travels

174 TRAVELS IN EGYPT, NUBIA,who dwelt near the mosque of Ascension, we descended tothe tombs of Joseph, James, Anne, and Mary, the motherof Jesus. These are all contained in a subterraneous chapelof tolerable size; to thb a broad and numerous flight of stepsleads, worthy of admiration, even in more civilised countries.The tombs are in recesses to the right and left, largeenough to admit of altars, where mass is celebrated. Thealtars are the supposed sarcophagi of the deceased. Thespot where our Saviour's passion took place is here; it is agrotto fitted up as a chapel.Hence we ascended through a plantation of olives, northof Jerusalem, to the tombs of the Judges; within a walled enclosure,whose only entrance was by a hole, through which Iscrambled, and found myself in an open space resembling aquarry. On the west side, the rock is hewn smooth into theform of a portico, of about thirty feet long and ten high,without support from columns, but with an entablature andcornice. These are ornamented by wreaths of flowers, fruits,vine leaves, grapes, and corn, in relief, of exquisite workmanship.On the south side of this portico is a small opening,into which I creeped with difficulty, and entered achamber of ten or twelve feet square, whence was a suiteof similar chambers; some of them were finished with care,others roughly hewn; parts of doors, and cornices of coarsemarble, lay scattered about, I was less interested with theseΚΥΠΡΙΑΚΗ ΒΙΒΛΙΟΘΗΚΗ