Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-02
STUDY OF PALESTINE
THE MOST IMPORTANT FIND IN
RECENT YEARS.


Especial letter.
One of the most important finds"
made in Palestine in recent years has
been the Madeira mosa c. which throws
no little light upon the geography OF
contemporary Syria The Palestine
exploration fund cannot be directly
credited with its discovery. but it is
mainly due to the influence of its OPP
erations that the people of Palestine
have learned 10 set a due value upon
and preserve such remains of antiquity
as happen TO come under their notice
In this case the actual discoverer was
not an official agent of the fund, but
il is very probable that if the work OF
the fund had not Influenced intelligent
Orientals this important relic OF the
past would have attracted no attention
and might even have been destroyed.
II is almost the story of the Moabite
stone over again, but. though the
Madeba mosaic was partly mutilated. 1t
was so treated from no superstitious
motives, but from something like care
lessness.
Madeba. or Medaba where the sensa-
tional discovery was made in Decem-
Der, 1896. is an ancient site in Moab,
on the eastern side Of the Dead sea,
between Heshban (Heshbon) and Dhi-
ban CDi5on). 1t appears to have been
in early times an important Christian
center. ard. after a desolatiOn Of th!r-
teen centuries. it is again peopled by
Christians. who migrated thither from
kerak about twenty years ago. he
mains Of churches and basilicas are
very plentifully strewn about the place.
and are mingled anonymously with
the modern squalid abodes of the in
habitantS. The meanest house I've
read) has a beautifully carved Intel.
or door post: built in the ridest wall
may be found graceful Corinthian
capital. In front Of the dirty, DARK
houses are courts with fine slabs OF
stone. Ore chamber. which is shared
alike by the owners and their chick
ems and goats. is floored with beauti-
ful MOSAIC. ..'. i2 10
The mosaic which has made Madeira
famous IN our day is a unique relic,
and is nothing less than a pictorial
map on a vast scale of Christian Pal
estine and Egypt of the early centuries.
Fifteen years ago the Greek patriarch
OF Jerusalem received a letter from che
CT his monks in Moab. informing him
Of the existence Of a fine mosaic pave
ment at Madeba. containing the names
of such cities as Jerusalem, GAIA. Nea-
polls. etc. and asking 70" instruction
as to what steps he should take in re-
gard to it, His beatitule apparently
cared for none of these things. for he
took no notice of the letter. Some
years later lis successor. coming upon
the letter. sent instructions that the
mo-aic ehould be included in the
church which was about to be built at
MadeEa. During the erection of the
church the mosaic-which until then
was almost COMPLETENESS much dam
aged, aad, like the Moabite stone. is
now more or less fragmentary. The
one who is regarded as the practical
discoverer is Father Cleopas, the IL
brarian of TIE Greek patriarchate, who
was the first TO make d sketch of the
map. This unique geOgra phical mo-
sale is referred to the fifth century. II
gives the tribes OF Israel. each with its
chief towns. The administrative dis
tricts into which the country was di-
vided at that period are also given
| Zach city is represented by prOmin-
eat building. Jerusalem, Nablus anC
| GAIA are shown encircled by walls. The
chef gates can be made out, and in
| tae case of Jerusalem. the principa
streets. II need hardly be said that
! the distances between the severa
towns marked and their relative posi-
tons are not automatically accurate
Special interest attaches to the piaI
Of Jerusalem which the historical mo-
sale supplies. AS has been already
said, the leading streets of the holy
| city are marked. The street leading
| from the Damascus gate to the ole
| Zion gate seems lined with columns
| At its northern end, near the DamaS
| Gus gate. is prominent column. which
| the distinguished Palestine explorer
| Sir Charles Wilson. suggests may bt
tie million from which distances were