The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-26
Biblical Research.

A society has been organized in England to
eXcavate the Delta of the Nile and has the ap
proval OF great number ofsdistinguished sup
porters. 1t is proposed to raise a fund for the
purpose of conducting excavations in the Delta.
which up to this time has been rarely visited
by travellers and where but one site (Zoan- Tanis)
has been explored by archaologlsts Yet here
must, undoubtedly, lie concea' ed the documents
of a lost period of Bible history-documents
which we may confidently hope will furnish
the key to a whole series of perplexing pro
blems. The position of the Land of Goshen is
now ascertained. The site of its capital Goshen.
is indicated only by lofty mound but under
this mound, If anywhere, are to be found the
missing records of those four centuries of the
Hebrew sojourn in Egypt which are passed over
In few verses of the Bible, so that the history
of the Israelites during that age is almost a
blank. Plthom and Rameses the treasure
or store-cities built during the oppression would
richly repay exploration The sites of the cities
of tle Hyksos, especially Avaris, would weld
monuments of no less interest bearing on
Phenlclan as well as on Hebrew history II
must not be forgotten that Naukratis the Drimi
tive Greek emporium in the west of the Delta
promises as ample harvest to Hellenic archae)l
ogsts as Goshen to Semitic scholars The
period which would there be illustrated is one
of the most interesting in the development of
Greek art and Is at the same time one of the
most obscure. Besides the sites connected with
Hebrew, Hellenic, and Phenician history. the
Delta is rich in mounds of famous Egyptian
cities, as Sais and Xois-this last being the
capital of an early dynasty (the XIV, which is
as yet wholly without written history. Yet
more, it abounds in nameless tumuli and in in
closures Of unknown origin, surrounded bv
massive walls, in tie thickness of which
sepulchral chambers are known to exist-Tn-
dependent.
The April number of the Quarterly Statement
of the English Palestine Exploration Fund con
talns the particulars Of Lieut. Conder's latest
explorations. He has found, among the mum.
erous stone circles, dolmens. and menhirs al
ready known to exist East of the Jordan. four
undoubted great centres, round which the
monuments are disposed. These are at Mushi.
biyeh, at El Mareigh6t, at Minyeh-all three
south of HesbAn-and in the Ghor near Kefrein.
The first of these Capt. Conder identhe with
Bamoth Baal; the second with Baal Peor the
third with the top of Baal Peor, that looketh
toward Jeshimon" the fourth with the sanctuary
of Baal Peor, in the Jordan valley, where the
lsraelites worshiped while in Shittim. Capt
Conder also claims to have found that a build
ing already seen and described bS several trav-
elers, at Aman IS OF Sassanian character which
seems to connect 1t with the curious ruin dis
covered by Tristram at Mashita He has. also
discovered near the city many rock cut tombs
presumably those Of the ancient Aromonites
but ruder in character than those commonly
found IN Western Palestine The citadel of
Amman he considers to be late Roman work.
He has discovered at Arakel Emir, the great
palace of Hyrcanus, the method Of conveying
the immense stones, some of them twentys feet
long and ten feet high, from the quarry to their
destination. At Jerusalem he has explored the
tunnel Of Sloan and discovered the place where
the workmen met, and he has obtained cast
and made reading Of the now famous Phnni
clan nscripton.-Ib.