The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-03-26
Nlll!i Eagle
STONE FROM THE TEMPLE.
A GREAT CURIOSITY IN THE UNI
VERSlTY OF PENNSYLVANIA.


The History of Block OF Marble Thai
Formed Part of the Temple Enclosure
at Jerusalem at the Time of Christ'l
Birth-COpies for Colleges.
Among the most valuable and interest
ing of recent additions to the University
museum is the cast of a Greek inscrip-
ton, discovered at Jerusalem some years
ago. The University of Pennsylvania OBJ
tanned possession of this cast, in connec-
ton with its Babylonian expedition,
through the efforts of the Hon. o. S.
Strauss, formerly United States minister
at Constantinople. The University of
Rochester made an attempt to secure a
cast Of this inscription, and, by interest
ing ex-Secretary Bayard, permission was
obtained from the Imperial museum at
Oonstantinople to have a cast of the
original inscription made and forwarded.
The cast, however, arrived in such a
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
SMILES of this cast for their Libraries.
HISTORY OF THE INSCRIPTION.
An interesting story is connected with
the discovery of this inscription. On the
26th Of May, 1871, the French explorer,
Clermont-Ganneau, who spent many
years in Jerusalem, and to whom the
Louvre in Paris owes a 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 $50 feet north of the
Haram wall. The FranchmaU, with the
searching curiosity of an aIch8ologist,
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 a large block of
stone, projecting a few inches above the
ground, several Greek letters. Early
Greek inscriptions in Jerusalem are eX-
ceedmgly 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 filled
in the earth about the stone as it had
been before. The next day he returned
with the proper implements, uncovered
the stone and found that it was a block
of marble, with an area of 3 by ? feet,
carefully Chiseled and showing seven
lines of a well 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 10 enter within the
inclosure of the temple. Whosoever dis !
obeys this rule will incur the penalty of
death"
Ganneau Immediately concluded that
tins stone must formerly have belonged
to the Temple of Herod, and a few years
before the birth of Christ was part of a
wall that formed an inclosUre about the
sacred fame of the Jews. Josephus re-
lates that on the southern and eastern
sides of the Temple. parallel to the por-
Ucoes erected by Solomon and by Herod,
there was a wall several feet high, in
which, at certain intervals, there were
Greek and Latin Inscriptions, forbidding
Genules to enter the court of. the Tenn
pie. The workmanship and the size of
the stone discovered by Ganneau core
spond precisely with the description
given by Josephus. and the peremptory
style Of the inscription leaves little room
to doubt that the stone actually formed |
part of the wall surrounding the Temple.
AN INTERESTING ILLUSTRATION.
The prohibition inscribed on this piece /
of marble thousands of years ago forms /
an interesting commentary to the story /
related in the Uwenty-hrst chapter of the /
Acts of the Apostles, where it is sand that
the Jews of Asia stirred up all the people |
against Paul because he brought Greeks /
also into the temple and hath polluted |
this holy place. lfor they had seen be /
fore with him in the city TrophimUs. an .
Ephesian, whom they supposed that /
Paul had brought into the temple.) And /
all the city was moved. and the people /
ran together: aud they took Paul and |
drew him out Of the temple: and forth /
with the doors were shut"
The wrath OF the Jews is much more |
clearly understood and seems quite natu-
raj when we see by this inscription how
jeaIously they guarded the entrance into
their temple, and what a severe penalty
they inflicted upon Geuules for entering /
even the outer court or Enclosure.
Reference Is made TO the same feature