The New York herald., 1922-01-29
Marvellous Possibilities in Cleaning
Up Moot Points in Biblical History
Seen in Resumption of Excavations
in PaleStine---Missing Books Nav
Be Revealed--- Wonderful Story of the
,..v.. .. Woman at the Well

A EEMBERS of the Palestine Explora-
MI tion Fund, an organization which,
as its name implies, is interested
in solving the secrets of the Holy Land,
have announced that it is about to begin
new explorations in Palestine, mainly with
the object of discovering at last the long
sought home of the Samaritan Woman
No more romantic quest ever has been
initiated. The gentle Woman of Sa->
maria," an appealing symbol of the curl
osity of her sex, has stood out from among
all her sisters of the Bible relations as the
one most interesting of them all. Perhaps
this has been because of the mystery sur
rounding her, for all we know Of this ques-
ticp asking woman, who was figure in one
of the most compelling incidents that fill
the life of Christ is cleaned from the sim
pie description of ST. John "She came out
Of Samaria''
and the Woman. The woman, who had
come to draw water for her lord or master,
asked that question which in its answer
brought forth the most comforting precept
of all Christianity. She wanted to know
how it could be that the Man before her
could display a confidence in her, the
daughter of an almost enemy people. 1t
is His answer to this Woman of Samaria
that has since taught whole world that
there can be no enemies among those who
have faith
Woman Disappeared Again.
But Left Impress on World
From this conversation the woman dis
had emerged. She left her impress, how
ever, upon all after history. Her footsteps
have been followed through all time since
her departure from the well--yet the mod
ern scientific world, seeking out the secrets
that are buried in Palestine, have longed
in vain to find her actual footsteps, to fol-
low them to her home to trace them, per-,
haps, from the well to the Temple Of Baal,
where she might have retreated to ask in
diligence for her speaking to the Stranger
from Jerusalem.
Or she might have been one of the bevy
of maidens attached to the Palace of Ivory,
still standing in her time in all its mag
nifcence, splendid memory of Ahab, son
of Omri.
To find the home of this woman Of Sa-
maria means more to the curious and the
scientists than merely the discovery of an
interesting woman's abiding place. There
is good reason to believe, many scholars
think, that the Thirty-two Lost Books of
the Bible are buried in the ruins of that
ancient city Of Sychar, of which there
never has been found a dependable trace.
Part of Samaria has been excavated and
much valuable material helping to fill out
the gaps in early Palestine history has
been discovered. But only thessurface Of
this mysterious secret laden land has been
scratched. The last attempts at excava-
tion were made in 1914. and were halted
by the coming of the war. Previous to that
the Palestine Exploration Fund had con-
Quoted a systematic exploration in 1880,
which was halted by an order from the
Sultan of Turkey.
1t always has been very difficult to in
vestigate in Palestine. The Turks did not
welcome expeditions from the universities
OF Europe and America, with their strange
Instruments and the PICKS and snoveis.
The Mohammedaps do not believe in dig
ging beneath the surface Of the ground for
any other purpose than mining or cultiva-
ton. They have .superstitious antagon-
Ism to any probing for the secrets of the
past.
Were IL not for the many centuries OF
refusal by the Sublime Porte to permit
extensive excavations in Palestine many
mysteries of the Bible now might have
been cleared up-Solomons Temple might
nave been restored, and the Temple of Baal
N Samaria might have been faithfully re-
,uilt after it's ancient design to serve, per-
laps, as a museum for the preservation OF
he Thirty-two Lost Books which many
believe IRE buried in its vicinity.
Where to Begin Digging
Is Question of the Hour 4