The Detroit times., 1915-05-27
az WILLIAM 7. ELLIS

~ Sam. s;i.is: Psalm "a.
az WILLIAM 7. ELLIS
More excitement was caused IN
that region OF romance. The near
east. with It's succession OF treasure
troVes, buried cities. forgotten races.
lost languages. hidden gold and pre-
cious stones. by the recent British
expedition that was digging in snd
about Jerusalem than by anything
Else In the city's archaeological his.
tory. This strange expedition. about
which all sorts OF rumors were rife.
and little exact information Was
known. vas said 10 be digging for
the treasures OF David.
According TO the story a cryptic
gram in an old manuscript copy OF
the works OF Josephus. gave these
adventures their clue. | saw their
workmen busily eXcavatlng. care
fully guarded the while. When /
attempted 20 approach their work
lngs. guard warned me OF The
expedition collapsed when IL was
discovered that the sheikh OF the
Mosque Of Omar. and other Turkish
officialS. had been bribed 20 permit
digging in The temple area. Since
that time the sheikh and his suoor-
dinates have been imprisoned. and
the British adventures have neo
the country.
These men were seeking in the
mysterious and UNEMPLOYED LADY.
rinths beneath the sacred precincts
OF the temple OF solomon. for the
hidden treasures 81 David. including
the Ark OF The Covenant. They were
said 70 believe that the ARK could
De found.
Whether there be a shred OF truth
in that or not, the possibility stag
gers the imagination. What a sen
sation would &c created in the
world and what a fundamental re
vision OF religious scholarship II
there could be brought forth for de
vout eyes 70 examine the ancient
sacred symbol OF the presence OF Je
hovsh with Israel
A Nations Palladium
School children are familiar with
the Palladium OF Roman liberties.
which is now said 10 be concealed
under the ancient column that IS
called The Burnt Pillar" in Constan-
tinople More precious BY far than
Rome's Palladium was the Ark OF
the Covenant. a box four feet long
and two fee; wide and two feet high.
within and without with
gold, and carefully buiit Of acacia
wood. according 10 the directions OF
Moses
Above its golden lid were wrought
two golden cherubim. and over these
famed the Shekinah. the symbol OF
the presence OF the Most High. In
side the ark were the Tables OF the
Law gi~en 10 Moses on the mount, q
POT OF mama. and Aaron : rod that
Guided. The top OF the ARD vas
called the mercy seat, and It's sym
bolism OF the awful and invisible
presence OF the Supreme Being has
been inwrought into religious hiera-
ture and bymnody.
This was the ark that went before
the israelites in their journeys. and
became the center OF their worship
" ben they stood still II held back
the waters OF the Jordan while the
peopl, crossed into Canaan. n vas
carried about the crumbling walls OF
Jericho. II was the symbol that ter.
riHed and conquered the lsrsehtes
enemies. When tabernacle was sup
planted by temple, the ark found us
place in the Holy OF Holes
All trace OF the ark seems 10 have
been lost since the time OF Nebu.
chadrezzar II was not in the TEN.
piles OF Zerubbabel and Herod There
is no evidence that Nebuchadrezzar
carried il OF. and quite certainly II
Vas not among the spoil that Titus
carried from Jerusalem 20 Rome
Hod this object OF supreme venera-
ton md value been among the loot
OF any OF Jerusalems conquerors, u
surely would have been noted
There are many who believe that
the ark was hidden securely by The
priests az the time OF the captivity.
and that II awaits 4 day OF discov.
err. Our own time. which has seen
the deciphering % the cuneiform
and the hieroglyphics. which has
ieGiscovered the Hit,ites and many
buried cities which has Witnessed
srnazinz combinations of the truth