Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-05
"A PERSIAN THRONE.

An Ingenious Piece of Mechanism Made Of
Ivory, Gold and JeweIs-Guarded by
Golden LIons-A Terror to Perjursrs and
Usurpers.
In the graphic article on the Shah, which
Lord Castletown contributes to the current
number of the Neto ReUieto, casual reference
is made to the throne which Nasred-din occu-
pies on State occasions at Teheran-"a long
couch-like piece of furniture of alabaster, sup
ported on four lions made of marble" 1t is
known as the Great or Peacock Throne of
Delhi, and it was taken from the Mogul, to-
gether with the Koh-inoor diamond by Nadir
Shah in 1739
A taste for historic thrones seems. to have
been cultivated by the rulers OF Persia from a
very early date, and is one of the few respects
in which the plebeian dynasty of the Kadjars
may claim kinship with the great Cyrus and
his successor or alter ego Ahasuerus. But If
we are to believe the traditions still extant in
Persian, Hebrew and Ethiopic literature, ,tthe
Peacock throne of Delhi is but poor substi-
tute for the wonderful Chair Of State In which
the majesty of the conquering Ach9menian
was permitted to repose. This was also OF for
eign extraction, but, instead of Mogul EN-
peror, its original owner was King Solomon Of
Judea. Indeed. the rabbis, by punnlng in
depreciation of Bible text, declare that the
throne was actually constructed by the wisest
of monarchs. When Nebuchadnezzar plum
dered Jerusalem he is said to have carried 1t
away with him to Klamath Thence it is al
legged to have passed into the possession sue
cessivey of Alexander the Macedonian, Shis-
hak, King of Egypt, Epiphanes, son of Anti
ochus, and finally Cyrus, the Persian, who
alone was permitted by the inspired mechan-
Isl ism to seat himself upon it. Ahasuerns feared feared
TO occupy 1t, but had a replica made, which
served him during his reign.
A Wonderful Throne.
A full account of this wonderful throne is
given in the Aramaic paraphrase of the Book
of Esther, known as the Targum Shein, an En-
glish translation of which was published last
year by Clark, of Edinburgh. 1t has also been
elaborately treated by Prof. Paulus Cassel in
his several monographs on the Solomonic
legends. The tradition preserved in the Tar
gum is an extraordinary illustration Of the ex-
pansive power of the Rabbinic imagination.
The raw material of the legend is contained in
a couple of verses in the Books of Kings and
Chronicles. but the amplifcation fills nearly
six pages.
The throne was Of ivory, overlaid with gold
Of OphIr, studded with beryls. carbuncles,
diamonds and pearls. and it had an ascent Of
six golden eteps. On the first step lay golden
OK, and opposite to 1t a golden lion; on the Sec
~-~
was guarded by a golden panther and golden
owl; and the fourth by a golden eagle and q
golden peacock. The two remaining steps
were respectively occupied by q cat and hen,
hawk and a dove, all fashioned, like the other
animals, out of gold. Besides these animals, q
troop of " golden lions watched over the right
hand side of the round seat at the top, and an
equal number of eagles. also of gold, performed
the same duty on the left. The chair itself was
surmounted by golden dove holding golden
hawk in ifa claws
An Easy Throne to Ascend.
The most elaborate ornament on the topmost
platform was golden seven-branched lamp
craven with pomegranates and lilies. On one
side of its seven gigantic cylinders were carved
representations Of the seven patriarchs, Adam,
Noah. Shem. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Job,
and on the other side figures of seven pious
men of the world, Levi, Kehath, Amram,
Moses, Aaron. Edad and Medad. On the top
OF the lamp was a jar filed with the purest
olive oil which supplied the lamps of the tenn
pie, and below it was another reservoir to sup
ply the lamps of the throne. This was craven
with images of the High Priest, of Elfs two
sons, Hophni and Phinehas, and of Aaron's two
sons, Nadab and Ablhu. Close to the throne
were two seats of gold, one for the High Priest
and the other for his delegate. while disposed
in a semi-circle were 20 golden chairs for the
tnenioeiS VI sno Sam Do'es neSsieo oio'o
10 tne ears OF tne hlng IN oroer 70 Keep from
nim tne tumult Oh tine Judges. and "A cunnlngiy
interiaced vines OF goio screened MIN from the
glare ana neat Oh tne sun.
30 ingenious was the mechanism tnat the
KING was never troubled 10 walk up the steps
AS soon as ne placed ms ioot on tne nrst step
the golden OK raised MIN TO the second; there
ne was received py tne pear VINO handed nim
70 tne lamD' ana 30 eacn animal performed ms
part until on tne siAtn step Inc eagies IN unison
placed MIN IN tne royaI cnair. Inen tne Dase
Oh tne marseious cons1iuction useu 70 now WIN
MYERS o, spices, tne cniel Oh sne goi1sn eagies
great silver sernent wound Itself round abont
Rim the eagIes srtendea tbeir oolden win 0s To
shade him and q onldan dove descandino From
a niiIar onened the holv ark took from IL the
scroll of tbe law and nIaced it in his hands
'"-' ~ 'As :" --N p'-o " " 0
A Terror 10 Evil-Doers.
The throne was not an altogether useless
,,,ooa 80 ,noohonism On tba yreat doys ~
pieoo VI s - s ~
Judgment IL PeIiormeu an iinpor 'an1 pal' IL 'ne
detection OF false witnesses Ii a witness
strayed ever SO little from the truth the ami
Tha oxon Iowad the lions roared the bears
growled. the lambs bleated, the panthers