The Holy City

This 1845 publication uses extensive first-hand knowledge of Jerusalem's topography and antiquities to support the traditional location of Calvary.

This detailed and well-illustrated 1845 study of Jerusalem's topography and antiquities formed part of the contemporary debate around the location of Calvary, supporting the traditionalist argument against some Protestant calls for relocation. For this work, George Williams (1814–78) received a medal for literary merit from Prussia's Frederick William IV.Published in 1845, this work supports the traditional location of Calvary against the challenges of contemporary scholarship. Since the opening of Palestine to foreign travellers in the 1830s, there had been tremendous interest in locating places described in biblical narrative. The site of the Holy Sepulchre, established by Constantine in the fourth century, allowed no space for a centre of Protestant worship. Some met this challenge by using close study of the Bible and first-century texts alongside topographical evidence to try to dismiss the site's location as inaccurate. In 1841, George Williams (1814–78) had accompanied as chaplain the party of the first Anglican bishopric in Jerusalem, using his time there to gain unrivalled topographic knowledge of the region. In this well-illustrated work, he draws on both physical and literary evidence to conclude that the case for the traditional site is sound, while also surveying the great city's history and character.