surnamed the Just, was killed appears to be somewhere near the south-east corner. Shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, the Pharisees, envious of the progress of Christianity, compelled the venerable bishop to stand on the outer sustaining wall of the Temple, that he might address the multitude outside. "Stand, therefore (cried the Pharisees), on the gable of the Temple, that thou mayest be visible, and that thy words may be heard by all the people, for all the tribes, and even the Gentiles, are come together to the Passover." Desiring him to speak against Christ and Christianity, the venerable bishop replied, "Why ask ye me about Jesus, the Son of Man? He sits in heaven on the right hand of great power, and will come in the clouds of heaven." Whereupon the Scribes and Pharisees, infuriated with rage, hastened through one of the south gateways, and rushing up the sloping underground ramp to the Court of the Gentiles, turning suddenly into the Royal Cloister, they seized the aged bishop, and cast him headlong from the lofty wall. He was still breathing when he fell, but a fuller coming out of his cavern completed the murder by striking St. James on the head with a heavy club. The traditional rock-cut tomb of St. James still exists on the eastern side of the Kedron Valley, at a spot about three hundred yards from the Sanctuary wall.

After examining the rock at the bottom of the shaft, the Engineers made a search round the corner stone, to see if there existed any means for getting under it.

Here

Four feet north of the angle they noticed a cutting in the rock adjoining the wall. The hole was semicircular or horseshoe in shape, and two feet wide. It was filled with dark mould, which, on being cleared out, showed the cutting to be two feet deep. Probably the hole was made to allow the machinery to work more easily when the corner foundation was let down into its bed. the Engineers noticed that the rock was comparatively soft for two feet three inches, and the cutting was continued for five inches more into the hard rock, so that the foundation course stands sure and steadfast on the firm and compact rock. In all cases the ancient builders have gone down to the native rock, and laid the few deep substructions on a solid foundation.

The sure foundations of the massive walls of the Holy City often form the theme of Hebrew poetry, and the subject of spiritual instruction. The Psalmist's words were literally true when, with exultant patriotism, he proudly sings of Jerusalem, "her foundations are upon the holy hills." Isaiah speaks of the "sure foundation" of Zion. Solomon, the builder of the first Temple, and probably an eye-witness of the laying the foundation stone of the proud edifice, says, in his Book of Proverbs, "the righteous is an everlasting foundation."

St. Paul speaks of Christ's Church as a spiritual temple, and himself as a builder: "As a wise masterbuilder I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than

that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." The abiding foundations of the Heavenly Jerusalem are spoken of in antithesis to the temporary tents of the shepherd patriarchs. As strangers and pilgrims, "they looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

The same thought reappears in St. John's vision of that great city, the Holy Jerusalem, for the wall of the city, great and high, had twelve foundations.

vi. The Great Corner Stone.

The foundation stone at the bottom of the southeast angle is the most interesting stone in the world, for it is the chief corner stone of the Temple's massive wall. Among the ancient Jews the foundation corner stone of their great sanctuary on Moriah was regarded as the emblem of moral and spiritual truths. It had two functions to perform; first, like the other foundation stones, it was a support for the masonry above, but it had also to face both ways, and was thus a bond of union between two walls. The Sacred Volume abounds in interesting allusions to this corner stone. The Psalmist, alluding to Him who was despised and rejected of men, thus sets forth the humiliation and exaltation of Christ: "The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, it is marvellous in our eyes."

11 Corinthians iii. 10, II,

2 Psalm cxviii. 22, 23.

The prophet Isaiah, when speaking of the Church of Christ to be established under the new and brighter dispensation, exclaims, "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation.”1

Christ, after narrating how the wicked husbandmen slew the heir, applies the Psalmist's words to Himself: "Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?"?

St. Peter boldly rebuked the elders of the Sanhedrim for their persecution of Christ, saying: "This is the stone [Jesus Christ of Nazareth], which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner."

St. Paul speaks of the universal Church under the figure of a vast temple, wherein every Christian is a stone in the spiritual edifice, and Christians are further reminded that they "are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple."

St. Peter reproduces Isaiah's words, and applies them directly to Christ, "Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded."

Seeing, therefore, that the corner stone is a symbol of Christ Himself, it ought to be regarded as the most interesting stone in the whole world.

The Engineers, in order to ascertain the dimensions of this foundation stone, worked round it, and report that it is three feet eight inches high and fourteen feet in length. At the angle it is let down into the rock to a depth of fourteen inches; but, as the rock rises towards the north, the depth at four feet north of the angle is increased to thirty-two inches, while the northern end seems entirely embedded in the rock. The block is further described as squared and polished, with a finely-dressed face. It does not appear to have any marginal draft at the bottom, and indeed this was not necessary, as the lower part, being sunk in the rock, would always be hidden from view; but the absence of the lower draft indicates that the block was dressed in the quarry in a somewhat peculiar style, with a view to its being the foundation corner stone. The draft on the upper margin of the stone is four inches wide. Fixed in its abiding position three thousand years ago, it still stands sure and steadfast, a fitting emblem of the "Rock of Ages," that cannot be removed, but abideth fast for ever.

vii. The Lower Courses.

The second course is more than four feet high, and has proved of much interest, from the existence of painted and incised characters found on the faces of the stones.