The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1911-08-26

bulence and all Christendom
has been exercised because the
sacrilege of stealing the Ark of
the Covenant was wrongfully imputed
to Captain the Honorable Montague
Parker of the First Life Guards of the
English army, and party of archeol-
ogists whom he commanded. He was
Lieut.. Robin Duff an officer of the
Second Life Guards and relative of
King George v.
Assisted by the connivance of the
Turkish government and by brides to
Mohammedan soldiers. the English
men are accused of rifling the sacred
bowels of Mount Moriah, the site of
the Temple of Solomon and of the
Mosque of Omar at Jerusalem, and OF
making off with the Ark, after UNI
earthing the venerable Golfer from its
purported place of concealment for
more than twenty centuries. The ex-
plorers, according to news cablegrams,
we're pursued to the coast by the hue
and cry of scandalized Moslems. and
echoes of their pious indignation are
reverberating through Europe and
America
Mortified clergymen have predicted
that some such fate would overtake
he English officer as befell the men
of Bethshemesh, of whom 50070 are
declared in the Old Testament to have
49, - .,.I l..
tain of their townsmen ventured to
look inside the Ark; or as happened to
Uzzah, who put forth his hand to
steady the holy chest when it rocked
upon its cart, and who was slain "for
his error" by Jehovah, in his suddenly
kindled wrath
Explorers Invited to Continue Work
The cutlery of sacrilege has not been
completely quoted. by Capt. Parkers
solemn declaration that he found no
Hebrew antiquities whatever beneath
the Mosque of Omar, and that he was
not searching for the Ark. but for the
tombs of David and Solomon con
elusive refutation of the accusation is
the fact that the Turkish authorities
have invited the Englishmen to renew
their excavations next autumn Fol
Jerusalem and its relics are as hal
lowed to a Moslem as they are to g
Jew. because Nahomet is reputed tc
have begun at the Holy City his tabled
expedition 70 the Seven Heavens.
Besides, 1t is the opinion of mos
students of the Bible that the Ark was
probably destroyed when the temple
was burned by Nebuchadnezzar. ant
that 1t had certainly disappeared be
fore the composition of the book
Maccabees
Speculation as to the present exis
tence Of the Ark is perhaps due t.
the remarkable phenomenon of tt
abrupt disappearance from Holy Writ
In one verse Of the book of II Chron
icles the Hebrew palladium is restored
mon. In another verse of the sam
chapter 1t is dismissed, as with wav,
of the hand, in the words And Their,
It is until this day" Except meta
phorically or incidentally, the Ark |
but once again mentioned in the Bible
While most scholars believe that tn
Ark was lost Immediately before O
during the Hebrew captivity in Baby
Ion, some hold that 1t was taken b
the conquerors to the capital city O
the Chaldees. But, If SO, 1t was almos
certainly restored when the Jews wer
reinstated in Jerusalem, in 520-16 B.
Others declare that the Ark was nc
taken into captivity. but was hide
away in the secret chambers of tn
temple, In the apartment where WOO
was kept, and it is related that ce
tain priest. while working in the apar
ment, noticed that some stones pr
jected above the others. He no sool
er began to tell the story to fello'
priest than he expired. That was r,
garded as a sure sign that the Ar
was buried in that place.
However, IL the Ark was really I;
ken to Babylon, which most scholar
doubt. it seems to have been returne
to Jerusalem, according to the sequ,
related in the book of Ezra.
It is possible some writers say, tn;
the Ark had declined in esteem anon
the Hebrews themselves, during ii
calamities which befell their natio
Perhaps. also, the leaders may hay
taken alarm over the honors Of wo
ship paid to the Ark from the da
when Joshua rent his clothes ar
fell to the earth upon his face befol
The Ark IF the Lord until eventide,
M the elders Of Israel. and put du