The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-13

This Is prominently the day of the
archaeoiogist-
I The tape line and the spade are COM
menIators par excellence. There Is an an
cient tradition that the sitting statue OF
Memnon q, Thebes ennits a musical sound
when struck by the rays Of the rising sun.
The san u THIS century has touched ev-
cry ancient statue, temple and rubbish
heap. and they are singing an anthem.
The Christian scholar believes II liz an an
them 10 the praise OF our God and TO the
Integrity Of His word.
a perfect passion for archaeological re-
search possesses this age.
IL 81 81 part Of the development OF the
historical and critical spirit Wltnin the
last quarter Of CENTURY the Palestine
Exploration Society and the Esaygsfiaa Xxx
piorafIon Society have come into being,
wonderfully stimulating meteorological re-
search In tae vast field Of Christian
archaeology rich have been The results.
Important documents and notable inscrip-
tons have been discovered and much light
has been thrown upon Christian art ami
symbolism Contributions have been made
BY group OF notable men. First must De
mentioned the late Commentators de Ros-
ri. whose monumental works, Roma Sos-
teranea" and ''inseriptiunes Christianae
following work la this direction. by nIs
side must be mentioned, among the Ital-
ians. such men as Garucci and Gregorutti.
Among the French. Roller and lie Bian.
stand easily FIRST. Germany gives a noia-
bic list Of eminent nam-s-Piper. Kraus.
Schnltxe. Nikoiaus Mueller Huebner. VIII
pert and others. In England w NJ Ram
say takes the lead. The EngiIsh-speskI1g
world IL also under everlasting debt TO
A Sx4,a1 lat "a. -fna
W. Bennett Of the Garret Biblical insti-
tute. for producing the best book in Eng
lish on the subject-his Christian Arcn-
aeology''
Lately. great interest has been aroused
in the entire subject and many young
scholars have come 10 the front. The first
congress Of Christian archaeotogists was
held In 1894 at Spalato. In Daimatia on
the site Of Dioc.etan's palace. Such rneu
as kraus and wilpert among the Catho-
lie scholars, ard Mueller and Schultze
among the Professionals, were the leaders
The next congress assemblies at Raven9a
In lsss The result OF such a conference
OF Christian archaeologists is to insure
q scientific study Of all the early Christian
monuments and TO stimulate research in
this direction. II goes without saying
that the work within the past twenty-five
years has done much 10 shed light upon
some v.xed problems In the life Of the
carly church and also to increase the mass
OF evidence TO the genuinenezs and anthem
ticity OF the New Testament scriptures
The Christian world has now and then
been profoundly stirred by the bringing
20 light of some document or monument
and the rapid preparation OF the materi~
al for publication has soon given 10 the
church the history of the ind. Thus with
Increasing interest the attention of the
Christian scholars Is directed toward the
early Christian centuries
As the excavations I'm Egypt have served
20 assist us In reconstructinE the history
OF the land az the Pharaohs rs the finds
I'm Assyria and Babylonia have made Old
Testment Nfe and literature more vivid !:
rs the spade of Schlieman and Curtlus
have rescued much ~ Greelan literature
from the region ~ myth. so the researches
into early Christian ART have removed
many misconceptions pushed back the
date 81 early Christian literature and en-
ahlsd US 20 reconstruct 20 A large extent
the worship and policy az The church We
have been enabled also 10 correct much
OF the erroneous chronology Of the early
centuries The study ~ the inscriptions.
both classical and Christian. has cast IN
expected light upon the lives OF the church
fathers and has helped 20 perfect the text
OF the Patristic writings. Investigations