Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-02-21
The Written Rock.


recently been afforded. both Of the exis
tence and wide spread writing in the Mo
sale age. and Of the strict accuracy of Scrip
ture history.
We allude to the ,criten rocks Of Sinai
on which the researches of Mr.. Charles
Foster, besides those of other authors
have thrown considerable light.
Journeying. in through, along the Wady
Mokatteb, or Written Valley, we see in
scriptions on the rocks around us, which
must arrest our attention, and which viii
awaken within cur mind the same deep in
terest that they have created generally
throughout the known world.
We shall be struck with the height al
which many of them are written. So high
up those precipitous rocks that we are puz-
zled to settle how they engraved them there
Were scaffolds erected, or were ropes and
baskets let down from the top of the rocks,
to give the adventurous artist somewhat
precarious footing?
What multitude ofthem there are! And
so, what number of srribes must have
been hard at work digging in those hero
glyphics. They extend so far along the
rocks that it will take us an hour, at least
10 wall. to the end of these profuse engra-
v.ngs
What variety of figures are visible
Some are men standing men NOV
ing Further on, men evidently in the act
supplication; their hands are raised to-
ward heaven. Here are more men but they
are sitting. And here are camels, horses,
mules, and riders upon them, armed with
spears, swords and shields, fighting, draw
ing the bow, hunting, de-
Remark if you please, that on the whole,
these inscriptions are executed in a rude
unskilful manner. They are very far from
equalling contemporary specimens of Egyp-
tian art. The latter must have been exc
euted leisure. as well as by accomplished
skill; and these writings on the rock have
evidently been executed in haste, by large
number of willing, but not highly skilled
laborers
Now, as We look at these, we ask, what
was their origin-their date--their author;
their meaning? Those Arabs, seated with
their becoming gravity, viewing us with
some curiosity, cannot read them for us.
In 1772,a Franciscan monk, with num-
Der of followers, passed through the Writ
ten Valley, and tried to decipher them
He could not find the key. Yet he had
with him men who understood Arabec,
Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian,
Turkish; men who could speak Latin, and
most modern languages None of those
linguists had the slightest knowledge of the
characters engraved oil these rocks. Yet
somebody must have inscribed them. And
they must represent some language Who
shall ascertain it?
We are in a country where there is moth
ing to be had either to eat or drink. Unjust
have been some mighty company of pill
grims, passing through this desert, who
left behind them this extensive record cf
Of their transit if We could only read it.
We find that various opinions have been
held, Cosmas, Al Alexa9d ;al merchan: VIII
lived in theyear 585, was the first to an
nounce their discovery. thought they were
done by the lsraelites. In 1743, zeal
Gus bishop offered f5OO, to anybody who
would copy them. We have not heard of
any claimant for this reward; but several
Of them were afterwards copied. Profes-
sor Beer, of Leipsic, thinks they were the
work of some pilgrims of the early ages
But this is improbable and impossible
They could neither have had the time or
means of executing them. With as great
improbability they have been ascribed to
the Christians living and sheperding their
flocks in that neighborhood.
Foster. however, protested to have sol
we'd the enigma. We believe he has done
80 successfully He agrees W til the thought
full old merchant of Alexandria They were
he says, the work of the ancient Israel
ties, during their forty years wandering in
the wilderness.
Look at them again, and listen to his
reasons. They show that they are the work
Ofone generation. Their number, extent. no.
slllon point to numerous army of engrav-
ers. You may reckon them by thousands,
you may follow them for miles. Some reach
up the rocks a hundred feet. To execute
them there must have been the resources
ola settled and fixed population, such as
ladders, ropes, platforms DC, But no peo-
pie could have s,ttled there without mi-ac-
ulous supplies of food.
The only people answering to this de-
scription, was Israel at their exodus.