論聖地 第 1 章 第 1/4 段

The chapter-headings of the first book. I. Concerning the situation of Jerusalem. II. Concerning the church of round form built over the sepulchre of the Lord, and concerning the figure of the sepulchre itself and of its little canopy. III. Concerning that stone which was rolled to the door of His monument, which the angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, rolled away after His resurrection. IV. Concerning the church of Saint Mary, which adjoins the round church. V. Concerning that church which was constructed in the place of Calvary. VI. Concerning the basilica which Constantine built near the aforesaid church, in the place where the cross of the Lord, overwhelmed by ruins, was found dug up after many ages. VII.

Concerning another exedra situated between the church of Calvary and the basilica of Constantine, in which the cup of the Lord and the sponge are kept hidden — the sponge from which, hanging on the wood, He sucked vinegar and wine. VIII. Concerning the lance of the soldier, with which he himself pierced the side of the Lord. IX. Concerning that napkin with which the head of the buried Lord was covered. X. Concerning the linen cloth which, as is reported, holy Mary wove. XI. Concerning another lofty column situated in that place where, the cross of the Lord being set over him, a dead young man came back to life. XII. Concerning the church of Saint Mary built in the valley of Jehoshaphat, in which her tomb is kept. XIII. Concerning the tower of Jehoshaphat constructed in the same valley. XIV. Concerning the tombs of Symeon and Joseph. XV.

Concerning the cave situated in the rock of the Mount of Olives over against the valley of Jehoshaphat, in which there are four tables and two wells. XVI. Concerning the gate of David. XVII. Concerning that place where Judas Iscariot hanged himself with a noose. XVIII. Concerning the form of the great basilica built on Mount Sion, and concerning the situation of that mount itself. XIX. Concerning that little field which in Hebrew is called Aceldama. XX. Concerning the rough and rocky places lying open widely from Jerusalem as far as the city of Samuel, and succeeding toward the west as far as Caesarea of Palestine. XXI. Concerning the Mount of Olives. XXII. Concerning the height and quality of that land. XXIII. Concerning the place of the Lord's ascension. XXIV. Concerning the church built upon it. XXV. Concerning the tomb of Lazarus and the church built over it.

XXVI. Concerning the monastery adjoining the same. XXVII. Concerning the church constructed on the right-hand side of Bethany. XXVIII. Concerning the vineyards and crops of the Mount of Olives. XXIX. Concerning the higher places of it. THE FIRST BOOK. I. CONCERNING THE SITUATION OF JERUSALEM. Concerning the situation of Jerusalem, a few things must now be written out of those which the holy Arculf dictated to me; but those things which are found in the books of others concerning the position of that same city are to be passed over by us. In the great circuit of its walls, this same Arculf counted eighty-four towers and twice three gates, of which the order around the circuit of the city is set down thus:

The Gate of David, on the western side of Mount Sion, is reckoned first; the second is the gate of the Fuller's village; the third the gate of Saint Stephen; the fourth the gate of Benjamin; the fifth a small postern, that is, a little gate, from which one descends by steps into the valley of Josaphat; the sixth the gate of Tecua. This, then, is the order of the gates and of the spaces between the towers, running from the Gate of David mentioned above, around toward the north, and thence directed toward the east. Yet however many—six gates—are counted in the walls, the more frequented of them are nonetheless the entrances of three gates: one on the western side, another on the northern, and a third on the eastern.

But that portion of the walls, with the towers set between them, which runs from the Gate of David described above, along the northern brow of Mount Sion—which from the south rises above the city—as far as that front of the same mountain which, with its sheer rock, looks toward the eastern region, is proved to have no gates at all. Yet this too seems not to be passed over: what holy Arculf related to us beforehand concerning the honor paid to this city in Christ, saying: 'A nearly innumerable multitude of various peoples is wont to gather from every side at Jerusalem on the fifteenth day of the month of September, by yearly custom, to carry on trade by mutual sellings and buyings.'

Whence it necessarily comes about that for several days the throngs of various peoples are lodged in that same hospitable city; and the very great multitude of their camels and horses and asses, and of mules and oxen too, drawing diverse loads, scatters everywhere through those city streets the loathsome filth of their droppings, the stench of which brings no small annoyance to the citizens and also presents a hindrance to walking. Wonderful to tell, after the day of the departure mentioned above, with the various beasts of the throngs gone, on the following night an immense abundance of rain poured forth from the clouds descends upon that same city, and washing away all the abominable filth from the streets, makes it cleansed from its impurities.

For the very site of Jerusalem, beginning from the northern brow of Mount Sion, has been so disposed by God the Creator with a gentle slope down to the lower places of the northern and eastern walls, that that overflow of rain can in no way settle in the streets like standing pools of water, but rushes down like rivers from the higher places to the lower. And this flood of heavenly waters, flowing out through the eastern gates and carrying away with it all the filthy abominations, entering the valley of Josaphat swells the torrent Cedron; and after such a Jerusalemite baptizing, that same overflowing of waters at once ceases.

Hence, then, it must be noted not negligently with how great and what kind of honor this chosen and praiseworthy city is held in the sight of the eternal Father, who does not allow it to remain soiled for long, but for the honor of His only-begotten cleanses it the more quickly—He who within the circuit of its walls has the honored places of His holy cross and resurrection.

Moreover, in that famous place where once the Temple had been magnificently built, situated near the wall on the east, the Saracens now frequent a quadrangular house of prayer, which they have fashioned with a poor workmanship, constructing it with upright planks and great beams over certain remains of the ruins; and this house, as is said, can hold three thousand men at once. And so Arculf, being asked by us about the dwellings of that city, answering said:

'I remember that I both saw and frequented many buildings of that same city, and that I often examined very many large houses of stone, marvelously wrought with skill, throughout the great city within the walls that surround it; all of which now, as I judge, are to be passed over by us, except the structures of those buildings which have been marvelously built in the holy places—namely of the cross and of the resurrection—about which we questioned holy Arculf more diligently, especially concerning the Sepulchre of the Lord and the church built over it, whose form Arculf himself drew for me on a wax tablet.' II. CONCERNING THE CHURCH OF ROUND FORM BUILT OVER THE SEPULCHRE OF THE LORD, AND THE FIGURE OF THE SEPULCHRE ITSELF AND OF ITS LITTLE SHRINE.

This very large church, wholly of stone, laid out with marvelous roundness on every side, rising from its foundations in three walls, having between each wall and the next a broad space of passage, and also three altars wrought with skill in three places of the middle wall: this round and lofty church, having the aforesaid altars—one looking toward the south, another toward the north, the third toward the west—twelve stone columns of marvelous size support.

It has twice four gates, that is, four entrances, fixed through the three walls set up at intervals with spaces of passage between them; of which four exits look toward the north-northeast (which is also called the wind Caecias), and the other four look toward the southeast. In the middle space of this inner round building there is a round little shrine cut out of one and the same rock, in which thrice three men can stand and pray; and from the crown of a standing man of no short stature up to the vault of that little chamber the height extends to the measure of a foot and a half.

The entrance of this little shrine looks toward the east; the whole of it on the outside is covered with choice marble, and its outer topmost summit, adorned with gold, supports a golden cross of no small size. In the northern part of this shrine the Sepulchre of the Lord is held, cut out within in that same rock; but the pavement of the same shrine is lower than the place of the Sepulchre. For from its pavement up to the edge of the side of the Sepulchre the measure of about three palms in height is recognized to be had. So Arculf, who often frequented the Sepulchre of the Lord, having measured it without doubt, declared to me. In this place the property or difference of the names between 'monument' (monumentum) and 'sepulchre' (sepulchrum) is to be noted.

For that round little shrine, so often mentioned above, the evangelists call by another name 'the monument' (monumentum), to whose door they declare the stone was rolled and from whose door it was rolled away when the Lord rose again;

but 'sepulchre' (sepulchrum) properly designates that place in the shrine—that is, in the northern part of the monument—in which the Lord's body, wrapped in linen cloths, was laid and rested; whose length Arculf measured with his own hand to the measure of seven feet. This sepulchre is not, as some falsely suppose, double, having a kind of little partition cut out of the very rock, cutting between and separating the two legs and the two thighs; but it is wholly simple, presenting from head to feet a couch capable of one man lying on his back, in the manner of a cave, having its entrance from the side looking toward the southern part of the monument over against it, and a low summit projecting above, skillfully wrought; in which sepulchre indeed twelve lamps, according to the number of the twelve holy apostles, always burning shine by day and by night, of which four are placed lower at the foot of that sepulchral couch, but the other twice four, set higher upon its edge on the right side, shine brightly, fed by oil.

But this too seems to be noted: that the mausoleum of the Saviour—that is, the shrine so often mentioned above—may rightly be called a cavern or cave; concerning which indeed, of the Lord Jesus Christ buried in it, the prophet prophesies, saying: 'He shall dwell on high in the cavern of the strongest rock'; and a little after, concerning the resurrection of the same Lord, to gladden the apostles, it is added: 'Ye shall see the King with glory.' The form, therefore, of the aforesaid round church, with the round little shrine set in the midst of it—in whose northern part the Lord's sepulchre is held—the picture set below declares, as well as the figures of three other churches, of which mention will be made below.

These figures of the four churches, then, we have drawn according to the model which, as was said above, holy Arculf depicted for me on a little leaf of wax—not that their likeness can be formed in a picture, but that the Lord's monument, though by such a poor representation, may be shown set in the middle of the round church, or that it may be declared which church is nearer to this and which is placed farther off. III. CONCERNING THAT STONE WHICH WAS ROLLED TO THE DOOR OF HIS MONUMENT, WHICH THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, DESCENDING FROM HEAVEN, ROLLED AWAY AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.

But amid these things it seems that brief mention must be made of that stone mentioned above, which was rolled by many men pushing to the door of the Lord's monument after the burial of the crucified Lord; which Arculf reports as broken and divided into two parts. The smaller part of it, hewn with iron tools, is seen to stand set up as a square altar in the round church described above, before the door of that often-mentioned shrine—that is, of the Lord's monument; but the larger part of that stone, likewise hewn round about, stands in the eastern place of the same church as another quadrangular altar fixed beneath linen cloths.

Concerning, therefore, the colors of that rock in which that often-mentioned shrine was hollowed out within by the iron tools of the hewers, having the Lord's sepulchre cut out in its northern place from one and the same rock as the monument—that is, the shrine itself—Arculf, being asked by me, said: 'That shrine of the Lord's monument, covered within by no ornament, to this day throughout its whole hollowing shows the marks of the iron tools which the hewers or cutters used in the same work; but the color of that same rock of the monument and of the sepulchre is not one, but two appear mingled, namely red and white, whence the same rock is shown to be two-colored.' But concerning these matters let this suffice. IIII.

CONCERNING THE CHURCH OF SAINT MARY WHICH ADJOINS THE ROUND CHURCH. For the rest, a few things must be added concerning the structures of the holy places. To that round church so often mentioned above—which is also called Anastasis, that is, resurrection, which was built in the place of the Lord's resurrection—on the right side adjoins the quadrangular church of Saint Mary the Mother of the Lord. V. CONCERNING THAT CHURCH WHICH WAS BUILT IN THE PLACE OF CALVARY.

But another very great church has been built toward the east in that place which in Hebrew is called Golgotha, in whose upper parts a certain great wheel of bronze with lamps hangs by ropes; below which a great silver cross is fixed and set up in the very place where once stood fixed the wooden cross on which the Saviour of the human race suffered. In the same church there is a certain cavern cut in the rock below the place of the Lord's cross, where upon an altar sacrifice is offered for the souls of certain honored persons, whose bodies meanwhile are laid placed in the open square before the gate of the same church of Golgotha, until those most sacred mysteries for the dead are completed for them. VI.

CONCERNING THE BASILICA WHICH CONSTANTINE BUILT NEAR THE AFORESAID CHURCH IN THE SAME PLACE, WHERE THE CROSS OF THE LORD, OVERCOME BY THE OXEN, WAS FOUND AFTER MUCH TIME, DUG UP FROM THE EARTH. To this church, built of stone in quadrangular structure in the place of Calvary, adjoins on its eastern side that nearby basilica constructed with great cost by King Constantine, which is also called the Martyrium, built, as is said, in that place where the cross of the Lord, together with the two other crosses of the thieves, hidden beneath the earth, was found after two hundred and thirty-three cycles of years, by the gift of the Lord Himself.

Between these two churches, then, occurs that famous place in which the patriarch Abraham set up an altar, placing upon it a pile of wood, and, that he might immolate his son Isaac, seized the drawn sword—where now there is a wooden table of no small size, upon which the alms for the poor are offered by the people. And this too holy Arculf added to me as I questioned him more diligently, saying: 'Between the Anastasis—that is, that round church so often mentioned above—and the basilica of Constantine a certain little open square extends as far as the church of Golgotha, in which little square, indeed, lamps always burn by day and by night.' VII.

CONCERNING ANOTHER CHAPEL SITUATED BETWEEN THE CHURCH OF CALVARY AND THE BASILICA OF CONSTANTINE, IN WHICH THE CHALICE OF THE LORD AND THE SPONGE STORED IN IT ARE HELD—THE SPONGE FROM WHICH, HANGING ON THE WOOD, HE HAD SUCKED VINEGAR AND WINE. Between that basilica of Golgotha and the Martyrium there is a certain chapel, in which is the chalice of the Lord, which He, blessed by Himself with His own hand at the supper on the day before He suffered, delivered as host to the apostles feasting with Him; which silver chalice, having the measure of a Gallic sextarius and containing in itself two little handles set on either side, in which chalice indeed is that sponge which, full of vinegar, those crucifying the Lord set round with hyssop and offered to His mouth:

from this same chalice, as is said, the Lord after the resurrection, feasting with the apostles, drank; which holy Arculf saw and, through the opening of the perforated lid of that little casket where it is kept stored, touched with his own hand and kissed; which chalice indeed the whole people of the city frequents with immense veneration. VIII. CONCERNING THE LANCE OF THE SOLDIER, WITH WHICH HE PIERCED THE SIDE OF THE LORD. The same Arculf likewise also beheld that lance of the soldier with which he had struck the side of the Lord hanging on the cross. This same lance is held inserted in a wooden cross in the porch of that basilica of Constantine, whose shaft is broken into two parts; which the whole Jerusalemite city likewise frequents, kisses, and venerates.

VIIII. CONCERNING THAT NAPKIN WITH WHICH THE HEAD OF THE BURIED LORD WAS COVERED. Concerning that most sacred napkin of the Lord also, which in the sepulchre had been placed over His head, we learned from the account of holy Arculf, who beheld it with his own eyes—this narration which we now write down, which the whole Jerusalemite people testify to be true; for by the witness of very many faithful Jerusalemite citizens holy Arculf learned this declaration, who, as he himself listened more attentively, often declared, saying:

'About three years ago, the most sacred linen cloth—which a certain quite respectable and believing Jew had stolen from the Lord's sepulchre immediately after His resurrection, and hidden with himself for many days—by the gift of the same Lord, after many cycles of years, being found, came to the knowledge of the whole people. That happy and faithful thief, therefore, brought forth and revealed that Lord's napkin which at first he had stealthily carried off, when, set at his last hour, he summoned his two sons and showed it, saying: My little sons, now the choice is given you.

Let whichever of the two say what he would rather choose to desire, that I too may know without doubt which of you it shall be to whom, according to his own choice, I ought to entrust either all my substance which I have, or this alone, the sacred napkin of the Lord.' When these words had been heard from the mouth of the father, one of them, who chose to receive all his father's riches, received them from his brother, entrusted according to the promise made by the father under testament.

Wonderful to tell, from that day all his riches and all his patrimony—for which he had sold the napkin of the Lord—began to diminish, and all that he had, lost by various misfortunes, was brought to nothing; but the other son of the aforesaid blessed thief, blessed, who preferred the napkin of the Lord above all patrimonies, from the day on which he received it from the hand of his dying father, growing more and more by the gift of God, was enriched even with earthly wealth and not defrauded of the heavenly. And thus this napkin of the Lord, faithful fathers entrusted to faithful sons born of the seed of that thrice-blessed man—as it were by hereditary right—according to the order of their lineage, faithfully down to the fifth generation.

But after the times of the fifth generation, when many courses of years had passed and the hereditary faithful of that same kindred were failing, the sacred linen came into the hands of certain unbelieving Jews; who, although themselves unworthy of such a gift, nonetheless embraced it honorably, and by the divine bestowing largesse, exceedingly enriched in various places with diverse wealth, were made rich. But the believing Jews, a sure account having arisen among the people concerning the Lord's napkin, began strongly to contend with the unbelieving Jews over that sacred linen, seeking with all their might to take it into their hands. This contention, sustained, split the Jerusalemite populace into two parts, that is, the believing faithful against the unbelieving infidels.

Whence the king of the Saracens also, named Mauias, appealed to by both parties, deciding between both before the Christian Jews present, said to those unbelieving Jews who were stubbornly retaining the Lord's napkin: 'Give the sacred linen which you have into my hand.' They, obeying the king's word, bringing it forth from the casket, place it in the bosom of the ruler. When the king had received it with great reverence, he commanded a pyre to be made in the open square before all the people; and when this was burning with too great a blaze, he himself rose and, approaching that pyre, with raised voice said to the two discordant parties:

'Now may Christ the Saviour of the world, who suffered for the human race, who in the sepulchre had this napkin which I now hold in my bosom placed over His head, judge by the flame of fire between you who contend over this same linen, that we may know to which party of these two contentious hosts He may deign to grant such a gift.' And saying these things, he cast the sacred napkin of the Lord into the flames.

Which the fire could in no way touch, but, whole and unharmed, rising from the pyre like a bird with outspread wings, it began to fly aloft; and looking down from on high upon both contending parties of the people, seated as if drawn up in battle-array on the eve of war, circling for some space of moments through the empty air over the two, then descending little by little, by God's guiding, inclining meanwhile toward the party of the Christians who were entreating Christ the judge, it settled in their bosom.

They, giving thanks to God with hands lifted up to heaven, with immense rejoicing, kneeling down, receive the Lord's napkin with great honor—a venerable gift sent to them from heaven—and render hymn-filled praises to Christ its giver, and store it away in the church's casket, wrapped in another linen cloth. Which our brother Arculf on another day saw lifted from the casket, and amid the multitude of people kissing it he too kissed it in the assembly of the church, having a measure of length of about eight feet. Concerning which let these things said suffice. X. CONCERNING ANOTHER SACRED LINEN WHICH, AS IS SAID, THE HOLY VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE LORD, HAD WOVEN.

Arculf also saw another, larger linen cloth in that same Jerusalemite city, which, as is said, holy Mary wove; and on account of this the whole people venerates it, kept with great reverence in the church. In this linen indeed the figures of the twelve apostles are held interwoven, and the image of the Lord Himself is portrayed. Of which linen one part is of red color, and the other, over against it on the other side, is green. XI. CONCERNING ANOTHER LOFTY COLUMN SITUATED IN THAT PLACE WHERE, THE LORD'S CROSS BEING PLACED OVER HIM, A DEAD YOUNG MAN CAME BACK TO LIFE. Concerning a certain very lofty column, which from the holy places toward the north, standing in the middle of the city, is met by those going past, a brief word must be said.

This same column, set up in that place where a dead young man came back to life when the Lord's cross was placed over him, in a wonderful manner at the summer solstice, at the noon hour when the sun reaches the center of the heaven, casts no shadow; but when the solstice is past—which is the eighth day before the Kalends of July—after three days have intervened, with the day gradually shortening, it first casts a short shadow, and then, with the progress of days, a longer one. And so this column, which the brightness of the sun at the summer solstice, in the noon hours, standing in the center of the heaven directly above, shining around from every side and poured about it on all sides, illuminates—testifies that Jerusalem is situated in the middle of the orb of the earth.

Whence the psalmist also, prophesying on account of the holy places of the passion and resurrection which are contained within Aelia itself, sings: 'But God our King before the ages has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth'—that is, Jerusalem, which is called the mid-land and the navel of the earth. XII. CONCERNING THE CHURCH OF SAINT MARY BUILT IN THE VALLEY OF JOSAPHAT, IN WHICH HER MONUMENT IS HELD.

The diligent frequenter of holy places, holy Arculf, frequented the church of Saint Mary in the valley of Josaphat, whose doubly-built lower part, beneath a stone flooring, is built with a marvelous round structure, in whose eastern part there is an altar; and on its right side there is the empty stone sepulchre of Saint Mary, in which she once, having been buried, rested. But concerning that same sepulchre—how, or at what time, or by what persons her holy little body was taken up, or in what place it awaits the resurrection—no one, as is said, can know for certain.

Those entering this lower round church of Saint Mary see that rock inserted into the wall on the right, upon which the Lord, in the field of Gethsemane, on that night in which He was being betrayed by Judas into the hands of sinful men, prayed with bent knees before the hour of His betrayal; in which rock indeed the marks of the two knees of His are seen, impressed quite deeply as if in the softest wax. So our brother Arculf declared to us, the visitor of holy places, who beheld with his own eyes these things which we describe. In the upper, likewise round church of Saint Mary, four altars are shown to be present. XIII. CONCERNING THE TOWER OF JOSAPHAT BUILT IN THE SAME VALLEY.

In that same aforesaid valley, not far from the church of Saint Mary, the tower of Josaphat is shown, in which his sepulchre is seen. XIIII. CONCERNING THE MONUMENTS OF SIMEON AND JOSEPH. To this little tower indeed a certain stone house adjoins on the right side, cut out and separated from the rock of the Mount of Olives, in which, hollowed within with iron tools, two sepulchres are shown without any ornament; of which one is that of Simeon, the just man, who, embracing the infant Lord Jesus in the temple with both hands, prophesied concerning Him; but the other is that of the equally just Joseph, the spouse of Saint Mary and the foster-father of the Lord Jesus. XV. CONCERNING THE CAVE HELD IN THE ROCK OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES OVER AGAINST THE VALLEY OF JOSAPHAT, IN WHICH THERE ARE FOUR TABLES AND TWO WELLS.

In the side of the Mount of Olives there is a certain cave, not far from the church of Saint Mary, situated in a more prominent place over against the valley of Josaphat, in which there are two very deep wells; of which one extends beneath the mountain, drawn out on high to an infinite depth, and the other in the pavement of the cave, whose most vast cavity, as is said, plunged into the deep, descending runs straight down; which two wells are always covered over.