Excavations in Palestine.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 262, 27 September 1902, Page 3

Excavations in Palestine.

Extensive excavations which have recently heon miuloin South Palestine, under the direction of Dr Snllin, a Vienna professor, for the Vienna Academy of Sciences, have resulted in important discoveries. Underneath a large mound, situate one day’s journey from Jaffa, and three days from Jerusalem, the Professor has just laid bare no tower than four castles, or I stresses. In the middle were the ruins of an j Arabian castle ; on the east, a oast;e of the time of King Solomon ; on the north-west, one of a late Israelite period; while on the west was found the earliest I of them all, one of pre-Israelite l or Canuanite (late. All of thorn had been plundered prior to their destruction, so that no valuables were discovered, but objects of stone and day and various weapons were found, which assist in fixing their various dates. The Professor assigns the Arabian structure approximately to the latter part of the eighth century, but aa buildings and works of art from this age onwards exist elsewhere, this discoviry is probably less important than the others. The fortress, which according to the Professor, was most likely built at a late period | in the age of the Kings, seems to I have been only a place of defence. | The castle dating from Solo man's i tinm was a much more interesting ! discovery, for in it were found idols, vessels, and other objects ■ appertaining to the religions rites, v such as a sacriliical pillar of stone, with an offe ing for libations, a sio ie altar, and—most important of all —an earthenware altar in the form of a throne, adorned with cherubim and lions. The cherubim appear as human Heads with a lion's body and wings, and are the only existing n pi esentations ol sad) beings of that date. The Caiman it e '• istle, the discovery of which Professor Sellin regards as quite his greatest feat, is built of nnh'-wo blocks of stone which show no marks of the chisel. losi 1h A t-r-- fragments of images such as ao- mentioned in the Bible, and a number of small ornaments of do-m and earthenware, nn.st of ti.em bearing in- ; scriprions. The Professor puts tlm date of this c istle as about tvt n y centiiri- s before Christ, and suggests that i: was destroyed by the Israelii-s. perhaps under Solomon, who proceeded to build their own fortress. Beneath the ruins of till the castles human remains were found buried, with vessels bearing inscriptions, and there are evidences that a cemetery for children once existed close to the fortress of Solomon. The Professor hopes that as the result of his discovery he will now be able to draw a complete picture of the civilisation of the Israelites and Canaanites in Palestine. The complete value of the excavations, will only be known, however, when the inscriptions found have been deciphered.