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Entering the chapel through a narrow door whose threshold is on a level with the path, we see at the opposite side a recess sunk in the rock, often semicircular, like the apsis of a church, and in this recess an arcosolium, which served at the same time as the grave of a martyr and as the altar of the little chapel.
Graves sunk in the rock, covered with flat slabs, containing bones. 8. Pit covered with a carved slab. 11, 13. Children's graves covered with carved slabs brought from elsewhere. 12. Pit containing no bones. A. Altar. B. Arcosolium containing the sarcophagus with the bones of the martyrs. C. The sculpture of the crucified saints. D. Doorway. F.F. Pilasters. O.O. Broken pilasters. G.G. Benches.
In arcosolium tombs the receptacles are benches cut in the wall, like the berths in a steamer's cabin. These are sometimes sunk, so as to resemble rock-cut sarcophagi. The late tombs round Jerusalem are in the form of caves driven horizontally into the hill-sides. IV. Caves. The history of the artificial caves hewn in the soft limestone of Palestine, is quite unknown.
In exploring such a structure a careful search should be made for devices for deluding thieves: special precautions are sometimes taken to conceal the entrance to inner groups of chambers. There are some interesting examples of this in the cemetery in the Wadi er-Rababi, south of Jerusalem. However, all tombs of this period fall into two groups, kok tombs and arcosolium tombs.
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