The broad ax., 1897-04-24
OLD STAIRS OF NEHEMIAH.
An Important Discovery IN Palestine
Modern Archaeolo~,..., s,.a,~he


Important Discovery IN Palestins-
Modern ArchaeoloEists' Delight.
Inc Palestine Exploration fund has
Oeen Tor some time past carrying on
explorations on the south side OF Jeru-
salem the principal object being to de-
Uermlne the exact line Of the old wall
On lnat part Of the town, says the Lon
oon Daily News. 1t often chances that
u seeking for some particular thing
sometnlng else is found and such n
frequently the case in archaeological
explorations This is what has taken
place at Jerusalem. Nehemiah, In de-
scrioing the rebuilding Of the walls Of
Jerusalem, says: But the gate of the
FOUNTAIN repaired Shallun, the son Of
Ooinozen' the ruler of part Of Mizpah;
ne QUILT 1t and covered 1t and set up
the doors thereof, the locks thereof and
the bars thereof and the wall OF the
pool OF Sloan by the kings garden
ano unto the stairs that go down from
the city OF David" DIR. Bliss, who is
carrying on the explorations, in a re-
port lately received announces a dis
coVery which scarcely leaves a doubt
but he has found the old stairs men
TONED by the prophet Nehemiah. In
former report DR.. Bliss described an
ancient gate he had come upon near
the pool Of Sloan and which was sup
posed to date from the time of the EN-
press Eudocia, but II no doubt was a
later construction at or near to the
same gate which had been repaired by
Shallun. The stair which has been
come upon consists of no less than
thirty-four large, broad steps and they
descend down exactly to the pool; they
indicate a line of Communication with
the Ophel ridge, which is a continuation
Of the temple hill and is accepted by
most authorities as the site on which
the royal palace OF the kings stood,
and, of course. the kings garden"
would be on the same ridge. There
may be more steps still to find as the
explorations 60 on. AS these steps also
lead up to the temple they may have
formed the ascent" q Kings, K. 81
that so astonished the queen Of Sheba
when she came to see Solomon. 1t is
certainly very striking thing to find
that this great stair should have been
so long hidden under ground and we
have no notice of it from the time OF
Nehemiah till the pick and shovel OF
the modern archaeologist have laid 1t
bare. 1t is decidedly a feather in the
cap of the Palestine Exploration fund
and II also rebounds to the credit OF
DR.. Bliss, including his coadjutor, Mr..
| Dickie, who have so successfully
brought out such valuable results by
their work. But this is not all. In
the account of the pilgrimage Of An
toninus Martyr published by the Pal
estine Pilgrims Text society, which
dates from the sixth century, this au-
| thor describes the descent by many
steps" to the fountain Of Sloan and
| adds that there was a church there
This church has also been found, along
with the stair. The steps came down
at the west end of the church, and
they seem from the height above the
level of the church floor 10 have made
/ it difficult to have a door in that direc-
ton. So there are stairs on the north
leading down, where there were arches
by which the church was entered, and
1t is also supposed that there were arch
es on the south side, leading out to the
pool. This church, according to the
report, possesses what is almost, il moi
wholly, unique feature. That is thai
the water coming through the rock-cui
conduit to the pool passes under the
altar. This, it may be assumed, wa
d0ne to carry out the idea Of "a pure
river of water Of life, clear as crystal
proceeding out of the throne" Reyela
tions, xii. u.