The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-01-05
ANTIQUITIES FROM
PALESTINE.

The Holy Land always seems nearer
at Christmas time to us, but few folks
know that many relics of the people
who lived and died there, from the
Philistines to the Arab conquerors,
are found in agricultural operation.
Surely an ancient work of art from
Nazareth, Hebron, Jerusalem or, in
deed, anywhere in Palestine, ought to
have higher arcl :eological value to
most thinking people, than any relic
from another / art of the globe. Tie
old religions of Palestine are shown by
the gods in stone and clay, even now
found occasionally by the Arab farmer,
for history tells that the Israelites
went astray at times, and what is more
interesting than to find traces of their
heather worship in spots now sacred
to Jew, Christian and Mussulman
alike. At no better time could these
antiquities be found than now, when
man is able to understand and value
them, so that they may be preserved
for the future generations and moth
ing is more distressing than to find
lovely glass vessel smashed to frag~
ments in transit, somewhat frequent
experience, l am sorry to say. An
cicnt Phenician, Jewish, Roman, and
Early Christian relics have come to
England in fairly large nuggets during
the past eighteen months, and it seems
right that some public notice should be
taken of these things ere they become
dispersed, or are sent abroad, where so
many of the best archaeological speci-
mems appear to be going.
The glass objects are the most beau.
tiful of the antiquities. The variety
of form is marvellous, and evinces a
high degree Of art in glass working in
Palestine in olden times; the intricate
spirals in blue and green, over portions
of the body and neck of the vessels, in
the earlier pieces being almost peculiar
to Palestine, the only other district
which these forms are found being ~
calities where the PhGnicians had COM
merce with the inhabitants. A few
specimens occur with figures and other
ornaments on tie lower portion of the
vessel, notably one with two faces, and
others with knobbed ornament all
over the body, but these are necessari-
ly rare. Roman types Of glass vessels
also are found in larger numbers, as
would be expected, for glass was
great luxury in early civilized times
and only used by the wealthy. Il
cay has added to the beauty Of som
of the objects in marvellous manner,
by giving them lovely iridescent hue.
Silver, gold, green, and purple all
blend into one another, and cause a
glorious sheen, only to be appreciated
when seen, it cannot be described o.
illustrated. The pottery is mostly
Ph9nician in type, so far as l have
seen at present, the Mount of Olives
and Hebron being the two places where
specimens have been discovered up to
the present. 1t is extremely scarce,
and sells at high price in Palestine.
and l have not seen a specimen in the
British Museum. The lamps appeal
more to the student Of early Christ
ianity, so many bearing the ornaments
and symbols Of Christian belief. The
earliest lamp found in Palestine is tb ].
open bowl, with one spout, formed
pressing a portion of the edge betwe
the thumb and finger when soft
pressed out portion held the
They occur in all PhGnician set =
ments, Byprus, Malta, and 9th
places, and they form in iron, bun
slightly modified, was used in Scotland
and on the Continent until very re-
Gently. Jewish lamps, from Palestine,
are of another form, and bear SYM
bols, vases, grapes, lozenges, herring
bone pattern, and circles, and are of a
type which | have not seen from else
where.