Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 62.djvu/555

Rh shape for dove-tailing. Twenty thousand slaves removed the heavy blocks from the mouth of the quarry and carried them to the building site."

Hard as was the lot of the workmen in the quarry-caves in times of so-called peace, it was not comparable in horror with that of the beseigedbesieged [sic] inhabitant who resorted to those underground retreats in time of war. The following paragraph from Josephus's account of what took place in the quarry-caves of Jerusalem at the time of its seigesiege [sic] and destruction by Titus is frightfully descriptive of those terrible scenes. "The Romans slew some of them, some they carried captives and others they made search for underground, and when they found where they were they broke up the ground and slew all they met with. There were also found slain there above two thousand persons, partly by their own hands and party by one another, but chiefly destroyed by the famine; but then the ill savor of their bodies was most offensive to those who lighted upon them, insomuch that some were obliged to get away immediately, while others were so greedy of gain that they would go in among the dead bodies that lay on heaps and tread upon them, for a great deal of treasure was found in these caverns and the hope of gain made every way of getting it to be esteemed lawful."

As the centuries have passed away decay has so completely done its work there upon all organic matter that not even a bone of all that multitude of the dead has been found with the floor-dust of the cave. Even the air is not now oppressive, although there is apparently no other aperture or entrance than the one by which we entered. I also saw no appearance of fouling of the cave by seepage from the city water-pools nor from the surface drainage of the unsanitary streets and alleys overhead. As we turned to retrace our steps all was so peaceful and untainted it was difficult to realize that man's inhumanity to man was ever so terribly demonstrated there as credible historians have compelled us to believe.

Because of the great difference between the methods of modern and ancient warfare, the scenes which accompanied the various sieges and captures which Jerusalem has suffered can never be repeated; but if a hostile army should ever again camp before the city with intent to destroy it, an effort would doubtless be made to place a few tons of dynamite at the farther end of that anciently constructed mine. In the twinkling of an eye a more complete destruction would follow than that which was inflicted by Titus in his six months of siege and spoliation. Indeed, considering the present possibility of smuggling high explosives into that mine, and the wide prevalence of wanton anarchism, it would be prudent to guard it with special care.