The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-10-10
APcHEOLOGDTD nv RMRsTINE
OONFRI BIBLE VAPPAINH
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SlOUt anu dSdlh " Nti' ''i'N'H'
Sloan inscription. Both these achieve
ments threw a strong light upon some
obscure points in the ancient topoSra-
ply of the Land of Israel. Now we nave
discovery. equally important and per
haps more so, In that it identlhes the
city of Gezer, of which Horam was KING
whom Joshua smote, him and his
people, until he had left him none re-
naming"
The agents Of the Palestine ENpiora-
ton Fund have uncovered the sl'e vi
Gezer and have found there indisput-
able signs of its existence, its greatness
and the thrilling nature OF its history
Its inhabitants and its king, When
Joshua smote them, we're 'ahaa'lIIeS'
Joshua gave the city and lana apper-
tanning to it to the children Of Israel
for a possession according To their III
visions" but did not Kill or eXpel All
Of the Canaanites. The expression III
the text. until he left him none re-
naming" doubtless refers to hlng no
rams army only, for it is distinctly
stated In Judges, i, %, that "Ephraih
(the tribe) drove not out the CahaniteS
that dwelt in Gezer, but the Cahatllt'"
dwell I'm Gczer among them
burned by Pharaoh.
The city proper was allotted after the
conquest by Joshua to the kohathite
Ievitcs. but they appear never to nave
dominated the CauaanItes WITHIN us
walls. Even to the time of Solomon I've
Canaanltes were still dwelling there 1t
is supposed tht the city had become
practically independent of Israel Al
though possibly it was still nominaily
under the latter's rule. One OF the
Pharaohs burned the city and slew the
Canaanites. This statement In ].
Kings would seem to imply that the
Canantes had absorbed or assimllated
the Hebrews who had dwelt with them.
Pharaoh then gave the city TO MS
daughter. one of Solomons wives. Solo,
mon Immediately rebuilt and fortified
il.
The search for GeHcr has proceeded
for several generations. Though many
tines referred TO in the Old Testament,
it is always with such extreme vague
ness that the situation Of the city could
not be determined thereby. 1t Is known
now that its site was on the line of the
great highway between Egypt and Sy-
ria, commanding the approach from the
south to Jerusalem. Its very great rel
atlve Importance Is therefore apparent.
There IS no doubt that eager efforts
will be made by archaeologists to OBJ
tain further significant relics from its
site. Those that have already been
brought to light by the agents of the
Palestine Exploration Fund may justly
be regarded as invaluable. There is
abundant ground for the belief that
Gezer was the chief city of the Canaan
ties. 1t seems TO have been the cen
trail town of the Philistnes when Da-
vid made war upon them. In | Chron-
icles it is recorded that David did rs
God commanded him; and they smote
the host of the Philistines from Gideon
even to Ge2er.'
\ few years ago it was pretty well
agreed that Tell Jczer, near the village
of Abu Shurshch, four miles from Am
was, the ancient Nicopois mentioned
bv Eusebius, lying to the right Of the
road from Jaffa to Jerusalem, about 20
miles from the latter city, was a prob
able site Of ancient GeZer. Blocks Of
unhewn stone and piles of broken pot
terry marked the spot. Here were found
by NJ. -Glanneau two inscrip-
tions on a rock; one containing the
name Alkius in Greek letters, the other
the words, The Boundary of Gezer" In
the Hebrew character of the Maccabean
period.
Here was enough on which to base
the belief already mentioned, but not
TO Justify a feeling of certainty. The
agents of the Exploration Fund recent
" excavated the ground in question.
The results have been very remarkable.
Gezer was High Place" center
of heather worship, such as the Jews
were frequently Commanded to destroy.
The ordinary furniture of the Canaan
tie High Place or shrine, consisted
of an altar, near which stood n stone
pillar. the Mazzcbah, and a sacred tree,
the Asherah probably connected with
the primitive practice or tree worship
and stone worship. "Asherah" Is rem.
dered groves" in the English Bible
Architectural Remains.
Among other things was found cir
cular nit close to n shrine which has
proyoked wide speculation. Within the
pit was brought TO light a small brazcn
serpent like cobra. This has led tc
the conjecture that the pit contained
sacred snakes and that the shrine OF
Gezer was n parallel to the famous sa
cred resort Of Cos.
The discovery Of the Moabte ston,
was made amidst the ruins of Dhiban
one OF the vanished cities whose re
mains strew the lofty plains OF Moal
beyond the Jordan, now the camping
ground Of the Bcdouin Arab This mon
ument is a slab or block Of basalt, abpu
three and half feet long by two fee
in breadth ana thickness, bearing OF
one side an inscription IN PhocnIclar
characters. The language closely re
scmbles the Aramalc. The inscription
is supposed to belong TO the ninth cen