Daily camera., 1899-02-06
THE KAISER HONORED
lie Is Permitted to Enter Into the
Tomb of David.
First Christian in Four Centuries
Accorded the Honor of Admit
tance to the Famous Shrine
in Jerusaiem.

One of the special iayols granted to
Emperor William on his recent visit to
Jerusalem was the permission from
the sultan to visit the so-catled tomb of
David For near.y four centuries this
shrine has been under the watch and
ward of the MCsl,IGs. No Christian
during all that time has been allowed to
approach it. This face was brought to
the attention of the emperor by the
man who guards the spot. Hence the
privilege granted to his imperial majes-
ty Of Germany is a notable one,
But now comes one johannes Wink
Ter, who publishes il the Nolksbladt, of
Lirz, Austria, a challenge to- the en-
peror. He states that on April 23 of
this year being then on visit to the
holy places of Jerusalem, he and
companion named RaPhaele Lorenzo,
were admitted to the famous tomb
He claims that a backshee h. or bride.
of one franc secured the good offices of
the Mohammedan attendant who not
only granted him admittance to the
sacred spot but removed the oriental
rug which covers the sepulcher. He
admits that when he visited the same
place 13 years ago he was not even al
loved to peep through tie grated door
that opens upon the chamber where
the sarcophagus is preserved.
In view of all these facts he claims
that he, and not Emperor William, is
the first Christian sine the middle
ages. who has been granted view of
the famous shrine.
Nevertheless Herr Winkler, on the
face Of the facts, is wrong, He thought
he was gazing upon the reLuted tomb
of David. He was really gazing upon
a mere simulacrum. To understand
the true facts of the case il is necessary
to go back into ancient history.
In the early centuries of Christian
ity it was n mooted point wht ther the
tomb of David was in Bethlehem or in
Jerusalem. The reference in l. Kings
chapter 2, verse 10, and David
slept with his fathers, and was buried
in the city Of David,"s was at one time
interpreted as mea ming that David was
buried in Bethlehem, his native city,
But against this passage was placed
the text in Acts OF 2, %, when Peter, ad
dressing the other eleven in the city of
Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost,
said: "Brethren, l may say unto you
truly Of the patriarch David that he
both 6ied and was buried, and his tomb
is with US unto this day"
On the whole the general consensus
of tradition points to Jerusalem as the
place of David's burial. 1t also argues
that the scenes of the Last Supper and
Of the miraculous gift of tongues in
the Pentecost were enacted in the iden-
teal chamber which contains Davidis
tomb. St. Helena in the fourth cen
tury identified the spot which was thus
triply honored. A church and convent
of Franciscan monks always cast
jealous eye upon the holy place, be
cause they looked upon David as one
of the witnesses to their faith. In
ITO they succeeded so far as to forbid
all Christian pilgrims to enter the spot.
In 1547 they wrested the church and
turned the buildings into a mosque.
Since that time the genuine tomb of
David, which is said to be in one of the
subterranean chambers, has been
closed to Christians.
But in small room in an upper
story of the mosque there is coun-
terfeit sarcophagus exactly like the
real one. This is covered with a veil of
red and green satin, embroidered with
verses from the Koran. Christians
have occasionally been allowed to peep
through the grated door which shuts
=? this mimic treasure. But the veil
rs never been lifted save under great
.uancial pressure. And even then the
'isitor was cheated by a view of the
imitation, not the original.
1t seems that the emperor saw the
original. Herr Kinkler saw only the
counterfeit-N. Y. Herald