Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/290

 2ôo A History of Art in Sardinia and Jud.ka. water through the high-level acqueduct extending as far as Bethlehem. 1 Whatever may be the date of these structures, they certainly are very much older than the Roman Conquest. On the other hand, the testimony of the historian rests on second-hand evidence ; whilst we must understand the rill, jetting out from under the Golden Gate, as partaking of the supernatural character of the prophet's dream ; and, as such, not to be taken literally. There is no allusion in any other Hebrew writer of the existence of a spring on the terminal plateau of Moriah ; and the present haram has nought that resembles a fountain. Had there been one a few yards off, it is not likely that the enormous expenditure in labour and money, represented by the brazen sea, would have been incurred. Was it not because the serious lack of it was felt, that artificial appliances were resorted to at Jeru- salem and Amathuntis, so as to supply the various needs of the temple ? Ten other bronze-plated vessels, six cubits high by four each way, capable of holding seven or eight hectolitres of liquid, were set on rollers, and carried water to every part of the terrace as required. It is probable that they had been specially made in view of the sacrificial altar, which had to be thoroughly cleansed after each offering ; and whose level they almost reached when they were drawn up along side of it, as in our woodcut (Fig. 173). On the platform of the altar stands a priest, pole in hand to which is attached a bucket, he is about to dip into the vessel full of water ; just drawn from the brazen sea, which is seen in the background. It may be imagined that, exposed to the variations of the atmosphere, the brazen wheels soon got rusty and unfit for active service ; they were then ranged in sets on each side of the inner court, where their picturesque form and workmanship rendered them pleasant objects to look at. The vessels consisted of two distinct parts — an under frame resting on two pairs of rollers or wheels, like those of a carriage, and a square box containing the recipient properly so-called, in the shape of a huge bucket or cauldron. In the uncertainty 1 Fans perennis aqua {Hist. v. 12), says Tacitus. The same words occur in chap, xxiii. of the pseudo Aristeas, who wrote towards the beginning of our era. The text will be found in the Bibliotheca Patrum of Galland, torn. ii. pp. 721-804.