HO has not heard of Jerusalem? Of all cities in the world, both ancient and modern, not one has possessed so much interest for the readers of the Bible. From the time of its being made the city of the chosen people of God, to the present hour, it has never ceased to be famous, and such

will it continue to be to the end of time.

Jerusalem is supposed to be the same city which in the history of Abraham is called Salem, of which Melchizedek was king. It lay on the confines of the territories of Judah and Benjamin, but it was not possessed by these tribes till it was wrested from the original inhabitants by David and his valorous troops. It was built on and surrounded by several hills and by deep ravines. It is open to the north; and the hill of Zion, on which David's city stood, was divided from the other hills on which the rest of the city was placed, by a deep gorge or valley.

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The ancient city Jebus probably occupied only one of the hills upon which Jerusalem afterwards stood, and that the more northern. Connected with it, however, on another hill called Zion, south of the former and higher than it, was a fortress, which David wrested from the Jebusites; and having possessed himself of it, he made it his royal residence, and enclosing the whole mountain and adding to it the city, gave it the specific name of the City of David. The city was still further enlarged by Solomon, enclosed with a wall, and adorned with erections which, for costliness and splendour, might vie not only with any city of ancient, but even with any of modern times.

The first of these structures was the Temple, erected on Mount Moriah, the very mountain on which Abraham went to offer up his son Isaac. It was a noble object; but rather a monument of the wealth than of the architectural skill of the early Jews. It was, however, a wonder of the world, from the splendour of its materials. It consisted of a propylæum, a temple proper, and a sanctuary, called respectively "The Porch," "The Holy Place," and the "Holy of Holies."

In the front to the east stood the Porch, a tall tower rising to the height of two hundred and ten feet. Within or before the Porch stood two pillars of brass, about fifty feet high. These had the names of Jachin and Boaz. The capitals of these were of the richest workmanship, with network, chainwork, and pomegranates-the pomegranate being the emblem of fertility. The Porch was thirty-five feet in width. The length of the main building, including the "Holy Place," was seventy feet, and the "Holy of Holies," thirty-five feet; the height, fifty-two and a half feet. The whole length of the building was one hundred and five feet.

The open court, called emphatically the Temple, or rather

the inner quadrangle, was, in fact, the great place of Divine worship. Here, under the open air, were celebrated the great public and national rites, the processions, the offerings, and the sacrifices. Here also stood the tank for ablutions, and the high altar for burnt offerings.

The walls were of hewn stone faced with cedar, which was richly covered with knops and flowers. The ceiling was of fir tree, but in every part gold was lavished with the utmost profusion, within and without the floor, the walls, the ceiling,-in short, the whole house is described as being overlaid with gold. The most glorious decorations were reserved for the sanctuary. Here the cherubim, which stood upon the covering of the ark, with their wings touching each other, were entirely covered over with gold.

The sumptuous veil, of the richest materials and brightest colours, which divided the holy of holies from the holy place, was suspended on chains of gold. Cherubim, palm trees, the pomegranate-the favourite ornaments-were everywhere covered with gold. The altar within the Temple, and the table of shewbread, were also covered with the same precious metal. All the vessels, the candlesticks, five hundred basins, and the rest of the articles, and the sacrificial and other utensils, were of solid gold.

Besides the lofty pillars above mentioned, there was a great tank-a sea of molten brass-supported on twelve oxen, three turned each way. This was seventeen and a half feet in diameter. There was also a great altar, and ten large vessels for ablution, called lavers, standing on bases of pedestals, the rims of which were richly ornamented with a border, on which were wrought figures of lions, oxen, and cherubim. The bases below were formed of four wheels, like those of a chariot. All the works in brass were cast in a place near

the Jordan, where the soil was a stiff clay suited to the purpose.

For seven years this splendid fabric rose in silence. All the timber, the stones, even of the most enormous size, measuring between seventeen and eighteen feet, were hewn and fitted to be put together without the sound of any tool being heard in the building. When the whole was completed, the solemn dedication took place by king Solomon, with the greatest magnificence which the king and nation could display. The prayer of Solomon is not only one of the most sacred pieces ever uttered, but the most sublime.

Under this monarch Jerusalem attained the zenith of its glory. Besides the magnificent buildings already described, he erected for himself a throne of ivory, and overlaid it with gold. Six steps led up to the seat, and on each side of the steps stood twelve lions. All the vessels of his palace were of pure gold, and his armour was burnished with gold. Two hundred targets and three hundred shields of beaten gold were suspended in the house in the forest of Lebanon. Josephus mentions a body of archers who escorted him from the city to his country palace, clad in dresses of Tyrian purple, their hair powdered with gold dust, as the French ladies' is at the present time. And it is testified in Holy Writ, that the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones. Such was the first Temple.

THE SECOND TEMPLE.

HE second Temple, which was originally built by Zerubbabel after the Captivity, differed in several respects from that built by Solomon, although they agreed in the main. The second Temple also was without the glory of the ark and mercy seat-the Shechinah, or manifestation of the Divine presence in the Holy of Holies-the sacred fire on the altar which had been originally kindled from heaven. But the second Temple surpassed the first in glory, as it was frequently honoured by the Divine presence of the Redeemer of mankind, the Son of God.

The various apartments in each Temple were similar, as were also the purposes to which they were appropriated. The sanctuary was entered through nine gates, which were on every side thickly covered with gold and silver; but there was one gate without the holy house which was of Corinthian brass, the most precious metal of ancient times, and which far surpassed the others in beauty: for while these were of equal magnitude, the gate composed of Corinthian brass was much larger, its height being fifty cubits, and its doors forty cubits, its bolts of gold and silver being costly and massive.

The court of the Gentiles was surrounded by a range of