A Discovery Near Jerusalem.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 120, 19 September 1885, Page 3

A Discovery Near Jerusalem.

A remarkable monolith, supposed by him to have at one time formed part of an old altar, was about two years ago discovered by Mr Schick at a deserted site called Marmeta (possibly the long-missed Arimathea), about a mile to the east of the Jewish Kefuge Aid Society's settlement at Artouf. Happening about a fortnight ago to hear from one of the Artouf settlers that a stona somewhat Bimilar had been noticed by him on a hillside to the west of Artouf, and that he had pointed out the same tt> the society's clerk, Mr Gallantan, I, Friday, May 8, 1885, visited the spot indicated in the company of the Baron yon Ustinoff (Who 'ju&ti then happened to be on a visit to" the settlement), and we found to our great 1 'satisfaction' not a loose monolith like the Marmeta atonebut an aotual rock-altar 'with, atepg, I . have sent a ' sketch 'of this to Mr ' Beeant. I have also placed the original " rough drawing " from ; which that sketch was made in the hands of the Rev. A. H, Kelk, the head of the L:J.S. Palestine mis* sion. This newly discovered altar, which, measuring as the crow flies, is only about a cjuarter of a mile distant from 'Zbrah Vnow called Sura'a), the home of Manoah" and the birthplace of Samson (Sura'a is in full viewon a hilltop overlooking' the sribfc), Has on its flat top hollows connected- By* erodvea like.thoee on Mr Sohick's Marmeta stone. It stands at present four or five f eet above groundj but as some heavy rstone' blocks, which we tried in vein to move, and a good ° deal of , earth lie round the base, r »t wouldi , hardly^be.safe r to state^any mea'suremdnts as, : yet? i^he- monument is'mubh tc feattered - and^weather-^ornv' though 1 btWrlwiae' m'ftt~H verytfairstateoff p^ervatioh^' WHe'*iier lJ or nbtifi b'e:Uie.identicir^ock ! altar;i)f l Sta^onft v v thatLthe^mere^f^ct of * itt' f eadsWeW subr : close proximity to Zorah i« evT^estive, ut& " H certain to awaken the interest of Bible readers.— ."Athenißum."