Tomb of David
The tomb of David, a picture of which was taken by our artist on the 24th of April, 1894, is on the south brow of the hill outside of the Zion Gate. Here it is supposed that David and other kings of Judah were buried, and here is the Cœnaculum which tradition says was the “upper chamber” where the Lord’s supper was held, and where the disciples gathered on the day of Pentecost. This tradition is more respectable than many of the traditions in Jerusalem. It dates back to the fourth century. Jews, Christians and Moslems have for many centuries united in agreeing that this site is genuine, and it is said that the Jews are often seen near to the building reverently and with tears looking toward it—not, indeed, for its Pentecostal memories, but because they believe that here their royal David was entombed. Josephus tells us that Hyrcanus took from David’s tomb three thousand talents, and when Herod the Great attempted to plunder the royal tombs he found to his disappointment that they had already been robbed. Conder thinks that David and his posterity were buried in the rock tombs west of the tomb of Christ in the Holy Sepulchre. This is a very attenuated bit of imagination. The daughter of Dr. Barclay had the rare privilege of being secretly introduced into the traditional tomb of David on Mount Zion by a Moslem lady. Her description of it is very interesting. We have not the space to give it here. It is not absolutely certain that Miss Barclay saw the real tomb, but it is not unlikely that the tomb of David exists as it was well known in the time of Christ.
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