The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1921-01-26
NEW EXCAVATION IN ANCIENT
PALESTINE.
Various Organizations, Both Jewish
and Christian Unite in Renewed FL
forts of Uncovering Relics of An
cient Architecture and History.

work of excavation now being carried
out in Palestine:
''The discovery of n very early
Christian church in the Garden Of
Gethsemane has directed attention to
the valuable work which is being car
ried out in Palestine under the direc.
ton of the newly-formed Department
recognized from the outset of his
career as High Commissioner that the
whole world was anxious chat all pos
sible care should be taken of the mon
uments, and every facility afforded
for investigating the history of the
Holy Land. He called to his aid the
Director of the British School Of
Archaeology in Jerusalem, who is now
home once more after strenuous work
which he has had the qualification of
seeing bear fruit.
observations in the Garden of
Gethsemane We're begun by the Fran
ciscans in the spring of last year. and
they discovered a church of the 18th
century. In digging the foundations
for new building on the spot they
discovered traces of a Iauch earlier
church on slightly different axis.
They duly received permission to en-
cavate this earlier building. which
proved to be church of about the
fourth century and one of the Oldest
monuments of Christianity in Pal
estine. The whole of the outside wall
can be traced, together with the two
rows of columns which supported the
aisles, and three apses, the central one
being the largest. Here and there are
ell-preserved tho small remains of
the original mosaic floor.
THE Franciscans have undertaken
to preserve these remains in such
way that they will be permanently Wis
ible: even tho new church be built,
it will be designed to enclose the old
church, and steps will be taken to dis
tinguish the outline of the ancient
structure and to preserve the pave
ment and the bases of columns in Il
way that is quite satisfactory. The
central apse of this building reaches
out just beyond the modern limits of
the garden towards the rocks which
nrc usually associated with the Agony
of Christ If has been arranged that
the work shall be completed by the
Bou rd of Antiuuitics OH behalf of the
government Some architectural frng
ments Including columns with capi-
fails in Corintlrian style. came TO light
in the course of the excavation.
.Ope of the first acts of the new
government under Sir Herbert Samuel
was TO organize Department of Anti.
ouities. the principal function of which
is the protection of all the historical
s;tcs and monuments in Palestine, and
Mt the same time to encourage learned
societies TO make scientific cxcava-
tions The historical monuments of
Palestine are not merely interesting
from the ANTIQUARIAN point of view,
but have "A human and n religious in
terest for the great bulk of humanity
Accordingly, an International board
has been established to advise the
Director of Antiquities on matters of
common interest to the iii fferenI local
societies and schools of foreign pow
ers engaged in archaeological research.
"One of the most holy places of
Nahopedanism Familiarity known as
the Mosque of Omar. which is also one
of the most beautiful Moslem build
inps extant is here. The earlier de-
yeloument of the Jewish Kingdom will
be traccablc by systematic excavation
from the Pool of Siloam upwards along
the Ridge of Ophcl as far as the site
of tho Te,nnlr