Captain Warren, to whose indefatigable labours we are indebted for our knowledge of underground Jerusalem, thinks that it was opposite the Golden Gateway. It ought to be remembered that a bridge opposite the arch stones, near the south-east angle, would span the valley at its narrowest part, and would reach a corresponding altitude on the slope of Olivet, at a point about three hundred yards from the Sanctuary wall, whereas a bridge crossing the valley opposite the Golden Gate would be at least twice as long, from the fact that the valley is very wide at this particular place. The smaller bridge would be a work of considerable labour, but even this is insignificant compared with the gigantic masses of masonry seen in the Temple walls.

v. The South-east Angle.

From the arch stones the ground gradually descends to the south-east corner, and the last sixty feet of masonry projects about six inches beyond the line of wall. The stones in this part, as well as those round the corner, are most beautifully executed, and form the best preserved masonry in the Haram walls. At the south-east angle there are fourteen courses of stones visible above ground, ranging in height from three to six feet. The coursed masonry is fifty-four feet high, and above this twenty-three feet of modern masonry, at present in a dangerous condition, so that the total height of the wall at the corner is above seventy-seven feet. The large blocks have beautifully executed marginal

drafts, and the faces are finely chiselled, while the joints are so close that no cement was required, so that the masonry, when fresh from the hands of the cunning workmen, must have presented the appearance of gigantic relievo-panelling. It ought to be noted that the marginal drafts and the projecting edges of the faces have been dressed with an eight-toothed chisel, one inch wide. The chisel marks are intersected by others at right angles, forming what is called the criss-cross pattern, a mode of dressing never found in Byzantine work, and, as far as Palestine is concerned, confined. almost exclusively to the ancient work of the Temple Hill.

In November, 1868, a shaft was sunk at a point twenty feet south-east of the angle. At a depth of fifty-three feet a gallery was driven towards the Haram wall, and after passing two rough masonry walls, one running north and south, the other east and west, the Sanctuary was struck at a point in the east wall six feet north of the angle. On one of the stones three letters painted in red were found. A gallery was driven southwards to the angle, and the shaft continued towards the foundation. Before the bottom was reached another character in red paint was seen. The rock was struck at the enormous depth of seventy-nine feet three inches below the present surface, and as the wall visible above ground at this corner is seventy-seven feet six inches high, it follows that there now exists at the south-east angle a wall of masonry one hundred and fifty-six feet

nine inches in height. In ancient days, surmounting this masonry was the wall of the Royal Cloister, which

could not be less than fifty feet in height, so that at this point in the days of Christ the Temple wall from rock to summit would be considerably over two hundred feet in height.

The rock is missae, but on the top it was found to be soft and much decayed. The rock, however, is cut to receive the stones, so that they rest on a solid firm foundation. The lie of the rock slopes gradually towards the north, but rises very abruptly towards the west. It is level for eight or ten feet towards the east, then it slopes down one in nine towards the bed of the Kedron.

A vast deposit of rubbish lies in this part of the valley, and excavations have recently brought to light the fact that the true bed of the Kedron is about forty feet deeper than the present bed, and is situated eighty yards due east of the south-east corner, and about seventy feet nearer the Sanctuary wall than the present bed. The lie of the rock shows that the true bed of the Kedron is one hundred and six feet lower than the rock at the south-east angle.

From these interesting discoveries it appears that a person in ancient times standing on the wall of the Royal Cloister would look down into the bed of the Kedron at the astounding depth of upwards of three hundred feet below. Thus the recent excavations tend to prove that Josephus' account of the stupendous height of the south-east wall is not so much exaggerated as was generally supposed. The Jewish historian says:

"The Royal Cloister deserved to be remembered better than any other under the sun; for while the valley was very deep, and its bottom could not be seen

if you looked from above into the depth, this further vastly high elevation of the cloister stood upon that height, insomuch that if any one looked down from the top of the battlements, or down both those altitudes, he would be giddy, while his sight could not reach to such an immense depth."

Probably on the top of the lofty wall, at the southeast corner, stood the pinnacle of the Temple mentioned in the account of Christ's Temptation :

"Then the devil taketh Him up into the Holy City, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the Temple, and he saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down, for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone."

Josephus states that the roof of the Royal Cloister was one hundred feet above the pavement, and if the corner pinnacle towered fifty feet above the roof, then from the top of the pinnacle to the bottom of the Kedron Valley was three hundred and fifty feet. These thoughts give a vividness to the words of the tempter, "Cast Thyself down lest Thou dash Thy foot

against a stone."

James the Less, the brother of our Lord, and first Bishop of Jerusalem, was thrown down from the lofty walls of the Holy City. A vivid account of his death is given by Hegesippus, and the spot where St. James,

1 Matthew iv. 5, 6.