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

episanb and above all TO the epitaphs OF
Eumenea in Parygia. They bring before
US picture OF rich and generous devei-
orment, or concession. or iiberaity in
which people OF diverse thoughts were
practically reeonc!ed in single society.
But they also show US Eunenia as mainly
city CT Christians in the third century.
Nothing similar to this is known through
out the ancient world Eumeneia stands
before lis as the earliest Christian city OF
which record remains. and exempiifies the
reconciliation of two hostile religions in 4
peaceful and orderly city.
Another notable contribution OF Ram
sey to Christian archaeology is his find Of
the Alexander Stella and OF the Abercius
Stella on his first and second visits to
Phrygia. The Abercius Inscription was
known 10 the Byzantine hagioiogis,s. but
has been considered generally as a piece
OF legendary poetry. The biography OF
Abercius relates that Abercius was bishop
Of Hierapolis in Phrygia in the second
half or the second century and that dur
ing the reign of Marcus Aurelius and Luz
cius Nerus he visited Rome on his return
In his seventy-second year and caused his
epitaph 10 be engraved upon a slab. But
the unsolvable difficulty appeared that
among the bishops of Hierapolis at that
time the name of Abercius does not ap-
consequence of discoveries due to w.
Ramsey in his first journey through Phry-
Gia in lsS2 to Hierapolis. He found q
Stella from the year 5000 OF the Phrygian
reckoning. PIC OF the Christian reckoning
In his second journey he found the origi-
nal inscription OF Aberosus built into the
walls of bath. Putting the two Stella
together. and with the help of the Ms.
copies. the entire inscription is reproduced.
IL hat . Aa In.
contained an inscription taken from the
first and the last parts of the Abercius In
scription. with the substitution Of Alex
ander for Abercius. and Is hence called
the Alexander Stella. The entire inscription
makes up ~ lines. In substance IL relates
that Abercius went to Rome to behold the
splendor OF the city: that he passed
through Syria. visited Nsibis crossed the
Euphrates, and everywhere faith is his
guide everywhere he feeds upon the mys-
tic 'Ichthus." everywhere he received
brotherly greeting.
De Rossi es.eems this inscription one OF
the most important monuments which
Christian antiquity has given us-"Epi-
gramma dignitate at pretio inter Chris
tiana facile prlnceps" Here we have
testimony TO the widespread truth In the
beginning of the third century, and in all
probability In the latter half OF the sec
ONu century. IIe ditusApDs 10
Christianity under the name Nchthus'
accords with Ramsey's description OF the
sign language OF the Phrygian Christian
monuments Lghtfoot accords with De
Rossi In his high estimation OF this inscrlp-
ton. He is followed by Kraus, Wilpert
and others. Harnack is inclined 10 reck-
on II among the fruits of the Asiatic Cy-
belle cultus. but he has scant following
among Christian archaeologists. The Stella
has been donated by the sultan TO the
Christian Museum of the Vatican. Its
genuneness conceded. II is the frs. dated
Christian Inscription which carries us back
within the latter half of the second GEN.
fury.
Within the past twenty-five years the
Christian world has been thrilled with a
brilliant succession Of documentary finds.
I'm which Christian literature of the first
three centuries has been brought 10 light.
The circumstances are familiar 10 every
Christian scholar. II will be necessary to
give merely an outline OF some OF these
important finds.
The most important discovery since the
convent OF st. Catherine In 1859 gave up
the renowned Sinaitic MSS. must be reck
oned that Of the ''Didache" in 1873 by
Bryennios. in the Jerusalem monastery at
Constantinople. This was published IN
1883 and took the Christian world by storm.