The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-25
NEHEMIAH VERIFIED
German Explorers Find Notable Papyrus in Egypt.

paris Correspondence New York SUM-
Prof. Clermont Ganneau has given the
public. so to speak, advance sheets of
the important discoveries lately made
by the German scientific mission, work.
ing under Herr RubensOhn side by side
with the French, on the Island of Ele-
phanta on the Nile. Latterly the sands
of Egypt have been yielding up their
treasures in lavish prefusion. Last
month it was a lost comedy of Menan-
der. and not long before the "Logia"
of Jesus, taking US back to the origins
of Christianity. But while explorers
were almost daily unearthing relies of
the Greek and Egyptian epas, it was
seldom that any Jewish fragment was
turned UP. Now, however, among some
papyri found by the Germans within
fifty yards of Prof. Ganneau's diggers,
is an official document of the seven
teenth year of Darius, addressed to
the Persian governor of Judea by the
Jewish priests of the temple of Eie-
phanta. The document is long and in
teresting, but its inestimable value lies
in the fact that it calls up historical
figures familiar in the Bible, such as
JOhanan, high priest of Jerusalem, and
Sanballat, the governor of Samaria.
This papyrus, which is in the Aramaic
character. has been deciphered by Prof.
SachaU of Berlin, and turns out to be
an authentic page to be added to the
Book of Nehemiah. This wonderful
document is a petition addressed by the
Jewish inhabitants of the island of
EIephanta, speaking through the priest,
Jeduyah, and his colleagues, to the Lord
Ragohi, the Persian governor of Sa-
maria in the seventeenth year of the
reign of King Darius. After having in
voked, in terms almost identical with
those of the payprus of Turia, the bless
ing of the God of Gods on the head
of the governOrss'the petitioners made
supplication as follows:
Three years previously, in the absence
of Arsam, the Satrap of Egypt, sum-
moned to meet his king, the Egyptian
servants of the god Khnum of Ele-
phanta intrigued with the governor of
the island, Widrang Cbribed by them,
according to the famous Euting papy-
rus), and procured from him an order
for the military commandment of Syene
for the destruction of the temple of
Jehovah that stood on the Island of
Elephanta. This temple, say they, was
builded by their forefatheTs in old times
and was there when the land of Egypt
was conquered by Cambyses, who
spared it while he destroyed ali the
temples of the Egyptians.
According to the description the petit
TONERS incidentally give, this temple
must have been an imposing pile. built
of massive blocks of stone, with seven
monumental gates, columns of granite
and a roof of cedar. The orders of Wild
rang were ruthlessly executed and the
| troops, helped by an Egyptian horde, de-
molished the venerable sanctuary, de-
stroying all that it contained of gold
and silver and other precious objects.
| All the Jewish population of Elephan-
ia. men, women and children, plunged
| into the depths of af1iction by this
calamity, went into mourning and Wept
and tasted. calling upon Jehovah, the
/ God of Gods" No more did they
anoint themselves with Olntment5 OF
drink any wine. Some time afterward
Widrang fell into disgrace and was
forced to make restitution, while those
who had executed his orders were al
slain in Just expiation of their sins
Nevertheless. the petitioners say, they
have not to this day, in spite of all their
striving, obtained leave to rebuild their
! temple, and so for three years they
have not left off their mourning, being
precIuded from making their ritual
sacrifices or offering up incense on the
altar OF Jehovah, the God of Gods
In vain after the catastrophe did they
appeal to Bagohi himself, governor OF
Judea, and then to Jehonhanan, high
priest of Jerusalem, and to his brother
| Ostan Anani. and TO the princes of the
house of Judah. Wherefore they come
now. a second time, to implore Bagoh
to show them favor and allow them tC