CURRENT LITERATURE.
The Discovery of Jerusalem. Edited by Walter Morrison, M.P. (Bentley.)—The editor ingeniously defends the title which he has chosen for his volume ; but it ma, nevertheless be useful to some readers to explain that it contains an account of the explorations which have been recently made in Jerusalem and in the Holy Land generally under the auspices of "The Palestine Exploration Fund." The moat important of these have been carried on in the Holy City itself. One of the most famous strongholds of the world, the chief citadel of a stubborn and warlike race, which itself won its hold of it with great difficulty, and which held it when won against overpowering odds with marvellous tenacity, it deserves, quite apart from all religious associa- tion, the most careful study. No man, whatever his faith, can look without the profoundest interest at the place which withstood so obstinately the great empires of the ancient world. It is from this historical, and we may say military point of view, that the explora- tions of Jerusalem are chiefly interesting. But little can be hoped for in the way of a more accurate knowledge of the scenes of that awful event with which the Christian chiefly associates Jerusalem. Tradition has occupied the ground, and it would be impossible, even if it were desirable, to expel it ; but the labours with which successive generations sought to make the Holy Place a safe treasure-hone for the traditions
of their race afford an almost inexhaustible mine to the explorer. Wholly different in the kind of interest which they possess are the investigations that have been carried on among the sites of the Lake of Galilee. Here, a few journeys excepted, the active life of our Lord was spent, and every spot is suggestive of his presence. The chapters on this subject, free as they are from the technical detail which is necessarily present in other parts of the volume, are, to our mind, peculiarly attractive. There are also interesting papers on " The Hanran," by the Count de Vogiid ; on "The Pottery and Glass found in the Excavations," by the Rev. Greville J. Chester ; on the " Moabite Stone " and on " Sinai," by the Rev. F. W. Holland. The Dean of Westminster contributeti a preface.
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