The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-05
s VALUABLE MUSEUM.
Relics of Semitic History Recently
Given to Harvard
GFrom he Ch5eago AmericanJ

b
Cambridge Mass. Jan. 31.-The new
building which is in process Of erection
for Harvard Semitic museum. through
the generosity Of Jacob H Schif. OF New
York. calls attention. to one of the most
/ interest lg special collections IN the
cCuntry-a museum Illustrating the life
thought OF the Semitic peoples, ancient
and modern. including the Babylonian-
AsSyrian. the arabian. the Phenician. the
Hoabite, the Ethiopian the Syrian. and
other branches, with the Hebrew FalEStin-
ian, so called, as the nucleus and central
figure OF the whole
Il is, in fact. in the broad and scientific
sense. a Bible museum intended not only
to Illustrate the instruction given IL the
Semitic department at Harvard bur 20 be
q working aid 10 serious Bible students
everywhere. both in the university and
out OF #.
L was founded in 1889 by a gift Of SIC
Geo from Mr.. Schiff. who had recently
been appointed one of a new committee 10
report to the OyeTseers on the condition
of the Semitic department, then as now
under the charge of Prof Toy and Prof
Lyon. Other gifts. mainly from the same
benefactor. have brought the amount
which the university has been able TO
spend on objects for the museum up TO
nearly 500 COO until now. and for some
years past the collection has quite out
grown the narrow quarters assigned TO il
in one Of th~ galleries Of the Peabody mu-
scum.
Accordingly. in 1899. Mr.. Schfff offered
to give 81 0GG for building. provided as
much more were secured from other
sources. When nearly S20.o)0 had been
raised in accordance with these terms. Air.
Schih announced that he would give the
entire $50 coo for the new building II me
other donors were willing as il proved
90 TO the increase Of the collection. Later,
when the plans Of the new museum were
submitted by the architect. A W. Long
fellow. OF Boston. Mr. Schif further in
creased his gift to SEQ coo 10 cover the es-
innate Of the contractors,
The collection Of casts froin the British
museum is already remarkable, compris-
ing as it does 100 OF more monuments Of
the great AssyTian rulers from the time
OF AssurnaZirpaI. SS4 B. C. to Assurbfn-
ipal (Sardanapalus) $50 B. c. There is
but little distinction. to b. sure, in the
faces OF these mon&rchs bat there is nlu4h
variety In the gradual changes of costume.
The splendid Assyrian animal sculpt-
ures. particularly in the time Of Sardan-
apaius. when Assyrian art reached its
height are well represented All OF the
best of the British museum sculptures that
have been nodded nave been procured and
il IS intended to secure the others so far
as moIds can be made without danger 10
the originals Many were exposed 10 the
flames in the burning Of the palaces of the
Assyrian kings. and. a result of the
heat 10 which they were then subjected
TIE aiabascer of which they are made is
too brittle 10 make mOldS from without
danger OF these. most of which are kept
under glass. photographs viii be made But
collecting as il win casts and photographs
from all the great museums abroad. the
Harvard museum should in time possess
the most representative collection Of OBJ
jects Of abylonian-Assyrian sculpture
ever brought together
Other -Assyrian mater ais
are casts Of the most famous inscriptions.
and many original clay books about 600
in all. some dating back TO 2300 B c. the
time of Abraham. others to the time of
Nehuchaduezzar. Cyrus. Darius and their
successors on the Persian throne. and re-
vealing 10 modern scholarSh o all phases
of public or private and social Iife-law-
suits. dowries loans or the annals of he
Kings themselves. The collection also in
cludes large number Of seals. cvIindrf-
cal or conical. with carvings and the
cUneiform writings.
In the Hebrew PaleStiniau department
II is aimed to illustrate the fora and ge-
ology, the modern life al.d costume of the
country, the Jewish religious ceremon ais.
the scenery. by phOtogra phs. and the his
tory by manuscripts. coins. and casts OF
monuments The coins. of which there
are about zee. struck in different parts
of the Roman province. and giving names
OF Roman officials. are particularly in
teresting from the light they throw on
the history OF the various cities and The
records they give of various rulers
Most of the Palestinian collection as
at present constituted. was brought
together by the Rev. Selah Mer-
rill, the United States Consul at