At present the Jewish synagogue is a miserable struc ture, consisting of three or four apartments, with roofs so low that they may be reached by the hand ; the whole is covered with filth and cobwebs, and disgustingly dirty. The Jews of Jerusalem are restricted to a certain quarter, and are represented as living in a very miserable condition.
This city is equally sanctified in the eyes of Mahorne tans as of Christians. They call it el Kods, or the holy, and have a magnificent temple here, whose interior has been anxiously veiled from the latter. Their presence would be deemed profanation ; and although Dr Clarke was furnished with the most powerful of all recommenda tions, the governor of Jerusalem declared, that the forfei ture of his own life would follow his consent to give him access. But we are now in possession of a detailed descrip tion of it from an enterprising traveller, who more recent ly traversed much of the east, under the guise of a Ma hom etan.
The disciples of the prophet acknowledge two sancti fied temples, that of Mecca, and that of Jerusalem ; both are named el Harem, by way of distinction, and are alike prohibited to Jews, Christians, and all who do not profess the Mussulman faith. Mosques are merely named the place of assembly ; and atthough the entrance of infidels is not specially prohibited, it is unwelcome, and must be sanctioned by an order of some public authority. " But no Mussulman governor dares to allow an infidel to pass into the territory of Mecca, or into the temple of Jerusa lem. Such a permission would be deemed a horrid sacri lege ; it would not be respected by the people, and the in fidel would become the victim of his own temerity." Solomon's temple, which has so often been held up to ad miration, while many superior works have passed unnotic ed, was totally destroyed when the city was sacked by the Romans. An Arabian historian relates, that, on being ta ken by the Caliph Omar, he enquired what would be the most suitable place for erecting a mosque of the patriarch Sophronius, who led him to the ruins of the temple. A new edifice was raised upon their site, which consists of a court, or enclosed square, 1369 feet long by 825 broad. The whole has not been constructed at once, however, as it is a group of mosques erected at different times. Access is gained by nine gates, entering on the north and west sides. The principal part of the structure is composed of two piles of magnificent buildings, called el aksa and el. Sahara, which, in their respective situation, may be con sidered as two distinct temples, hut together form one con sistent and symmetrical whole. El Aksa is composed of seven naves supported by columns, and the centre nave is surmounted by a fine spherical cupola, with two rows of windows, and richly ornamented with arabesque paintings and gildings of exquisite beauty. This cupola is 32 feet in diameter, and is sustained by four arches, reposing on four square pillars, the different sides of which are enlarg ed with handsome columns of brown marble. Each side of the nave which it crowns rests on seven arches slightly pointed, springing from cylindrical pillars above two feet and a half in diameter, and sixteen high. The walls rise
thirteen feet above the tops of the arches, and each con tains two rows of windows. A frontispiece, inlaid with pieces of beautiful marble, ornaments the niche from whence the Imam directs the prayer, with six small co lumns of white and green decorating the entrance. In a vault at one side the Caliph Omar was ccustomed to pray. A causeway 284 feet long, fronts the principal gate of the temple, in the middle of which is a fine marble basin, with a fountain in form of a shell that formerly supplied the water ; and at the end of the causeway is a fine staircase leading to the other temple Sahara, which takes its name from a rock greatly revered in the centre of the edifice. This temple is octagonal, 61 feet of a side, and 159 in di ameter. It occupies a platform 460 feet long, 399 broad, raised 16 feet from the ground, which is ascended by eight staircases. The exterior is incrusted to half its height with various kinds of marble, and the remainder covered with small bricks, or squares of different colours. On each side of the octagon are five large windows, filled with glass finely painted in arabesques. The temple is enter ed by four gates, on the north, east, west, and south, and is surmounted by a cupola also, elevated 93 feet above the surface below, which is a superb spherical segment, with two rows of large windows, and is supported by four large pillars, together with 12 magnificent columns ranged in a circle. The rock of Sahara approaches the segment of a sphere 33 feet in diameter : It is of its natural shape ; the surface rugged and uneven. Here the Mahometans ex hibit the print of their prophet's foot when he came to pray ; and they believe, that next to the temple of Mecca, the prayers of mankind offered up at the rock of Sahara are the most acceptable to heaven. It is surrounded by a high gilt railing, and the sacred impression itself is pro tected by a cage of gilt wire. The Mahometans are taught that it is surrounded by' an ordinary guard of 70,000 angels, which is daily relieved, and that other invisible troops of angels and prophets resort hither, to offer up their prayers. In the pavement near the rock is a piece of waved green marble or jasper, fastened clown by four or five gilt nails, which, however uninviting, they affirm is the gate to paradise. Some of the nails they relate to have been re moved by the devil attempting to pass, but he was over heard in time and beaten back for ever. In this temple there is preserved a koran of enormous size, being four feet long, and above two and a half broad, which was used by the Caliph Omar. Every night 180 lamps are lighted up here, and 175 in the mosque Aksa. Besides these two structures, there are several others, and also platforms for oratories, within the spacious limits of the Mahometan temple, on one of which the throne of Solomon is supposed to have stood. Not far from the centre of the city is a magnificent building called the hospital of St Helena, which is still devoted to charitable purposes. Every Mahometan presenting himself at the gate formerly received a supply of food, but the extent of the charity has declined.