A STONE OF DESTINY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 115, 1 February 1918, Page 4

A STONE OF DESTINY

REPLICA IN DOMINION MUSEUM. Recent visitors to the Dominion Museum 'have.noticed just insido the doors an oblong block oT stono with an iron ring attached at each end. It is a. replica of the Coronation Stone, which is guarded in Westminster Abbey. English Kings have been crowned on this stone for more than 600 years,, beginning with Edward the First, and the stone was of immemorial antiquity even then.

According to the Jewish tradition, it was on this stone that. Jacob laid his head on the night when_ ho saw the- vision recorded in Genesis. The legend runs that when Jeremiah escaped, accompanied by Zodckinlr's daughter, he took the stone with him, and eventually reached Ireland. There the stone was preserved tbrouch tho centuries, and became eventually tha coronation seat of the Kings of Minister. After fifty-four Irish Kings had been crowned upon it, Fergus, a prince of the royal lino, took it to Scotland, in order that he might be crowned Scottish King upon it at Dunstaffiiage. That was in the year 513 A.D. Fergu.s did not return the stone to Ireland, and later it was removed to Scone. It staved there until in 1296, when Edward the First had it conveyed to Westminster.

A great mass of tradition, written and oral, attaches to the stone. It is regarded by some people as proof that the British people are the lost trihesof Israel, and prophecies in the Scriptures are emoted in support of this view. An interesting fact is that rock of the kind represented by the Coronation Stone is not found in Ireland, and is plentiful in Palestine.