AARON'S TOMB.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1722, 12 April 1913, Page 15

AARON'S TOMB.

I MR. JULIAN GRANDE'S DISCOVERY ON MOUNT HOR. Much interest attaches to Mr. Julian Grande's claim to have succeeded in entering Clio shrine called "Aaron's Tomb," on the top-of Mount Hor, which is jealously guarded by illahommedans, ami has never: been examined by a competent archaeologist. Tho Mount Hor in question rises 6ixty miles to the south of the Dead Sea to a height of 4780 ft., and tho shrine on its summit is famous. . Mr. Grande found there not only somo Arabian inscriptions, but certain Hebrew letters.' which had evidently been cut at a remote period, as for ages no Jew had been permitted to approach tho place. Uniorhinately, Mr. Grande was unablo to copy the inscription in the brief time available. It has, however, been pointed out by an expert on these subjects that the exact situation of the Mount Hor alluded to in the Book of Numbers is open to considerable doubt. Three different , sites have been assigned to Mount Sinai, and Mount Hor is a subject of even greater controversy. Tho word "Hor" is merely the Hebrew for "mountain." In tho "Jewish Encyclopaedia" various authorities arc quoted respectively identifying Mount Hor with (1) Jabal Harun,, cast of Wadi al-Arabah; (2) Jabal al-Akra, tho ancient Mons Casius, between Latakia and Antioch; and (3) Ras al-Shakka, on the road from Tripoli to Beirut. Tho two versions regarding tho death of Aaron are also given by tho same authority. Tho principal ouo gives a detailed statement that Aaron, with his son, Eleazar, and Moses, ascended Mount Her, and there Moses stripped Aaron of his priestly garments anil transferred them to Eleazar. Aaron died on the summit of the' mountain, and tho pcoplo mourued for him thirty days (Numbers xx.l. The other account is found in Deuterononiyx, where Slows is reported as savins; that Aaron died at Mosera. and was buried there. Mosera is not on Mount Hor, since the itinerary in Numbers xxxiii. records scv-;n stages between Moseroth (Mosera) and Mount Hor.—Loudon "Observer."