time
after the death of Jesus. The supper-room, which was originally larger,
had formerly been inhabited by David's brave captains, who had there
learned the use of arms.

Previous to the building of the Temple, the Ark of the Covenant had
been deposited there for a considerable length of time, and traces of
its presence were still to be found in an underground room. I have also
seen the Prophet Malachy hidden beneath this same roof: he there wrote
his prophecies concerning the Blessed Sacrament and the Sacrifice of
the New Law. Solomon held this house in honour, and performed within
its walls some figurative and symbolical action, which I have
forgotten. When a great part of Jerusalem was destroyed by the
Babylonians, this house was spared. I have seen many other things
concerning this same house, but I only remember what I have now told.

This building was in a very dilapidated state when it became the
property of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who arranged the
principal building in a very suitable manner, and let it as a
supper-room to strangers coming to Jerusalem for the purpose of
celebrating the festival of the Pasch. Thus it was that our Lord had
made use of it the previous year. Moreover, the house and surrounding
buildings served as warehouses for monuments and other stones, and as
workshops for the labourers; for Joseph of Arimathea possessed valuable
quarries in his own country, from which he had large blocks of stone
brought, that his workmen might fashion them, under his own eye, into
tombs, architectural ornaments, and columns, for sale. Nicodemus had a
share in this business, and used to spend many leisure hours himself in
sculpturing. He worked in the room, or in a subterraneous apartment
which saw beneath it, excepting at the times of the festivals; and this
occupation having brought him into connection with Joseph of Arimathea,
they had become friends, and often joined together in various
transactions.

This morning, whilst Peter and John were conversing with the man who
had hired the supper-room, I saw Nicodemus in the buildings to the left
of the court, where a great many stones which filled up the passages
leading to the supper-room had been placed. A week before, I had seen
several persons engaged in putting the stones on one side, cleaning the
court, and preparing the supper-room for the celebration of the Pasch;
it even appears to me that there were among them some disciples of our
Lord,