they differ somewhat from those of the former apartment; the middle crypt on each of the two sides having a higher entrance, being itself larger, and having also beyond it another smaller recess or tomb. Moreover, from one of these or a like recess a few steps lead down to still another and lower tomb, or low square vault, with a large niche on three sides, in which once stood sarcophagi of white marble, elegantly sculptured with flowers and wreaths. These are now broken; and the fragments strewed around upon the floors.

The third room, on the West of the antechamber, was apparently the most important of all. It is 134 feet square; and has three crypts on each of its three sides towards the South, West and North. These are similar to those of the second room; except that they are somewhat larger. The middle one indeed on each side is quite large, with each an interior recess or tomb as before. From one of these again, (that on the north side,) steps lead down to another low vault, like the former, with similar marble sarcophagi.'

The four chambers thus described as connected with the present entrance, are all situated at the south end of the portico; and only the lower vault belonging to the westernmost extends northwards for a distance behind it. Thus all the rock around the north

1) By the kindness of Mr. Catherwood, I am enabled to lay before the reader the accompanying plan of these Tombs, drawn out from his own measurements in 1833. The lower vault connected with the S. W. chamber is not laid down; the steps leading to it are marked on the north side of the room. The other lower vault on the N. of the westernmost chamber, strikes me as being perhaps too large; but we did not measure it. Only a part of the sunken court is given; and

no attempt is made to represent the parallel trench on the South. Of former plans of these Tombs, Niebuhr's seems to me to be the best; Reisebeschr. Bd. III. But a lower vault (h) which he lays down on the northern side of the anteroom, we did not see. Pococke's Plan is less accurate, (Vol. II. p. 21,) and was obviously drawn from recollection. The sketch of Irby and Mangles (p. 332) is copied from Pococke.

ern part of the portico remains apparently unexcavated. The question naturally arose in our minds, whether a work of such magnificence, and of such labour and expense, would probably have been left thus incomplete; and it occurred to us, whether another like entrance to similar chambers might not exist at the other end of the portico, or in the middle, where the area has been filled up with stones and rubbish apparently for ages. We accordingly set men to work under the direction of our active servant Komeh, to clear away the accumulated rubbish from the northern end; and frequently visited the spot ourselves. They laboured for several days, and laid bare the floor of rock at the bottom; but without finding the slightest trace of any entrance. Yet I would not aver that such an entrance may not after all actually exist; having been perhaps purposely concealed in the manner above suggested.'

This splendid sepulchre, with its sunken court, reminded me of some of the tombs of the Egyptian Thebes; which also it resembles in its workmanship, but not in the extent of its excavations. In its elegant portal and delicate sculpture, it may well bear comparison with the sepulchres of Petra; though the

1) It was not until after these pages were written, that I was able to get access at Berlin to the Travels of Irby and Mangles. It is there related, (p. 332, seq.) that the same idea of a corresponding entrance at the northern end had also occurred to Mr. Bankes; and that so thoroughly was he convinced of it, that when at Constantinople he used every exertion to procure a firmân authorizing him to excavate and ascertain the fact; but in vain. In the spring of 1818, these travellers with others being at Jerusalem, endeavoured to obtain permission from the Governor to dig on the same spot, but also without success. They therefore

undertook the excavation themselves secretly by night, viz. Messrs. Bankes, Legh, Irby, Mangles, and Corry, with five servants. They came in the morning to a large block of stone on the spot where they expected to find an entrance. They succeeded during the day in breaking the stone, but their proceedings were discovered and prohibited by the authorities. Times have now changed. We asked no leave; and although we wrought openly for several days, we experienced no hindrance from any man.-See also the Life and Adventures of G. Finati, edited by Mr. Bankes, II. pp. 219-234.

cut, does not admit of It has usually, I believe, Palestine; yet it is not

species of stone in which it is the same architectural effect. been considered as unique in the only monument of its kind in the vicinity of Jerusalem. It is indeed by far the best preserved; which has been owing, doubtless, to the difficulty of entrance, and to the utter darkness that reigns within. One day as I was returning from this spot to the city with my friend Mr. Homes, we kept along the brow of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, in order to search for traces of Agrippa's wall. Of the wall we found nothing; but at some distance S. E. from the Tombs of the Kings, and near the brow of the valley, we came upon another sepulchre constructed on the same plan with the former, a square sunken court, with a portico and entrance upon its western side. But here the rock had been less judiciously chosen, and in some parts the sides of the court had been built up with masonry. The portal too was less ornamented and more broken away. The low entrance was here in the middle of the portico; and led into chambers of considerable size, but of less skilful workmanship. Indeed the whole appearance was less imposing; partly perhaps on account of the greater decay. Several other sepulchres of a similar character are to be traced in this quarter; but they are still more broken down and indistinct.

The sepulchre above described, has long borne among the Franks the name of the Tombs of the Kings; probably on account of its remarkable character, which naturally led to the idea of a regal founder. It has been commonly referred to the ancient Jewish kings; on the supposition, that some of them may have been here entombed. The sepulchres of David and his descendants, as we know, were upon

Zion; they were called apparently the Sepulchres of the Sons of David, and also of the Kings of Israel;2 and were still extant in the times of the Apostles.3 Four of the Jewish kings, indeed, are said not to have been brought into those sepulchres; but there is no evidence to show that they were buried out of the city, and least of all in this quarter. Josephus too mentions the tomb of Helena queen of Adiabene, (who embraced the Jewish religion and lived for a time at Jerusalem,) on the North of the city; and speaks also of royal grottos or sepulchres in the same quarter, near which ran the third or Agrippa's wall. In another place the same writer speaks of monuments or tombs of Herod, situated apparently near this wall in the same quarter. This circumstance suggests the inquiry, Whether these royal sepulchres of Josephus and these tombs of Herod may not be identical; and refer perhaps to sepulchres constructed by the Idumean princes for members of their own family? A further inquiry also arises: Whether perhaps these tombs with sunken courts, so different from all the rest around Jerusalem, and situated not like the others in the rocky sides of the vallies, but on the level ground above, may not have been a style appropriated to royalty? In that case, the dilapidated sepulchres of that kind which we found along the brow of the valley,

27.

1) 1 Kings ii. 10. xi. 43. etc.
2) 2 Chron. xxxii. 33. xxviii.

3) Acts ii. 29.

4) Uzziah was buried with his fathers, but not within their sepulchres, he being a leper; 2 Chron. xxvi. 23. Ahaz was buried within the city, but not in the same sepulchres; 2 Chron. xxviii. 27. Manasseh and Amon were buried in the garden of their own house, in the garden of Uzza, probably on Zion; 2 Kings xxi. 18, 26.

5) Joseph. B. J. V. 4. 2.

6) Ibid. V. 3. 2. Titus caused the whole interval to be levelled from Scopus to the walls, or as it is also said, to the monuments (sepulchres) of Herod, μizoi TÓN Hoidov urquelov. These would seem therefore to have been in the plain and near the N. E. part of the city; not certainly upon the high land further West. But in another place, (B. J. V. 12. 2,) a single monument (to urrucior) of Herod is mentioned, which lay S. of the Roman camp; and of course on the west side of the city.