Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-11-30
INTERESTING DISCOVERIES.
" The Land East Of the Sun and West Of
the MOon"-Relies Of John
the Baptist.
Discoveries in the Holy Places-Re-
search In Moab-RelIcs Of Medic
val Palaess-curi0sities Of
the MOabites.

Late correspondence from Moab,
where the British Exploration Commit
tee is at work, gives very interesting de-
tails OF the things brought 10 light in
that impressive land. ZiZal. mentioned
in the ARtORine Itinerary u the station
Of a squadron of cavalry, became an
other center for exploration, and from
here We made a most important and re-
markable discovery. The ruins Of a
magnificent palace, far more perfect
than anything Of so early a date hither-
to discovered in Moab, were found
on the borders Of the desert, east-south-
east Of Heshbon, and furnish a new
problem for antiquaries at home. A
quadrangle Of f~reest0ne includes a pal
ace of brick. The quadrangle measures
one hundred and seventy yards on ev-
cry side, and is furnished with semicir-
cular bastions. On either side Of the
only entrance is a facade of carved
work, me hundred and eighty feet in
length and seventeen feet in hight.
Animals, birds, flowers, fruit and even
men are chiseled with great thorough
ness Of work and delicacy Of touch, and
the whole is in q marvellous state Of
preservation. The vaulted roofs Of eight
of the chambers Of the palace vet
remain, and the plan and details
have led Nh. Ferguson to conjec-
ture that the Persian conqueror Chos-
roes was the founder. Sir Henry Raw
linson questioned the soundness of this
opinion, on the ground that a military
invader who merely crossed this tract
on his way to Egypt, would not have
had sufficient hold upon the country to
attempt such a work. Be this as it may,
the date of the building must be some
where about A. d. 600. The Arabic
name, "Umm Bhettah," gives no clue
to the history of the place.
To the west of the pilgrim road already
mentioned, the gorge Of the Kallirhoe,
the site of the hot baths where HerOdt the
Great sought to obtain a cure, was thor
Oughly explored. This gorge was not
unknown before, but Makaur, which
from its modern name and from the re-
semblance Of its position TO the descrip-
ton given by Joseph, must also certain
ly he Mach8rus, was reached for the
first time. Other trave1ers have
seen it from a distance, or more
probably have had the direction Of its
site pointed out to them, and have then
marked it enormously on their map, but
Tristram is the first who in modern times
stood upon the spot where John the
Baptistsufferedi mprisonmentand death.
The names and details Of other ruined
towns are far too numerous to be given;
for as Mr.. Stanford afterward expressed
it, DR.. Tristram's report perfectly
bristledN with new facts, most Of which
could only be conveyed clearly by the
aid Of plans and illustrations. We may
mention, however, that a remarkable
addition to u knowledge Of the Dead
Sea was one Of the fruits of the expedi-
ton. Neither the American explorers
under Lynch, nor the French under the
Due de Luynes, though both parties
had boats, seem to have observed the
great dissimilarity between the Judean
and the MOabite shore of this salt lake
of the East. The western shore is well
known to be a desert of glaring mari,
almost entirely destitute CT vegetation of
any kind. 1t now appears that the east
ern shore, owing to a different geologi-
formation and a comparatively
abundant supply Of water, is not only
covered with small plants and studded
by desiduous trees, but has toward its
northern extremity palm growing luxu-
in the clefts of the rocks over
hanging the sea itself, and climbing far
up the mountains.