Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-10
A PERSIAN THRONE.
An Ingenious Piece of Mechanism Made
of Ivory, Gold, and Jewels.

FEho"NN Il'O'-'
An Ingenious Piece of Mechanism Made
of Ivory, Gold, and Jewels.
In the graphic article on the Shah, which
Lord Castlcton contributes 10 the current |
number Of the NaC R-Um'r' casual r. |
ference is made to the throne which |
Nesred-din occupies on State occasions AZ |
Tohcran-"a long couch-like piece ot FUR |
uitura of alabaster supported on Tour !
lions made of marble" IL is known as the |
Great or Peacock Throne If Delhi. and IT |
was takcn from the Mogul. together WIN !
the Koh-i-noor diamond BY Nhdlr Snah Ia |
l739.
bcrn cultivated by the rulers Of Persia |
from n very early date. and IS one OF the !
fey RESPECTS in which The plebian dynasty |
81 the kadiar. may clam Unship with me
Great Cvrus and his successor Or alter eg"
Ah9suerls. But If we Bre 10 believe me
traditions still eGtant in Persian hebrew
and EthoIdc literature. the Peacock throne
of Delhi Is but a poor substitute iJr lne
wonderful Chair Of state IN when Inc NH
iestv Of the coudusring AchPmenlan was
nernitted to repose This WAS also ottoreign
extraction. but instead of MOgul emperor
its ORIGINAL owner WAS King Solomon OF
Judoa. Indeed the rahbs. by punnlug
in4ernretatiOn Of a Bible text, declare JlLat
the throne was actually constructed ny
the wisest Of mOnarchs- when NcoucIah-
uezzar plundcred Jerusalem he ~ said -
have carried il away with him 10 hanat d.
Thence II il alleged to have passed INTO
the noeeesSlOn successfully 81 Alexander
the Macedonian. Shishak, King OF Egypt,
Fninbaucs. son of AntiOchus, and hnaily
Cvr1ls the Persian. who alone was per
ruitted bv the inspired mechanism 10 seat
himself upon IT.. Ahasuerus feared 10 oc-
I
served him during his reign.
WONDERFUL THRoNE.
A fllll account Of this wonderful throne
is iven ID the Aramaic paraphrase OF the
Ronk Of Esther. known a the Targum
Shein. an English Translation of which
WAS published last year by Clark. OF tdlh,
hurGh. 1t has also been deliberately treated
hv Professor Paulus CaSscl IN his several
,nonoeranhs on the S0lOmOnlc legends.
Tho tradition preserved in tho Iargum IS
an extraordinary illustration OF tho ex-
pansiye power Of the kabbimc magma
lion. The raw material OF the lesthu i
contained IN a couple OF verses IN the books
of KINGS and Chronicles, but the ampihca-
tons fills nearly Six pages. 81,
The throne was of ivory, oyerald with
gold of Ophir, studded with beryls, car
bupclcs. diamonds, and pearls, and 1t had
An ascent of six golden steps. On the first
step Law a golden OK, and opposite TO IL "A
golden lion: on the second golden bear
and golden lamb; the third was guarded
bv golden panther and golden OWL anu
the fourth by golden eagle and golden
peacock. The two remaining steps were
respectively occupied by cat and hen.
n hawk and dove, all fashioned, like the
other animals. ont Of gold. Besides these
animals troop of seventy-two golden lIohS
watched over the right-hand side OF the
round seat at the top. and an eqnai mum
Der of eagles. also OF gold. performed tht
same dutv on the left. The char itself
was surmounted by a golden dove holding
Il golden hawk IN its claws.
ANEAsY THRONE TO ASCEND.
Tho most elaborate ornament on tho top
most plattOrm was golden seVen-branched
lamp craven with pomegranites and lilies.
On one side of its seven glgatic cylinders
were carved representations OF the seven
,,,trlarcbs Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham,
| i.,nc. jacob. aud job, and on the other
/ side figures of seven piOus men ~ the
! world. Levi. Kehath, Amraln, Moses,
| Aaron. Eldad, and Medal. On the top
| Of The lamp WAS a Jar hlled WIN
the purrst olive OIL winch 3uPpileu
! the lamps Of the temple. and below
| It WAS another reservoir 10. supply
/ the LAMPS of the throne. This was
raven with images OF the High Priest. 81
! Fl,s tvo sons. Hophni ami Phinehas. and
! 81 Aaropis two sons. Nadab and AbIhu.
! CLOSE to the throne were two seats OF goid'
one for the High Priest and the other Tor his
delegates. while disposed II sem-clrcle
were seventy golden chairs for the mem
bers Of the SanhedrIn. Doves nestled close
to the ears Of tbs King III order 20 keep
from, him the tumult Of the Judges. and
twent,-four cunningly Interlaced vines OF
gold screened him from the glare and heat
of the sun.
So ingenious was the mechanism that the
| King was never troubled 10 walk up the
steps. As soon as he placed his foot on the
first step the golden OK raised nm 20 the
second: there he was received by the Dear
who handed him 10 the lamb, and so each
animal performed his part until on the
sixth step the eagles IN unison placed MN
in the royal chair Then the base OF the
marvellous construction used 10 now with
rivers of spices, the chief OF the golden
eagles placed the crown on the monarch 5
head. a great silver serpent wound itself
round about him, the eagles extended their
golden wings to shade him. and golden
dove, descending from pillar, opened Tue
holy ark, took from IL the scroll OF the law
and placed it in his hands. .
TERROR 70 EyII-DoERs.
The throne was not an altogether useless
! piece of mechanism. On tne great DAYS Oh
Judgment 1t performed All important part
in the detection OF false witnesses. II a
witness strayed ever so little from the
truth the animals Immediately set up O
deafening noise. The oxen lowed, the
lions roared. the bears growled, the lambs
bleated, the panthers yelled, the owls
booted. the cats mewed. the peacocks
shrieked, the cocks crowed, the hawks
screamed, aud the birds chirped. Indeed
so terrible was the din that the false wit
nesses Immediately corrected themselves
lest the world should be destroyed on
their account" The animals also had :
great objection 10 usurpers, and they lamet
both NebuchadneZzar and Shishak wher
thew attempted to occupy the :hrone.
What became of this wondrous chair i
unknown. Persian and Ethiopic MSS. con
tain accounts OF its wanderings, and ever
drawings of it, but of ats end there Is NJ
record except mysterious statement bs
one of the Talmudists that he saw some o
the fragments with his own eyes u
| u A -. n.