Herod fortified it still more strongly, and in honour of his friend Antonius gave it the name of the Tower of Antonia. "It was situated at the north-west corner of two cloisters of the court of the temple, being erected upon a rock, and on the edge of a great precipice, and was 75 feet high." Josephus further states that "the rock on which it was built was itself covered over with smooth pieces of stone, from its foundation, both for ornament, and that any one who would either try to get up or go down might not be able to hold his feet upon it." "Next to this (on the brow of this precipice), and before you come to the edifice of the tower itself, there was a wall 4 feet high. But within that wall, all the space of the tower of Antonia itself was built upon to the height of 60 feet. The inward parts had the largeness and form of a palace, it being parted into all kinds of rooms and other conveniences, such as courts and places for bathing, and broad spaces for camps." The dimensions of this plot of ground was about 573 feet from north to south, and 955 feet from east to west. The historian adds: "As the entire structure resembled that of a tower, it contained also four other distinct towers at its four corners. Three of these were 75 feet high; but that which lay upon the south-east corner was 105 feet high, that from thence the whole temple might be viewed." On the southwest corner, where it joined to the two cloisters, it had passages to the temple, through which the guards of the Roman legion stationed here passed. It was into this tower, through one of these passages,

that Paul was carried by the soldiers from the temple.

"There was also a secret passage built for Herod, from Antonia to the inner temple, at its eastern gate, over which he erected for himself a tower, that he might have a subterranean ascent to the temple, in order to guard against any sedition which might be made by the people against their kings."

This tower was separated from Bezetha, on the north, by a deep artificial trench, to prevent any approach from that quarter. It is the opinion of Dr. Robinson that the rock on which this fortress stood was a prolongation of the hill Bezetha towards the south, which was cut through and separated from that hill by the trench above named. He supposes that the main fortress of Antonia lay upon this rock or ridge; whilst the remaining part, comprising the halls and palace-like apartments, and the barracks, extended along the northern wall of the temple area quite to its north-east corner, adjacent to the Valley of Kedron. On the north it was protected by this deep trench.

There is another element of strength in the valleys within the city, and which, within the walls, completely separated its different sections from each other. Besides the wall all round Mount Zion, or the upper city, there was a deep valley on the north side, called the Tyropoeon, or the Valley of the Cheesemongers. This also separated Zion from Mount Moriah; over this a bridge was built from Zion to the temple. This also shut off Acra, or the lower city, from Zion, as also

in part from Moriah. Dr. E. Robinson remarks that "the Tyropoeon as it comes down from the wall, near the great mosque, is also steep, and forms a deep ravine, with banks almost precipitous." Without and around, on three sides of the city, are the valleys of Gihon, Hinnom, and Jehoshaphat. Opposite these surrounding valleys rise mountains, which are more elevated than the city. On the east is the Mount of Olives. On the south-east is the Mount of Offence. On the south is the Hill of Evil Counsel, and on the west is Mount Gihon. This explains the language of David: "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people, from henceforth even for ever." Thus the approach to the city of an invading army, with their cumbrous implements of war, would be both tardy and difficult.

Such is a very rapid glimpse of the situation and strength of Jerusalem. Perhaps there never was a city so strongly fortified by natural position, and by walls and towers of almost incredible massiveness and magnitude. Altogether it would seem impossible to take it by any power which man, with the then implements of war, could bring against it.

1 Psa. cxxv. 2.

II.

he emple.

"And as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples saith unto Him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

MARK Xiii. 1, 2.

N order to appreciate the force of the prediction and the terribleness of its fulfilment, it is necessary that we should form some accurate idea of the position and structure of the temple, with its walls, courts, and towers. Only thus can we trace out the course of the siege, and understand the aggravated miseries which the people endured from the assaults of the foes without and the turbulence of the factions within Jerusalem.

Many persons mislead themselves by supposing that the temple, designed for the worship of God, resembled the massive structures of Egypt and Greece, devoted to idol worship; or, if not built after these ancient models, that, perhaps, it more nearly resembled the splendid cathedrals of modern times. The description given us in the Old Testament, as well as that of Josephus, will correct all such imaginings.

The tabernacle erected by Moses in the Arabian desert was not formed after the device or arrangement of man. It was unfolded in its entire plan by God Himself. He gave to Moses, at Sinai, minute directions as to the form and size of the structure, the materials to be employed, and the sacred utensils that were to belong to it. During all the journeyings of the Israelites in the wilderness, and for several centuries after their settlement in Canaan, the tabernacle continued to be the place of public worship, though its location was changed several times. When the nation became consolidated and prosperous, it seemed proper that a more permanent structure should be reared. The first person who conceived the thought of the erection of a massive permanent edifice for the worship of God was King David. Though for the reasons clearly stated he was forbidden to carry out his design, he nevertheless made preparations for it by the accumulation of treasures and materials. The plan was fully carried out by Solomon.

It was modelled after the tabernacle, though twice as large, being 105 feet long, 35 feet broad, and 521 feet high. Thus the temple had no human architect. It was unlike any other structure for religious uses that had ever been built. Nor has it ever been copied by architects of any succeeding age. It stood unique and alone during all the ages of its diversified history. Its magnificence did not consist in the size of the principal building, but in the preciousness of the materials, the richness of the ornaments, the excellency of the workmanship, and the number, extent, grandeur, and