New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-05-15
EXCAVATIONS IN PALESTINE.

The growing appreciation of the need in all
departments Of historical study of original re-
search. such that carried on AT the American
schools in Athens and Rome, led last year 10 the
establishment Of the American School of ORR
entail Study and Research i'm Jerusalem. with
Professor Torrey. of Yale, as its first annual
director. The school was founded by the So
ciety Of Biblical Literature and EXegesis. and
is managed, like the schools in Rome and
Athens. under the auspices of the Archaeology
cal Institute of America, which subsidies the
three schools on the same basis. and OF twenty
colleges and theological semnaries which con
tribute 500 apiece 10 each of the three. Such
an income barely meets the most essential
school expenses and makes no provision for
explorations and excavations.
1t is a curious fact that Palestine, a centre of
interest TO the whole civilized world. should he
almost virgin ground 70 the excavator. Its sur
face has been carefully studied but less than
per cent of the promising archaeological fields
have been exeavated Yet there is reason 10
believe that under the surface Of the hundreds
of tells" or great artificial mounds in the
plains and valleys, and In the buried ruins of
the rocky ridges remains OF the greatest
value for the calculation of the Bible and the
enrichment of our knowledge Of the arts his
tory and languages of the various races identi-
ID with this meeting place Of Eastern and
Western civilization. Articles so far found i'm
the mere scratching of the surface range from
the paleolithic age down 10 the time of the
Seljuk Turks. including remains of Babylonian
Egyptian. Hittite Philistine. Amorite Moabite
Jewish Greek. Roman. Byzantine early Arab
and Crusading occupation. The cities of the
Philistine plain, Samaria. Beth Shan, Jericho,
HeshbOn, Hebron, Beisan and many other
places offer tempting opportunities 10 the archa-
ologist. Probably no country so promising in
interesting results still remains practically I'M
touched and in need OF immediate attention.
According 10 the report OF the Rev. Dr. James
b. Mes, who has made preliminary survey
of the ground with a view 10 undertaking the
subsequent excavation. ancient buildings are
largely used as stone quarries and the depreda-
lions so familiar 10 students Of Rome and Greece
threaten TO. destroy priceless historical evidence
The demand Of tourists for cGriOs has stimu-
lated the riding OF ancient tombs. and AZ Beisan
the Khan el Ahmar. until now one of the best
preserved OF Saracenic khans was recently
partly pulled down 20 furnish stone for the
roadbed OF the Haifa-Damascus railway. AT
Jerash the Circassians are rapidly destroying
some OF the most complete OF Roman ruins,
WHICH include two almost perfect theatres. sew
erai temples, forum surrounded by columns
ana containing bema, an almost perfect street
OF columns, practically perfect naumachia.
baths and a triumpha arch
The Importance of immediate excavation of
this country before further destruction takes
place has prompted efforts to raise a fund NJ
100000 as endowment for the exploring work
OF the school in Jerusalem. Among the men
who have interested themselves In the enter.