glance he would see before him the whole city--its valleys and hills, its walls and

towers, its palaces and streets, and its magnificent Temple --almost like a vision from

another world. There could be no difficulty in making out the general features of the

scene. Altogether the city was only thirty-three stadia, or about four English miles, in

circumference. Within this compass dwelt a population of 600,000 (according to

Tacitus), but, according to the Jewish historian, amounting at the time of the Passover

to between two and three millions, or about equal to that of London. 3

The first feature to attract attention would be the city walls, at the time of Christ only

two in number. 4

The first, or old wall, began at the north-western angle of Zion, at the tower of Hippicus,

and ran along the northern brow of Zion, where it crossed the cleft, and joined the

western colonnade of the Temple at the 'Council-house.' It also enclosed Zion along the

west and the south, and was continued eastward around Ophel, till it merged in the

south-eastern angle of the Temple. Thus the first wall would defend Zion, Ophel, and,

along with the Temple walls,, Moriah also. The second wall, which commenced at a gate

in the first wall, called 'Gennath,' ran first north, and then east, so as to enclose Acra,

and terminated at the Tower of Antonia. Thus the whole of the old city and the Temple

was sufficiently protected.

The Tower of Antonia was placed at the north-western angle of the Temple, midway

between the castle of the same name and the Temple. With the former it communicated

by a double set of cloisters, with the latter by a subterranean passage into the Temple

itself, and also by cloisters and stairs descending into the northern and the western

porches of the Court of the Gentiles. Some of the most glorious traditions in Jewish

history were connected with this castle, for there had been the ancient 'armoury of

David,' the palace of Hezekiah and of Nehemiah, and the fortress of the Maccabees. But

in the days of Christ Antonia was occupied by a hated Roman garrison, which kept

watch over Israel, even in its sanctuary. In fact, the Tower of Antonia overlooked and

commanded the Temple, so that a detachment of soldiers could at any time rush down to

quell a riot, as on the occasion when the Jews had almost killed Paul (Acts 21:31). The

city walls were further defended by towers --sixty in the first, and forty in the second

wall. Most prominent among them were Hippicus, Phasaelus, and Mariamne, close by

each other, to the north-west of Zion--all compactly built of immense marble blocks,

square, strongly fortified, and surmounted by buildings defended by battlements and

turrets. 5 They were built by Herod, and named after the friend and the brother he had

lost in battle, and the wife whom his jealousy had killed.

If the pilgrim scanned the city more closely, he would observe that it was built on four

hills. Of these, the western, or ancient Zion, was the highest, rising about 200 feet above

Moriah, though still 100 feet lower than the Mount of Olives. To the north and the east,

opposite Zion, and divided from it by the deep Tyropoeon Valley, were the crescent-

shaped Acra and Moriah, the latter with Ophel as its southern outrunner. Up and down

the slopes of Acra the Lower City crept. Finally, the fourth hill, Bezetha (from bezaion,

marshy ground), the New Town, rose north of the Temple Mount and of Acra, and was