The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-26
A SERMON BY A SYRIAN
HE DESCRIBES BIBLICAL LANDS
VERY GRAPHICALLY.
MT. NJ. T.. Barakat Was Born in Da-
mascus-A Human Foot EN-
baImed $500 Years Ago.

The evening services at the First Pres
byterian Church yesterday consisted of a
brief talk on Evidences Found in Bible
Lands by the Rev. NJ. E. Barakat, a ma
tive OF Damascus. The Rev. NJ. l.. Haines.
pastor Of the church, in introducing the
speaker, said he was born in Damascus,
and at the age of five years was saved from
massacre by the M~ohammedans by a kind
woman of that faith. but that his parents
were both killed. During the massacre in
Syria in 1882 he narrowly escaped with his
life and had at other times been subjected
to great personal danger on account Of his
religion.
The Rev. Barakat took his text from the
xix Psalm, the 115th verse. After briefly
mentioning the fact that the Bible Is dis
credited by many, he said: 1.-The word of
God needs no evidence because II has its
life within II. but for the minds of some
who have not had the influence of the
word and have not felt the word of God
in their lives. it is necessary to bring out
some points outside the word to prove to
them its truthfulness. There are three
points of evidence. The lay of the coun-
try, shown in travelling from town to
tOWH tiit ~ vi tnt pcOplt All WHdt Is
found by digging in the bosom of the
earth and bringing out the tables and
stones"
The speaker then reviewed briefly the
country as seen travelling from place to
place. showing how ii had been kept for
centuries in practically the same state as
described in the Bible. He told of build
ings in which the Bible says took place
many important events and said that
though they had been rebuilt from time to
time they had always been reconstructed
and repaired along the lines of the origi-
nal. A small white plaster cast, about the
size of a common book. was shown, which,
he said, was the cast of a tablet, the origi-
nal of which was in the Babylonian muse
UNI and was the most valuable tablet ever
discovered, for IL gave the key to the
writings of the ancients, which was first
done in pictures and then in what is called
the syllable system. The tablet was found
by George Smith, and shortly thereafter
twelve other tablets were found which
proved to be connected with the first. The
writings were, after much research. found
to be the history of the people and coun-
try $500 years before. and on the margin
of one was found a notation which gave
evidence that some OF the tablets were
copies of writings of two thousand years
before that. The record was complete and
the finding of the key to this tablet gave
the key to thousands of other writings
which had hitherto been unintelligible. He
Sdlu the blDle anu the OUTSIDE eNluenceS Oh
it's truthfulness told of the manner of en-
balming and the time taken. During the
glory of Egypt the record says that it re-
CURED forty days TO properly embalm a
body where it had previously taken sew
enty days. Mr.. Barakat produced a human
foot. which had been embalmed $500 years
ago and invited the congregation to ex-
anime it after the service TO see how plain
ly the odor of the spices used were yet dis
cernable.
On each side of the pulpit were hung
several cloth charts on which were drawn
characters used to illustrate the ancient
manner OF writing. He explained only a
part of them but the attention shown by
those present indicated great interest, and
after the service many were heard to ex-
press their regret that there was not more
OF it.
Another small cast shown, he said, was
a deed to real estate, similar to transfer
deeds now given Though those who ex-
amined the cast were unable to read it
Mr.. Barakat said il described the land by
metes and bounds and transferred the title
therein. The tablets of this sort were set
up In the fields to make the boundaries.
On one of the charts was a picture of an
ancient king, who had ropes tied around
his neck and around his arms. The speaker
said the picture was part of a record.
showing the downfall of a king and his
capture by a rival king and that the his
tory thus written was by the vanQuished
one and corroborated the records OF the
Bible. and then he said: when we read
his records and the pictures he wrote We
are reading the echo of the Bible. And the
picture and record was made by an enemy
OF the Bible. And the very stones down in
Egypt are crying out and giving their
testimony as to the truthfulness of the
word of God"