Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-06-24
DIGGING UP JERUSALEM
Some Age-Old Mysteries in Way Of
! Solution. :f'.s"t'1'
UNDER. R. The DONE DOM Of THE, ROCK

Turks Would Not Permit Christians to
Approach, Much Less Exp;IiJJrre, the
Places They Regard as Holy; But
Now Christians are in Control to Do
as They See Proper.
(Frederick J. Haskin.)
With Jerusalem out Of Turkish pow
er, an excavation beneath the celebrat-
ed Dome Of the Rock, one Of the mys-
terry places of the world, is being plan
ned TO scientists who read history In
old foundations and bits Of pottery,
this Dome of the Rock has long been
regarded as tantalizing treasure
trove
Here, Solomon's temple undoubtedly
stood until its ruined walls were buried
beneath a mass. Of debris. Over this
other temples were built ard destroyed
and the present Dome of the Rock was
erected, so. that the walls of Solomon's
famous temple must be sought a hun
dred feet below the surface.
Further down still where the treasure
vaults and secret places of the old
temple were, science hopes perhaps to
find some of the gold and jewels of the
temple, or even the Ark of the Cove
nant. It is certain that unexplored
subterranean passages exist In this
area and what is more likely than that
the priests carried down their treas
ures to safety when the temple was
threatened with destruction?
Until now there has been no chance
for excavators to prove or disprove
their theories. The Turks guarded the
temple area with fierce strictness, hold
ing it only a little less sacred than the
sacred mosque at Mecca.
The reason for this extreme Moslem
devotion was great brown rock, 6Ox45
feet long and over four feet high,
which figures prominently in Moham-
.medan history. From this rock. Mo-
hammed is said to have mounted his
horse, Al Burak, the lightning, and to
have ridden off to heaven. The foot
prints Of the prophet left dent IN the
rock which any one may see to TINS
day. The rock aspired to follow the
prophet and started up a few inches
but the Angel Gabriel put a finger on
the surface and saved it to the chill
dren of earth. Hence another dent IN
the rock, also plainly visible. ~
This rock is further to be venerated
the guides say, because it is the center
of the earth, and Is miles nearer 10
heaven than any other place. Here
Noah's Ark rested after the flood, ana
here Abraham prepared to offer up his
son as a sacrifice. Lest this is not SUI
Gcient local color the guide adds that
here too Jacob had his angelic VISION.
Where Mohammed Prayed.
II is. moreover, a desirable place IN
which to pray. There is record that
Mohammed prayed here in cavern
beneath the rock, after which he de-
creed that prayers here were one
thousand times as efflcacious as those
| from less HOly PiaSSS'
All these associates and many more
make every inch of the rock sacred 10
+he MoSlcms: Back in the seventh CEN
turv. when the last of the Jewish tenn
pies had been destroyed and the place
Law deserted and covered with refuse
the Turks cleared off the rock and
built over it beautiful building, with
b,uc tiled dome colored marble pillars,
| stained glass windows, and soft rugs
nm tho floor. In this dim, octason-
cha ned hall, the rock has reposed ever
since, guarded by screens of iron ana
wood.
Less than hundred years ago. II
would have meant death to Chrlstlail
mr. lew to venture inside the dome OF
the rock, as the building was calieo'
And when feeling became less intense
On long as the Turks held Jerusalem
an unbeliever was permitted IN the
h,,;,d;ne onlv when accompanied by
native guides.
with all precautions, the most oe-
vout of the Mohammedans protested
q aeaiust foreign interest in the hoiy
rock Two American women were shot
at one day by fanatic who resented
their intrusion in the hollow oeneaIh
the rock where Mohammed prayed
Arcbcologists were regarded with spe-
cial suspicion.
Scientists interested in excavations
in Jerusalem tried every possible
means to get permission to explore the
ground beneath the big rock, pue VII"
scart success. The Turks opposed any
d;grinr because it was prohibited tof
anv one to touch the rock Once year.
ot . snecial ceremony. Il high func-
tionary dared to dust off the su'ia'e
and collect the dust, which was soiu' Dc
., notent cure for sore eyes
The regions below the rock too' '"e
Turks wished kept free from contain
;,,ti,n They did not agree eNactis
,,,,,.t was beneath the surface. Some
brljcved that the rock must rest on 'iie
,ra nchcs of a palm tree at the roots ol
which all the rivers of the worlo ii''.
.hoi,. s,urcc. Others held that the roch
,,.,s inst over Paradise, and slill otH'i