Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-02
SOUGHT FOR TOMbS
Archaeological Discoveries in
Underground Jerusalem.
WHAT EXPLORERS FOUND
Account of Explorations That
Aroused the Mohammedan
World in May.
WHAT EXPLORERS FOUND
'crcign Correspondence Of The star.


LONDON. September %. 1917.
Early in May great excitement Was
created in Turkey and throughout the
Mohammedan- world by rumor that the
Mosque of Omar had been violated. 4
party of English Psychologists. il Was
said. had entered the sacred precincts in
search OF the regalia of Solomon and the
Ark OF the Covenant. the tables of the
law. treasure worth hundred millioa
pounds. Turkish or whatever else tive
fiarboyant imagination OF the orient
might suggest. The leader of the party
explained. May :, what its real objects
We're. He and his friends were looking
for the tombs OF David and Solomon. and
they had. in connection with that search.
cleaned out and carefully Investigated the
soc-called Virgins well and the tunnelthat
runs from il TO the pool of Sloan. They
had also definitely ascertained the site
of Davids Jerusalem, and OF the Jeousite
city which preceded il, and obtained eva
dence of Jebusite occupation Tor 2,Jfo
years before DaVids conquest
\ fuller account OF the objects. meth
DDS and results OF the explorers was
intrusted to A well known member OF
the Ecole Bblique ct Archeologlque, IN
Jerusalem. and will be published by iior-
ace Cox October IL. simultaneously with
an English slightly abridged translation
Meanwhile a shorter version of this ac-
count has just been published
An Ancient Inscription.
The translator's preface states that in
June. 1880. there was accidentally discov-
cred an ancient inscription cut upon the
rocky wall of the ancient conduit, or sub
terranean passage, which had been cut
through the southern spur OF the hill on
which the Mosque Of Omar stands IN
order to bring water from the virgin
we'll on the eastern side of Jerusalem TO
the pool of Sloan on the south. OF the
discovery Prof Sayce said:
Underground Jerusalem has been as
vet but little explored: and if We may
find record of the kind in a spot whicn
Is easily accessible, and has been not
infrequently visited, what discoveries
may We not expect to make hereafte-'
when the temple area can be thoroughly
investigated and the subterranean water
courses of the capital OF the JEWISH
monarchy laid open to view
IL is with the discovery OF some or
the most important of these subterranean
works that the forthcoming pamphlet VIII
chiefly deal. The explorers rather erred
on the side of superfiuous caution than
of reckless zeal The true secret OF the
Hill of Ophel has never yet SO nearly been
revealed as by the expedition whose work
down to April II, 1911, has been de-
scribed in the pamphlet.
Maze of Tunnels.
The pamphlet goes on to describe the
construction known as the Virgins well.
and the maze of tunnels and chambers
connected with It, The debris found
occurred in two distinct layers. Above, the
| fragments in dry earth were clearly
Jewish pottery mingled With Hellenistic
| work and even with some of the glazed
! red pottery called Semian. Beneath there
| was blackish mud and the rough frag-
| ments of thick earthenware with sizes
| of uneven thickness, its paste relatively
| homogeneous, but crudely worked in
| coarse clay, red or yelowish in tint,
| sometimes dry, friable and uniform III
| color with kind of glaze on the con-
| cave walls to mark the inside of the
vessel, sometimes showing those charac-
| teristically unequal zones of Imperfect
baking which betray the novice, VINO
does not know how to harden the walls
of his vessel right through in all direc-
tions in his oven. \ few fragments OF
handles or the of pattern borders are the
only pieces of any real significance.
Yet, slight as these fragments may he
considered, they furnish practically
certain proof of Israelitish origin. Some
NAV, perhaps be attributed to Canaanit-
ish potters, but not one can be dated as
late as the ninth century before Christ