Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

124
TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
We rose at five in the morning of the 18th, and went to the
chapel, where mass was performing. We breakfasted
shortly after,
and at seven o'clock left Jerusalem on our way to Bethlehem, ac-.
companied by the superior and several of the monks belonging to
the Latin convent, in which we had taken up our residence. On
our quitting
the we city, passed Mount Sion, on which the walls of
the city are partly built, and which is separated by a valley from
the hill where Judas Iscariot sold Jesus for thirty pieces of mo-
ney. The road winds over a part of this hill. After an hour's
journey, we reached a convent built by St. Helena, from whence
we had a view of Bethlehem, the road leading to which is extreme-
ly rocky? and of a very dreary appearance. On approaching, the
Dead Sea was in our view. Bethlehem stands on a lofty moun-
tain, the soil of which abounds in chalk and marl. The inhabi-
tants came out to welcome us on the road ; and this was done by
the women, by a most hideous shrieking noise, accompanied by
gestures and distortions, which it would be difficult to describe.
On cur passage through the streets, the houses were thronged with
people.
As we approached the convent, in which we were received with
great hospitality, we passed beneath the ruins of an ancient gateway,
and afterwards entered a lofty building, erected by St. Helena,
anciently styled the temple, but now the convent, of St. Catha-
rine. It is ornamented with at least fifty lofty and beautiful columns
of marble, of the Corinthian order; and has on its walls there-
mains of several fine paintings m fresco of scriptural subjects, re-
presenting the apostles, patriarchs, &c. The beauty and symmetry
of the temple have been in some measure destroyed by a portion
of it, which they have convened into a chapel, having been di-
vided off by the Geeks, who received permission from the Turks
to do so, on their consenting to pay an annual contribution.
After having partaken of an excellent breakfast, provided by the
superior of the convent, we went to see the three surprising basins
built by Solomon, near to which he is said to. have spent much of
his time.
The pools, or basins of Solomon, are three in number, and situ-
ated in a sloping hollow of the mountain, one above another; so
that the waters of the uppermost descend into the second, and those
of the second to the third. Their figure is quadrangular. The
breadth is nearly the same in all, amounting to between eighty and
ninety paces, in their length they differ; the first being about on?