The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-06-12
DIGGING UP JgRscHo.

Recent Excavations Have Brought
To Light Many important Featured
The excavation on the site of the
ancient Jericho brought to light traces
of the various civilizations which at
different times made the city their
home. but not sufficient progress with
the work was made to enable explor-
ers always to determine the epoch =
Canaanite, Iraelite. or Jewish-to
which the interesting and important
relics unearthed belonged.
The most important discovery after
the excavation OF the walls of Jericho
was the former citadel. 1t lay on the
slope of the northwesterly hills on
which Jericho was built, and was fort
fled by an external and internal wall,
of which were crowned by strong cor
ner towers and connected at irregular
intervals by walls. The entire north
ern part of the citadel has been lald
there. On the northern slope OF the
city without the walls numerous re
mains of Canaanite. houses were dis
covered. Some these leant against
the old city wall, and recalled, as one
writer points out, the house OF Rahab,
in which Joshuas spies took refuge.
The partition walls of clay were in
many cases still standing, and even
ovens and a drainage canal were still
to be traced. In many cases the bod
les of little children buried in jars
were found beneath the clay floors
of the houses. The excayators believe
that this slope was inhabited from
the end of 1000 B. C. up to the last
few centuries before Christ At five
different stops flights of broad stone
steps were discovered, but they are
held to belong to later time, when
the city lay deserted and the once in
habited higher parts were used for
gardens and vineyards.
Great hopes were set on the results
Of the investigation OF the so-called
Fountain Hill, on the sides of which
is situated the Sultan Spring." AMI
es-Sultan, whose waters are thought
to have attracted the first settlers.
These hopes were disappointed but
more interesting collection of Israelite
houses (circa B. C. 1000 was partly
brought to light One of the eXcavat-
ed houses was particularly well pre-
served. 1t contained a courtyard, open
to the air, with a bench, long room,
and a kitchen opening on the yard,
In which the great water run still
stood in its accustomed place. But
not only could this house-obviously
as is pointed out. a relic Of the re-
colonizing of the city under Ahab--
be reconstructed according to pians
but numerous domestic utensils were
unearthed-plates and dishes, pots and
amphorae, corn mills of red sand
stone, lamps and torch holders, and
all kinds of iron implements. The
forms of the vessels bear clear re-
lationship to the Graeco-P hoenician
pottery found in Cyprus, and have
uOLulLS 10 10 Will the IidSlucIlIS u
ancient Canaanite ware found in the
course Of the excavations. The exca-
vators' work had demonstrated the
fact that in much later centuries the
site ancient Jericho was inhabited. A
number of graves of the early Byzan-
tine era, containing amphorae and
pots and a number of glass vessels
in a complete state Of preservation.
were also found. The glass vessels
will throw valuable light on the his
tory Of the glass industry in the East.
Unfortunately, practically no in
scriptions have been met with yet.
All that has been discovered is a num-
Der Of stamps on the handles of jars,
apparently bearing the name Of the
divinity Jahu. The letters are Ara
maean, and seem to date from the
fifth to the third century before Christ
The excavations will be resumed in
the course of the winter, and further
results are locker to with great in
terest.