and streaked with ruddy, mauve, and dark bands, whose mottling
gives the effect of marble. Perhaps in places the gypsum has been
subjected to plutonic action; and we thought that the coloured
was preferred to the clear for the bases of the columns. The
exposed foundations of the eastern and western walls, where the
torrent has washed away the northern enceinte, show that, after
the fashion of ancient Egypt, sandstone slabs have been laid
underground, the calcaire being reserved for the hypaethral part.
The admirable hydraulic cement is here and there made to take the
place of broken corners, and flaws have been remedied by
carefully letting in small cubes of sound stone. There are also
cramp-holes for metal which, of course, has been carried off by
the Bedawin: the rusty stains suggest iron.

The building is square-shaped, as we see from the western wall,
and it evidently faced eastward with 25 (mag.) of southing. This
orientation, probably borrowed from the Jews, was not thoroughly
adopted in Christendom till the early fifth century, when it
became a mos. The southern wall, whose basement is perfect, shows
everywhere a thickness of 0.95 centimetre, and a total length of
8 metres 30 centimetres. At 2 metres 87 centimetres from the
south-western corner is a slightly raised surface, measuring in
length 2 metres 15 centimetres. Mr. James Fergusson supposes that
this projection, which directly fronts the eastern entrance, was
the base of the niche intended for the image. On each side of the
latter might have been a smaller colonette, which would account
for the capital carried off by us to Egypt. Thus, adding 2 metres
87 centimetres for the northern end swept into the valley, we
have a length of 7 metres 89 centimetres; and the additional half
thickness of the east wall would bring it to a total of 8 metres