El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-30
Archaeological Research
SUCCESSFUL EFFORT TO READ RIDDLES OF PAST.

of the Bible has been found and posi-
lively Identified, thus demonstrating
the truth of the references of Jere-
miah.
Ruins of Babylon.
In Babylon the very palace Of Nebu-
chadnezzar has been laid bare by the
pick and shovel of the archeologist- The
German work is proceeding regularly.
but it is believed that years will be re-
quired to uncover all the foundations
of the buildings associated with the
palace Of the great king That the
task Is a huge one is indicated by the
fact that some of the walls unearthed
are "a yards thick
What Is supposed to have been the
royal state dining room, where Bel
shazzar beheld, too late, the hand writ
ing on the wall, has been excavated- In
connection with the feast of Belshazzar
it is interesting to note that he was
never king of ChaIdea. the tablets found
speaking of him until the day Of his
death at the hands of the Persian con-
querer Darius, as Itch kings son.
In the Book Of II Kings it is recorded
at Mesha, king of Moab. was sheep
master who paid an annual tribute OF
wool to the king of Israel, but that
after the death of Ahab he rebelled
In 1868 there was found on the east side
of the Dead Sea block of black besalt
which bore a record of this revolt.
Corresponded on Bricks.
Excavations made recently at Baghaz
Klein the ancient capital of the Hittltes,
have shown that the Bible description
of that people was true. 1t appears
that the archieves Of the Hittite gov
eminent have been found and they show
that the language of diplomatic inter
course in that day was the tongue OF
Babylon, as it is that of France today
There was a regular correspondence.
on bricks, between the Hittite kings
and neighboring mOnarchs Many OF
these brick missives have been found
intact. constituting some of the most
valuable finds" in that region As some
of the letters are written both in the
Hfttitesand the Babylonian language, II
is hoped that a key to the Hittite IN
scriptions will be found The Hittite
empire was. only a few years ago. re-
garded by some critics as being entirely
| mythical
One of the most interesting discov-
cries in Biblical archaeology was that OF
the Tel Ell Amarna letters In 1887 Some
Egyptians digging there found cham
| Der lentaining several hundred clay
tablets. They were carried In a sack
| to Luxor before their value was recog-
nized and many of them were broken
and destroyed In transit About 29O OF
| the tablets were saved and most OF them
have been translated. These tablets
proved TO be a diplomatic correspond
ence and they relate to the condition or
| affairs in Canaan before that land was
nromised 70 the children of Israel
High Places of Worship.
+; The old testament is full of references
| to the high places where the heather
vorshiped Even the prophets OF the
! true God are shown to have gone into
these high places. When Saul was seek
! ing his fathers lost asses he went to
consult the Seer Samuel.
Samuel was going to the high place
without the city to preside ar sacrl-
fetal meal Saul accompanied him and
took part in the feast which preceded
his selection to be king Of Israel Later
these high places became seats of cor
ruption and efforts to abolish them
were made by Hezekiah and Josiah
Nothing definite was known about
these high places until a few years ago
when one was discovered In the nils
above Petra, the ancient capital OF
Edom. Another high place was found at
| Gezer. where monolithe and obelisks
! still remain. the very standing stones
Of the Canaanites which Israel was COM
manded to destroy and the like of which
| they were forbidden TO rear beside the
affairs of jehovah
Excavation Required.
Work in archaeological research in
Bible lands is now highly exacting IN
| its nature. While an UNFRAMED 1Icnc-
1 oIogist may occasionally find Moablte
! stone or something else of great value.
the work above ground has been almost
exhausted. Excavation Is required, and
| the work has been begun in many an
cient cities. The careless or inexperl-
fenced worker may do great damage,
therefore only picked men are permit
! ted to engage in the research.
The European and American societies
/ endeavor TO regulate all excavations. In
/ the Holy Land permits for excavations
must be obtained from the sultan OF
Turkey. and sometimes he imposes ham
pering conditions.
| To archaeology as a science the race
| is deeply indebted. The records of thou
/ sands of years of human endeavor have
been rescued from oblivion The goth
! century man may know the political in
! situations. the laws. the amusements,
| the daily habits of his brother who
flourished under the light OF a civili-
, cation long since extingisbed- And by
| many who value highly their belief in
the record of the scriptures, the archie
oloeists will be thanked for giving to
\ the world the setting in which was en-
acted the great historical drama through
which the religion of Jehovah has come
| down to living man.
Tomorrow-The American Oriental
/ Society
in free milling gold blocked out in the