Volume 2

Jephtias's Monument
329
heathens. In the synagogue, where Jephte's festival was
still being celebrated, Jesus taught of the call of the Gentiles.
He said that many of them would rank higher in His
Kingdom than the children of Israel, and that He was
come to unite with the rightful possessors of the Promised
Land, by grace, instruction, and Baptism, the idolaters
whom the Israelites had not expelled. He spoke also of
Jephte's victory and vow.
While Jesus was preaching in the synagogue, the
ITlaidens were celebrating their feast at the monun1ent that
Jephte had erected to his daughter. It had been rebuilt,
and every year at the recurrence of the festival was
beautified by the contributions of the young girls. It stood
in a round temple with an opening in the roof. In the
center of this temple was a smaller one of the same form.
It consisted of a kind of cupola supported by columns, in
one of which was concealed a staircase leading up to it.
Around the cupola wound a spiral walk upon which was a
representation of the triumphal procession of Jephtias, the
figures being the height of a child. This piece of
workmanship was of light material, but shining like
polished metal. The base supporting it was of open work,
through which the figures appeared to be gazing down
into the little temple. The top of the cupola was crowned
by a circular, metal platform from which a kind of ladder,
consisting of a pole with projecting rods on either side,
led up to the roof of the exterior temple. From this roof
the view over the city and surrounding country was very
extended. The platform at the top of the ladder was wide
enough to allow two girls holding on to the pole to make a
turn around it hand in hand. A pedestal in the center of
the smaller temple supported a white marble figure of
Jephte's daughter seated on a chair of the same material,
just as she appeared before her immolation. Her head
reached to the first coil of the spiral-shaped cupola.
Around the base of the statue, there was space enough for