The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-12-27
SACRED RELIC AT JERUSALEM


The capture of Jerusalem from the
Turks by the British forces will likely
reveal to the modern civilized world
the most interesting sacred relics in
existence. The wonderful antiquity
of Jerusalem is scarcely appreciated
in these recent years. For many CEN
turtles Jerusalem has been under Mos
lem domination. Chief interest cen
ters in the mysterious chambers, tun-
nels, caves, tombs and treasures con-
cealed beneath the Mosque of Omar,
also known as "the Dome of the Rock"
This building stands upon the site of
King Solomon's Temple and the rock
beneath it was reversed by prehistor-
ic peoples even before the Hebrews
arrived in Jerusalem. So long as the
Moslem held domination it was absO-
lutely impossible for any one to Sc
cure permit to visit or investigate
these sacred places. The Holy City
was just as sacred to the Moslem as
it was to Jew or Christian. Carefully
they guarded the secrets of the site
Of Solomon's Temple, which had been
built over with mighty mosque. The
huge rock in the center of the mosque
was guarded by high iron grill so
that no alien hand might touch, or
DOT profane it.
Why this stone, which is sixty feet
square and now stands some five feet
above the surrounding earth, was so
highly revered by ancient nations is
one of the puzzles which the spade of
the eXcavator may reveal now that he
may be permitted to dig down beneath
the rock into the tunnels and cham
bers which are known to be there.
With the discovery of the Tel-el-Am-
arna tablets in Egypt new light was
sacred city. There were found six
letters written by the king of Jeru-
salm to the Pharaoh of Egypt, dating
from the fifteenth century B. c. The
king of Jerusalem writes to the Phar-
aoh beseeching him to send soldiers
to save the day from the Hebrews. It
is evident that this rock was revered
in that day Around this stone must
have gathered considerable cult, 9th
erwise David would hardly have seiz-
ed upon it as the future site of the
temple which his son Solomon was to
build The Moslem speaks of this
rock as the "navel of the earth" the
center around which all revolves. its
sacredness is comparable to that OF
the Greek rock which was covered by
the Temple of Apollo at Delphi
Now. since the capture of Jerusalem
and the driving out of the MOslem, il
is expected that many valuable treas
ures will be brought to the light in the
way of ancient sarcophagi with manu-
scripts and carved inscriptions, which
will help the modern world to grasI
the secrets so long held by the cras:
superstition of the Moslem 1t is
probable that records of the kings o.
Israel, and later manuscripts will b,
found. which were certainly bidder
when Romans hammered at the gates
of the Holy City in the year 20 A. d
Nothing is more natural than tina
these holy memorials should be con
cealed in the chambers dug out be
meath this sacred rock. Very inter
esting, indeed, if from these cham
bers should be found the famous
"Urim" and "Thummim," the jewels
by the High Priest of the Temple
Possibly the Ark of the Covenant con
tanning the original tablets of the Tel
Commandments may lie buried il
these tunnels.
Only one modern European ha
been able to touch the great stone
Colonel c. R. Gender. This was il
1874. He described his experience:
Il was able to walk in my socks al
over the surface of the rock. and t
ascend the scaffolding to the DOM
above in order to examine the anci
ent mosaics of the seventh century, a
the outside where the old arcaded bat
Elements of the ninth century was jus
laid bare. l penetrated by the oil,
rock cut acqueduct at the northwes
corner of the Haram to the Herodial
wall. and discovered the buttress o
the temple rampant still standing. Il
the Jews quarter l found the oil,
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