THE JEWS' WAILING PLAGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2543, 27 October 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE JEWS' WAILING PLAGE.

The Jews' wailing: place, under the western wall of the Hariira in Jerusalem, is their only heritage in their own city. It is a little narrow court, close by the miserable hovels of the Moghrebias, or Moslems, from the north -west of Africa. But io this court rises the celebrated wall, 52yds long and oGyds in height, of massive stones —one being 16ft and 13ft in length —all that is left to the Jews' of their marvellous Temple. It is one of the most affecting sights in that city of strange momories to see the '' ancient people " standing their, psalter in hand, wailing out words which have a singular significance in that place. The place is sacred with the tears of many generations, for even so far back as the time of St. Jerome we find him making an affecting allusion to the mourners who, in his day, paid the Roman soldiers for allowing them to go and weep over the ruins of the Temple. And many times since then have those old walls echoed back this passionate cry: " Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and our beautiful house where our fathers praised Thee is burned up with fire, and all our pleasant things are laid waste! 0 God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance, Thy Holy Temple have they defiled ; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps. How long, 0 Lord ? Wilt thou be angry for ever p " — From ' Cities nf the W nr ld ' for May.