Evening star., 1924-11-27
ANTIOCH IS HAVING
!. REVIVAL Of TRADE
n
'ncient City Has Become
| Outlet for Wealth of VAL
I ley of Mescpotamia.

sThe ancient city of Antioch, in
syria, which already has yielded rich
treasures of antiquity. is the scene
6f explorations which have just dis
Nosed an early church on a site
Nhere. Paul and Barnabas are believed
10 have preached. -
IA bulletin from the headquarters
OF the National Geographic Society.
AAsed on a communication by William
u. Hall, says:
;'"For thousand years Antioch was
abe capital city that ruled the In
AAstrfes. trade, and commerce of the
Euphrates and Tigris Valleys And
nnw the turn of fortunes wheel has
Again directed the stream of trade
bast her doors.
Ast for the wealth of cotton, corn, and
shtes produced in the Valley Of Meso-
Hptamia. -
III Plundered by Persians.
ifttrIn the days of its glory, the
yfople or Antioch were gathered in
She great theater listening to a ia
Epus actress while the Persians were
pssieging the city. They trusted to
1feir splendid fortlflcations and
neared naught. At point In the play
the actress paused, While, with arm
Sutstretched toward the mountain
poVe the city, she exclaimed, Behold,
She Persians are come. There was
great applause, the audience thinking
II fine bit of stage play: but as
Enower of arrows darkened the sky,
Tlre people turned to behold that in
stead of play 1T was reality. The
enemy was within the walls, and
plunder and destruction had already
begun.
jr"When we read the story of Ben
Hur and follow him about the streets
of that splendid city, or enter with
aim the palaces of the rich, or see
9lessala gaming with his friends in
the magnificent palace on the island
IA the Orontes, or watch with breath
3ess interest as the hero guides the
Tour fleet Arab steeds through the
maze of the chariot race. Antioch
aeems tabled city of ancient times,
Ewing in story only.
i East and West. Conhict.
4 ut is hard to come to reality and
think of American Fords and Italian
Flats rushing along the roads where
Ben Hur guided his matchless Arab
efeeds. or of great motor lorries
frundling across the plain where the
long trains of camels brought their
caravans of riches from the east. The
hippodrome where Ben Hur. the Jew.
contested with MESSIAH, the Roman.
lis. in ruins, but the east and the west
are just as surely in conflict today.
i according to the Roman reformer
and satirist. Juvenal. from Antioch
also, the waters Of the Orentes over
fowed into the Tiber,' and thence
game superstitions and indulgences
and excesses that caused the corrup-
tion of Rome. This may be true. but
also it was in Antioch that the dis
biples were first called Christians
THE most magnificent splendor of
antioch was its great street. This
Fan straight through the city from
east to west. At each end there was
IA impressive gate. The eastern gate
MAS later known as the Gate Of st.
Paul It was still standing As years
ago, almost complete; but now even
the foundations have been removed
for buildings in the modern city. The
western, or Daphne gate, was called
The Gate of the Cherubim,' for over
fhis gate Titus placed the golden
eherubim he had taken from the
femple in Jerusalem.
!. These two gates were about four
miles apart. Between them was a
grand boulevard.
!. Fffth Avenue OF the Ancients.
4 "On each side of the street was
double row of columns. The outside
aisle in each case was rooted over,
farnishing a shady walk in Summer
and a dry and sheltered way during
the Winter storms. Between the In
rer rows Of columns, was a. broad
Highway for chariots and horsemen.
1t has been estimated that if these
columns were the same distance from
4 Loo n
1he street Of Palmyra there would
have been $500 in all.
! This street was lined with mag
aificent public buildings, temples,
sfrines and palaces of the mobiles.
4 Imagine. then. this grand high
ffeay, with its long vista of granite,
marble and porphyry columns, its
Govered promenade rich in statues
And carvings, it's marble pavements,
Hts beautiful Grecian architecture,
!Rpd. terminating all. the golden dec
,sFations of the western gate. blazing
fn the light of the setting sun.
Il Scene in Street.
Fill this street with its busy
,throngs of men and women; here a
iFsligious procession, the priests clad
m the many-colored vestments of
,their Office, the animal for sacrifice
,t ecked with wreaths and garlands Of
.flowers and the company of singers
chanting the solemn professional:
ithere a gay throng of revelers in
wedding procession, escorting the
Bridal pair to the beautiful Nymph-
aeum, near the riverside. a great cir
seular, dome-covered building, rich In +,
columns and statues, and with cool,
splashing fountains-an institution
g5fith special accomm odations for the
celebration of nuptials; or. again, l
tuewn the great street there might
fome some victorious general, return
ling in triumph from his foreign cam
spaign-slaves. soldiers, sovereigns,
al following his triumphal car.
b pThus came the great Caesar him
self, while the city resounded again
sard again to cries of loyalty and
sadoration.
E i''Many other streets crossed the
great street, always at right angles,
and at every intersection arches were
terected, called 'tetrapyii.'
. t'About the middle of the city an
iofher broad street, also colonnaded,
tExtended from the river to the noun