MYSTERY OF THE PHILISTINES.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17472, 5 June 1922, Page 5

MYSTERY OF THE PHILISTINES.

SEARCH FOR SECRET AT ASKALON" AND GAZA. "Publish it not in the streets of Askalon." , " , ... A further attempt is to he made this sprang to solve the "mystery of the Philistines." Professor Garstang, the archseologist, has returned to Palestine after his visit to England, «nd has started to mark out sites for further excavations. These excavations, a London ''Daily Chronicle" representative was informed by the secretary of the Palestine Exploration Fund, are to be begun immediately. During the past two years, he explained, the professor and his assistants have been engaged in making exploration on the sites of the ancient cities of Askalon and Gaza. The results will be published in detail next year. This season trial explorations are to be made upon a series of "tells" (artificial hill mounds, the debris of successive cities) near the two sites of Askar lon and Gaza. Little is known of tnfc national history of the Philistines, and it is the object "of the new excavations to get at the problem of this mysterious raco. Professor Garstang considers that it would be too prolonged and expensive a business to dig through the great depth of GrcßCo-Romnn buildings to the deeper layers, in which lie the Philistine remains of the city of Askalcn, so that tho excavations this season will bo outside the walls of the city. Moreover, examination of the several s'.tes is essential to a proper understanding of the great amount of pottery remains recovered from Askalon it-elf. Many theories have been advanced as to who the Philistines were, and from whence they came, but it is generally believed their origin was in the neighbourhood of Cyprus. Reference is made to them in the pre-Mosaic period, but for at least 3000 years they have remained a mystery. There has been a great revival of archaeological interest in Palestine under the new regime, and eight differene expeditions will be at work. The French, are at work in Jericho, the Jewish Society are excavating at Tiberias on the Talmud period, the Catholics (Franciscan order) are working on the ruins at Capernaum, and American expeditions are exploring at Be wan, Smarni, and Megiddo. Another British expedition is to investigate at the mouth of the Plain of Esdraelon. One of the American expeditions, under Dr. Fisher, is supported by funds amounting to £15,000 a year, and Professor Gars tang estimates the work will tako 20 years to complete.