New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-11
EGYPT MANY YEARS AGO.
LIFE of ONE OF THE wF.hITHiEST
CHRISTIAN CITIES IN GRECO
ROMAN TINES

From Thc i.o.don Globe.
As they lay on he rrolcss"is ta1ir. tnc Hist
thought Of the uuinitiated visitor would pe
what could 80 The use Of heap Of such nd
crumbng brown rubbish aad why arr those
dusty fragments being folded with such tender
care and piaccd between SHEETS Of glass
How stranEr is the stor; mnioh th"sc papyr
have 10 tell as sheet after sheet IS slowly de-
ciphcrcd Gathered from b"n"ath the drifting
sands Gf the Liby4n desert. they are al that
remain to record TIE life = of the wealth
lest Christian cities ~ Egypt in Greco Roman
times. The sand dunes 81 II hnrsa. IN Middle
ElH pit. and on the borders Of the pApyruS hear
ing Fayoum where this mass Of records Vas
found mark the site Of the ancient clty Or
Oxyrhynchus the city Of the Fish Wor-
shippers once The centre Ci great Diocese.
containing converts. monas'"fies ana many
churches. 1hel. no ruins On the site. anu
all the work Gchics .d 10y Mcssis GreHfcii and
Hunt on behalf Of tn. Ee,pt Exploration Fund
mad 10 be carried ont in the open desert anu
in tn face II binding sandstDtm@.
A. No turn over the fragu eniS which cover
Il period rxt-nding trOra the ! cDui 10 the Slxth
century II our era We seem % nave thc "h''e
of IN" busy life 81 this one" hourisnhG ci'5 ser
before us. not only the religious ana lhtrNrc'uI'
lfc hut all the ininutcSt details r society. me
complaints f n" GrumDieiS ard the SMret
cooings Of tn. lovers. Although but pro'ln.
cisl town there must ha,c To- Gu tureh AMI
intellectual set among thr inhabitants as larry
a. the second century. fci among the fragments
W. find portions OF the fritirSs "t most ~ the
best-knOwn classical writer's. Including Homer:
Uerndotus SophoClrs. Plato. aud The orltions u
p.moSth-res The l-ni Of tn" clas si't' remains
is a hitherto Unkn wa poem IT the l'c'Dian
poetcss tn" burning Sappho" of Byron. II -
sweet pathetic appeal To h'r brother ChdidN"S'
the lover of the notorious RhodopiS. {" MAKE up
the quarrcls which had 20 long separated thri"'
Tho occl-sia steal literature. or course. IL eN-
terSiyc. the mos, important being very carly
copy u a portion of the gospel Of Matlhe" -
probably the 'afiirsi
Il il not those religious r classical fragments
that uOsscss that human interest. which IS the
. charm Of archaeology. Little pieces ~ plPer'
often torn and baGly written. and with detective
spelling often have a tale Of mucn interest -
tell. and OF these torn scraps Their" ar" many
or society letters there are several -Four mes
Of writing record an invitation - dinner
"Cha.rc mon requests your company - Gunner.
a, tn. tabi.. Of the Lord Scraps. in the :epa-
pnum tomorrow. the 10Th at O'Clock. several
such invitations have been found when ~ho"
that y O'Clock the fashionable Greco roman
dinner hour The dinner referred ID was. no
Doubt a festival u SerdpS-ihe fatorit" ''rc'p-
Roman god, Is shown by another beautitulV
written lrtter Greeting. my dear Serenid. rom
Pet-osiris. 20 SUR. dear, Ia cone on me -oih
for the birthday festival OF the god tSerapis)'
and let ne know whether you are coming by
boat or donkey. ;hat We may meet you acorn.
ingIy" Substitute train for IN" last mentioned
and u would b.. suitable Tor the riu"i"rntn con-
fury In another feminine letter written by a
country friend - have N" usual sttlnE OF com
missions ~ piece ~ violet stun * to be
rnatche, f,r = tunio. small cEesses are wanted
for the festival. and an DbuiS worth ~ CAKE i'r
my ltil.. nephew " As ~ sent tn" W Ter
sends flowers ~ and dppirs. Thcr" b. some
thing ..r. much Il The modern sorl'iJ ar IN
the foIoWini; letter. although OF the time ~ ne
second century. \ lady writes L. her friend %
say she has pledged Baskets " sandal wool
another ~ of}S. "hi' N'H WIN I i'a. P"'
~. border arinlet-. d statue - Apnr'dit" ana
other obi ..ts AMI asks her fl',d 20 red ''n
them. The rate ~ interest is i"r cert per
month. a irp~t c1ornitaut charge. bat - ne
debt was in All probability canning 'he
the money must hc oitI.L"d
Another inter, sting letter Us thai I'd iin amer