Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-15
DISCOVERIES AT SAMARIA
First and Only Palace of Hebrew
King Ever Found.
MAY BE AHAB's IVORY HOUSE
Digging Being Carried on by Har-
ward University at the Ancient
Capital of Israel.
Foreign Correspondence Of The Star.

ro''ish correspondence VI lne Stdf
JERUSALEM, March Is, 1911
Again patient excavation work in Bible
lands has been rewarded by striking and
important discoveries. 1t is suggested
that remains recently unearthed may be
those of Ahab's ivory house" Ct Kings,
12-3sD. Labels with Hebrew writing, which
seem to have been in actual use during
the lifetime and perhaps in the house
holds of Omri and Ahab have also been
found. Many biblical names appear in
these writings. such as Elisha, Asa.
Nathan. Uzza, Sheba and Abiezer.
These discoveries have been made al
Samaria. the ancient capital of Israel.
Since 1908 the Harvard University has
been carrying on excavations here under
the patronage of Jacob II. Schiff Of New
York, the chief object being the search
for Hebrew remains. The work of each
season has been mainly at the summit.
An Imposing Stairway.
Here, in 1903. was excavated an impos-
ing stairway. with a large altar at it's
foot, and mutilated statue of fine white
marble and excellent workmanship, prob
ably representing Augustus, lying near
the altar. Near the altar also were two
stelae. with Latin votive inscriptions ded-
ica ted to Jupiter OptimuS MaximuS. Both
date from about the middle of the sec
ond century or a little later. The altar
seemed to be of earlier date, probably
Herodian.
The campaign of 1909 dug out the tow
ers OF the Herodian gateway and part
of the Herodian city wall on the western
side of the hill, and portion of the He
rodian basilica adjoining the forum near
the village on the eastern side. South
p ac
walls. Roman, Greek and Hebrew, and
others of less certain designation Near
the base Of a wall in the Babylonian
style was found fragment of a cunei-
form inscription.
The conditions at the summit were so
complicated that the excavations here
called for the most minute observation.
The great wall found in 1908, running
south from the stairway, proved to be
the eastern foundation wall of a large
Roman building. This was dug out IN
it's entirety, and there seems to be no
doubt that it is the Augustan temple
built by Herod. In 1908 a coin of
HerOd had been found on one of the
foundation walls of this building.
There are other walls not conciding
with those of Herod. which indicate a
rebuilding of the temple in inferior
style. and this may be dated with much
probability to the time of Septimus
Severus. about A. D., 200.
Palace of Hebrew King.
Resting on the rock were found very
heavy walls. so solid that later build :
ers. Greek and Roman, used these walls
in places Is a base on which to lay
! their own foundations. The masonry
was of a style already known as Isra-
| elite, consisting of broad walls of large
blocks, roughly laid. In certain places
the wall is entirely gone, but its direc-
ton can be seen from that Of the por-
tons still standing, and from trenches
cut in the rock. Following up these
walls and trenches the general plan OF
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. two
grades of construction appeared, a
coarser and finer. The explorers sug-
gest that this is the palace Of Omri,
enlarged in superior style by his son
Ahab. This may be. then, the ivory
house built by Ahab. At all events.
this building is a Hebrew palace, the
first and only palace of a Hebrew king
ever found, and likely to remain
unique. and therefore of the deepest
interest to biblical students. The pal
ace has now been eXcavated to an ex-
tent amounting to about 270 feet
square. and the limits have not vet
been reached. Moreover, two additions
10 the palace have been noted tenta-
lively assigned to Jehu and Jeroboam
H.