The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-08-21
STONE FROM THE TEMPLE.
A GREAT CURIOSITY IN THE UN,-
vERelTY OF peNNsYLvAeaaA.

~ Jsrusalem at the Tire q Chrase's
rs1sCopies for coilsssa
Among the most valuable and interest
ing Of recent additions to the University
museum is the cast Of Greek inscrip-
ton, discovered at Jerusalem some years
ago. The University Of Pennsylvania OBJ
tanned possession Of this cast, in connec-
tion with its Babylonian expedition,
through the efforts Of the Hon. o. 8.
Strauss, formerly United States minister
at Constantinople The University Of
Rochester made an attempt to secure q
cast Of this inscription, and, by interest
ing ex-Secretary Bayard, permission was
obtained from the Imperial museum at
Constantinople to have a cast Of the
original inscription made and forwarded.
The cast, however, arrived In such o
broken condition that it was practically
worthless.
Since then Professor Millington, Of
Roberts college, at Constantinople, and
ex-Minister Strauss have secured two ad-
ditional casts for this country, one hav-
ing gone to the University Of Rochester
and the other to the University Of Penn
sylvania. The copy belonging to the
University Of Pennsylvania was badly
broken in the transportation, but has
been sufficiently mended to have new
casts made. Harvard and Yale, as well
as the Lutheran Theological Seminary
at Mt Airy, and the Protestant Episco-
pal Divinity school, have applied for fac
similes of this cast for their libraries.
HISTORY OF THE INSCRIPTION.
An interesting story is connected with
the discovery of this inscription. On the
28th Of May, 1871, the French explorer,
Clermont- Ganneau, who spent many
years in Jerusalem, and to whom the
Louvre in Paris owes q number of its
best specimens, was examining the par
TALLY ruinous walls of the old Moham-
medan school in Jerusalem, near the Via
Dolorosa, about 150 feet north Of the
Haram wall. The Frenchman, with the
searching curiosity Of an arch@ologist,
was scrutinizing every stone that showed
evidence Of having been cut or chiseled
by human hands. While he was thus en-
gagged he noticed on large block Of
stone, projecting few inches above the
ground, several Greek letters. Early
Greek inscriptions in Jerusalem are ex-
ceedingly rare, and, accordingly, he as
sured himself that no Mohammedan was
watching him, and then proceeded to lay
bare part Of the stone.
To excite no suspicion he did not re-
main very long, and before leaving filed
in the earth about the stone as 1t had
been before. The next day he returned
with the proper Implements, uncovered
the stone and found that it was block
Of marble. with an area Of 8 by Q feet,
carefully chiseled and showing seven
lines Of we'll preserved Greek inscrip-
ton. The Interpretation presented no
difficulty, as the characters were large
and legible. The inscription read as fol-
lows: "No Gentle is to enter within the
inclosure Of the temple. Whosoever dis
obeys this rule will incur the penalty OF
DEATH"
Ganneau Immediately concluded that
this stone must formerly have belonged
to the Temple of Herod, and few years
wall that formed an inclosure about the
sacre' fame of the .Iews .Josenhns re-.
Iates that IN the southern and eaatarn
sides ~ the Temn,e narallel .o the nor.
t;coes erected bv solomon and hv Herod
there was a wall several feet hiuh in
which NJ certain ;ntarvala there wsre
CroeL ord + .t;, ;r.cr;ntiors forh;da;no
Con,;los ~ ortor Tho co,,rt - Tho Tam.
nls Th. worLmansbin and the size ot
tho stone discov.rad hr Ganneau CORE.
snond nroo;aolv w;th the dascr;nt;or
g;vsn bv Joaarb,s and the nsremptorv
ELL 80 tho irscr;nt;or I.o VOC i;ttIa ron,y
tcdovb. t;,at tha stona octu.IIv fo-r,aJ
nart of tho wall surromnding the Tsmnie
=, ,vrr.rs,uu,, ~ -,.Tn -,ow
= a,,
ine pion.ui.'on Isotioeu on 'nls pie0e
OF maro'e .housahos oi years aso iot"s