The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-10-18
Who First Made Glass?

The Persians, at the time Of Alex
ander the Great, drank out Of glass
vessels.
Mr.. Ludwig Grote, in the current
number Of Feilden's Magazine, states
that this is not the case. Mr.. Grote
points out that another hypothesis on
the same subject is equally untenable
namely, "Flavius Josephus, who
ascribes the discovery of glass to the
Jews, as the result of forest confa-
grafton, when with the assistance Of
the sand in the soil the glass came
into existence of it's own accord.
:" AS the Phoenicians and the Jews
were neighbors:' proceeds the author,
"there is very likely an element Of
truth in both traditions, inasmuch as
both people exercised the art of
glass making at an early age. If
the Phoenicians were the first 20 carry
the productions Of glass into the
world, by means of their traders, the
! Jews did the same, to greater and
more lasting extent. Amongst the
latter there were whole tribes carrying
on the making Of glass. Most Of the
glass work at that time existed on the
coasts Of the Mediterranean, and
throughout the whole of the Middle
Ages, even up the present time, one
kind Of glass blowing industry has
been in the hands of the Jews, espe-
cially in Palestine itself. Many ex-
pressions which were common in the
glass works at that time are still in
use.
''But neither the Jews nor the
Phoenicians can be looked upon as
the inventors of glass. We find, for
instance, that the Persians, at the
time of Alexander the Great, were
also drinking out Of glass vessels; that
the Assyrians were versed in the art
Of making glass, as we can prove by
discoveries at Nineveh, and also that
the art Of making glass and Of imitat-
ing precious stones was known to the
ancient Indians. OF great importance
with regard to the history of the man
ufacture Of glass are also the ancient
Egyptians. When onc remembers the
great Industrial activity of these peo-
pie, it is not surprising that, with
reference to the making Of glass, more
numerous traditions Of it are recorded
by them than by any other people.
Not only written, but also 6gurative
representa- ons, which are more than
1900 years old, have been handed
down to our time. The wall reliefs
in the groves Of Beni-Hassen repre-
sent the manufacture of glass objects;
they represent amongst others two
glass blowers at work. They are
working with the blowing pipe, which
they have dipped into mass lying
between them and by means of which
they blow out vase. What extreme
ly beautiful glass was manufactured,
even at that time, is proved by crys
tai glass which is to be found in the
Museum of the Louvre. The French,
as we'll as the English, museums
possess numerous artistic productions
of that period, at the sight Of which
one is surprised: as in our time and
with our mechanical appliances it is
hardly possible to surpass them.
"The Romans appear to have been
the principal customers of the early
Jewish glass makers, and with the in
creasing luxury of that epoch the man
ufacture of glass increased, as it was
not limited to the production Of smaller
useful objects, but also extended to
the building trades. That the manu-
facture of glass developed in an artistic
sense to the highest point need not
appear wonderful, with SO extremely
intelligent people as the Romans.
The treasures contained in the NIu-
scum Of the Vatican, in the French
museums and in the British Museum
bear testimony to theta accomplished
workmanship. The famous Portland
Vase in the museum Of this city is