be ſeen, wherein they pretend that Chriſt was detained priſoner until they had fixed the Croſs for him on the place of the Sculls. This Chapel is within very deep, and ſo dark, that when you go into it you believe that you go into a Cave, where the Romaniſts believe, as I underſtood by a French Man of their Convent, who was in a Prieſt's Habit, and as we went about, ſtanding before the Altar, did tell us, what they had done to Chriſt our Lord, in every place; that they did detain Chriſt there (as in a place where into they threw the Duſt) to mock him, until his Croſs was got ready for him.
Juſt by the Chapel behind the Chancel, they ſhew on a high Arch another place, where the Soldiers did ſhare Chriſt's Cloaths amongſt them, and caſt Lots for his Coat.
Somewhat farther about they ſhew a pair of Stairs of Twenty nine Steps, which we deſcended, and came into a great Chapel of Queen Helen, ſituated underneath Mount Calvaria, wherein is ſtill towards the Right Hand of the Altar a glorious and beautiful high Seat of Marble whereon the Queen uſed to ſit, when ſhe had a mind to overlook the Workmen, to ſee whether they went on right; for ſhe loved Building mightily, as appeareth ſtill to this day by the number of her mighty Buildings. Behind this Seat are eleven Steps, which go further down Mount Calvaria, where the Ciſtern hath been, wherein Queen Helen found the Croſs of Chriſt.
Underneath on the Altar, 'tis true, there ſtands one, but it is new, and therefore to be ſuppoſed, to be put there of late years. At the bottom of the Stairs do alſo appear very plainly the cracked Rocks, as it is mentioned in Scripture: And the rocks rent. And theſe Rents or Cracks are a foot wide, and ſo deep as to reach from the top to the bottom of the rocky Mount of Calvaria.
When we came up into the Church again, they ſhewed us at the bottom of Mount Calvaria, a Chapel that was locked up, and in it underneath the Altar a large blackiſh Stone with ſome reddiſh Spots upon it, in the ſhape of a piece of a Pillar, which was brought thither from Pilate's Houſe of Judicature, whereon our Lord did ſit, when the Soldiers did put the Crown of Thorns on his holy Head, and did ſalute him as a King with their Knees bended, and did alſo mock him, ſpit in his Face, and whip him. This Crown was twiſted out of Thorns, called by the Arabians, Nauſegi and Athauſegi; and by the Grecians and Latiniſts, which have kept the ſame Name, Rhamnus, whereof there are three ſorts, the firſt of which is the true one (which is alſo common in France and Italy) which doth not only grow without, but alſo within the Town of Jeruſalem plentifully; this puts out early in the Spring, into long, thin and pliable Twigs, with a great many long and ſtrong Prickles. Juſt by it cometh out above from the Chancel of the Grecians, a path up to Mount Calvaria, which they forced from the Georgians, as they did before from the Armenians, by giving Money to the Turks. Which is very common in theſe Countries; for if one hath any Buſineſs to be done by the Turks, it cannot be eaſier obtained, than if you bribe them more than your Adverſary, wherefore it happeneth very often that ſuch places are taken away from one Nation, and given to the other.
Underneath this Way or Gallery you aſcend nineteen Steps to go up to Mount Calvaria, where we ſaw two Chapels one behind the other, which were open, and had a very delicate Floor, artificially inlaid wirh Flowers of ſeveral Colours, the like whereof is hardly to be ſeen any where elſe.
At the top of the Stairs we left our Shooes, and went in, and attended the Prieſt, which did alſo there, as he had done in other places before, give us a ſhort account of what had been done to our Lord Jeſus Chriſt in theſe places, viz. that in the hindmoſt Chapel his Hands and Feet had been extended, and ſharp Nails drove through them, and ſo with a great deal of Indignation he was fixed to the Croſs. And that in the foremoſt our Lord Chriſt did hang on the Croſs between the two Malefactors, where there was ſtill to be ſeen the Hole wherein the Croſs of our Lord did ſtand. He alſo briefly repeated to us the Seven Words which he did ſay when he was upon the Croſs; and for a Concluſion he told us, that his Holineſs the Pope had laid there Indulgences for ever, for all Sins and Tranſgreſſions, to be diſtributed among the Pilgrims.
When we had done we went further into the Chapel, and ſaw firſt a place two Cubits high, which was alſo covered with fine Aſhen-coloured Marble, watered with Blew, in the middle whereof was a round Hole about a Span over, and was lined with Tin, wherein did ſtand the Croſs of our Lord Chriſt, which is ſo cloſely tipped and lined, that the Pilgrims can take neither much nor little of this, nor any other place, as the holy Grave, or Bethlehem where Chriſt was born, &c. Wherefore notwithſtanding the pretence of the Franciſcans, that in their Agnus Dei's and Crucifixes are little pieces of the fore-mentioned places, it is all falſe and nothing of Truth in it, which they muſt confeſs themſelves, it being all covered with Marble. Near to this Hole, both to the Right and Left, where the Croſſes of the Two Thieves did ſtand, in the Room of them two others are erected, where hard by that on the Left at the inſide, is to be ſeen a long and large Fiſſure in the Rock of the Mount, which the Queen left on purpoſe open in the Marble Pavement, ſo that you may very plainly ſee it, and it goeth down very deep, as I have told you before.
When we come down again from the Mount, and come out behind the Chancel toward the Gate of the great Church, there lieth in the Pavement a fine and large Marble, which is ſurrounded, or taken in, with Iron Barrs in the ſame place, where Joſeph and Nicodemus, the Two Diſciples of Chriſt, did wrap up the Body of Chriſt, after it was taken down, in Linnen with Spices.
From thence as we went further towards the Grave of our Lord Chriſt, we left below towards the Left on the place of a Scull, another Chapel, wherein are the Graves of ſome Chriſtian Kings, viz. Gottofredi, and Baldewin, &c. which took the Land of Promiſe by force from the Infidels, and came towards the Right by the Chancel of the Greeks into a great round and high Building of the holy Grave, which butts upon the Church, and is below towards it, it ſtanding upon very ſtrong double Marble Pillars, quite open: it is covered with Lead, and hath at the top a great Window, where the Light falleth in, which is four Fathoms ſquare, where underneath is the holy Grave of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt under the open Sky, ſo that at all times, both Rain, Dew and Snow fall upon it.
Before the Paſſage into the Sepulchre is a ſmall Chapel, wherein is nothing of any moment to be ſeen, than a Square Stone, juſt before the Door of the Grave; this is of the true Rock of the Grave, about eight Inches thick, whereon (as ſome ſay) the Angel of the Lord, that rolled back the Stone from the Door, did ſit. This was alſo uſeful and did ſerve to keep the great Grave-Stone, that was before the Door of the Grave (which is hardly three Foot high) ſteady, that it might not give backwards. That the Door was but low, and that the Stone did lean before it, you may ſufficiently ſee out of the Twenty fourth Chapter of the holy Evangeliſt S. Luke, Verſe 12. when he ſaith: Then aroſe Peter, and ran unto the ſepulchre, and ſtooping down, &c. And alſo in the Twentieth Chapter, and the Eleventh Verſe of St. John, where you read: But Mary ſtood without at the ſepulchre weeping: and as ſhe wep…, ſhe ſt…oped down, and looked into the ſepulchre. And alſo the holy Apoſtle and Evangeliſt St. John came before Peter to the Sepulchre, and looked into it, and ſaw the Linnen Cloaths, but he did not go in himſelf. And we read alſo of the Door of the Sepulchre, and that the great Stone before it uſed to be rolled. When you will go into the Door you muſt ſtoop very much, and rather creep than go into it. The Sepulchre within is even with the Floor of the Chapel, and of the whole Church, and is ſo large, that four perſons may ſtand very eaſily by one another.
After the Prieſt had ended his Speech which he made in the Sepulchre, of the Reſurrection of Chriſt, which we heard without in the Chapel, and had alſo proclaimed the Popes Indulgences for ever, we went in alſo, and looked upon the Rock whereout the Sepulchre was cut, and found it underneath on the Right Hand (altho it had been very much torn by the Infidels) ſtill in very good Order, ſo that we could diſcern it ſtill diſtinctly, where now the Monks have made an Altar, and covered it with a large fair Marble. Over it hung about Twenty Lamps, which made the Sepulchre (which elſe is very dark) very light; one whereof belongeth to the Catholick King of Spain, another to the Christian King of France, and others to other Princes; they look very carefully after them, becauſe they bring them in a conſiderable Revenue yearly. The holy Sepulchre is lined within and without with grey Marble, and chiefly without ſome adorned with carved Columns that ſtand between it.
On the outſide of the Door of the Sepulchre doth hang a fine Golden Piece, wherein our Lord Chriſt is very artificially wrought, as he did appear after his Reſurrection unto Mary Magdalen firſt, and afterwards alſo to the Women: at the top of the Sepulchre is alſo a ſmall round Steeple, which is covered with Lead, and upheld with ſix double Marble Columns: beſides this there is at the Back of the Sepulchre another plain Chapel, wherein the JACOBITES, as I was informed, perform their Devotion.
More at the Left Hand, as we went out of the Sepulchre again, near to it in the Pavement, are two large Circles, rarely inlaid of Moſaick Work, in the middle whereof are two round Stones of Marble, one whereof is white, and the other red, lying in the ſame place of the Garden, where Mary Magdalen turned about, and took our Lord Jeſus Chriſt to be the Gardener. Thus much I thought convenient to relate of theſe places that are ſhewn in the Circuit.
When I found my ſelf to be in theſe places where our dear Lord Chriſt did walk about, teach, and by his Paſſion, Death, Reſurrection and Aſcenſion work our Redemption, and procure and purchaſe our Salvation, from his Heavenly Father again, I did remember and rejoice at theſe incomparable Benefits, and merciful Treaſures with all my heart; for it cannot otherwiſe be, but that every true Chriſtian, that is upon this Mount of Calvary, and thinks there of the Croſs of Chriſt, and in the Sepulchre of his glorious Reſurrection, muſt find great Paſſions within his Breaſt: as you alſo read in the laſt Chapter of St. Matthew, Verſe 8. of the Women, where you find theſe Words: And they departed quickly from the ſepulchre, with fear and great joy. This I found alſo in my Heart and Mind, ſo that it was, as if I ſaw our Lord Jeſus Chriſt the Son of the Almighty God, to humble himſelf, and to become obedient to his Heavenly Father, even to Death, nay, to the Death of the Croſs, to bring us miſerable, ſinful Men to Rights again, and to deliver us clearly from all Debts and Puniſhments, and ſo to procure us the only and true Indulgences.
After we had ſeen Mount Calvaria, the Sepulchre of Chriſt our Lord, and other places, we went into the Veſtiary again to eat our Supper.
After Supper, they led us up into the Gallery (which is in the round Building over againſt the holy Sepulchre) to ſtay there all Night: but ſome of the Eaſtern Chriſtians ſung below in the Church, others did grumble together, and played with their ſweet ſounding Cymbals (which were made of pure Metal about the bigneſs of a large Walnut-ſhell) ſo pleaſant Tunes or Muſick, that I rather looked on them, and minded their Muſick, than ſlept.
The next Morning my Comerades, after they had been at Confeſſion, and received the Sacrament upon Mount Calvaria, came to me into the Church again, with an intention to go round once more. So we ſaw the holy places once more, and at laſt alſo the Chapel, which we left the day before at the Foot of the Hill on our Left Hand, belonging to the Grecians; they let us in very willingly, becauſe of our Chaplain, who was alſo a Grecian, and ſhewed us in it at the furtheſt part where it was pretty dark, a large and deep Crack of the Rock: afterwards alſo on each ſide, ſome fine and high Tombs of ſome Kings, viz. that of Gottefrid de Boulion, and others, which were for ſome time poſſeſſed of the Land of Promiſe: theſe ſtand on delicate Columns, cut out of curious grey Marble, whereon are ſome Epitaphs, which I thought to ſet down here underneath, together with a ſhort Relation when they did take the Land of Promiſe, and the famous City of Jeruſalem, how long they were poſſeſſed of it, and how many Kings did ſucceed one another in it.
Plants obſerved by Monſieur Belon, to grow about ſome of the Holy Places.
Near Jeruſalem on the Mounts, Hills and Valleys.
Adrachne ſeu Arbutus folio non ſerrato, Picea, Aria, Ilex cocci-glandifera, Terebinthus, Lentiſcus, ſeveral ſorts of Ciſlus, Capparis Spin…ſa, Paliurus or Chriſt's Thorn, Fig-trees, Olives, Almonds a ſort of Wild Peach, Jujubes or Zizyphus, Eſculus or Dwarf-Oak, Alaternus, White Mulberry for the Silk-Worms, the Inhabitants trading a little in Silk and Kermes, which they gather from a Holm Oak: Seſamum, Goſſipium ſeu Xylon, Thymbra, Marum, Origanum Heracleoticum, Tragoriganum, Salvia, Stachys, Ruta Sylv. Trifolium Aſphaltites: a rare fort of Hy…ſcyan…us on the Walls of Jeruſalem: Azadarach Arbor in Paleſtinâ ſecundum D. Monconny.
Between Mount Sinai, Mount Oreb and Suez.
Oenoplia a ſort of Zizyphus; Arbor Lanigera or Cotton-Tree; Glans ſeu Nux Ʋnguentaria, call'd Bal…nus Mirepſica; Alcanna a Species of Liguſtrum, of great uſe and ſale for Dying and Colouring: Senna, Roſe of Jericho, or Hiericho a ſort of Thlaſpi, Colocynthis, Ambroſia, or Oak of Cappadocia.
Some Plants mentioned by Breynius, and taken out of Rauwolff's Hort. Sic. or elſe found in thoſe Countries where Rauwolff Travelled.
Acaciae ſimilis Meſopotamica minutiſſimis foliis, ſiliquâ integrâ contortâ, craſsâ, & obtusâ; ſive ſiliqua Nabathaea nobis,
Azadirachta foliis ramoſis majoribus Syriaca ſive vulgaris flore caeruleo maj. Perlato, falſo Sycomorus Italorum, Bellon. Aſtergir Rhaſis, & incolis Zenſelacht Rauwolff.
Horminum Syriacum, tomentoſum, foliis Coronopi, ſive profundè laciniatis Breyn. Horminum rarum foliis laciniatis Rauwolff. in Herbar. vivo.
Lapathum Rotundifolium montis Libani, ſemine maximo Breyn. Ribes Arabum Rauwolf.
Lycium Buxi foliis anguſtioribus Syriacum Breyn. Lycium Dioſcoridis Rauwolff. in Herbar. Hadhad Arabibus, & Zaroa incolis montis Libani, ejuſdem. In Syria & Paleſtinâ obſervavit Rauwolffius.
Lycium Buxi foliis rotundioribus Syriacum vel Perſicum Breyn. Hoc Lycium apud Rauwolffium cum priore confunditur.
Marrubium villoſum Syriacum, ſive montis Libani Breyn.
Melanthium Syriacum minus fruteſcens latifelium, Rutae flore, fructu tricapſulari, Breyn. Ruta voca…a Harmala J.B.
Melilotus minima Syriaca. Nephel ſive Nephal, Ibenbaithar & Malaſeſae.
Plantago anguſtifolia minor lanuginoſa Syriaca & Cretica, pediculis & capitulis maturi…ate ad terram inflexis Breyn. Leontopodium Alpin. Exot. Leontopodium Creticum C.B.
Plantago anguſtifolia p…niculis Lagopi C.B. Plantago quinquenervia cum globulis albis piloſis J.B. Catanance Dioſcoridis Rauwolff. in Herbario vivo.
Satureia fruteſcens Arabica folio fimbriato hirſuto Breyn. Sathar Arabum Rauwolff.
Tithymalus (vel Tithymalo affinis) aphyllos dictus major latifolius, flore ſanguineo aviculae capitulum repraeſentante Breyn. An Planta lactaria Xabra & Camarronum Rhaſis Rauwolff.
Jacea maxima Hicroſolymitana Alpin. Exot.
Marum Syriacum foliis inciſis.