The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-01-22
G4zE LlE1F CHoITZzzEA3 EWZHY YA7l
eIE12LL5ALZIH

salem since 1867, and a little digging was done
outside the present city limits to determine the
lines or the ancient walls. In the course Of the
superficial study of the land a number of impor
tant monuments were discovered still standing
upon the surface. In 1868 the German mission
airy, Klein, discovered inscription of Mesha
king of Moab, who is mentioned in II Kings 3. In
1880 some boys, playing in the conduit which
leads to the pool of Sloan, discovered an inscrip
ton in ancient Hebrew characters dating from
the time of King Hezekiah. In 1891 Schumacher
discovered a monument of Rameses ii (1292
b. c., who was probably the Pharaoh who op
pressed the children of Israel in Egypt and in
1901 Prof George Adam Smith discovered a beau
tiful stele of Seti l. the father of Rameses H."
The Harvard expedition at Samaria in 1909.
1910 discovered remains of the palace of the
Hebrew kings Omri and Ahab, and in of its
chambers potsherds were found containing bus
ness accounts written in character similar to
that of the Sloan inscription
These discoveries are only beginning of the
exploration of Palestine. The sites excavated
except that of Samaria, are relatively unimpor
tant towns. The great religious centers of an
tquity, such Hebron, Jerusalem, Bethel and
Dan, remain unexplored. Hundreds of large
mounds exist all over the country within which
the records of ancient times deposited
above the other in chronological order 1t is not
unreasonable to expect that, IL these mounds
could be explored thoroughly many Baby
lonian tablets such as those found at Tanach
would be discovered
Perhaps even a whole library might be un.
earthed in such place KirjathSepher, whose
name Book Town" Since Hebrew in
scriptions have been found already there is no
reason why more might not be found, or why
even manuscripts might not be discovered sealed
up in earthen jars, which, we know from Jere-
miah 32:14, was the custom of the Hebrews
Think how the world would be startled If some
OF the lost books mentioned in the Old Testa
ment were rediscovered. or ancient manuscripts
of some of the canonical booksl
Not only the sacred places of the Holy Land
but the most famous sites OF the ancient and
classical world barring those of Greece and
Rome lie under the clutches of the unspeakable
Turk. Among them are Constantinople, Troy,
Babylon Nineveh Damascus, Tyre. Sidon, Arbela
and many others.
Before the war French archeologists had just
begun some very interesting researches at Con-
stantinope. They have now partially laid bare
the ruins OF the palace of Constantine, which.
OF course. is OF great interest the residence OF
the emperor who gave his name to the city. This
amazing building covered space of many acres,
including quarters. baths and every luxury for
the thousand persons who composed the inn
perial household and the guards of the palace.
IL surpasses incomparaby both In extent and
splendor the palace of the Caesars at Rome, and
yet IL is probably equaled in interest by many Of
the other ruins in the city.
Few Americans realize the extraordinary in
terest OF Constantinope and the strange manner
in which the wealth of the ages has been locked
up I'm Il. Constantinople has longer continuous
history than any other great city in the world.
Everybody hopes that one OF the first results
Of the will be to free this ancient center Of
culture and Christianity, well as the Holy
Land, from the horrible, barbarous Turks.