DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0265
ClIAP. III.
SYRIAN ARCHITECTURE.
201
CHAPTER 11 r.
S Y R I A.
CONTENTS.
Buildings of Solomon — Second Temple at Jerusalem — Palmyra.
CHRONOLOGICAL MEMORANDA.
Solomon builds Temple at Jerusalem.b.c. 1005
Nehemiah rebuilds Temple. 445
Herod the Great repairs and rebuilds Temple .... l1?
When we turn from Assyria to Syria, we have imfortnnately nothing
hut the memories of the past to guide us in our researches into the
history of the art of that country. Tyre and Sidon, the great com-
mercial cities of the ancient worid, are no more, and, were it not for
history, even their site wordd he unknown. Nowhere througliout the
country have any remains yet been discovered that can with certainty
he said to he older than the Christian era ; hut it by no means follows
that such may not exist, for, so far as I know, no traveller has yet
visited that country capable of discriminating hetween what is really
old and what must he ascrihed to a more modern date.
Even Jemsalem herself, one of the most remarkahle cities of the
ancient world, is almost without one vestige of her pristine greatness.
It is true that the site of her celebrated temple is still known, and part
of the terrace-wall which supported it still exists; hut it is very un-
certain if even this wall can he dated earlier than the time of IJerod,
who rehuilt the temple just before the hirth of Christ.
This ahsence of material remains is, however, in some measure
compensated for in the fact that we have more detailed descriptions
of the huildings of Jerusalem than of those of almost any ancient city
known. From those in the Bihle, with the paraphrase of them in
Josephus, we are ahle to acquire a tolerably distinct idea of the build-
ings of Solomon, and from the descriptions of the latter author we can
also understand the form of the temple as rehuilt hy Herod. Till,
however, the palaces of Assyria were jdisin terrcd, and those of Per-
sepolis examined, we had hut little to guide us in our restorations,
hut now it requires only a little more time and patient industry to make
all clear.
Buildings of Solomon.
No huilding, for instance, of antiquity so mucli resemhles the
temple of Solomon as the so-called palace of Darius at Persepolis
SYRIAN ARCHITECTURE.
201
CHAPTER 11 r.
S Y R I A.
CONTENTS.
Buildings of Solomon — Second Temple at Jerusalem — Palmyra.
CHRONOLOGICAL MEMORANDA.
Solomon builds Temple at Jerusalem.b.c. 1005
Nehemiah rebuilds Temple. 445
Herod the Great repairs and rebuilds Temple .... l1?
When we turn from Assyria to Syria, we have imfortnnately nothing
hut the memories of the past to guide us in our researches into the
history of the art of that country. Tyre and Sidon, the great com-
mercial cities of the ancient worid, are no more, and, were it not for
history, even their site wordd he unknown. Nowhere througliout the
country have any remains yet been discovered that can with certainty
he said to he older than the Christian era ; hut it by no means follows
that such may not exist, for, so far as I know, no traveller has yet
visited that country capable of discriminating hetween what is really
old and what must he ascrihed to a more modern date.
Even Jemsalem herself, one of the most remarkahle cities of the
ancient world, is almost without one vestige of her pristine greatness.
It is true that the site of her celebrated temple is still known, and part
of the terrace-wall which supported it still exists; hut it is very un-
certain if even this wall can he dated earlier than the time of IJerod,
who rehuilt the temple just before the hirth of Christ.
This ahsence of material remains is, however, in some measure
compensated for in the fact that we have more detailed descriptions
of the huildings of Jerusalem than of those of almost any ancient city
known. From those in the Bihle, with the paraphrase of them in
Josephus, we are ahle to acquire a tolerably distinct idea of the build-
ings of Solomon, and from the descriptions of the latter author we can
also understand the form of the temple as rehuilt hy Herod. Till,
however, the palaces of Assyria were jdisin terrcd, and those of Per-
sepolis examined, we had hut little to guide us in our restorations,
hut now it requires only a little more time and patient industry to make
all clear.
Buildings of Solomon.
No huilding, for instance, of antiquity so mucli resemhles the
temple of Solomon as the so-called palace of Darius at Persepolis