The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-07-28
TRANSFORMING.
NEW ARAB STATE
Amman, Its Capital, Once Phila-
deIphia, Ancestor of All Mod
ern PhiladeIphias.

ashington.-"Whether the newest
Arab state to have its independence
recognized be called by it's Western
| title of Transjordania or by It's East
ern name, Kerak, it seems hopelessly
| out of touch with things l.merican,'
| says a bulletin from the Washington
headquarters Of the National Geo
| graphic society, In regard to the land
Immediately east of the River Jordan
over which Emir Abdullah rules
| Perhaps it will bring the newly in
dependent but very old country
closer" continues the bulletin, ito
| realize that it's capital, now Amman,
was once Philadelphia-th great
| great-grandfather of the half
dozen or more Philadelphias, great and
small, that are to be found in our
postal guides.
Ancestor of Modern Philadelphia.
''But 1t was only a mere matter of
twenty-odd centuries ago that the city
took the name of Philadelphia from its
new lord, Ptolemy Philadelphus. 1t
had existed as Rabbath Amman, chief
city of the Ammonites, almost from
the days of Lot, from whom the Am
was after a victorious battle with
these same people of Amman that
Jephthah according to the Biblical
story, returned to the fatal meeting
with his daughter.
when Transjordania is described
as stretching from the Jordan and the
Dead Sea toward the interior Of Ara
bia, one Is likely to call up the picture
of hopeless desert. But much of the
region is steppe land, high plain sup
porting some flocks and even capable
of tI2age. Nomadism has long held
the region in its grip, however. and It
Is as a sort of chief of nomads' that
Abdullah Ibn Hussein finds 1t neces-
Sary to rule. He holds his court not |
In palace but in group of tents
which he moves with the seasons.
Center of Culture.
"This land, now given over largely |
to nomads, is capable of development |
along stable lines, as is shown by its
past Importance After Alexander's
Eastern conquests the cities to the
east of the Jordan became HelIenized
and the seats of prosperity and cul-
ture In the Second century before
ChrlSl, fIOlelny PnlldQelpnuS Du1lt In |
the city which was given his name an
extensive acropolis which, in the Am
man of today, is only a mass Of fallen
columns and ruined walls
'Rome's sway over Philadelphia is
shown in Amman by the ruins of a
huge amphitheater which seated 1000
SPECTATORS. In the sleepy Eastern town
II today goats browse among the foun-
iat1ons Of temples and public build
ngs, Arabian coffee shops lean against
'nce-proud walls, and the Eastern
pecies of the village lounger sits on
overturned marble pillars Emir Alb
lullah is showing some interest In the
nc1ent structures of his capital, how ,
yer, and is having the fairly welI-pre- ,
erved amphitheater cleared of debris.
Amman is not inaccessible. Five ,
ours by automobile over reasonably r
God roads through the sizzling valley
the Jordan suffice for the trip from r
erusalem to the capital. The Jordan
Drms the boundary line, and across 1t '
an iron bridge. Aman is only about
lfrty miles from the river and, as the +
row flies, is hardly more than sixty
l1les from Jerusalem. The Hedjaz '
ailway, connecting Damascus and Me 4
ina, runs through the town" q