(7) The South Wall of the Harem. The south wall of thc Harem must at one time hav.e presented a magnificent mass of masonry. It is over nine hundred feet long and had two en trances, known as the Triple Gate, and Double, or Huldah Gate, both now built up. The Double Gate is a very prominent feature in the south wall. It is a hundred yards from the southwest angle and consists of two entrances, each eighteen feet wide. This Double, or Huldah, Gate was the chief entrance to the temple area from the south, and doubtless the Savior passed through it many times during the celebration of the great festival. Modern discoVeries show that this wall does not belong to one period of construction, but the portion east of the Double Gate possesses a high antiquity, extending back to the Jewish mon archy, and is, probably, the work of King Solo mon; while that to the west, which is a hiindred yards in length, belongs to the time of Herod.
A hundred feet west of the southeast angle is a gateway with pointed arch, which, though now closed, seems to have been an entrance in former days to "Solomon's stables." This is called the Single Gate.
(8) Solomon's Stables. The vast nean vaults, probably known as "Solomon's Sta bles," extend over an acre of ground. They are forty feet below the Harem area, and more than a hundred feet above the foundation stone of the wall. One hundred square piers arranged in fif tecn rows support the ceiling. The Moslems call the place 'The Old Mosque,' but the Frank Kings used it as a stable. It was doubtless originally designed as a support for the temple area, and it is very probable that there are other systems of vaults below these.
(9) West Wall of the Temple Area. The wcst wall of thc temple area is over one thousand five hundred feet long. Here are the remains of the Jews' Wailing Place, and Robinson's and Wilson's arches.
(10) The Jews' Wailing Place. This is where the Israelites assemble every Friday after noon. The temple wall visible above ground at this spot is about sixty feet high. The lower courses of stone are magnificent blocks, venerable for.their antiquity and for the fact that they are veritable remains of the old Jewish temple. For many generations the Jews have been permitted, at least once a week, to approach the precincts of their temple and kiss the venerable stones of the wall and bathe them with their tears, fulfilling the words in Psalm cii The congregation that gathers herc is one of the most solemn gather ings left to the Jewish chnrch. How long this ceremony has been kept up cannot he detcrmined with certainty. although there is historical evi dence to prove that they have assembled to mourn over their lost glory and desolate temple since the time of the apostles.
(11) Robinson's Arch. A little north of the southwest corner three courses of stone project which have received the name of Robinson's Arch. In ancient times Mount Moriah was sepa rated from Zion by a rugged ravine. On one side of this ravine rose the massive walls of thc tem ple, on the other the palace of the kings of Ju dah. This valley is now so filled with rubbish from the city that it presents thc appearance of a level plain. In the olden times, however. it was spanned by bridges, the most noted being Zion Bridge, which seemed to form a communica tion between the palace and the temple. Exca vating at a point wherc the next pier of the arch should be, not only the pier itself was found. but arch stones of the fallen arch. HOW old this viaduct is cannot be stated. hut certainly it antc dates the Christian era and the Temple of Herod.
(12) Wilson's Arch, six hundred feet north of the southwest angle, is also the remains of an an cient bridge, which extended across the valley to the opposite height. Adjoining the arch were discovered a series of arched vaults running west ward and evidently connected with the viaduct or bridge which anciently crossed the valley at this place. Probably by this secret way troops were hurried down into the temple area from the bar racks on Mount Zion.
(13) Gate of the Chain. North of Wilson's Arch is the Gate of the Chain, the principal en trance to the Harem area. It received its name from the tradition that Solomon once stretched a chain across this entrance. A little farther north is the Gate of the Bath, and the Gate of the Cot ton Merchants, which a very old tradition identi fies with the "Beautiful Gate of the Temple." From this gate to the.southwest angle thedistance is two hundred yards. The masonry is very an cient and probably dates from the Jewish kings.
(14) The North Wall of the Harem Area. Within the northwest angle of the wall stands a pile of buildings used as a barrack. It is situated on a rock twenty feet above the temple arca. Here is generally supposed to have been located the ancient Jewish fort of Baris. East of the barracks is a small entrance, called the Gat'e of the Secretary, and a little farther on the gate called Bab el-Hitta. Just east of this entrance there begins a fosse, which runs along the wall for three hundred and sixty feet, with an average breadth of a hundred and thirty feet. It is called the Pool of Israel, and according to Roman Cath olic tradition is the Pool of Bethesda. Near the eastern end of the north wall is the Gate of the Tribes, whose portals adjoin thc Castle of An tonia, at the northeast angle.