Arizona republican., 1921-06-28

dust. which was sold as a potent cure for sore eyes.
 The regions below the rock. too. the Turks wished kept freq from con- taminstion- They did not agree ex- actiy what was beneath the surface. Some believed that the rock must rest on the branches of . palm tree at the roots of which all the rivers Of the world had their source Others held that the rock was just over Paradise. and stiip others thought st
 led down 10 Hsdes Tn any case. it
 was unanimously agreed among the
 Mosiems that the rock was no place
 for mortal 10 go poking around.
 4 Secret Exploration
 One bold attempt to solve some of the fascinating mysteries was made by several Engiishmen some 10 years ago. They found a curator who saw
 no harm In their digging around the
 place. provided the arrangements
 were satisfactory to- him and no | damage was done The scientists were allowed to dix and explore when the building was empty. rt was a
 hazardous business. because all day long Mosiems came to regard the precious rock. After q few hours
 work ar night all traces of disturbed ground and all toois must be care fully concealed. With these dissd-
 vantages the Enslishmen made little progress before they were discovered They lied the city at once. even while the irate Mohsmmedans were crying to the authorities for their imprison- ment or death.
 Another excavstor received per [ mission from the civil authorities tr
 explore beneath the rock fn the cav
 ern where Mohammed prayed But , he got only a little way with hi' . digging when antaxonirm became s, intense that permission had to b' r withdrawn
 Now the restrictions Of Turki-l Q scrupuiousnexs are removed. In ( temple area has as many historic ana religious associations for the Chris
 | Turk. but both of the former wouh e like the temple mysteries solved s The Ark Of the Covenant. even sucl n fragments as might remain. after al - these years. would be Of infinite vaiu !. to the Jews. most of whom hRv c avoided the tempre area for fear c c freading over the spot where the Ar e or the Law of Moses may be hidder lt The tablets of the law were ker
 within the Ark in the innermost par =l of the temple. The reason for think T ing that they may be found here
 that Jeremiah. the prophet. was ssi
 to have hidden the Ark on Noun
 Moriah. the hin on which the Dom
 of the Rock stands.
 The seven -branched candlestic ,s which was one of the most promtner e temple furnishings is another missin ie relic This candie-tick was uniqu To being five feet high. Of beaten gol st and worth about s95.000 in our mone. ie After Titus sacked Jerusalem he Id supposed to have taken it to Ron
 to be carried in his triumphaI prs
 cession-
 ThI. Is borne out by the carvings C s the arch of Titus In Rome showin 'u the candiestick as it was carrie s Whether 1t ever found its way bad rn to Jerusalem Is not known
 re These are the most eagerly sougl as relics of the temple. but In addftic
 there are all the gold and precios ny stones which the people of lsra ok poured into It's vaults to be accounts he for. The gold and silver alone. co he iected before the temple was built a ed supposed to have been worth two v- even three billions of dollars Mu ed of this wealth was no doubt seiz IT, by the plunderers of Jerusalem. B no SO many passages honeycomb Mou ,s. Moriah that archaeoiogists think or not unlikely that some Of the treasu he was safely disposed of.
 "a The old foundations are so deer
 embedded in the ground that it VI q, take much time and careful labor excavate the area without injury s existing structures In the end. .e no treasure or ancient relics are al lo- covered. at least the mystery Of wh ,e- the sacred rock conceais need me longer puzzle either science or { fer Turk