, 1876-02-05

THO oldest Deciricrcd Inscription IN
tho WUrfd-f10W tho Stclh Sns
1Irouwht from tic EN%ts

rho Worfd-lsow tho sscfn wns
asrouxht from the E:n%t.
Latenanfs jffssenytr.
Thia famous stela has now heen placed for !
public insrectton In TINT part Of the Louvre
which is sot apArt for lleb5nw antiqa!laeh. II
hears Tho oldest inscription in the world
yes dssG'rsta vta0ps s"' rv. eonte%po-
rnnsons with tho bible, dating hack 0oo ysara
before Tho Christian ora tbs pillar is Of b'aek
baeat, having almost the samo form a. a. tue TO-
IN hsIeht. 28 In Width. nrd IL in thcknoss, and
for $500 yoarn laa remnnod IN tue same posi-
tion In tie country Of tho Mosbises. on tho
shores Of tho Deed sea ..a. =. t9 s3 npG .a, a.
tory Joined that Of tho tfil'c Ut 1touben.
Tbo column of 3losa was not buried. 1t had re.
muined orcct In the fnll light Of dar for t"enty-
Rht centuries. In 1870 NJ. o!eru'ont, aannean'
hoard something nbout H.oto placed a. tho en-,
trance OF a small village noAr tho Dead Zen, and
cororod with "myH.crious" characters. Attracted
reports hc son! Two Mfsps Is "isn ~,
inscr,ptfon by uBfug tho same process az Ia cr1.
ployed in printing -ot!iccs for obtaining PROOF
| Of typo III form--viz:s 70 sntead sheet OF
| moistenod paror on the letters md by means
\ OF d brush to dr,yo the pulp into tho cavities.
| Tho operatioo succee1cd perfectly. "a nar 10
| soen from tho impression which ts exposed
by tic 6ido OF tho pillar !tself In tho Louvre.
But at tue momeut when Yacaub. ono Of
| tho Arabs, wna preparing to depart, he was at
tnckrd hy the Dedo,,iaa and badly wounded but
| his companion was fortunate enough to get on
hs horse and escapo With tho greater part Of tho
! impreys II. Clermons- Gannoau. somo time
after, sent anothor Arab With ins:ructsous 70
copy by hand the inscription, aud the tlau ful'
filed Lis mission with grent intelligence tho
copy and sketch Of tiie stono which l. no m9ae Ml.
the aatuo entluAiastlo fuucslonary succeeded In
trnnalattng tho fnmous inycripton.
It refers to King MesA. the Chief Of rho aloab-
I ~. IT,, ~
liz wan tributary OF the Monarch Of Israel. and
mid each year tho almost stinconcevh6lo tributn OF
lu0, 600 lambs nud NJ many ratns. Meaa resolved
to rid himsolf Of tho heavy burden and dc-
hitter, lidod by tho Sovereign Of Judah
fought tha Moshites and compelled. their
Chief to take refuge IN tho last fortress nhitf
remained to him, Mesa, rcscciv'ng that hif
Oldest son to gropltAta tho god Chamoa. The
niblo wlllcl, relates tho fnct, addA "Groat IN
;]lsuatIon prevailed among tic lsEnelitos who
left aud returned 70 thclr own country hiii1
MeAa took the trouble, 80 to apcait OF complet'
inE the somewhat obscure record OF tho Dlblo
= a., according 70 tho inscription OF tho stella,
, lha armies Of lssnsl aud Judah were CON
ssy ye.se1s xGssfo y 5shora so aSe dssse @ ~ t
! t,fet before thu idol ut ClnmoH" otc Fi,t
1 Moabito monarch records, moreover, that Il,
@ took Eoaseuslon of aYgo number OF towns a'tt
a5 to oo men, taG wonls mi oSs
Il otc These facts will give M ldca oe tho value
+ Of tho monument, which, . a9 prcvlousl!
- stated bears tho oldest inscription that haa yo
bcon lecphsrcI. That oil tho saroophnghs o.
{, EchrnouuAzar lad hithertl hald tho tlrht rank
n ;, Int tho ouo Of which We sposk Ia Older by fou
= centuries. =. ,,.
y oanuoau succeeded in procuring tho orlsino
= | OF tho inscription. Ha organized foF tina
" " botl''' bo!d md eaterpras'nF men. to vho,
It lie paid in advance ono.ha!t Of T., on % Iu,po y
= theFr Beryicos. Unfortunatclv, this 1Icaouin1
~ ~ who, without knowing this origin Of the atont
=, attributed to It tho magic sirtao OF the talis'nal
= tic fragments among themselves. With i'm
~ meuue 1iiiiculty tho pieces wero successive
?. - purchasod and ioinei tosetlor,, y!
nasnE osti9ns ho bS"G aepnsoa M tSero,o
o iutegrnly restored by Dea'ls Of tho Original II
10 10 acr;ption aud by aid Of the rnbbings first taHo
"a "a The taxi Is In Arabic prnlcan characters Il
10 most ancient alphabetical "ords known In hist
~ ~. according to Iucan.
=" =" On that polnt tho objection maT he 1nh'
~. ~ thnt inacr,ptions moro ancient than thst
o. o. tbs ssola Of Mesa e1st. and among osao
st Of tS o opa'k s tasyrsn ss nsss ss
~ In eunoforu characssss found on several brio
~ ut Ninoyal and Babylon. Egyptian horizont
~ and vertical oDta nro to DO aocl On tho runs
~ ~ iho Eroat Templo Of rhiln, which are aHsnrod
IL. Lowoyor, ali remained undociphcrabo. I
III III reasou Ia llnt with almost NIL tho Eastern
'aa tons thoro uero two acts OF writings, the HI
III, a.io, or sacred. for tho use OF pteats who ale
~ ~ poasesBed the koy, aud tho vngsr text,
~ .la spito OF ali tho scionce OF Clampo,on and
ca Works Of go many Orientallets ths sacred hie
NV, elyphics Of Egypt 1ill REMAIN oernaly seer
";,R Gestoratioua viii pass away; thoy may Il
,so ~ themselves In contemplating TUG h!ora
W. W. figures engraved on tho gato OF tho Tom
'''' ot Kasnnk. but the pllcats, who VI
o.. eiopc initiated, bayo taken the acc
'oss .a With them. Even In tho present day
WI AlysnlnlAns Of Uppor Egypt arc accuhtomot
a.a aa, cneoks without knowing the agnlGcation
~ them. Al! that they can say ia that TUG cl's'
'sa- hns boou porpatuatad for centuries The
t,onRl Library In Paris possesses an Egyp'
hieratto inscription on papy1nus 70 feet n
and dating from the timo Of the pharaoils y
has boon able to decipher ~ There uns a1s
Jerusalem tho familiar Hebrew, groatiy
solnbling tho Phunician, and tile sacred or l
binic languago, which diflert estonsln!ly from
W other.
F1oxv l8roMzcs Are Made.
kttu Fork Times.