The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-08-02
TRANSFORMING,
new ARAB STATE.
Amman, Its Capital, Once Phlla-
deIphia, Ancestor of All Mod
ern Philadelphia.

washington.-''Wh the newest
Arab state to have its Independence
recognized be called by it's western
title of Transjordania or by It's Hast
ern name, Kerak, It seems hopelessly
out of touch with things American"
saws 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 win bring the newly In
dependent but very old country
Closer continues the bulletin, ITO
realize that its capital now Amman.
was once Philadelphia-the great
Observation-Disclosures Of the haiA
dozen or more Philadelphias, great anA
small, that are to be found In otr
postal guides.
Ancestor Of Modern Rhlia&eiphlas.
'sBut 1t was only mere. matter Ok
twenty-odd centuries ago that the city
took the name Of Philadelphia from it,,
new lord, Ptolemy Philadelphus. u
had existed as Rabbath Amman. CHIEF
city OF the Ammonites, almost from
the days of Lot, from whom the AInN
monites are said to have sprung. II
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 tina
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 SUD
porting some fiocks and even canable
of tillage. Nomadism has long held
the region in its grip, however, and t.
is as a sort Of chief of nomads that
Abdullah Ibn Hussein finds 1t naoese
sary to rule. He holds his court noe
In a palace but in group Of tents
which he moves with the seasons.
Center Of Culture.
"This land, now given over largaAH
to nomads, Is capable Of development
along stable lines, as Is shown by aex
past Importance. After Alexandagw
Eastern conquests the cities to the
east of the Jordan became Heilenized
and. the seats of prosperity and cul-
ture. In the Second century before
Christ, Ptolemy Philadelphus built IN
the city which was given his name an
extensive acropolis which, In the Am
man of today, is only mass Of fallen
oofr, Is
'SRomes sway over Philadelphia is
shown In Amman by the ruins Of q
huge amphitheater which seated 1000
spectators. In the sleepy Eastern town
of today goats browse among the foup-
dations Of temples and public build
ings. Arabian coffee shops lean against
once-proudt walls, and the Eastern
species Of the village lounger sits on
overturned marble pillars Emir Ab-
dullah is showing some interest In the
ancient structures Of his capital, how
ever, and is having the fairly well-pre-
served amphitheater cleared Of debris.
amman is not inaccessible. Five
hours by automobile over reasonably
good roads through the sizzling valley
Of the Jordan suffice for the trip from
Jerusalem to the capital. The Jordan
forms the boundary line, and across 1t
is an iron bridge. Aman Is only about
thirty miles from the river and, as the
crow flies is hardly more than sixty
miles from Jerusalem. The Hedjaz
railway, connecting Damascus and Me
dina, runs through the town.