The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-10-04
TO DIG UP CITY OF DAVID
Excavation Of What Is Believed &c
Have Been Ancient Site to Be
Started at Once.

More secrets are to be dug out of
the buried past. Work on the excava-
ton of what Is believed to be tie site
of the ancient City of David, outside
the walls of Jerusalem. will be started
at once. Buried there beneath the soil
and other Accommodations Of centuries,
psychologists believe will be found
many of the most puzzling of histori-
cal problems. Excavations will be
made first on what is now known as
the Hill. considered as the probable
site of the Jebusite fortress, which af-
terward became the center of the City
Of David.
Prof. r. S. McAllister will be In
charge Of the work, which may mean
much to archaeology and which seems
certain to mean much to the records
Of the Jewish people. Professor Nc
Allkster is a great authority on Bibli-
cal history and has had years Of ex-
p%erience in excavations in Palestine.
The plan is attracting wide atten-
ton in Europe. The dean of Westmin-
ster regards 1t likely to bring Biblical
knowledge of almost paramount i'm
pOrtanCe."
81 have always dreamed" he said,
that the TOmbs of the Kings might
be found, and 1t is quite possible that
beneath the accumulations of rubbish
the most valuable discoveries may be
Y,oln nnCSihlu np;nn honb 20 tho TINA
of David and Solomon"
Professor McAllister will not hint
at what he expects TO find. Excava-
lions Of this kind are full Of disap-
pOintments. But details of the daily
life Of those who lived in the now
buried city in the days Of David and
AbsalOm, Ahaz and Isaiah, jeremiah
and JehOiakim are certain to be
learned. Whatever definite finds" are
made, the eXcavators are quite certain
of being able through their studies to
paint in a background which will re-
duce the v~agueness of the historian.
That a monument set up by Solomon
or David may be found within the
limits of the area is not beyond the
bounds of reasonable hope.
Doctor McAllister denies that the
object Of the expedition Is the finding
of the tomb Of David. There is no
reason to believe, either, that the
tomb Of David is or isn't in the area
to be excavated.
Besides it is a matter of ancient his
tory that the tomb of David was
robbed long ago. JOsephus has left
the record that John Hyrcanus, son OF
Simon Maccabeus. In very ancient
days, opened the tomb of David and
took from II 5000 talents Of silver,
which SO aroused the cupidity Of
Herod the Great that he also robbed
the tomb Of furniture, gold and other
precious things. The tomb, even If ii
Is found, may be an empty cavern.
But II there are no relics Of the few
notables of ancient history in the ex-
cavated area, there are certain to be
found there relics of the vast majority
Of the population Of the city. These
will give valuable information Of the
past. There. is no reason to believe
that the pillar set up by Absolom, or
the bones Of King Solomon's apes and
peacocks will be found; but these
things are possible, as are many other
notable discoveries.
New episodes may be learned of the
long life (175 years. OF Abraham, con-
corning which we have knowledge of
about twenty occurrences. The entire
known record of the p%atriarch's life
covers only a few years and can be
read in Is minutes. =