DISCOVERY IN THE HOLY LAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 38, 8 November 1917, Page 7

DISCOVERY IN THE HOLY LAND

UOO-YEAR-OLD CHURCH. Near Gaza, August 1. In Southern Palestine (writes Mr.' W. T. Massey, the liritisli Press correspondent witli the Egyptian Expeditionary Force), the Australians have brought to light what remains the ravages of-time have left of a most beautiful church, and a magnificent mosaic lias been lifted txA tell the' people of .the Commonwealth (if that prove to be the mosaic's destination) of the/ faith, of an old race, and of nit- art ill decmation prosecuted with the' fervour of believers. The discovery was made at Shellal, between Beersheba. and Khau Yuuus. Thus the church was on the main road from Jerusalem to Egypt, the road the' Ethiopian eunuch took when he'met Philip and was .baptised. Shellal in Arabic means "bubbling springs." Perhaps it was at these springs, which: to-day give, abundant water for our troops, that lie.was baptised. When we were' making ready for an advance on Gaza' the Assistant ProvostMarshal of the Anssac. Mounted Division (Captain Jordan)' went up a<high mound which dominated the oldest crossing of the AYadi Guzze, and he found the lurks, in digging a trench- around the summit and" making a machine-gun -emplacement, bad revealed the ?dg« of the mosaic. Hβ made sure a large.platform existed, and then some officers and ineii got to work en tho hilltop, and after removing some six feeb of soil and debris they cleared a mosaic lloor measuring some 37ft. by lilft. The lloor remained exposed till photographs, drawings in colour, and notes could he taken of it, and after due deliberation ns to the host means of removing it .the task of lifting it began, n task requiring great care, which look H days. Not a stone was lost. The inscription, or- that portion of it which has survived (Tie wrecking work of rains, has been translated by Mr. A. iH. Smith, of the Department, of Graecottoniau. Antiquities, British Museum, to read thus:

"X (sign of the' Cross). This temple u-rCTi spacious (? foundations) was built by oiir most holy (bishop or similar titie) aiid most' pious George — in the year G22 according to — (?tlm year of Uaza)." The era of Gaza commenced B.C. 61, which would give the date of the church us. A.I). 5G1.. Another possible era is that of Bostra,. then- the date of the church would be) A.D. 727. The Rev. Mailtand Woods, aii Army chaplain, says the inscription elaborated would read something like this: "X. And so lie contributed generously to the building of this church Jicre: he who was the most saintly of us all. and the most beloved of God. George was his , name, (ind the (building was) erected in tho C22nd year after (the Roman foundation ,of the city of Gaza)." The chaplain says: , "Under this inscription were discovered the bones of the. saint, lying .feet to east and arms crossed on chest. These, almost IJOO years old, crumbled at the touch. The light "forearm had'been broken, and had set beautifully, which was evidenced by the extra bulging bone growth around the fracture." This mosaic and the remain:, of the saint, recovered from destruction by waters washing away the hill, are now in many cases packed away at a spot far from the scene of hattle. They will some time after peace is declared find a safe repository in a city where they will 7>o appreciated.