Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-05-10
FINDS IN THE BIBLE LANDS.
Important Discoveries by Excavators
in Jerusalem.

o~ PS
tient excavation work in Bible lands
has been rewarded by striking and
important discoveries. 1t Is sug-
gested that the remains now unearth-
ed may be those Of Ahab's ''ivory
house." q Kings, 22-39). Labels
with Hebrew writings, which seem
to have been in actual use during
the lifetime. and perhaps in the
households, Of Omri and Ahab, have
also been found. Many Biblical
names appear in these writings such
as Elisha, Asa, Nathan, Uzza, Sheba
and Ablezer.
These discoveries have been made
at Samaria, the ancient capital Of
Israel. Since 1908 the Harvard Uni
versity has been carrying on exca-
vations here under the patronage OF
the Hon. Jacob II. Schif, Of New
York, the chief object being the
search for Hebrew remains. The
work Of each season has been mainly
at the summit. Here, in 1908, was
e~Xcavated an imposing stairway,
with n large altar at its foot, and a
mutilated statue of fine white mar
Bile and excellent workmanship, prob
ably representing Augustus, lying
near the altar. Near the altar also
were two s%telate, with Latin votive
inscriptions dedicated to Jupiter
Optimus MaNimus. Both date from
about the middle Of the second CEN
tury or a little later. The altar SEEM
ed to be Of earlier date, probably
Herodian. Such Of the stairway we're
the massive foundations of one or
more large buildings.
The campaign. Of 1909 dug out the
towers Of the Herodian gateway and
part Of the Herodian city wall on the
western side Of the hill, and a por-
ton Of the Herodian basillic adjoin-
Ing the forum near the village on
the eastern side. South Of the sum
nit was Uncovered a maze Of walls,
Roman. Greek and. Hebrew, and 9TH
ers Of less certain designation. Near
the base Of a wall in the Babylonian
style was found a fragment Of a
cuneiform inscription.
The conditions Of the summit were
so complicated that the excavations
here called for the most minute OBJ
servatlon. The great wall found in
1908, running south from the stair
way proved to be the eastern founda-
ton wall Of a large Roman building.
This was dug out in It's entirety, and
there seems to be no doubt that 1t
Is the Augustan temple built by
Herod. In 1908 a coin of Herod was
found on one OF the foundation walls
Of this building. There are other
walls, not coinciding with those of
Herod, which indicate n rebuilding
of the temple in inferior style, and
this may be dated with much proba-
bliity to the time of Scptimus Seve-
rus, A. D. 200.
Resting on the rock we're found
very heavy walls, so solid that later
builders. Greeks and Romans, used
these walls In places as a base on
which to lay their own foundations.
masonry was of a style already
known as Israelite, consisting OF
broad walls Of large blocks, roughly
laid. In certain places the wall Is
entirely gone, but It's direction can
be seen from that OF the portions
still standing and from trenches cut
In the rock. Following up these walls
and trenches the general plan of a
large building, consisting of cham
bers grouped around courts in the |
style of an Assyrian palace, became
clear.
Here and there stand portions of
the finished wall to the height Of
several courses Of stone. Moreover.
grades Of construction appeared,
Omr1, enlarged in a superior style by |
his son Ahab. This may be, then, the |
Ivory house" built by Ahab. At all
events, the building is a Hebrew pal
ace, the first and only palace Of a
Hebrew king ever found, and likely
remain unique and, therefore, Of
the deepest interest to Biblical stu
dents. The palace has now been ex-
to an extent amounting to
about 20 feet square, and the limits
not yet been reached. Moreover,
additions to the palace have been
noted, tentatively assigned to Jehu
and Jeroboam II.