HOLY PLACES—HOLY SEPULCHER. Under the head Jerusalem (q.v.) are enumer ated many localities which, from the memories associated with them, must be full of solemn interest for every religious mind; but the name holy places of Jerusalem more strictly designates the group of sacred places of which the church of the Holy Sepulcher is the center, and which are supposed to comprise the sites of the chief events of our Lord's passion, death. and burial: Gethsemarie, the supper-room, the church of the Ascension, the tomb of the virgin. etc.
In the article JERUSALEM, the general topography of the ancient and modern city is briefly described. The so-called church of the Holy Sepulcher stands within the modern city, on the n.w. or Latin quarter. It is a Byzantine building, in the center of a spacious inclosed court. Under the great dome of the church stands the holy sepulcher, which is of an oblong form, 15 ft. by 10, and is surmounted by a rich ceiling, decorated with gold, silver, and precious marble. A circular hall surrounds the space beneath the dome. Around this circular hall arc oratories for the Syrians, Copts, and Maronites; and above it is a series of galleries, which are similarly appropriated. In the body of the church are the chapels of the Greek, Latin, and Armenian Christians, the church as a whole being maintained by the Ottoman authorities in the condition, as it were, of a common meeting-ground for all the Christian communions, as the rivalries of the several religious bodies constantly lead to angry controversy, and not unfrequently to sanguinary conflicts. Opposite the entrance of the inclosure is a somewhat elevated marble slab, which is called the stone of unction, and is shown as the stone on which our Lord's body was anointed before entombment; and above is an elevation approached by steps, which is the traditionary Mt. Calvary, and on which now stands a rich dome shaped building, floored with rich marbles, in the crypt of which is the cavity supposed to have been formed • by the erection of the:cross. The street by which this site is approached, from the direction of ruins of Herod's palace, on the n. side of the city, is the principal street of the Latin quarter, and is called by the Turks Hanit•cl Albarn, and by the Christians the ViaDolorosa, as being the supposed route of our Lord from the hall of judgment to Calvary.
Such is the traditional view as to the locality, not only of these leading events of our Lord's history, but also of many others of minor importance, and less prominently noticeable. For a long course of arres, the Christian world unhesitatingly acquiesced in
this view of the topography of the holy places; but since the beginning of last century, doubts have been entertained as to its correctness; and in late years the question has been discussed with much learning, although with little positive, or at least conclusive. result; About the year 1730, a German, named Ko•te, who had visited Jerusalem, and explored the locality, published a work, calling the authenticity of the received system of sacred topography into question. The doubts expressed by him have been repeated at intervals ever siuee his day, and especially by the celebrated American critic, Dr. Robinson, author of 13Wical 'Researches im Palextine, who may be. saillsin two successive investigations to have exhaugted the evidence on one Side of the question, at least so far as the remains of the ancient city had at that time been explored. Dc. Robinson distinctly affirms the impossibility of reconciling the received sacred localities with the plain requirements of the gospel history; but he fails himself to point out a scheme of topography which may be substituted for that which has been traditionally received. More recent critics, and especially Mr. James Ferguson, in an Essay on the Ancient Topog raphy of Jerusalem, agreeing with Dr. Robinson in rejecting the received topography, contends against him that the true site of the holy sepulcher can be accurately deter mined, and that it is no other than the mosque of Omar, or, as the Mohammedans call it, the "dome of the rock." This he holds to he the identical church which Constan tine erected over the rock which contained the tomb of our Lord. Dr. Stanley, a late biblical traveler in Palestine, left the question undecided. We can here do nothing more than refer the reader to the chief authorities on each side of the controversy. See, on the one side, Robinson's Biblical Researches in Palestine; Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, article "Jerusalem" (Ferguson); Essay on the Ancient 1opographyof Jerusalem, by the same author. On the other, Williams's Holy City; Raumer's Bcitriige zur Geographie; Sepp's Forschungen eines _Deutsche'', Beizenden in Jerusalem; Schaffter's Aechte Loge des hedigen Grebes. Under the auspices of the Palestine exploration fund, diligent researches are now being carried ou at Jerusalem, and several important dis coveries have been made. See an account of the excavations in Jerusalem, by caps. Warren, R.?. (London, 1876).