The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-11
mock WHICH CURES LuMBAGo.
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.


Have you heard of tho excavations
which the Austrians arc making away
out here on the edge of the Jordan ?
They have discovered the side of old
jericho. and are digging up tho walls
which fell down at the blast of Joshua's
trumpet. The place is just about four
ten miles from Jerusalem as the crow
flies 1t lies on u little plateau. right
under the mountain upon which 1t Is
said our Lord was tempted by the dc.
Vii and promised tho world. 1t ia
about three miles from the present
town of Jericho, where | am stopping.
and within easy access of 1t by foot
horse or carriage. l have spent q day
with the excavators. There are 900
peasant men and women digging up
tine ruins, and the Austrians nave land
down @ railway to carry the dirt out
side the walls. They are using steel
cars. pushed by hand. They are find.
ing all sorts of relics and are unearth-
ing new historical facts.
The work began about three years
ago under the Austrian ministry OF
education, and the uncovering of the
mounds showed the remains OF great
fortress city, which was undoubtedly
The Jericho of Canaan. This lies on
a plateau. surrounded by great walls,
some of which are of stone. 1t had
inner walls and citadel and was
banked with strong towers. The heart
OF the city was about 1900 feet long
and 525 feet wide.
The Houses of Old Jericho.
Many of the houses have been I'M
earthed. / have walked through streets
which were in use when Moses and the
Israelites were wandering in the will
derness, and have tramped UP and
down staircases- of clay which were
built hundreds of years before Christ
in, ono OF the buildings. which Is sup
posed to have been mdde eco years
ego. there was found an uncovered
courtyard. The house seems to have
been abandoned during 4 fire, and for
some reason or other ii was left in
better condition than the others 1t
contained red sandstone mill for
meal grinding, and water vessels OF
various shapes. 1t had plates and jugs
and also lamps and iron vessels with
handles of deer horn.
IN going through the ruins ] ira mped
over bushels of pottery broken In
pieces saw water Jars clipped and
cracked. They had clay corks as big
as tomato with a hole through the
centre. There are hundreds of these
corks lying on the ground. There are
also stone mortarS which We're used
for grain grinding, and the remains of
amphorae, or huge Jars with necks
and side handles, which were buried
In the earth and kept to hold wine or
grain. The most of the pottery is
covered with white glaze, and some
Of 1t has vertical stripes OF yellow
painted upon it.
As to the buildings, the stone walls
nre built without angles the cracks
being filled in with smaller stones. The
work was done with tools Of bronze
and some of It ses back beyond
history. The heart of tho city is on
an egg-shaped plateau Just above the.
plain OF the Jordan. So far about S.
oes has been expended on the work
A Magnificent City.
It is dilucult in wandering through.
these ruins of mud, brick and rough
stone to realize that Jericho was
magnificent city. The one of Joshua
was not so in our sense OF the word.
although 1t covered large area and
was thickly populated There are no
remnants of great marble columns,
srid II is said that Jericho had dis
appeared long before Christ came and
that another had taken its place sit,
uated in this same Jordan valley The
Jericho OF Christ had a theatre. a cir
Gus and university. 1t ranked with
Jerusalem as one of the important
nlaces in Palestine. 1t was surrounded
by irrigated gardens, and was known
as the city of palms. 1t had grown up