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New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 41, 7 February 1874, Page 13

(1) Dialog, cum Tryphone, 73. Patrol grace. (2) Origen, Contra Celsuni,. lib. 1, cap. li ; Patrol grace, torn, xi. (3) S. llieron ; Epist. lviii, »4 Paulinuiu. Patrol, lat. (4) JI. de Vogue, Eglises de la Terre-Sainta, pag. 51, note. (5) To the testimonies of St Justin and Origen, whogive to the Praesepium of Bethlehem the name of Epttaion, we may juin those of Eusebius of Cesarea, St Epiphanius, and St Jerome, who all give it the same name. In hoe pun'n foramine ccßtorum ccnditor nut test (S. Hieronym ; Epist. xlvi.) This Jeauiptio.i, reconciling, as it does, the Gospel narrative with thi. very aspect of tho place*, enable-, us to form tixed ideas on the Divereorium .md the Pract>i'^/iuin I of Uethlehcm. The soil oi Palestine, bays Dr. Hupp, is chiefly composed of calcareous earth, and consequently full of natural hollow s^ Frum. the beginning these natural excrvations had been used as shelters tor men and animals. Si'ch w.i 3 the caravansary of Bethlehem. The. part destined for the use of the animals forms a special grotto, small, low, I and having the floor two feet bwer than t!iat of the principal grotto, ' upon widen it opens on the light hand towards the enu. This is tho i Crib or Praesepium. The part destme.l for the u.-se of the i.»en, the Kataluma of bt Luke, the Divergnrium of the Vulgate, is an irregu'ar i apartment, of a trapezoid form, being 3t> feet long, 11 broad, and 9 in I height. " i'tti de nutre Seigneur Jesus Curist," by Dr. bepp. (0) It i is thus described in a letter from Jerusalem, datod 17th Febcaary 1 1859 : A discovery of great importance has just been made in the i environs of Beith-Lehni, ou the spot recojjiu^od as that whore the I Angel appeared to the Shepherds. At the cut of Beilh-^ehin, at an j equal di.staace fiom the traditional sanctuary of the apparition of th« ' Angel to the Shepherds, while making an excavacio'i ncr-al metre* ! deep, the interesting ruius of an immense convent, ci the tune of St ! Jerome, and St Paula, have been discovered ; sub^e'jucnt repany made i by the Crusaders are also discernible. The ref>er/oir.s are immense, ' regular, and in a peifect state of preservation. Already, tne pavement. i in mosaic of several chambers is uiico\ertd, and the marble pavemcut | of the church is being traced, as well as the entrance to the vaults. Tin enthusiasm causud by tins discovery Is t>o great that from the village of Beth-Sakour (of the Shepherds) the people are hastening to; j work gratuitously. The site of the ruina is known to the Arabs under the name of Siar-el-ganien (sheep-path). A considerable nujiber oi I very deep grottoes surround it, and up to this time, the shepherJswere accustomed to seek shelter for themselves and their riocka m th s I spot. Close to these grottoDa is a large Jewish roservoir." De wley,. I Diet, des Autiq. bibl ; col. 805. (7) 3. Epiphanius, G Saj. daI DoiparX (S) bt. Augiutiiic,. L>c N itivit ; ccna. ix. rati