The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-06-07

talneQ through oil
these years as one Of the most
precious of all relics of the Savior.
The sentence is engraved on a
plate Of brass in tie Hebrew Ian.
guage, and on its sides are the follow.
ing words:
"a similar plate has been sent to
each tribe"
This particular plate was discov-
cred in the year 1920 IN the city of
AquiIla. ia the Kingdom Of Naples.
by a scientific commission that mad
been appointed to search that ancient
city for the antiquities known to
have been kept there. Evidence re.
manned that this city had been the
repository Of many old Roman records
and other documents and mementoes
associated:with the early RomaniEm.
pire, and for this reason it was made
the object Of the commissions IN
Quiry.
The plate bore every evidence Of
genuinenesS, and accompanying it
were reliable documents, and among
the records were references which
placed the authenticity of the en-.
craving beyond question. This plate
is now kept in the chapel Of Caserta,
a little town some twenty miles
north Of Naples, where it is con.
tanned in a box OF ebony and shown
to scuriosity loving travellers, and
many voyagers en- route for Naples
direrge from their beaten track to
visit this little chapel and look upon
the everlasting memorial Of the most
remarkable judicial sentence ever
pronounced in the history OF the
world. TRANSACTIONS in English,
French. and German hang upon the
wall near the original. and it is thus
readily understood, while the study
Of the engraved lines and the ap.
pearauce OF the simple brass appeal
to the imagination Of even the most
Indifferent. and bring 10 the In nd's
eye the picture Of that memorable
scene !, 500 years ago. Aside from
sacred associations that are called
forth in every Christian mind at sight
OF this relic, there is also the his.
torical interest aroused by looking
upon an existing object that was
contemporaneous with and called
forth by an incident that will be the
most prominent in history so long as
the world exists.
The plate reads as follows.
Sentence pronounced by Pontius
Plate, intendant of the province Of
Lower Galilee, that Jesus OF Naza-
reth shall suffer death by the cross
In the seventeenth year of the En-.
perOr Iiberias. and on the 9th day of
the month Of March, in the holy
city Of Jerusalem during the pontiti-
cate Of Annas and CaiaihaS.
Pontius Plate. intendant of the
province OF Lower Galilee, sitting in
judgement in the presidential seat
Of the prator, sentences Jesus Of
Nazareth to death on a cross between
two robbers, As numerous and notori-
Gus testimonies Of the people prove:
l.. Jesus is a mis!eader.
>. He has excited the people TO Sc
dition.
:. lie is an enemy to the law.
i. He calls himself the son of God.
5. He calls himself falsely the King
Of Israel.
&. He went into the temple fol.
Lowell by a multitude Of people car
rying aims in their hands.
Orders the first centurion, QuilinuS
Cornelius. to bring him t. the place
OF execution.
Forbids all persons, rich or poor, To
prevent the execution Of Jesus.
This constitutes the body, and. Of
course, the interesting portions of
the plate, but in addition the names
OF three men are perpetuated and
given a value that their owners
probably never anticipated would
cling TO them by being attached as
witnesses or the PRONUNCIATION Of this
sentence.
The names of the witnesses and
the order in which they came are:
/. Daniel Robani. Pharisee.
:. John Sorobabel.
3. Raphael Robani.
II is believed that twelve Of these
plates were engraved and sent to the
various tribes throughout Judea and
over into the Roman provinces of
Europe. The remaining eleven are
probably buried in widely separated
points where they never will be
brought TO the knowledge Of man.
kind, or have long since been de.
stroyed.
The engraving on the plate is we'll
done, the Hebrew characters are cut