Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1917-03-16

tan worship iii tie east and remained
standing Until tie year 526, when dur
ing an asse4nb.ase of 100000 Chris
tians the city was leveled by an earth
quake so disastrous that one building
could not be distinguished from an
other among the ruins
1t was natural that chalice of such
great value and sanctity in the possess
sion of the first Christian emperor
would have been left by him In the
city where the word Christian was first
used and which was endeared to him
by it's associations with st. Peter, st.
Paul and other apostles who resided
there. This chalice and other treas
ures discovered at the same excavation
were removed to this country from
Paris for greater safety at the out
break Of the war.
The chalice Of the portraits can be
dated with certainty to the second half
of the first century A. D., says. DR..
Gustavus A. Eisen. the archaeologlst,
who is now in this country and who
has made preliminary report upon 1t
in the American Journal OF Archaeol.
ogy. 1t was found by Arabs digging a
we'll in Antioch on the ArOntes, Syria.
At the depth of many meters they
came upon underground, chambers
which contained the treasure
Chaiice Is In Three Parts.
The chalice with the portraits is
made in three parts. There is an inner
n r1lo in In1v 10
with heavy outer casing of beautiful
sculptured work in which, woven in
with design of vine leaves and
grapes. are the portraits of Christ and
the disciples. The whole is supported
on a short. slender stem and narrow
foot disk turned cut on lathe from
solid block of silver. On the lower part
Of the bowl of the chalice is a cluster
OF lotus leaves.
The body of the chalice. while beau
tiful in form, is crudely made, ham,
mered from thick sheet of silver. the
edge turned rudely back without at
tempt at OrnamentatiOn or smooth fin
ish. 1t was not the property of the
rich. The fact of its preservation and
the beautiful sculptured work, added
to 1t later. with the portraits of Christ
and the disciples upon it. makes it evil
dent that it was in some way closely
allied to them.
The sculptured work is Greek. that
of an artist, Dr.. Essen believes, and
the individuality shown in the faces
makes it certain that they were taken
from lie or from portraits of which
those III wax of the period were excel
lent. The reason for there being only
ten of the apostles shown is possibly,
it is said, because the artist was famil-
lar with the faces of Of only that num-
bef or had seen only that number Of
portraits.
"Such individuality cannot be the re-
suit Of accident" says DR.. Eisen, land
it is the first time that it has been
Shown in early Christian art
There are two groups Of figures. one
on either side of the chalice. each con-
tanning Il central figure. with five apos-
lies facing it. One figure of the mature
Christ is in the more prominent of the
two groups.
SymboicaI Figures In Design.
Many of the apostles hold scrolls in
their hands. one holds n purse and one
a handle that may be that Of Il sword.
Doves. snails, a rabbit, a butterfly and
a grasshOpper are among the animals
shown. There is band OF ffty-seven
rosettes at the top of the chalice. Of
about equal size. and at one point is Il
star such as was seen on pre-Roman
Antioch coins. The rosettes. which are
noticeably crowded, may have refer
ence to the year. it is thought.
The chalice is nineteen centimeters
centimeterS.