The Sunday globe., 1901-07-14
A WORTHY SCHEME
Movement to Erect "a Hall of the
Holy Land"
THE HALL OF THE ANCIENTS
Described by Grace Porter Hopkins and the
New Enterprise Outlined for its Companion,
Hall, where the Hebrew Scriptural Scenes
May be Studied by Jew and Gentle Alike,
Both Of Whom Need Enlightenment,

Grace Porter Hopkins, writes an in
teresting article on the 1all Of the An
clients, in this city, which the Sunday
Globe lays before its readers, as we
are satisfied thousands Of Washington
ians have never seen its interior, and
like other show places Of the capital
city, it is dlsregarded by the residenter
or native and to the manner born,
as of less interest than the unsightly
smOkestack of the ola Power House
on the Avenue, between Thirteenth and
Fourteenth streets. which, unhappily,
even a bolt Of lightning failed to re-
move in the wind and electric storm
on Sunday night last;
There is now a growing movement
in favor of erecting hall in this city,
where the salient points of the Hebrew
scriptures may be presented to the
masses in such an attractive form that
.-e may reau who runneth.' The need
for this kind of instruction has for
years been felt, but not until quite re-
Gently has it been expressed.
The Hebrew scriptures are a mine
in which giants may delve for ages
and Dr. David Gordon Lyon, speaking
Of the preparation for Harvard, said,
We find that the sons of Jews are no
better informed in Jewish history
than the sons Of Gentiles.
This thought, expressed by so emf
nent an instructor has added new zeal
TO the enthusiasts whose dream for
years has Oeen to have hall for Bib
liCal research, knowing that the sub
jects there discussed would be such
that Jew and Gentle would alike de-
rive benefit
Mrs. Aaron Morley Wilcox, former
ly Of Cleveland, o., is the prime mover
in the project to erect a building in
this city to be known as the Hall of
the Holy Land Many citizens of both
races are interested in the undertaking
which means so much for them and
their children, while several wealthy
men in New York have expressed a will
lingness to give it financial aid. A
Semetic museum was founded at Har-
ward i'm 1889 by gift of $4,000 from
Jacob II. SChiff, of New York City, and
was formally opened in May of the
following year in a room in the Pea
body museum. Since then additional
gifts have been made in both money
and materials. The purpose Of the mu-
scum is to bring together such objects
as illustrate the instruction offered by
the university; provide advanced stu
dents with the means of research, and
TO show visitors in general something
Of that which the Semitic has done for
civilization.
The materials collected to date
....v T.1.. L. f.
manuscripts, Babylonian stones, seals,
clay books. an photographs; Uufe in
scriptions, Semetic coins, plaster casts
OF monuments from Assyria, Arabia,
Palestine, Babylon, Moab, Persia, PhG-
neca and the land of the Httites; also
a large collection illustrating the life
and habits Of the Bedouin and Pales-
tinian, as well as the physical features
and the fora and the fauna OF Pales-
tine
Altogether, the scope Of the collec-
ton compares favorably with that at
the National SmithsoniaH / institute,
which under the direction Of DR.. Cy-
rus Adler, is gradually fulfilling the
hope Of It's founder, that 1t might be
the most complete in the world,
so much interest has been man
tested i'm that branch Of the work at
Harvard that in 1889 friends gave to
the university nearly 81, 900 for add.
uons to the collection, and another
gift OF $4,000 for the erection OF an
independent building, which wiz pro
vide for the Semetic instruction, libr.
airy, and museum under one roof
"'The Hall of the Holy Lana is in.
tended to be for people in general what
the museum at Harvard Is for classical
scholars.
"luc Egyptian Hall Of the Kings and
l.e Egyptian, Assyrian, Greaco-Crifts
larger in proportion than the Egyp-
rian court in London at the Worlds
Fair In 1851, the Roman House OF
Pansa; the Assyrian throne room, the
Hall Of Models. and the Lecture Hail,
where is to be seen a panoramic view
of Rome as il was in the days OF Con
stantine, are the chief features Of the
interior The Saracenic halls contain,
in form and color, reproductions from
the nlhambra and the house Of Benza-
quin in Tangier, wnue the Roman or
Pompeian house. in richpess and deco
ration, more than equals the famous
Pompeian house at Saratoga Springs.
In the picture gallery are many val