It is the favourite burial-place of the child- I ren of Abraham, and the spot where they believe the final judgment will take place.
With the exception of Silwan at its western base, Bethany at its eastern, and Kefr et-Tilr on its summit, Olivet is deserted. No man dwells there. There are three or four little towers—one habitable, the others ruinous—built originally as watch towers for the vineyards and orchards. Nearly opposite St. Stephen's gate, just across the bed of the Kidron, is the garden of Gethsemane, and from it a shallow wady, or rather depression, runs up the hill toward the Church of the Ascension, making a slight curve northward. This is the only noticeable feature on the western side. The eastern is much more rugged. The ledges are .
higher, the cliffs bolder, and there are several deep ravines.
Two ancient roads, or rather bridle-paths, cross the mount to Bethany. From St. Stephen's gate —the only gate in the eastern side of Jerusalem— a road winds down to the Kidron, crosses it by a bridge, and then forks at Gethsemane. One branch keeps to the right, ascends the hill diagonally by an easy slope, winds round its southern shoulder, and descends to Bethany. This was the caravan and chariot road to Jericho in ancient days. The other branch keeps to the left of Gethsemane, right up the hill, following the course of the wady, passes Kefr et-Tfir,- and descends by steep zig zags to Bethany. Perhaps this path is even more ancient than the other. It is in places hewn in the rock ; and here and there are rude steps up shelving ledges.
There are several other paths on Olivet, but they are of no historical importance, and require only to be mentioned as features in its topography. A path branches off from No. 2 at the side of Geth semane, skirts the upper wall of the garden, ascends to the tombs of the prophets, and then turns to the left, up to the village. Another branches off a little higher up, and ascends the steep hill-side, almost direct to the village. Another, leading from St. Stephen's Gate, crosses the Kidron obliquely in a north-easterly direction, and passes over the northern shoulder of the mount to the little hamlet of Isawlyeh. Another path—ancient, though now little used—runs from Kefr et-Tfir northward along the summit of the ridge to Scopus, joining the road to Anathoth.
Historical first mention of Olivet is in connection with David's flight from Jerusalem on the rebellion of Absalom. Leaving the city, 'he passed over the valley (51%) of Kidron, toward the way of the wilderness' (2 Sam. xv. 23)—the wil derness of Judah lying between Olivet and the Jor dan. Having crossed the Kidron, he ascended by the ascent of the Olives' (3o), and came to the summit, 'where he worshipped God' (32). It has been supposed from the latter statement that there was here, on the top, an ancient high place, where David had been accustomed to worship ; and that this may have been the source and scene of all subsequent idolatrous rites and Christian traditions.
The Hebrew phrase does not warrant any such conclusion. The scope of the passage suggests, that on reaching the summit he turned to take a last look at the city, to which he had just sent back the ark, and on some of whose heights he probably still saw it. There, with his face toward the sanctuary, he worshipped God (cf. Theodoret and Jerome ad. loc.) This is the view of most Jewish commenta tors, though the Talmudists state that there was an idol shrine on the summit (Lightfoot, opp. ii. 570. David's route is manifest. He ascended by the ancient path (No. 2) to the top ; there he wor shipped, with the city in full view. Turning away, he began to descend ; and there, a little past the top' (xvi. t), he met Ziba.
The next notice is in the time of Solomon, who built an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem : and for Molech' (t Kings xi. 7). The hill was Olivet; but the locality of the high place is not specified. Statements made at a later period show that it could not have been upon the summit. The high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded . . . . did the king (Manasseh) defile' (z Kings xxiii. 13). The stand-point of observation and description here is the Holy City, which formerly extended much farther south than at present. Solomon's high place was in front of it, within view, and on the right hand of Olivet. This indicates the southern section of the ridge, the traditional Mount of Corruption.' There was probably some connec tion between the high place of Molech on the right hand of Olivet and those idol shrines which stood in Tophet, at the entrance of the valley of Hinnom (cf. 2 Kings xxiii. 13, 14 ; Jer. vii. 31, seq. ; Jerome, Comm. in loc.) The Mount of Corruption is directly opposite Tophet, and the hill-side is filled with ancient tombs, as Jeremiah predicted (xix. 6, t 1). The tradition which gives its name to the Mount of Corruption is first mentioned in the t3th century by Brocardus Ultra torrentera Cedron, in latere aquilonari montis Oliveti, est mons alias quatuor stadiis a Jerusalem distans, ubi Salomon idol(' Moabitorum, nomine Chamos, templum construxit, et ubi tempore Machabworum dificatum fait castrum, cujus indicia adhuc hodie ibi cernuntur ' (cap. ix.) Ezekiel also mentions Olivet in the wondrous vision of the Lord's departure from Jerusalem. The glory of the Lord first left the sanctuary and stood on the threshold of the house (x. 4); then it re moved to a position over the east gate of the Lord's house (19) ; then it went up, and stood upon the mountain, which is upon the east side of the city' (xi. 23), that is, on Olivet. This is doubt less the source of the Rabbinical tradition, which represents the Shekinah as having remained three years and a half on Olivet, calling to the Jews, Return to me, and I will return to you' (Reland, Pal. p• 337).