The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 593

fltt.ing. The linen wae a fine Indian cloth eighteen pillare, with windows round the or muslin, much ul!Cd. for suoh purposes in circle from whioh the dome springs. In the Egypt. The body would then be taken to centre of this spe.ce, which is sixty-seven foet its destin&tion on &n open bier. St. John a.cross, is the Chapel of the Holy Sepulohre, adds the fBOt that Nioodemue took pa.rt in about twenty-six feet long e.nd eighteen the entombment, bringing a le.rge amount of feet wide, a tasteless structure of reddish myrrh and aloes for a temporary embalming, limestone, like marble, decorated e.11 a.long the ne&r approBOh of the se.bbe.th leaving T,:l the top with g·ilt nosegays e.nd modGrn time for more elaborate oflioes. All bad to pictures, and its front nble.zG with oountless be done with the utmost expedition con- lamps. Inside it is divided into two po.rte, sistent with propriety and reverence, t.o a.void the one marking, e.s is mninle.ined, the spot encroachment on the rest of that high sab- where the angels stood e.t the Resurreotiou, bath. Some of the prepa.rations for burial the other believed to contain the eepnlohre would doubtless be made in the vestibule of Christ . . . . In the centre, cased in of the tomb, which was a ema.11 court, but marble, stands what is called e. piece of the Bp&Cious enough for the purpose. Here the stone rol!Gd e.we.y by the angel ; e.nd e.t the limbs would be separately bound with folds western end, entered by e. low doorway, is of linen, between layers of spices, the bead the reputed tomb-chamber of our Lord, e. being wrapped in a napkin. very small spot, for it is only six feet wide, Ver. 60.-L&id it in his own new tomb. It a few inches longer, and very low. . . . The W81! placed on one of the shelves or recesses tomb itself is e. raised table, two feet high, formed in the sides of the sepulchre. Thus three feet wide, e.nd over six feet long, the did the Saviour make "his grave with th.i top of it serving e.e e.n altar, over which the wicked" (dying between two thieves), "e.nd darkness is only relieved by the dim lamps." with the rich ii his death" (Isa. liiL 9). It A great stone. Joseph e.nd his friends closed was fitting t.Mt he whose body sa.w no cor- the entrance to the cave by rolling up to it, ruption should be buried in a grave which and partly in it, e. huge stone, to obviate ell ha, I never been tainted by a human corpse. danger of the sacred body being meddled Thus also it was ensured that no other body with by evil beasts or men. The Jewish could rise thence except hie who alone was sepulohres were often furnished with real buried therein. This tomb, St. John tells doore, either of stone or wood, e.s is proved us, W81! quite close e.t hand, which e.t that by existing remains, which show grooves and hurried time would be e.n additional reason marks where hinges have been; Joseph's for ma.king use of it. Which he had hewn tomb we.s not thus supplied, either from out in the rock. The tomb was a chamber being still in e.n unfinished state, or con- artifici.a.lly excavated in the face of the rock, structed on a different principle, We can- with one entrance only. The wealthy Jews not reason from the present state of the were especially fond of appropriating vaults sepulchre that it is too unlike what we for the bnris.l of themselves e.nd their must conceive the original to have.been to families. The neighbourhood of Jerusa.lem permit of the snpposed identifica.tiori.. If (as other pa.rte of Palestine) abounds with other criteria point to this site, tho diffi- tombs cnt in the solid limestone. RGcent culties connected with present appearano«ie opinion he.s veered round to adherence to me.y be overcome by the oonsideration that the traditional site of the holy sepulchre, the whole features of the place were altered of which the identification de.tee from the by Constantine, the Crusaders, and other earliest days ; that which is known as builders. The surrounding rock has in "Gordon's tomb" meeting with scant e.ccept- many po.rte been cut away, e.nd the surface e.nce from experts, e.nd other sites not fully levelled or lowered, and the only portion e.nswering the requirements of the case. The left in Bitu is the inner chamber where the existing Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, in the Lord's body was laid. Captain Conder church of that designation, is thus described objects to the traditional site. His own by Dr. Geikie (' Holy Land and Bible,' J>P· theory, which points to e. rock-hewn tomb 437, etc.): On entering the church, "1.m- near the Grotto of J eremie.h, may be seen medie.tely before you is' the stone of unction,' in the Quarterly Statement of the Palestine s:.id to mark the spot on which our Lord's Exploration Fund, April, 1883. And de- body was la.id m preparation for burial, after parted. He had done what he could: being anointed. It is e. large slab of lime- sorrowing, lie left the place of eepnlture. stone. . . . A few steps to the left is the Tradition has traced thG later life of Joseph. pln.ce where, as they tell us, the women stood He is said to have been sent by the Apostle during the e.noiuting, e.nd from ibis you pass Philip to Drita.in, in company with other e.t once, still keeping to the left, into the disciples, and to have settled e.t; Glaston- great round western end of the church-the bury, in Somersetshire, t;hen much nearer model of all the circular churches of Europe to an arm of the see. than it i.e now. Here -under the fs.moll8 dome, which reets on he erected a little oratory of wicker-wo,k, cu. xxv11. 1-66.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. Wu