The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-06

lens; the physical features of Palestine
the birds OF Palestine and life in Pales
tine at the present day. AS has been vel
said, for the general student of the Bible
such collection has the same kind Of
! value that those in the Old State House
and Old South Meeting House in Boston
have for the students OF American his
tory. 1t illustrates the Biblical nara
| i've and deepens the interest in the book
by making the record more real and in
| telligible''
| The most imposing monuments in the
| museum are to be found. of course in the
| Babylonian-A ssyrian section. Here a
! great collection of casts is being gath
! cred from sculptures in the Louvre. the
/ british Museum. and other important
| European museums. The collection of
casts from the British Museum is al
| ready remarkable. comprising as it does
| some 1GO or more monuments of the
| great Assyrian rulers. from the time of
/ Assurnazirpal. sS4 B. c.. to Assurban pal
! tSardanapalusb. ESQ b. c. There is but
! little distinction. to be sure in the faces
! of these nonarchs. but there is much va
| riety in the gradual changes of costume
The splendid Assyrain animal sculptul es.
I particularly in the time of SardanapaIus
when Assyrian art reached it's height, are
well represented. All Of the best of the
British Museum sculptures that have
DStH uOiueu nave Deen procured, ana
it fs intended to secure the others so
far as molds can be made without dan
ger to the originals. MANY were exposed
to the flames in the burning of the PAL
aces OF the Assyrian Kings. and as a
result of the heat to which they were
then subjected. the alabaster of which
they are made is too brittle to make
molds from without danger OF these.
most of which are kept under glass
photographs will be made But collecting
as it will casts and photographs from
all the great museums abroad the Far
ward museum should in time possess the
most representative collection of objects
or Babylonian- Assyrian sculpture ever
brought together.
Other ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS material are
casts Of the most famous Inscriptions, and
many original clay books. about l eco in
all. some dating back to 23GO B. c., the
time OF Abraham. others to the time of
Northumberland. Cyrus, Darius and their
successors on the Persian throne. and re-
vealing to modern scholarship all phases
OF public or private and social life-law
suits. dowries. loans. or the annals of the
kings themselves. The collection includes
also large number OF seals cylindrical or !
conical. with carvings and the cuneiform |
writings.
In the Hebrew-Pa!estinian department. |
oiogy, the modern life and costume of the |
country. the Jewish religious ceremoni- |
ais, the scenery, by photographs: and the |
history. II manuscripts, COINS and casts |
of monuments. The coins OF which there
are about zoo struck in different parts of
the Roman province. and giving the names
OF Roman officials. are particularly inter
esting from the light they throw on the |
history Of the various cities and the rec
hfV If of
the Palestinian collection as at present
constituted, was brought together by Rev. |
Selah Merrill. the United States Consul at
jerusalem. In the same general line are
the objects exhibiting the customs of the |
modern Arabs. while a considerable sec
ton OF the museum will in time be de- |
voted to Arabic art and history. both in |
Arabia and in northern Africa and Spain. |
from which latter country 1t is hoped TO |
secure a collection OF casts OF the finest |
architectural details. as shown in the Al |
hambra and other typical monuments OF |
the Moorish occupation.
In the library considerable number of /
manuscripts has already been accumulat-
ed. including Arabic copies Of the Koran !
and treatises on theology, science, law |
and language; Syriac manuscripts from
the eleventh century to the present day,
chiefly copies of the Scriptures, charm /
JUNE anu StlNttt UouhSs many Hebrew
manuscripts of the Scriptures in roll
form; and a few Ethiopic manuscripts
1t Is earnestly hoped that some day the
Semitic department may be able to under
AXE certain excavations in Palestine.
where there would be an excellent chance
If making discoveries OF the highest i'm
lortance. II is thought that the cost Of :
such a piece CT work would not be very
sreat. In Jerusalem itself the ground is
10 occupied with dwellings that digging on
my extensive scale is more or less out OF
he question. Samaria, on the other hand,
ong an important Hebrew town. offers
,reat present advantages over Jerusalem
o the excavator. who might look for
yard. moreover, to finding there remains
4 Hebrew occupation much more clearly
evealed than in a city like Jerusalem, in
he destrution of which, we are told, not
ne stone was left upon another.