Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-11-06

II coVery ID worth
n much. Now what
is less promising
tnan a few yellow or red-brown pots
Of bowls Of clay enclosing an old Jew
ish lamp? Yet in the hosiery of dis
covery in Bible lands, the difference
between a few such unattractive pots
and bowls and the uses made of Thorn
marks the difference between a relig-
ion that came down and religion
that came up, between a revelation
and a mere social and religious devel-
opment.
1t was at the great High Place Of
Gezer, perhaps chief Of all the Canaan
tie high places. at least most conspic-
uous in situation. It stands upon a
promontory that tuts out from the
Judean hills into the plain of Sharon.
R. A. Stewart Macalister of the Pales-
tine Exploration fund had cut his great
trenches right across the ruins on the
top of the high place. He found his
tory of three millenniums lying in lay
ers like geologic history in our noun
tains and hills, in America. Cities,
built largely Of mud and rough stone
and with streets that are never swept,
rise on stepping stones Of their dead
selves to higher things" and the bur-
ials Of each succeeding age are identi-
fed by the pottery and other relics
found In the corresponding layer Of
ruins.
The uncovering OLA layer of his
tory just before the conquest by Israel
easily identified and dated by the
Egyptian scarabs found in the ruins,
revealed most gruesome and horrible
hints of human sacrifice, more than
confirming the suggestions contained
In the Bible accounts, and spread them
out before the Mortified gaze Of the ex'
plorer. There were rows of little
bodies Of babes all under eight days OF
age buried alone and together and at
the side of the holy place Of the altar:
Children do not naturally die thus all
1T once, Of a certain age, and be bur
led by themselves beside the altar.
These are nothing else than human
sacrifices, probably Of the frst-born.
During the same period there are
other things of dreadful suggestive
ness. A body, that Of young girl, IS
found sawn asunder, and everywhere
is evidence of the materialistic super
stition that filled the tombs with great
pots for the supplies for the dead IN
the other world.
Immediately after these things
comes a break in scivilization and
new layer in the ruins. Old things
were forgotten. Even the waterworks'
a great engineering feat, which gave
access by tunnel through the Solo
rock to a secret spring for water IN
time of siege, was lost and forgotten
from that time until the explorer laid
It bare. This new layer contains the
history Of the conquest period, also
identified by the Egyptian remains
found In It and more certainly by the
Jewish lamps and Hebrew jar handles
Now every trace Of the sacrifice OF
babes PASSES away and other human
sacrifices also cease. Tho gross burial
customs are quickly changed and IN
place Of them there appear these two
bowls and q lamp, of which l have
spoken. They are found in tomos OF
the place after tho Hebrews came IN.
The lamp 10 placed in one bowl ana
the other turned over 1t, to typify, -
10 thought, tho going out of lie.
What could have made sucn
change? Was there suddenly sucn
development toward true religion!
Did this wondrous change from the
.gruesorhe and horrible to the beassaoi'
ard elevating .come - natural
growth3 Did this change In Canaan
come up or come down? 1t was tn's'
at the sight Of which Professor George
Adam Smith exclaimed, This 10 notn'
ing else than the inspiration OF the A.
mighty"