The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-05-26
F0RGERS AT JERUSALEM.

The Msnuac Irl Of Antique lamps and Their
Sale to 1oursti.
NJ. Clermont- Ganneau writes to the
London Times; For some little time
past the forgers at Jerusalem appear to
have applied themselves to the cultiva-
ton Of another branch of industry. |
say "for some little time past" because
in the year 1850 there was no question Of
1t at Jerusalem, and II the industry had
existed some product of II wonld GER
tainly have fallen into my hands during
my stay in Palestine at that period. |
refer TO the manufacture of terra Gotta
lamps.
The forgers have had the ingenious
idea of initiating those little antique
lamps, belonging for the most part to
the Christian epoch, which have been
found by hundreds in Jerusalem and its
neighborhood. Several of them-I am
speaking of the authentic ones-bear
very curious Christian symbols, and
some of them even Greek inscriptions,
the first specimen of which l made
known In 1865. They are pious eulogies,
such as 1.-The light of Christ shines for
all, beautiful lamps" etc. This latter
epigraph has the advantage of giving us
the very name of these lamps, of these
lyohnaria, which probably served as well
for profane as for sacred purposes.
Nothing IL more easy than to counter
felt these little lychnaria, which were
east in rude molds. The two portions
the upper and the lower-were nodded
tsalN nd fl.nR tl.s.. ne IN
gether before the baking of the clay. |
discovered and brought away with me
several Of these antique molds used in
Palestine.
| do not know whether the forgers
have made use of upper castings
(surmoulages), or whether they have re-
produced In their entirety certain models
which they can hardly have failed to
procure. AT all events, they have put
in circulation considerable number OF
false lychnaria and have multiplied them
in abundance, thanks to the expeditions
process Of molding initiated from the
ancients. In order to make the fraud
more profitable, they have ornamented
their wares with fancy Inscriptions,
Having once set themselves TO this task
they do not do things by halves. Greek
Christian inscriptions, like those which
are already known, were but small beer
for them, Hebrew inscriptions, If you
please!
Here, for example, is a little clay ly-
criunoah which is worth its weight in
| gold. Ii Is circulated at Jerusalem in
several copies, and | recommend it to
tourists. On the upper part is repre-.
sented n palm tree, separating into two
sections n group of four archaic Hebrew
letters, which are read without difficulty
-"Simeon." The oounterfeiter has
simply copied the complete type of tn,
reverse of one of the Jewish coins struck
during the last revolt. 1t is the coil
which is ordinarily attributed by numis
matists, though the correctness of til,
statement is open TO discussion, to til,
famous Barcohebas. A lamp with tn,
name of the Jewish hero. That is in
deed wonderful lamp" Unfortu
nately, here Aladdin probably calls him
self Selim ell Kari, and IL Is with the
story of the Forty Thieves that we hav,
to do.
am informed from Jerusalem tina
there was found in cavern near Hebron
during the summer of 1883, a quantity o
terra-cotta lamps of the same type, de
scription and size, bearing on the uppe
part similar inscription In illegibl
characters of Semitic appearance. Al
though this find" appears to me to b.
very suspicious, suspend my judgmen
regarding it until | am more fully in
formed