The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-16

east OF tno JOTohu w tWo u'o o"o-'"-~
tribes. Here Moses gave directions CON
corning the partition Of the lands west OF
tho Jordan among the remaining tribes
and appointed the cities Of refuge, Here,
also, In the plains OF Moab Moses Ia sup
posed to have delivered all the final COM
mands rot down In the Book OF Deuter-
onomy, and, after his farewell address on
the first day OF the eleventh month OF the
fortieth year since the departure from
Egypt, TO have assembled Mount Nebo for
the last time and died. Thus in the land
Of Moab ends tho Exodus. Joshua takes
command, and the conquest OF Palestine
begins One can well understand that
great charm Of journey In the Moabltio
country 10 the fact that almost all the
Soripturai names remain unchanged unto
this day.
What u known of the history OF Moab
b here oondseay summed UP. Readers OF
the Bible will remember that the region
was allotted by Moses to Reuben and Cad.
Reuben received all to the south OF Hes
ban, but seems never to have been the ex-
elusive occupant OF tho portion assigned.
After the Reubenites had aided the other
tribes In the conquest Of ois-j jordan Pales-
tine, they returned to occupy their allotted
district, but found that they had to wage
inoessant warfare for it with the Moabites,
in the course Of which Reuben disappeared
practically from among the tribes OF Israel,
since the Moabite inscription Of the ninth
century B. c. mentions the mon OF Gao
as dwelling Immediately north of the rivulet
Arnon, but does not know the men OF heu-
ben. Doubtless the remnant Ct The latter,
II there was remnant, WA carried on
by Tiglath Pieser to AssJria. Even in
Saul's day. the Moabites had their own
kings and we're numbered among his en-
emies. When Solomon's kingdom was
divided, Moab followed the adherents OF
Jerohoam and from II. Kings we learn that
Mesha, the Moabits ruler paid for time
to the northern, or Israelite, kingdom an an
nual tribute Of 100000 lambs and as many
rams. The Moahites we're very Jealous IN
promoting the revolt Of the kingdom OF judah
against Nebuehadnezzar: but when the
Babylonian potentate approached to take
revenge they submitted to him, and looked
on impass!vely while Jerusalem was be-
sieged and taken. After that time. nothing
more Is heard Of their country for some
oent,Iries From the Moabites the land
passed to Arabs and Nahateans, who held
it until iO5 A. D.. when it was conquered
by the Romans. One OF the few remains
Of the Moabdio occupation OF the region
which has come down to US, and also
one Of the most interesting monuments
OF antiquity, 10 the -Moabite Stone, SLAB
Of black basalt, 3 feet 81 inches high 2
feet s11 inches wide and foot IA inches
thick. The fragments Of 1t were dis
covered in 1858 lying among the RUNS
Of Daiban, a town north Of the Arnon. by
the Rev. F. A. Klein. and they are now pre-
served in the Louvre at Paris. The In
scription is reokoned to have been out about
$50 B. c.. it gives an account of the rebel
lion Of Mesha, King OF Moab, against the dy-
nasty Of omri, which then ruled over tho
Kingdom Of Israel.
The fate Of the Land Of Moab after Its
conquest by the Romans is set forth In the
chapter on Madeba, town which lay about
halfway between the Arnon and the Jab-
box, and which In the days OF the Maocabees.
and for six centuries later, was the most
important town in the district. lts ruins,
which cover a low mound two or three
miles In circumference, are plainly those OF
a Byzantine city. built partly out OF the
remains Of an earlier Roman settlement.
During tho Byzantine period Madeba was
a fiourishing place. the seat OF one OF the
bishoprics Of the province OF Arabia. Its
Bishop Is mentioned at the Council OF
Calcedon (45l). 1t Is the belief " the best
authorities that tho town was destroyed
in the course Of the destructive invasion OF
Syria by Chosroes. the Persian. early in
the seventh century. who left a marvellous
palace in the desert only four hours east
OF the place. Twenty-Five years ago
Madebe was still a desert mound lost In the
Moab plateau. During the last twenty
five years, however. excavations have
uncovered perhaps dozen Christian
churches and basilicas, and almost every
ruin has yielded inscriptions. Here. among
other things. were found the fragments Of
a remarkable mosaic map, which was
originally about fifty feet long by from
twenty to twenty-five feet wide. and which
depicted the whole face OF Syria from
Nablous to the mouth Of the Nile. The
map contains it seems, the names Of about
one hundred and thirty ancient places. some
of which are new to history. Minute histori-
cal and geogra phioal explanations abound.
The exact date OF the map Is not fixed. but
our authors Judge from internal evidence
that 1t may safely be referred to the~Fifth
century A. D. As to the origin and purpose
Of this unique monument, ono theory Is
that it may be a copy Of the picture
which St. Jerome 1atter half Of the fourth
century, speaks Of as being found in his
"Onomasticon." Another suggestion based
on the fact that Madeba Is situated close to
Mount Nebo is that the map may have been
intended to reproduce the geographical
picture which was virtually unrolled under
the eyes OF Moses when, ha ing climbed the
summit Of Pisgah. he beheld the Land Of
Promise, into which he himself was not to
enter.
The land OF Edom lies. OF course, south
OF Moab. When our travellers crossed
the brook Zerod. now known as Ahsa,
they left. OF course. the land Of Moab, and
entered Edom, whose wild life from. time
immemorial touched that OF the Children
Of Israel at so many points. This region
comes into history as Mount SER in the
days of Chedarlaomer and Abraham. 1t
then embraced the mountainous district
from the Dead Sea south Of the Zered