THE HOME OF RAHAB.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 53, 27 March 1909, Page 3

THE HOME OF RAHAB.

The excavations oil the site of the ancient Jericho have brought to light trace* of the various civilisations which at dill'ercnt times made the city their home, but not sullicient progress with the work has been made to enable explorers always to determine the epoch —Canaanite, Israelite, or Jewish—to ■which the interesting and important relic* unearthed belonged. The most important discovery, after the excavation of the walls of Jericho, was the former citadel. It lay on the slope of the north-westerly hill* oi the seven on which Jericho was built, and was fortified by an exti'inal and internal wall,' both of which were crowned by strong corner towers ami connected at irregu-, lar intervals by walls. The entire -north- ; erii part of the citadel has been laid hare. On the northern slope of the, city, without the walls, numerous remain* of Canaanite houses were discovered. Some of these leant against the old city wall, and recalled, a* one writer points out., the hou-e of Uahah in which Joshua's spies took refuge. The partition walls of clay were in

many oa*e« .-till standing, and (.veil (►vens and a drailing;* canal were still to be traced, hi many ease* the bodies of little children buried in jars were found beneath the clay Jloors of the houses. The excavators believe that this slope was inhabited from the end ol 2000 lU\ up to the last few centuries before Christ. At live d-ifi'vront spots flights of broad stone fit-vps were discovered, but they are held to belong to a later time, when the city lav deported and the. once-inhabited higher parts woi',, used for gardens and vineyards. ] STCAEL! TE I)\VE LUNGS.

Great hopes -were set on the results of the investigation of the so-called Fountain Hill, on the sides of which is

situated the, "■Sultan Spring," Ain-ots-SuHan, whose "waters are thought t<i have attracted the first settlors. Those hopes were, disappointed, but a most interesting collection of Israelite houses (circa Ji.C. 70U) was partly brought to light. One of the excavated houses was particularly w-oli preserved. It contained a courtyard open to the air. with a be.nc.li, a long room, and a kitchen opening on to the yard, in which the groat water tun still stood' in its accustomed place. Hut not only could this hout-io—obviously, as is pointed out. a relic of the reeolonising of the city under Aliah—bo reconstructed according to -pla;]. but numerous domestic utensils were unearthed-—plates and dishes, pots and. amphorae, corn-mills and rod sandstone, lamps and torch-holders, and all kiiuls of iron implement*. The forms of the vessels bear ;b clear relationship to the Graoeo-lMioenician pottery Tound in Cyprus, and have nothing to do with the fragments of ancient Canannile ware found in the course of the excavations. The excavators' work has demonstrated the fact that in much later centuries (he site of ancient .Jericho was inhabited. A number of gnfvos of the early Byzantine era. containing amphorae and pots, and a number of glass vessels in a complete state of preservation, were also found. The glass vessels will throw valuable light on the history of the glass industry in the east. Vnfortnnately practically no inscriptions have Innm met with yet. All that has boon discovered is a number oj' stamps on the handles of jars apparently bearing the name or the divinity .lahu. The letters arc Aramean, and seem to date from the fifth to the third century hefore Christ. The excavations will bo resumed in the course of the winter, and further results are lookedi forward to with great interest.—Reuter.