Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-31
A VALUABLE DISCOVERY.
BY the Rev. Timothy Harley, r. R. A.
$, London.


LONDON, August 16.-I have lust been
permitted to examine, in the private
department of the British Museum. some
portions of a curious Phenician manu-
script of part of the book of Deuterono-
my, which was recently brought to London
by Mr.. Shapiro, of Jerusalem. The
document was first exhibited in the office
of the Palestine Exploration Fund, where
number of Semitic SaudRS met to inspect
it. 1t consists of about forty pieces of
sheepskln, in decayed and dirty condi-
tion. The strips are about four inches
broad, of various lengths, and blackened
with age. On some of the parchments
Phenician characters are distinctly
visible, while others require spirits
OF wine to be passed over them
with camePs hair pencil before the let
ters become legible. The writing is now
being decIphered, and is found to be a
portion of Deuteronomy. The age of the
manuscript has not yet been ascertained,
but it is supposed by some Orientalists to
be as old as the MOabite stone, and to
date back to b. G.. 900. Should this con-
lecture prove correct, these fragments
will be of immense value. not only i'm
iiNihCt Dhb 'iOAAA q AilCtdIy DOluJ Vi view.
for the variations from the received text
are very remarkable. For example, in
the decalOgue, the first and second COM
mandmentS are Joined in one, and the
tenth is an altogether new law, viz:
''Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy
hearty and in chapter vii, V. 30, for ''hOr-
metz this recensiOn reads 'leprosy." In
last weeks AtheRRum Mr.. Shapiro ex-
plains how he came into possession of
TDllI1hln ENiR-a
well-knOwn Sheik, Chief of the guides
from Jerusalem to the Jordan, paid him
customary visit, and ''related how black
bundle of inscribed pieces Of leather made
poor man who kept them in honor very
wealthy" The Chief also mentioned the
place where these pieces were preserved.
which was a cave in Moab, near the Mod
Jlb, and that they were treasured as a tai
isman, or charm. Mr.. Shapiro thinking
they might be of great antiquity and
worth, employed as messen-
ger to q aid him man who
would steal his own mOther-in-law for
few piasters." By this means the coveted
columns were procured, and from the
MOabite Wadi have been transferred to
the British Museum. The genuineness of
these documents is the first consideration,
and DR.. Christian d. Guisberg, a cele-
brated Hebraist, is submitting them to a
most careful scrutiny, while at the same
time he is furnishing the public with a
translation. The next question is of the
date, and this point will receive a rigidly
eXacting investigation, for on its decision
very much depends. The last inquiry
will be of the value. Mr.. Shapiro speaks
of million sterling; but million is said
more easily than it is paid.
The day before yesterday Mr.. Glad
stone, the leader of Her Maiesty's Govern
ment, visited the museum for the purpose
of inspecting the now famous manuscript.
Mr.. Shapiro met the Premier, and repeat
ed the story of his discovery. Mr.. Glad
stone propOunded many questions, care
fully examined the rolls, and expressed
great astOnishment at the close similarity
of the writing to the famous MOabite stone
and the Sloan inscription at Jerusalem.
We are informed that the owner of
this treasure is arranging for its
publication in a series of fac-simile
plates, which will be printed by
the autOtype4 process, and accompanied
by detailed account of the discovery.
Orientalists, photographers, and arch
biologists in general, will devOur these
morsels with avidity, and we may fer
vently hope that when they are we'll
digested they may not only add some
thing to our store of archaic lore, but may
also enlarge our stock of authentic and
accredited history.