The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-12-07
ED|FI(5E
Is Discovered Under Ground
in the City Of Jeru-
salem.

AAeue OH lne TOP or the
Mount of Olives.
Under the auspices of the Greek
Catholic order of monks called the
White Fathers excavations were
begun recently in the grounds of the
institution known as 1he carmelite
Convent of "Pater Noster." The
convent and the beautiful little chapel
attached were built about thirty-sIx
years ago by and at the expense OF
the late Aurelia de Bossi, Princess de
Ia Tour d'Auvergne, Duchesse dc
Bouillon, and is now occupied by
French nuns OF the Carmelite order.
During her lifetime the late Prin-
cess turned the convent and its
grounds over to French government.
The institution is consequently con-
sidered as Frcnch property now.
France, in turn. placed 1t under the
guardianship of the White Fathers"
allowing them free hand in its man
asement both spiritual and temporal
and in the carrying on of explanatory
researches or excavations whenever
the occasion arose or an opportunity
offered.
The White Fathers" have long held
to the belief that the grounds must
cover the site by some buried ancient
church or ediflce in accordance with
long-preserted records in their pos
session, and, acting on this belief,
excavations were commenced in the
western section of the extensive
grounds.
The eNcarators were not long in
coming upon the broken walls of
ruined church. and. Judging from. the
sxtent Of the walls unearthed, this
church must have, enjoyed quite lib
eral dimensions. 1t measures some
1850 feet in length from entrance to
apse, the latter facing eastwards and
its average width at the nave is about
hity feet and at the transepts, eighty
feet,
The main floor of the nave still re-
mains unearthed, but those OF the
transepts, the extent of whose areas
measures some fifteen feet square
each, have been exposed to view, They
consist of beautifully laid mosaics in
a perfect state Of preservation. Ia
the middle OF 1the floor of the south
transept is sunk baptismal INNER
sion pool, some@ two feet in depth
and four feet square, with a nicely
rounded and finished rim, all wonder
fully preserved. The plasterIng on
the sides of the walls enclosing this
transept shoYs traces of large
painting.
On the floor of the north transept
were found several shafts of columns
scattered here and.there among the
debris, and at the junction of the
western corner OF the transept with
the nave were uncovered two or three
tombs containing human bones, OF
the tombstone of one of which is in
scrlbed in Greek the name "Theo-
dorus.'
Further up the nave, northeast of
the south transept, another bit OF
MOSAIC flooring was unearthed, dis
closing that there we're two separate
and distinct floors Of different mosaic
design, the upper lying some two
feet six inches above the other, MAX
Ing it clear that the chureh's history
covers two separate periods. namely
The first period following its original
construction by Queen Helena, mother
Of Constantine the CREATOR there
ID now no doubt that this is one OF
the first three Christian churches
built in the Holy Land by Queen Hell
cha some time during the early part
OF the fourth century;-and the sec
ond period dating from the restora.
ton by the Crusaders of the twelfth
century of the previously destroyed
original church OF Queen Helena,
the destruction taking place prob
ably during the early part of the
sixth century at the hands of the
Persian king, Chosroes H., or pos.
sibly some other Oriental vandals
The latter view is supported by the
peculiar construction In seml-cir.
cular fashion OF the wall of the apse
which is characteristic of tho Cru.
sader type of church architecture.
i The church has been given the
name of "Eleona," in reference per,
haps to Queen Helena, its founder
or again, the Church of the Lords
Prayer" for it stands, as tradition
has 1t, over the site of the spot where
Jesus taught his disciples how il
pray.