Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/253

 Elevation of the Temple. 231 and not so vigorous as in the sepulchral chamber of St. James, inclining rather to a Greek style, but the principle is the same. To reverse the order and to agree with De Saulcy that the Greeks obtained the triglyph from these specimens of indifferent Jewish art — to make these centuries older than they are in reality, would only lead to confusion. Our restoration of the pylons is therefore justified by the two- fold testimony of written and stone documents. If the attempts made hitherto to restore the odd pillars of the temple have proved abortive, this has been due to a misapprehension of the text, in assigning the two cubits to the outer face, having had no presentment that it referred to their salience in plan on the façade. Not unnaturally was it asked, how pilasters 30 m. in height by one in diameter could stand at all or any time. Omitting the question of solidity as foreign to the thesis we wish to prove, a glance at the following diagram (Fig. 146) will sufficiently show that a similar construction would violate the canons of good taste, and be a positive eyesore. 1 As we understand it, Phoenician, like Egyptian pylons, must have possessed chambers and steps leading to them. Unfortunately our plan is on too small a scale to allow of these being seen ; but we show the windows on the sunken face of the pylon and at the sides (Plate IV.), 2 the palm ornament in low relief wreathing the doorway, the pomegranate around the upper portion of the pillar, including the capitals of the twin bronze columns, and of the sanctuary throughout. To facilitate free egress we have put two unpretending side doors, which connect the inner vestibule with the pavement in front of the portico. Within this are wood or metal columns ranged about the doorway, with a row 1 The figure is reproduced from Father Lamy's elevation of the frontispiece of the temple. We have omitted, however, the twin buttresses, which he deemed necessary to support the pillars. 2 Hist, of Art, torn. iii. pp. 486, 487. As David watched for the turn the conflict against Absalom would take, he stood " between the two doorways," and on hearing of the death of his son, " he went up into the chamber over the gate- way " (Sam. xviii. 24, 33). Fig. 146. — Pylon after ordinary interpretation of Biblical Text.