The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-04

Ruins Of DagOn's Temple af
Ashdod, in Which May Be Found
the Shrine Destroyed BY the Ark.
Below Them Is Curious Mounted
Figure Dug Up in the Temple.
far Is e invade Egypt itself. He knew
that the Philistines had helped to over
throw that greatest Of earthly powers in
the preceding century, the Hittites, and
that with their allies Of blood and in
terest Egypt would have al she could
do to contend with them.
It is probable that he did not wait for
them to reach Egypt itself, but met the
miratory horde some distance up the
coast, and it may have been ct Haifa, or
Caesarea that their fleets waged battle.
From the Egyptian inscriptions we know
that the Philistines were defeated, for
they show the boats of the Philistines up
set and their warriors drowning in the
waves.
On land the Philistines were greatly
feared, because they fought with war
chariots, like those used by the Hittites,
and it was only the Egyptians, similarly
equipped, who dared to cope with them
on the open field Of battle.
The excavations at Aslalon and Ash
dod show that the Egyptian artists had
done full justice to their PhiliStine
enemies. for the arms found are those
depicted upon the Egyptian monuments,
and the features of the Philietines, as
shown in Egyptian has reliefs, are the
same as those depicted upon the coins
and pottery of the Philistines.
Scholars are now raising the great
question, which only the excavations can
really solve: "Who were the Philistines?
Whence did they come originality"
Professor John Garstang, who is de
rector of the British School Of Archaeol-
ogy in Jerusalem, is one of the leading
authorities on this question, and he is of
the opinion that this powerful people,
among the leaders in ancient civilization,
came from southern Asia Minor.
This. he points, out, Is in strict accord
with Biblical tradition, for in the Bible
we read: "Have not brought the Philis-
tines from Caphtorw and Caphtor has
been identified with cappadocia by the
Septuagint, the Greek version of the
Bible.
It is very remarkable that on coins
found in GAIA, one of the five great
Philistine cities, Minos is mentioned, and
Tie TGlISIOuS CuIt VI tu0b P40CO1 SIOIC1
more than suggesting a very close con-
nection between the Philistines and the
Cherethites of the Bible, recognized as
the Cretans. But this was by no means
difficult to explain, for the Philistines
sailed all over the Mediterranean, and
Crete was one of the richest in that inland
ocean as well as one of the most ancient
seats of culture and civilization.
The problem Is now upon the point Of
solution, for as the remains found at
Ashdod, Askalon and GAIA are arranged
in chronological order, and inscriptions
are read, food of light will be shed
land of Philistia before the Philistines inn
migrated thither, but also upon that won
derful people who for so many centuries
fought against Egypt and against Israel.
They were a power-one of the great
est of ancient powers, and even with their
idolatries, science cannot withhold adj
miration for their great achievements
IN developing the arts of peace as well
as of war.
When the Temple Of Solomon was
built, at one end was the Holy OF HOLES
in which the Ark of the Covenant was
deposited, and in front of it were heavy
curtains, behind which no one was al
lowed to go except the High Priest of
Israel, and that only on the hottest day
of the year, the Day of Atonement.
When that temple was destroyed by
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, he either destroyed the
Ark or took it to Babylon, for no trace
of it was afterward found, and most
Al