Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-10-28
EXCAVATIONS At JERUSALEM.
Discoveries Made and Questions Set
tIed-The Two Temples binsOn's
Arch
FEom the Ncw ZOE EyenIng rost.

from the New York Evening Post.
Letters recently received at tn
State Department, giving account o
discoveries made in Jerusalem by TN
English party working under the di
rectiOn Of those who control the "Pal
estine Exploration Fund" are 0
much interest. Excavations have
now been in progress for nearly thre,
years. In spite Of obstacles thrown
in the way by the ignorance, stupidi
| ty and cunning of the Oricntals; in
spite of fperils from falling stones and
poisonous air, freezing waters and suf.
focating heat; in spite Of the supcrsti-
tions Of Turkish dignitaries, the re-
suits thus far reached are most salts.
factory. In fact, typographical con
troversics centuries old have been set
tied by positive discoveries. As an
example of the Moslcm stupidity
which the explorers had to encounter,
take the objections Of the Pasla Oi
Jerusalem, a well educated military
man, not wanting in brains. He as
sured Captain Warren that it was un-
necessary to dig about the Holy City
to settle archaeological doubts, No
hammedan traditions were all-suffi-
cient, he said. Salihra, the sacred
rock, lay on the top leaves of the
palm-tree, from the roots of which
sprang all rivers. To pry into such
matters, he thought, was a sure ~pre-
cursor Of dire calamity. The excava-
tons proceeded nevertheless.
Jerusalem is built on a ridge ofrOck
which is the backbone of Palestine
II ls approached only by rough noun
tain roads. The position has great
natural strength. II is at the present
time surrounded by massive, we'll
built wall Five of the city gates are
are open; five are closed. All are an
cient.
THE TEMPLES or SOLOMON AND
IIFROD.
Upon Mount Moriah there il a large
open space, studded with cypress and
olive trees, and surrounded with, per
hRps, the finest masonry in the world.
In the center Of this area rises Sukhra,
the mosque, with its surprisingly
beautiful dome. This mosque Chris
tians call the "HoIy Sanctuary"
Within the same area once stood
both the Temple of Solomon and that
erected by Herod. All traces of both
disappeared ages ago, and the position
occupied by them have for years been
tiercely-contcsted points in regard to
the topography of Jerusalem. Was
Solomon'S Temple cOextcnsive with
the Sanctuary? Was it confined to q
square Of six hundred feet in the
southwest corner? Or was it placed
elsewhere In what is now the great
open space? These questions eXcava-
don only can answer. Il Is certain
that the S'Od Bdsilicn, built by Horod
'toOd on the Southern wall. More
than this we do not yet know.
Within the Sanctuary inclOsure
and under its solid floors il has hither-
to been supposed that there We're wa
ter-springs. Such Il found not to be
the fact, but on the contrary the whole
mount il honcycomcd with II series OF
remarkable rock-hcWn cistcrn-, in
which the water, brought by an aQuc-
I,,,, ,.,.,,, L.I.,...,,, NJ
ua,iIli' % 'i"i,, 'Vto''io'i i,l gUIs' Tn Hc"I
.o-,,, pr,'.'',l''ll, az r''ieu l!'Se cl',
Jiaai , -. Wv, w,'.',. '.s' ~ y H,'i!I y.
when one was full the surplus water
mn into the next, until the final over
rlnw was carried Off 70 the Kedron.
One ufihr risjcru- had a capacity OF
.,.,...il..''. ,,,,., ,,,I I,l' NV, @ 'o.'',
.. ..''.'' ..l- ,''uI' W. ''"iGp ,.;|
...- ,.I,., ,..,l. ~ w .;....,i iii'i-
.... ~ .'., b, ~. .t. : Sa'I','
.t.t .t IL, .,,,-. ,.a',,,,, ''I o,,',a,,I, "a,vi,
80 - - -. 81 i',''I5'
ea n. ID. I....,'.i.,., p,e,i "r n, i'''iu'
y. La. .r4 ,ro,,..i,J 80, ,u, hn- ,.
~. ..,.. ...I.I, a., ; r.l- ,.,,il'1 ii'1
~, -. - ,it' - 90 ',,nau i,,,
.,.t -,.f,-. .. ..,-..,, ~, '''' VI '''o9'
liii 'i'' NiH 'f lht HOLY SEPCL-
'Ittt.
NtNi ,l 'l{ S.,.,,''lafE' IN Poiht OF
lh..l,sE j. inc ,hureh ot Inc Holy
N,tai.I'i' S',d 10 contain within Its
vans tllr l,hl.' oI our Lo.a' II Is SIT
da.'.. III Wii"' Is cdileu 'le 'hrlStian
quarter OF 'ile Town, al Il colslueraDiSl
distance rom !he sanctuary me
iul , IeIltlci,I I ol 'he HOY HcpuIcheI
ilas I. peen 'lie SulJgGt Oh nercc dispute
loT many ages rms dispute Is not
seltled, llough nluch progress has
peeH mace toward us solution by the
At lhe tlihe OF the cru
ho nlono of orr ordis h;,riai i,i ul "' o,,t srr
side nf the wniis m" a. mIacn 'Ia "''' n"T. UOc
no;ntod nnt ;s within tbnr, rTL;, i,L.
has oIwova hnon ovnIainnd '''i i,, tha n'a
oiiccnd fnrt that attnr CorstSS,.tmo ~ tio
hniif lie i,Cbnrcb % of tho 'i5','',,,al'' Pna',r,
tion y tbo town woe " snr"od m NvStintu o,,t a,d
II 6tbors 0r aro 'oo oortmi" "l"
that the nrcsrnt siie must bovo honn
nIwovs within thn Iimifs ~ ~ tbo on
ricnt citv and tbat tLo VI ,on,'I,i,nn ,mI H'in
must no lax eJ ror ni"ewhoro ''l1i,(nC' ltThoio
tiom ~ Ms dirinrIt o,,alt;o,, ] 1i,o1, ~, oI-
nnonNtrst thn oVistdnoo of ", ',iir ii,S
,,!,Ii s,,rro,,n dir,, H. n;t,., VI "'i I''i iiel
nnd mon ;ts con,sc. ,,' If 4 ori"+o,d 49,, nnd
ran .o tbn oayt ofthn.iiaroi >'7'.u ,'i.'' ''ii'
tho sGnnlrh"r tj,o noSiti6n olipi'Nol pii"vUl ~ =.
correct. II 4 ram to ',v" thnt,."st t'
the nosition is cc,+ainI,, u.rona W. ,r,e !;
iticnnt thot ma - ,hn w,S' ,.',it i.i ~
timn in snitn "f ovnr,, r "f,art NY pi',un' ,'hr
tinn of tbis wan has benn 5isnn'.air"d i -" pa
TLe noint ot which il startoG HSrt"i 'iIui nni
thot II which If amdnd oro '"iiIu Lii ANY, ANY,
i,no,~n i',,,, ~ '-''' ~ '-i''e' '''' 'liNo uii-
N"o" lie
ROBINSON S ARCH.
More than thirty years ago Profess