mount Gihon, as you may conclude out of the words of the 2d book of Chronicles in the 33d chapter and 14th verfe. Manaffes built a wall without the city of David, on the weft fide of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entring in at the Fish-Gate. This gate hath it's name, because they brought many fifhes from the fea fide through this gate into the city. So is alfo ftill ftanding, on the outfide of the valley Tiropaon (which diftinguished the two mounts, Sion, and the temple mount called Moriah) the gate of the fountain, which hath it's name because it leadeth towards the fountain of Siloah, which Nehemiah in his 2d chnpter, verfe 14. calleth the King's Pool, Through this was our dear Lord Chrift, the true promifed Silcah, brought a prifoner bound from the mount of Olives over the brook Kidron, into the houfe of Hannas and Caiphas in the upper town, as we read in the 12th chapter, verfe 37, that by the Fountain-Gate they went up to the city of David. The fame way alfo the two difciples, Peter and John, were sent to bespeak the paschal lamb by Chrift, where they met the man with the pitcher of

water.

The Sheep, or Beaft-Gate, is alfo ftill ftanding by Moriah, the mountain of the temple, which the Turks have taken to themselves, and have built on it a Turkish mofque, or temple, because that God Almighty hath done many and great miracles on this mount; and befides Mahomet did find himself again on this mount, after he had been carried up (as his lying writings tell us) through the heavens before God by the angel Gabriel. Wherefore they take this mount to be holy, fo that none that is not circumcised and so unclean, dare approach or come near it, nor take the nearest way without over the height of the mount as Nehemiah did, as you may fee in the before quoted place; fo that the Christians must take a farther way about, and from the gate Siloah, go below through the valley of the brook Cedron, between this and the mount of Olives to the Beaft-Gate, which hath it's name because the beafts that were to be offerr'd in the temple were driven through it.

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Near the gate you fee ftill the fheep pond, which is large and deep, yet hath but little water in it, wherein the Nathineens ufed to wash the beafts, and then to give them to the priests. And alfo immediately within towards the north, a conduit, which was the pool by St John the Evangelift (in the 2d verfe of his 5th chapter) called Bathefda, erected by King Ezechia; that had five porches, wherein lay a great multitude of impotent folk, that waited for the moving of the water. Through this gate is the ftraight way over the brook Cedron, by the mount of Olives toward Bethania, down to Jericho on the river Jordan, into the valley of Jofaphat, wherefore this alfo, being nearer now in these days, is called the Valley-Gate.

There is alfo ftill the Corner-Gate in it's old place, where the north and eaft walls meet on large and high rocks, and is called ftill by fome the gate of Napthali.

This I thought convenient to fay of the city of Ferufalem in the general of it's buildings, fruitfulness, and adjacent countries; what famous and holy places are within and without the city, thereof I intend to treat in particular.

CHA P. IV.

Of Mount Sion, and it's Holy Places.

[OUNT Sion, very famous in holy Scripture, hath round about it fteep fides, high rocks, deep ditches and vallies, fo that it is not eafy to climb up to it, only on one fide towards the north, where it buts upon the lower town, fo that the caftle and town of David fituated on it, was very ftrong, and almost invincible, as you may read in the 48th Pfalm, verfe 2. The joy of the whole earth is mount Sion, on the fides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her places for a refuge, for the Kings were affembled, &c. Seeing then that the castle, and the upper town Millo was fo well fortified with towers and walls, that it was not eafily to be taken, the Jebufites, after that Canaan the whole Land of Promife, together with the town of Jerufalem was taken, did defend themfelves in it against the whole force of Ifrael for a long time, although they often attempted to take it, and called the town of Ferufalem after their name Jebus, until the kingly Prophet David came, who took it by force; and after he had rebuilt the upper town, and joined the caftle with it into one building, and furrounded it with walls, he called it after his own name, The city of David, and kept his court there, and gave alfo lodgings to his hero's and officers, whereof Uriah was one, who had his lodgings near to the King's palace, wherein the King walking on the roof of his house, faw the fair Bathfheba his wife, and committed adultery with her.

These their habitations, as they are ftill built in thefe days, have inftead of thatch or tiles, plaiftered roofs, fo that one may walk on them, as you may fee here, that King David walked on it. And alfo in the fecond chapter of the book of Joshua, where is faid, That when the two fpies fent into the Land of Promife

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mife to Jericho, came into Rahab's house, and the King fent to fearch after them, they went at her request up to the roof of the houfe, where fhe hid them with the ftalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. But feeing there is nothing so strong in this world that is not tranfitory, therefore is alfo this worldly mount Zion, together with it's strong building and fortification (which was rather a type of the true rock in Zion, Christ our Lord, and his heavenly kingdom and holy church that was built thereon) fo ruined and defolated, that the greatest and highest part thereof before the town, except a Turkish mofque, fome tile houses and a few acres of it, lieth quite a defart, covered with rocks and stones. So it is come to pass, what Micah in his third chapter and the twelfth verfe predicted: Therefore fhall Zion for your fake be plowed as a field, and Jerufalem fhall become heaps, and the "mountain of the house, as the high places of the forest.' And Jeremiah in his Lamentations, chap. 5. verse 18. faith, The mountain of Zion which is defolate, the foxes walk upon it.' And Isaiah in his thirty-fecond chapter, verfe 14. The palaces fhall be forfaken, the multitude of the city fhall be left, the forts and towns 'fhall be dens for ever, a joy of wild affes, a pasture of 'flocks.'

The great caftle of the Turks is fituated at the top of the inward part of the mount, towards the west fide near the Fib-Gate, which is alfo newly built, and very well furrounded with walls and ditches; under the gate are feveral great guns to frighten the Chriftians that come thither in great flocks, chiefly against great feasts from all nations, Armenians, Georgians, Abyffins, Latinifts, &c. for they fear that elfe the town might be taken from them again.

Within the fort near the Fish-Gate, is ftill a ftrong high tower, built up with great free-ftone, which is quite black through age; wherefore fome fay, that it did anciently belong to the fort, and was built by one of the Kings of Juda.

So

So much I thought convenient to mention of mount Zion, concerning other famous places that are to be seen upon and about it, I will only mention the chiefest thereof.

Firft, As you go out of the New-Gate of mount Zion, there is a long street wherein on the left hand is an ancient church, of the holy Apoftle James the Greater, brother of John, which Helena the mother of Conftantine the Emperor, as alfo many more did build on the market place of the upper city where he was beheaded. The Armenians that have poffeffion thereof, did conduct us into it, fhewed us the building, and the place where the holy Apoftle was beheaded with the fword (as you read in the Acts of the Apostles, the twelfth chapter) by order of Herod Agrippa, to whom he was delivered out of fpite, as a feditious perfon, by the High Prieft Abiathar.

Then we came to the place of the habitation of Hannas, whereto Christ our Lord was first of all brought a prifoner and bound, or fetter'd, wherein was nothing obfervable, only a large court, and in it an old chapel, called the Angels, which we foon left, and went out of the gate of mount Zion to the habitation of Caiaphas, where we faw an orange tree planted in the place where the holy apostle Peter did warm himself when he denied our Saviour the third time; farther within a chapel, called St Salvators, where, in former ages was the place of the High Prieft, where Chrift was feverely accufed by Caiaphas, and by his fervants mocked, fpit upon, and beaten; wherein is an altar, whereon the great ftone of the grave ftill lieth, that ftopped the door of the fepulchre, which is very like unto the rock of the grave in it's breaking. That the habitation of the High Prieft was in the upper city, Jofephus does testify in the seventeeth chapter of his fecond book of the Defolation of Jerufalem, where he faith thus: When the rebellious Jews, that had the lower town in poffeffion ' with the temple, did undertake to poffefs themselves alfo of the upper town, they did affault it with all might and power, and at laft take it; then they drove 6 out the foldiers, which had the chief pricfts and men