formed, and was nearly nine feet high in the

centre.

It was necessary that this chamber should be destroyed in order to build the Church, and when some of the stones were taken away, the architect discovered some steps leading into a passage. It appeared to have been a large watercourse or conduit, running from east to west. The architect traced it for about two hundred feet in an easterly direction, but the rubbish with which it was blocked up prevented him from going farther.

The opinion he gave about it was this. The chamber was a kind of cistern or reservoir, into which the water flowed along the aqueduct. Jewish women in time of old most likely came up to this cistern for water. It may be about this that it is written, that Hezekiah "took counsel with his princes and with his mighty men, to stop the waters of the fountains that were without the city." It has all the appearance of being very ancient, and may have been supplied with water from Solomon's Pools. The chamber seems to be more modern than the aqueduct, and may have been one of the means used for supplying water to the Palace of Herod. There are doubtless wonderful things buried under the heaps and rubbish of Jerusalem. The day may soon come, when we shall know more about them.

HOW DO JEWISH CHILDREN SPEND
CHRISTMAS DAY?

WHAT do our readers think of a question like this? If Jewish children do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, they are not likely to care for the day on which He was born. This of course is the case with most Jewish children. They make it a day of feasting and pleasure. This has become a custom with them, as well as with so many who call themselves Christians.

But there are some Jewish children who spend this happy season in a manner that would be an example to Christian children. Of this the Rev. J. Graf speaks, who is our missionary at Posen.

The examination of the children in one of our schools in that part of the Continent took place at that time. It was a very excellent one, and all the persons who were present were very pleased. It was opened by the children singing the hymn—

"Oh! Holy Trinity. Oh! blessed Unity!"

On Christmas Eve they celebrate what is called in Germany" Christmas night." This began at three o'clock in the afternoon. All the Jewish children came to the school room, who are in the habit of attending the school; and not only so,

but many who used to attend it in former days. The room was quite crowded.

The first thing that was done, was the singing of a beautiful hymn, which speaks of the birth of the eternal Son of the eternal Father. The children were then examined in the prophecies of the Old Testament, which refer to the Messiah, and they showed how these prophecies were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus. It was very touching, says Mr. Graf, to hear the blessed name of the Saviour uttered by these young children, and to see how well they were acquainted with the history of His birth, and life, and death. They were very quick in pointing out how the New Testament explained what is written in the Old Testament. The whole was ended by their singing "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all." Many felt moved by all that they heard and saw that day. One young Jewish woman seemed so touched by it, that she shed many tears, and our missionary said, that his heart was lifted up in praise to God for what he is doing among the Jewish children. Our missionary at Königsberg wrote that they had a Christmas tree for the Jewish children at the school in that town, and it was a time of much rejoicing to them all.

THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON.

PART IV.

Charley.-Mamma, could the Israelites see the sacrifices burning upon the altar when they were in the Court of Israel?

Mamma.-Yes; for the two Courts were only divided, as I think I told you, by the pillars supporting the piazza, and by an open railing, so that they might both see the sacrifices and hear what the priests said. The people entered the Court of the Priests by the north or south sides, in general returning through a different gate from that by which they went in, and thus much confusion was avoided. I think that I omitted to tell you that there were thirteen gates to the Court of Israel, and chambers over each of the gateways.

Charley.-Mamma, how large was the brazen

altar?

Mamma. It was thirty-seven feet square, Charley; that is, each side measured more than twelve yards, much larger than this room. Beside the altar, there stood also in the Court of the Priests, the great laver or "molten sea," as it is called in Scripture, with its brim of carved lilies, and its base of twelve brazen oxen; and here, too, were ten smaller lavers, in which the sacrifices were washed, and eight marble tables, on which they were divided into pieces, and various utensils used by the priests. One portion of this court was esteemed particularly sacred. You will find it referred to in Matt. xxiii. 35.

66

Charley found the chapter and read these words, That upon you may come all the righteous

blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar."

Mamma.-The space mentioned here," between the temple and the altar," is the same as that spoken of in Joel ii. 17, "Between the porch and the altar," that is between the porch of the Temple, or Holy Place; and it exceedingly added to the atrocity of the cruel murder of Zacharias, that the crime was committed in this sacred place.

Charley.-Mamma, I have found the verses in Joel," Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?"

Mamma.-Yes, it was here that the priests wept and prayed in the days appointed for public fasting and humiliation, and no one was allowed to enter with uncovered head, or unwashed hands and feet. An ascent of twelve steps led up from this space to the Sacred Porch, which formed the entrance to the Holy Place; and now, Charley, you will want your Bible very often; for though the courts are mentioned frequently in Scripture, they are not minutely described, and I have been obliged to turn for information respecting them to other sources; but now we are coming to the Holy Place, and the Bible will be our best guide. Charley.-I am glad we are coming to what was really the Temple, mamma. How large was

the Holy Place?

Mamma.-It was about seventy-four feet lenoth Charlev just the length of a rather la