CHAP. XLVIII. Of the Mountains of Judea, and of the Convent of Holy-Cross.
THursday the twenty fifth of April, we parted from Bethlehem about seven a Clock in the Morning, and went to the Mountains of Judea,* 1.1 passing by the Town of Sennacherib, so called, because the Army of Sennacherib was cut to pieces there in the Night-time by an Angel. Then after we had ascended a little, we passed close by Botirella, which we left on our left hand, and came to the Fountain where St. Philip Baptized the Eunuch of Candaie Queen of Aethiopia; the Brook which runs from that Fountain is called in holy Scripture the Brook of Eshcoll, Numb. 13. That is to say, the Brook of Grapes,* 1.2 because it runs near to the Vineyard of Sorec. Leaving that Fountain to the left hand, we went near to the said Vineyard of Sorec, that is to say, Chosen Vineyard, where the Spies whom Moses sent to view the Land of Promise,* 1.3 took a great cluster of Grapes; then we pass'd by the Village of Battir, and from thence by very bad way came to the Desart of St. John Baptist, where after a pretty long Ascent, we found a very old ruinous Building, which heretofore was a Monastery: under these ruines there is a Cave, where that Saint lived, and there you see the Bed whereon he lay, which is the hard Rock cut in shape of a Bed.* 1.4 This Grott is on the side of a Hill, at the foot of which, there is a very stony Valley or Precipice, then another Mountain, which intercepts the View, so that it is encompassed round with Hills. There is a Spring of excellent water by the side of this Cave, and near to it we Dined. Being gone from thence, we came to the House of St. Elizabeth where are the ruines of a fair Church that was built by S. Helen; that is the place where the Virgin visited St. Elizabeth,* 1.5 and made the Magnificat. which we Sung there: Then going down about five hundred paces, we found on the right hand the Well of St. John, where St. Elizabeth washed his Clouts when he was an Infant: Keeping on our way, we came to a Village, wherein is the House of St. Zacharias,* 1.6 the Father of St. John Baptist, which was converted into a Church, wherein on the left hand of the Altar that is at the end of it, as you enter, is the Room where St. John was Born, and where his Father at the Birth of that Son (who was blessed from the Womb) recovered his Speech, and made the Benedictus, which we sung there; on the other side of the Altar, (to wit, on the side of the Epistle) there is a little hole, where (it is said) St. Elizabeth kept St. John long hid, to avoid the fury of Herod. The Arabs lodge their Cattel many times in this Church. When we came out from thence,* 1.7 we passed through the Village of St. John, Inhabited by Arabs: All the ways in the Hilly Country of Judea, are very bad. We came next to a Convent of Greeks, called Holy-Cross, built with very strong Walls: we went into the Church, which is fair, very light, and full of the pictures of Saints, after the Mosaical way, and paved also in that