Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-03-28

ssSsSsr t'ASS-S "A ANC > EN- ia Sssss' = 10 trai
writes an interesting letter from Beirut, in Sy.
ria, descriptive Of some important arehieologi.
cal discoveries which have recently been made
in the ancient city of Sidon; and it is believed
that further Investigations will reveal to the
eyes Of the searchers monuments and other
relics OF the past which, although perhaps
not equal in magnihcence to those of Nine
veh, will possess greater value in the history
Of letters, and the disposal of certain ques
tons of archaeology. Sidon is thirty miles
south from Beirut and contains population
of ten thousand persons. In the winter of
1864, some Mussulmen who were digging
for treasure in the old grave yards of the city,
uncovered three copper pots each containing
eight hundred pieces of gold. The who'll
value of the treasure was about $l2, 000.-
After this discovery, excavations we're com
menced upon much larger scale, and as it
has turned out, with more important results.
The correspondent of the Journal Of Commerce
says:-
Son the 10th of January last, some men
were digging for more hid treasure in an an
cent cemetery on the plain of Sidon, called
Mughorat Tabl00R, " hen at the depth of about
twelve feet below the surface and near the
walls Of an ancient edihce, they uncoH cred
sarcophaguS, upon the lid of which there was
long Ph9nician inscription. The lid is of
q blue, black marble, intensely hard, and tax
ing very fine polish. The lid is about eight
feet long, by four feet wide. The upper end
is wrought into the figure Of female head
and shoulders, Of almost a giant size. The
features are Egyptian, with large, full, almond
shaped eyes, the nose fattened, and lips re.
markedly thick, and somewhat after the ne
gro mould. The whole countenance is smil-
ing, agreeable, and expressive, beyond any
thing have ever seen in the disnterred mon
uments Of Egypt or NineVeh. The head dress
resembles that which appears in Egyptian fig
ures, while on each shoulder there is the head
of some bird-a dove or pigeon-and the boz
som is covered by what appears to be a sort of
cape, with deep fringe, as of lace.
On the lid below the figure head, is the in
scrption, consisting Of twenty two long lines.
closely written. The letters are in perfect
preservation, and can be read with the utmost
accuracy, and the whole forms by far the long
est and most perfect inscription yet discovered
in this most ancient language and character.
1t appears to be mainly genealogical history
Of the person buried in the sarcophagus, who,
it appears, was King of Sidon. The names of
Baal and Ashtoreth, the we'll known gods of
the Sidonians, occur repeae eddy in these in
scrptions. Some the words are Hebrew, as
haelek, king while the forms of some letters
are so much like those Of the ancient Greek as
at once to indicate the relationship. Letters
were inuentea by the Phonicians. Here we
seem to see them dropping from their hands
Ill the first casting. l have copy Of the in
scrption before me, with the figure head, tax
en- with great accuracy by the pen of young
Arab, which could hardly be exceeded by pho
Biography or photography. l wish could for
ward it to you to be used in your paper. 1t
was sent to me by friend in Sidon, and is the
more valuable from the fact that, at present,
additional copies cannot be TAKEN
The inscription was not perfectly decipher-
ed at last accounts. The Rev. Mr.. Thompson
American missionary at Sidon, and the
Rev. DR.. Smith of Beirut, had however, trans
lated a large Fart of it with difficulty,
and expected soon to complete their work -
In the meantime a controversy had arisen
between the English and French Consuls at
BEIRUT respecting the ownership of the sarco-
phagus. One had made contract with the
owner of the land, by which he was entitled
to whatever he should discover in it, and the
workmen of the other had discovered the relic
within the claim of the first. Both were ex-
tremely anxious to obtain it at any cost, with
the intention of sending it to London or Paris,
and for the purpose of preventing any serious
trouble, the Turkish governor of Sidon had
closed up the ground and surrounded it by a
guard of soldiers, while the question of own
ership was being decided by the Courts.