The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-07
WHO FIRST MADE GLAsSs
The Art Is 1000 Years Old and Extends
backward Into the sIists of Egyptian
History.

The invention of glass has been hitherto
popularity asoribed to the Phoenicians.
Mr.. Ludwig Grote. however, In the cur
rent number of Fetilden's Magazine,
states that this is not the case. Mr..
Grote points out that another, ny pothesis
on the same subject Is equally untenahle
namely, "Flavius Josephus, who -
cribes the discovery of glass to the Jews,
as the result of forest confiagration,
when with the assistance Of the sand in
the soil, the glass came int, existence of
its own accord.
"As the Phoenioians and the Jews were
neighbors," procseeds tie author, there
Is very likely an element of truth In both
Traditions, innsmuch ms 10th people eyer
cised the art OF glass. making at an early
age. II the Phoenicians were the first
to carry the productions of glass into the
world, by means of their traders, this Jews
did the same, to greater and more last
ing extent. Among the latter there were
whole tribes carrying on the making of
glass. Most OF the glassworks at that
time existed on the coasts of the Mediter-
ranean. and throughout the whole of the
Middle Ages, even up to the present time,
one kind OF glassblowing Industry mas
been In the hands OF the jews, especially
In Palestine itself. Many expressions
which wers common In the glass works at
that time are still in use.
"But neither the Jews nor the Phoeui-
cians can be looked upon as the inventors
OF glass. We lind, for instance, that
the Persians, ut the time of Alexande r
the Great were also drinking out OF glass
vessels; that the Assyrians were verssd
In the art OF making glass, as we can
prove by discoveries at Nineveh and also
that the art Of making glass and of imi-
Eating precious stones was known to the
ancient Indians. OF great impor5anoe
with regard to the histo- of tue manu-
facture IT glass are also the ancient Egyp-
tians. When one rem snbers the great In
dustrial activity OF these people. it Is not
surprising that with reference to the
making OF glass more numerous tradi.
tions of Ii are recorded by them than by
any other people. Not only written bat
also hgurative representations which are
more than 1910 years old HAYS been hand
ed down to our time. The wall rslisfs In
the groves of Beni-Hassan represent the
manufactnre Of glass objects; thsy repre-
sent, among others, two glass blowers at
work. They are working with the blow
Ing pipe, which they have dipped into
mass lying between them, and by means
Of which they blow out vase. What ex-
tremely beautiful glass was manufactured
even at that time lie proved by a crystal
glass which Is to be found In the Museum
OF the Louvre. The French as well as the
English museums possess n umsrous ar
tlstios productions of that period, at the
sight of which one is surprised. as in our
time and with our mechanical appliances
IL Is hardly possible to surpass them.
The Romans appear to have besn the
principal customers of the early Jewish
glass makers and with the increasing
luxury OF that epoch, the manufacture
of glass increased, as 1t was NOT limited
to the production of smaller useful OBJ
j.cts. but also extended to the building
trades. That the manufacture OF glass
developed in an artistic sense to the high,
est point need not appear wonderful, with
90 extremely intelligent people as the
Romans. The treakures contained in ~