The Topography Of Jerusalem.

identified with the eastern or the western ridge . The exact position of the Temple is matter of controversy ; the site of the Acra of Josephus , and the Acra of the book of Maccabees , of Bezetha , the fourth quarter and last added surbub of the

city : the position of the Towers Hippicus , Phasaelus , and Mariamne , and of the Tower Pheshinus , which if determined would go far to settle the disputed question of the course of the second and third walls of Josephus ; the exact extent of

the city in the time of our Savour ; are matters of keen dispute , which can only be settled by patient and systematic burrowing into the debris produced by many successive demolitions of the city at those

points where the absence of inhabited houses renders it possible to excavate at all . And upon the decision eventually arrived at on these points depends the settlement of what is the most difficult , as it must be by far the most interesting ,

problem to us all—viz ., whether the present Church of the Holy Sepulchre does or does not cover the true sepulchre of our Saviour ; if not , whether the true site can yet be recovered ; and if so , in what quarter we should look for it . The manner in

which the settlement of the points in dispute affects this last question , and the various opinions which have been advanced as to them , is too large a question to be entered upon now .

Most of the opinions are held noticed in Dr . Hobinson's " Biblical Researches , " the Rev G-. Williams's " Holy City , " and Mr . Fergusson ' s paper on the " Topography of Jerusalem , " in Smith's " Dictionary of the Bible . "

Suffice it to say , that Mr . Williams and his followers regard the present site of the Holy Sepulchre as genuine ; Mr . Fergusson considers the octagonal-domed building in the middle of the Haram , known as the Kebbet es-Sacra , to be the

Church of the Anastasis , built by Constantine over what he believed to be the site of the Sepulchre ; while Dr . Robinson , agreeing with Mr . Fergusson in discrediting the present traditionary site , is not prepared to point out a substitute .

Again , the Temple of Herod is identified by M . de Vogiie with the whole of the present Haram enclosure , the castle of Antonia being placed to the north , where the modern Turkish barracks stand ; Mr . Williams places the Temple around the

Kubbet es-Sacra , which he considers to be the site of the high altar , regarding the southern portion of the enclosure as of later date . Mr . Fergusson places the Temple on a square of 600 ft ., of

The Topography Of Jerusalem.

which the southern and western sides respectively would be formed by a length of wall extending for 600 ft ., east and north of the present south-west angle of the Haram , and Antonia immediately to the north of it . Amidst all these conflicting

theories on these and other points systematic inquiry into facts by competent and independent parties is urgently needed , and such are the agents and such the work of the Palestine Exploration Fund .

Brief Narrative Of The Proceedings Of The Palestine Exploration Fund.

BRIEF NARRATIVE OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND .

The following very brief history of the organisation and proceedings of the society may be interesting to some of the subscribers who have not followed its opei'ations from the beginning . It was first called into existence at a public meeting

held in Willis ' s Rooms on June 22 nd , 1865 . The Archbishop of York , the present president of the society , was in the chair , and among the speakers were the Bishop of London , Lord Sferangford , the Right Hon . Mr . Layard , the Count de Yogiie , the

Dean of Westminster , the Dean of Canterbury , Sir Roderick Murchison , Mr . Giffard Palgrave , Professor Owen , the Rev . H . B . Tristam , and Mr . Gilbert Scott . It was decided that the objects of the fund should be comprised under the following heads : —

1 . Archasology . 2 . Manners and Customs . 3 . Topography . 4 . Geology . 5 . Natural History .

The first expedition , under Captain Wilson and Lieutenant Anderson , was despatched at the end of the year 1865 , and was employed in Palestine for six months , at a cost of £ 1 , 500 . During this time , the party constructed a series of maps on

the scale of one mile to an inch , of the whole backbone of the country , from north to south , including the Lake of Gennesareth and all the water-courses descending to the western shores . They collected materials for making about fifty

plans , with detailed drawings of churches , synagogues , mosques , temples , tombs , & c . ; they copied inscriptions , examined the remains of the ancient synagogues at Teh Hum , Irbid , Kefr Birim , & c . ; they ascertained with a degree of pro-