The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-11-28
DIGGING IN OLD JERUSALEM.
The Gates EXcavated a Surprise to
Archaeologists.
London Daily News.

London Daily News.
1t is now more than quarter of n cen
fury since Captain, now Major General,
Sir Charles Warren carried on his eXplo-
ratiOns at Jerusalem for the Palestine
exploration fund, and which resulted in
such brilliant discoveries, revealing to us
what was then known as Underground
Jerusalem" That was the remains OF
the ancient city, now covered up with
the accumulated debris of ages, an accu-
mutation that reached, in some places, to
a depth of more than 70 feet. Since that
time, no systematic explorations have
been carried on in the Holy City. Herr
Baurath Won Schick and other agents of
the Palestine Exploration fund have
watched whatever any digging took place
for the foundation of new buildings or
any other purposes-and, if anything of
Importance turned up, it has been faith
fully reported in the Quarterly State
ment," published by the fund, and which
is now the recognized journal of archae-
ology in Palestine.
For some years hack the value of
ground at Jerusalem has been increasing,
and building more particularly on the
north and west, has been going on out
side the walls, and it became advisable
to have some excavations made before
houses were erected, which would make
explorations impossible. The necessary
firman from the sultan was procured and
DR.. f. j. Bliss began operations last year.
The first task he undertook was to trace
the line of the ancient wall on the south
ern side of Jerusalem. 1t was known
that the old wall was about 800 feet south
of the present one, and that it skirted
the brow of the slope which forms one
side of the Valley of Hinnom. Why the
builders of the new wall left this com
manding height undefended is a question
that is not easily explained. 1t is certain
that the older engineers did not leave
this advantageous position for the enemy
to occupy. Traces of the old wall were
first come upon when dwelling the ground
for the English cemetery.
In 1874 Major Gender, writing from
Jerusalem. recommended that eXplora-
tons should be made at this point; and
Mr.. Henry Maudslay, at that time, did
sufficient digging to show the existence
of the wall all the way from the Protes-
tant school to the east end of the cemc-
terry. Among other things he found that
the dining room of the school had its
walls standing on the square base of one
of the ancient towers, and that in places
| the rock on which the wall stood was
| scraped below to depth of 80 feet. Mr..
Bliss took up the work at the point where
| Mr.. Maudslay had left off and followed
| the line of the wall from the cemetery,
| where it runs in southwesterly direc-
| ton for about 250 feet. He also found
deep scraps in the rock, which must have
| given great strength to the Defense and
| made the battlements to tower with an
| imposing appearance over the Hinnon
| Valley. The stones are of no great size,
| that is, in comparison with some of the
| masonry at other parts of the malls, such
as that of the Jews Walling place and
portions of the haram will. They have
| to be in a line with the main street
Still, it ought to be borne in mind that
the present Sion gate is not quite at the
| end of that street, but little to the Yves
| of it: this may indicate that some reason
| existed for the deviation in both cases.
| Here, for the present, judgment must
be suspended, as the spade" will i'll time
settle tn ematter.
The point would have been cleared up
( by this time, but in tracing the wall
eastward difficulties arose with some
of the prOprietors of fields on the subject
| of remuneration, and DR.. Bliss, merely
as strategical move in the negotiations,
| started his operations still farther to the
| east, where he picked up the line of the
wall again near the Pool of Sloan.
There he found the wall runs south of
| the old pool, and turns up in northerly
| direction, and as the Hinnon Valley here
meets the Kedron Valley it is assumed
| that the wall will continue northward till
| it joins the portion of the Ophel wall,
which Warren came upon during his
| operations. This will then connect it
with the old wall of the temple enclosure
| at the southeast corner. The Ophel wall
| is mentioned in II. Chronicles, xvii. 3,
where it is said lothian built the high
gate of the house of the Lord, and the
wall of Ophel he built much" 1t is also
J referred to in Nehemiah i'll, 1927: