they did not go beyond that of the priests both of the East and the West, in distributing to all the world pieces of the true cross.-These relics from Palestine were sold in the West to clergy and laity at a high profit; and thus a pilgrimage to Jerusalem often became a source, not only of spiritual renown, but also of emolument. So profitable indeed did this trade in relics become, that Syrian merchants repaired with them to Europe for sale.2

Thus had now rolled on the first six centuries after the Christian era. For half of this long period Jerusalem had remained in darkness, beneath the oppressive sway of heathen domination. During the other half, she had again reassumed her station as the Holy City of the Christian world; and the relations in which she stood towards the West, if not always of the holiest character, were nevertheless such as to excite even in worldly minds a deep interest in her fortunes. Another period of longer and deeper darkness was now about to commence; and Jerusalem, "the joy of the whole earth," was once more to be trodden down by the barbarian hordes of a false religion, under a thraldom from which even yet she is not emancipated.

The Persians under Chosroes I, had already made inroads upon the Roman empire during the reign of

1) The trade in pieces of the true cross commenced very early; for Cyrill of Jerus. (c. 350,) mentions that they were already dispersed throughout the world; see above, p. 16, Note 1. The sacred cross was alleged to have an inherent power of re-production; so that when a portion was taken away, it was again immediately replaced: "In materia insensata vim vivam tenens, ita ex illo tempore innumeris paene quotidie hominum votis lignum suum commodat, ut VOL. II.

5

detrimenta non sentiat, et quasi intacta permaneat," etc. See Paulin. Nolan. (fl. A. D. 400,) Epist. 11, seu 31. Very many abbeys and convents had portions of the cross to show; see Wilken, l. c. p. 13.In like manner, Charles the Bald founded a convent in Aquitaine, "in quo posuit praeputium Domini Jesu Christi ;" Chron. Sithiense ad Ann. 875, in Martene Thesaur. nov. Anecdot. Tom. III.

2) Gregor. Turonensis VIII. 31. Wilken, 1. c. p. 15.

Justinian, and had extended their conquests into the heart of Syria, as far as to Antioch and the shores of the Mediterranean. Under Chosroes II, the war was renewed against the emperor Phocas and his successor Heraclius. The Persians penetrated into Syria; captured Damascus in A. D. 613; and then directed their victorious progress southwards towards Jerusalem. They were joined on the way by the Jews of Tiberias, Nazareth, and the mountains of Galilee. In the month of June, A. D. 614, the Holy City was invested and taken by storm; many thousands of the clergy, monks, consecrated virgins, and other inhabitants were slain; the splendid churches were thrown down, and that of the Holy Sepulchre burned with fire; while the patriarch Zacharias with the true cross, and multitudes of the inhabitants, were carried away into captivity.1

Many fugitives from Palestine and Syria now retired to Alexandria, where they were cherished by the bounty of the patriarch John Eleemon (the compassionate). This munificent patron also sent large supplies of provisions to the miserable inhabitants who remained in Jerusalem. And when, not long after, Modestus was appointed as the vicar of Zacharias during his exile, the same patriarch furnished him. with a large sum of money and a thousand labourers from Egypt, to aid in rebuilding the Holy City and its churches.2

1) The particulars of this siege and its consequences are related by a cotemporary writer in the Chronicon Paschale seu Alexandrinum, p. 385, ed. Paris. Also by Antiochus, at that time abbot of the Convent of St. Saba, in Biblioth. vet. Patrum, Tom. I. p. 1023, seq. Later writers are: Theophanes Chronographia, p. 252, ed. Paris. Eutychii Annal. II. p. 213. Comp. le Quien Oriens Christ. III. p. 250, seq.-Theophanes gives the number of the slain at ninety thou

sand; and Eutychius ascribes the slaughter to the Jews. The Saracens or Arabs would appear also to have acted with the Persians; they plundered the monastery of St. Saba, and massacred forty-four of the monks. Antiochus, 1. c. Le Quien, p. 252.

2) See the life of St. John Eleemon by Leontius, a cotemporary Cyprian bishop; Lat. in Bollandi Acta Sanctor. Jan. Tom. II. p. 500. Le Quien III. p. 250, seq.

Although Palestine and Syria remained under the yoke of the Persians, yet Modestus appears not to have been hindered in the work of restoration. He proceeded to build up again from their foundations the churches of the Resurrection and of Calvary, as also a church of the Assumption. Whether in doing this he changed the form of the buildings around the Holy Sepulchre, we are not told; but the description of Arculfus, as given by Adamnanus at the close of the century, seems not to tally with the accounts of Eusebius. According to him, the Holy Sepulchre was covered by a small tegorium (tugurium?) cut from the same rock, and standing in the midst of a large circular church constructed over it.2 The Basilica or Martyrion of Constantine was situated as before. Adamnanus further describes a church of Golgotha between the Basilica and the Sepulchre; but this is not mentioned by Bernhard two centuries later.3 Both these writers however speak of a church of St. Mary, adjacent to the buildings of the Sepulchre on the South; and this is not improbably the church of the Assumption restored by Modestus.

After years of discomfiture and disaster, the tide of victory turned at length in favour of Heraclius. He routed the armies of the Persians, put their monarch to flight, and pursued them into their own territory. Early in A. D. 628, Chosroes was deposed and murdered by his son Siroes; who immediately concluded an inglorious peace with the Roman emperor. The patriarch Zacharias and other captives were restored after fourteen years of exile, and the true cross was

1) Antiochi Epist. in Biblioth. vet. Patr. Graec. Tom. I. p. 1023, seq. Le Quien 1. c. p. 259. Baron. Annal. A. D. 616. VI.-Antiochus describes Modestus as a second Bezaleel, or at least a Zerubbabel.

2) "Valde grandis ecclesia.... super illud constructa;" Adamn. I. 2.

3) See the description and plan of Adamnanus, I. 2, seq. Bernhard de Locis Sanct. 10.

given up. The emperor returned first to Constantinople, where he made a triumphal entry; and in the following year repaired in person to Jerusalem, which he entered on foot, bearing the true cross upon his shoulder.'

But the restoration of the Holy City to the dominion of the Christians, was not of long duration. Jerusalem had indeed been freed from the yoke of the disciples of Zoroaster; but only in order to be speedily subjected to the more galling and permanent bondage of the followers of Muhammed. The arms of the false prophet and his companions had already subdued Arabia, Syria, and Egypt; and in A. D. 636 the troops of the Khalif Omar appeared before Jerusalem. The city was bravely defended by the patriarch Sophronius. After a long siege,2 the Khalif himself repaired to the camp; and the patriarch at length surrendered to him the Holy City in A. D. 637, on condition that the inhabitants should be secured as to their lives, their families, their property, and their churches. The latter were neither to be destroyed nor appropriated to the Muhammedans. The gates were opened; and Omar entered in a garment of camel's hair, the common apparel of his countrymen. He was not very cordially received by the patriarch; who, on seeing him in this garb, exclaimed: "This is of a truth the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place!" The Khalif honourably fulfilled his promises; and performed his

1) Chron. Paschal. p. 398, seq. ed. Paris. Theophan. Chronogr. p. 273, ed. Paris. Baronii Annal. A. D. 628, I. II. Le Quien 1. c. p. 257.-In A. D. 634, Heraclius retiring before the Muhammedans, carried with him the true cross to Constantinople, where it was seen and described by Arculfus at the

close of the century. Theophan. Chronogr. p. 280. Adamnan. de Loc. Sanct. III. 3.

2) Christian writers say the siege continued two years; Arabian writers, four months.

3) In allusion to Matth. xxiv. 15. Theophanes Chronograph. p. 281, ed. Par.

devotions only on the steps of the Basilica; in order that his followers might have no pretext to claim possession of the church after his departure, under the pretence that he had worshipped in it.' The further proceedings of Omar and his successors in erecting a mosk upon the site of the Jewish temple, have already been narrated.2

From this time onward until the era of the crusades, a period of four and a half centuries, the history of Jerusalem again presents little more than a blank. A few scattered notices drawn from the itineraries of pilgrims and the cotemporary works of European authors, with the traditions recorded by later oriental writers, furnish all the materials which exist for such a history; and, strange as it may appear, even these have never yet been fully collected and arranged. The names of the successive patriarchs are indeed preserved; but the chronicle of their lives illustrates the progress of theological controversy, rather than the history of Jerusalem.* We can here, of course, only touch upon some of the principal events. The remainder of the seventh century, as well as the greater portion of the eighth, is barren of incidents relating to Jerusalem. The Muslims extended their

1) The earliest writers who describe these events are Theophanes 1. c. and Eutychius, Annal. II. p. 284, seq. The former lived apparently nearly or quite two centuries after the event; and the latter about A. D. 870. The Arabian writers Elmacin (el-Makin), Abulfeda and Abulfaragius (Bar Hebraeus), who give still more particulars, are all of the thirteenth century.

2) See above, Vol. I. p. 440.

during this period are best given by Wilken (whom I have in part followed) in his introduction; Gesch. der Kreuzz. I. p. 1, seq. See also

Michaud Hist. des Croisades, Tom. I. The work of Gibbon contains some of these notices. Witsius in his professed history of Jerusalem utterly passes over this whole period; Miscell. Sac. Tom. II. Exerc. XII. 40, 41.-William of Tyre wrote a work entitled de Gestis orientalium Principum, covering the time from the conquest of Jerusalem to the era of the crusades; but it is unfortunately lost. Will. Tyr. I. 3, fin.

4) See Pappebroch Patriarchar. Hieros. Hist. chronol. prefixed to the Acta Sanctor. Maii, Tom. III. Le Quien Oriens Christ. III. pp. 280-500.