JERUSALE.M, a city of Palestine, in the pachalic of Damascus, and the capital of the ancient kingdom of the Jews. It occupies the declivity of a barren basaltic moun tain, at the extremity of an extensive plain, in a climate comparatively cold, from its elevated situation, where much snow falls, together with copious rains. The plan of the city is irregular ; but, excluding the citadel at the west end, it approaches to a quadrangular form. It is surrounded by crenated walls of reddish freestone, of considerable height, strengthened by square towers, and mounting a few old 24-pounders, on carriages without wheels. The walls are modern, having been built by Soliman, the son of Selim, as appears from inscriptions upon them. They are too thin to admit of defence, and Jerusalem is not tenable as a military post, being commanded by neighbouring heights on all sides. There are six gates, whose names are partly of Hebrew origin. The total circuit of the city does not exceed two miles and a half. Some authors exaggerate its ancient limits to a great extent, while others conclude that it has scarcely ever exceeded its present boundaries. The streets are narrow, as is usual in the cast, but straight and well paved. Several of them have foot-paths, and they are kept cleaner than is common in Palestine. Vacant spaces, and some covered by ruins, are seen towards the west, but no open square has been purposely left within the walls. In general, the houses are well built of free-stone, and for the most part two or three stories high, with a plain simple front, without windows in the lower stories, so that it has been said that a passenger walking the streets of Jerusalem may conceive himself in the corridor of a vast prison : the door, besides, is so low, that a person must bend almost double to gain admission. The roofs are either terraced, or rise in domes, and the dull uniformity of the whole is interrupted by the steeples of the mosques and churches, and the tops of a few cypress trees, and tufts of nopals. Some houses have small gardens.
The total population of Jerusalem amounts to 30,000 ; but from having been peopled by Jews originally, this city exhibits a great mixture of other nations, whose appear ance, habits, and sentiments, are at considerable variance. Of these it is computed that 20,000 are Christians of dif ferent sects and denominations ; 7000 Mahometans, Turks, or Arabs ; and only a few Jews. About 2000 of the Maho metans are fit to carry arms. The men are distinguished by no peculiar character. Handsome women are rarely seen : they are in general of a melancholy disposition, of a pale deadly white complexion, and ungraceful mien.
The circumstance of wearing a white veil or a fillet round their faces makes them resemble so many walking corpses ; but the faces of the Christian females are exposed as in Europe. Much variety of costume is beheld in the streets; every one, whether Jew, Arab, Syrian, or Turk, adopting what he prefers. The lower orders, however, usually wear a shirt of white or black, or one of broad striped brown, as in Arabia. Christians and Jews wear a blue turban as a mark of distinction, though a few diversify the colour ; and shepherds in the neighbourhood have theirs white or striped like the Mahometans. It ought not to escape observation, that blue is in many parts of the East a characteristic of Christianity ; and it is not unlikely that its frequency among the lower classes in some parts of Europe has a similar origin. Persons in easy circum stances adopt the Turkish costume, with a high turban. Both the Turkish and Arabic languages are common in Jerusalem.
The mode of life among the inhabitants is dull and mo notonous. They have little to interest them : no active pursuit of manufactures, arts, or sciences; no general bond of union ; no object of common interest in view. They labour under the oppression of a despotic govern ment, which exercises incessant extortions, without en couraging the means which would enable the people to satisfy its avarice ; and so obnoxious is the pasha, that on his approach the inhabitants desert the city. Almost all the Christians entertain a decided antipathy to each other, independent of which a strong aversion subsists between them and the Mahometans. All the different sects reciprocally consider the rest as schismatics and in fidels. Those of each persuasion, believing that they alone possess the true light of heaven, and an exclusive right to enter paradise, consign the rest without distinction to the infernal regions. Nevertheless, this apparently goes no farther than words ; for there is more unrestrained inter course among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, than of any other place under the sway of Mahometans, which is sup posed to arise from the predominant number of Christians. Some sociality is practised among them ; and even Chris tians and Mahometans mix indiscriminately together. All the former, of whatever sect or denomination, de tl vou y im plore the downfall of the Turks ; and certainly with suffi cient reason, for one leading feature in the political econo my of Mahometans is extortion from those who are incapa ble of resistance.