The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 14, 1898, Page 18

18 E: THE - SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, 1898. Wes This Strange Wery Remarkable - Sobrew J{niiqm'z‘zbs fuaz‘ Unecarthed in Palestine. ERLIN, Aug. 10.—For several years a German preacher from the town of Walbroel has been at work, personally and through mative agents, in collecting ancient manuscripts and coins from the excavations in Pales- tine. The preacher’s name is Bruesselbach and he has just published a little monograph giving the results of his labors. The publication has attracted wide attention among archaeologists and scientific men, for the rea- son that the discoveries which Bruesselbach claims to have made and which seem to be authenticated by the facts are the most important made in many years. The finds possess other than scholarly interest, as they nearly all relate to Bible history. The most important of the discoveries related by Bruesselbachn is that of a manuscript supposedly written by Moses himself. The margin bears the name »f Moses and the writing relates to the subjects treated in the early books of the Bible which have come down to us as the books of Moses. Ir the explorer can prove the accuracy of his belief in the august authorship of the manu- script . which he has unearthed ft will be studied with interest as one of the oldest and probably the most valuable specimen of early writing in existence. The fragment is remarkably well preserved and appears to be made from the skin of some aquatic animal, probably the hippopotamus or Nile-horse. It is a yellowish brown in color, crinkled and dry with age. The three drawings on it are done in black ink, and, as Interpreted by the discoV®ter, apparently refer to the labors of the enslaved Israelites in Egypt. The Bible story runs (Exodus i, 11-14): “They (the Egyptians) set over them (the Ieraelites) taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamsas. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and in brick and in zll manner of service in the field.” The first picture on the recovered manuscript shows a Jewish maiden milking a cow, referring to the labors with flocks and herds. Above is a pack ‘SIMON'S SEAL.. IHxzA, OTHER VALUABLE ANTIQUITIES FOUND'IN THE EXCAVATION Another coin brought to light is evidently to be located about 175 B. C.. in the time of the king priest, Jason. The inscription is in a liar dialect of Syro-Aramaic belonging to that period, and is writ- ft to right, contrary to the Hebrew custom in writing. The decipherment of the inscription is “K. Jehason G. Is. Coin of the City,” which has been translated: “Jason, the high priest (Kohen Ge- dol) of Israel.” On the reserve is a palm branch and a smoking altar, illustrating the priestly function of offering sacrifices in the temple. A seal ring, bearing the name of Simeon, the Maccabee, who ruled 143-135 B. C., was among the other discoveries. The inscription is most inct of all, being the most recent, and is therefore more eas- ily read than others. The letters are arranged around a seven- pointed star and run: “Simeon, the High Priest.” ten from saddle with its two girths, a reference to the work of transport. There is also an Egyptian eagle drawn exactly as it is found on the Egyptian monuments. The second picture is that of two Israelites holding up a large winnowing frame, in illustration of their labors in the state granaries established, by Joseph. The Semitic type of the two men is characteristic and unmistakable. The third picture is that of the foot of a pyramid or the base of a fortification wall, a specimen of the labor of brickmaking and building, in which the captives were employed. Upon the column is perched a hawk, the hawk and eagle ister symbols of upper and lower Egypt. the pictures are interesting, the most important part or the papyrus is the inscription across the top. It is written in ancient script, hitherto un- known, but so primitive as to approach very closely to the hieroglyphic stage. It is translated by the discoverer: “Their yearning for freedom from the op- pressor is full; their long continued sins cry unto thee, O God.” Whether or not the interpretation is accurate the sentiment is a proper one to emanate from him who succeeded in giving the Israelites thelr desired freedom. The first five books of the Bible have always been known as “The Five ‘Books of Moses.” According to the history of Josephus, the original manu- script of these, in the handwriting of Moses, was preserved in the Temple at Jerusalem. The fragment in the possession of Dr. Bruesselbach was unearthed from the ruins of the ancient city, Imown in the Bible as Lachish. The explorer explains the transition by saying that when the temple and city of Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans (70 A. D.) these and other treasures d later removed to the city of Lachish, where many scholars The ruins of this city have only lately been were buried an had taken up their residence. earthed. = Dr. F. J. Bliss, acting for the Palestine Exploration Fund of England, gging in the Tel-el-Hesy, as the Arabs call it. He found that indeed “a mound of r.any cities,” no less than eight existing built upon the ruins of its predecessor. It was in a Bliss that Bruesselbach and his co- found it while di Tel-el-Hesy was there, each one being portion of the mound untouched by Dr. v B > their discoveries. “orlkririlgmed;planmlon of the Mosalc manuscript the explorer calls special anti t . forms of the letters used in the inscription upon the papyrus. 'artt:;nélr?t‘ l:n‘e};-( c‘aned Aleph, an ox, is really a drawing of the horns of that e et e second letter, Beth, means @ house. The third, Gimel, stands taor camel, and so on, throughout the alphabet, there is a remarkable cor- e 4 REMARKABLE MANUSCRIPT JUST UNEARTHED The ancient manuscript and coins recently discovered by a German preacher in Pale among the most important ever brought to light. uscript supposedly written by Moses himself. TURE OF MOSES. IN PALESTINE AND BEARING THE SIGNA - ine are considered The most important of the discoveries is that of a man- The margin bears the name of Moses and the ing relates to the subjects treated in the early books of the Biblé which have come down to us as the books of Moses. If the explorer can prove the accuracy of his belief in the augus{ authorship of the manuscript which he has unearthed it will be studied with interest as one of the oldest and probably the The fragment is remarkably well preserved and appears to be made from the skin It is a»ycllowlsh brown in color, crin- early writing in existence. of some aquatic animal, probably the hippipotamus or Nile horse. kled and dry with age. most valuable specimen of Wfanuscript Written by foses? 7/ Copies of Solomon’s Seal and the TJost HAncient Hebrew Coina Sver Found. respondence between the names and the objects. This discovery Bruesselbach thinks may solve what has long been a puzzle to scholars. In all school geographies the origin of the alphabet has been ascribed to the Phoenicians. Many modern scholars have been inclined to doubt this theory, for the reason that the letters were not sufficiently primitive. The inscription just discovered, which is presumably the first specimen extant of early Hebrew writing, seems to bridge the chasm hitherto existing between the hieroglyphics and conventional letters of later times. ° Dr. Bruesselbach says: The result of our investigation is that ‘lhe manu- script, Judging from all external and internal evidence, is genuinely Mosalc. If this be so the religious world is on the point of some startling discoveries, for where one manpscript has been found there may be others and the next one unearthed may contain some portion of the Bible in this ancient script, thus supporting the tradition of the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, or parts of it at least. The Palestine Fund reports other interesting discoveries, among them & coln of earlier date than any heretofore known. The oldest Hebrew coin dis- covored before this time bore date of 143 B. C., and Bruesselbach’s party dis- covered a large bronze coin of David’s time. It shows the crown of David with a circlet of stars. The crown was sald, according to story, to be‘ made of gold of the value of a talent. The inscription about the coin reads: “David, King of Jerusalem.” On the reverse side is an eight-stringed harp with the inscription: “Fear ye, repent ye, who are strong in faith.” Scholars and numismatists alike are exhibiting deep interest in this coln, which was struck off almost three thousand years ago and passed current among the subjects of King David in Jerusalem. Another more notable discovery reported by Dr. Bruesselbach is that of the “‘Seal of Solomon.” There is no story more clearly remembered by those who have read the “Arabian Nights” than that of the mystic ring by which the genil were summoned to the service of its possessor. Arabic and Hebrew literature is full of the legends of l? wonders performed by the might of Solomon’s Seal, made through the wisdom of this wisest of monarchs. The inscription is not so easy to read as those on the coins because of tha peculiar shape of the letters and the fact that they are interwoven with tha SOLOMONS SEAL. MOST ANCIENT HEBREW COIN EVER DISCOVERED. DreBruesselbach’s party brought to light in cxcavating some of the rarest coins in Hebrew history. Among them was a large bronze coin of King David's time. It shows the erown of David with a circlet of stars. The inscription reads: “David, King of Jerusalem.” On the reverse side is an eight-stringed harp with the inscription: “Fear ye, repent ye, who are strong in faith.” This coin is supposed to have been in circulation 3000 years ago. The oldest Hebrew coin hereto- fore discovered bears date of 143 B. C. Another most notable discov- ery is that of “The Seal of Solomon.” The name Solomon has been deciphered, but the inscription is not easy to read. The evidence so far goes to show that this is a valuable copy of the great original. design on the seal. The name of Solomon has been deciphered. If this is the genuine seal of Solomon it also has on it “the ineffable name” of God Jehovah, but Bruesselbach has not been able to make this out to his own satisfaction amid the various lines traced upon its surface. Another coin brought to light is eviden‘ly to be located about 175 B. C., in the time of the king-priest, Jason. The inscription is in a peculiar dialect of Syro-Aramaic belonging to that period and is written from left to right, contrary to the Hebrew custom in writing. The decipherment of the inserip- tion {s “K. Jehason G. Is. €oin of the City,” which has been translated: “Jason, the high priest (Kohen Gedol) of IsraelL.” On the reverse s a palm branch and a smoking altar, illustrating the priestly function of offering sacrifices in the temple. Strictly speaking, Jason is not a Biblical character, for he lived in the time just following the close of the Biblical period, the accounts of which are very scanty. A seal ring, bearing the name of Simeon, the llaccabee, who ruled 143-135 B. C., was among the other discoveries. The inscription is most distinct of all, being the most recent, and is therefore more easily read than the others. The letters are arranged around a seven-pointel star and run: ‘“Simeon, the High Priest.” ‘While Dr. Bruesselbach has made no attempt to exploit his discoveries he claims that there is no doult of their authenticity. At the same time he says that there is likely to be controversy regarding the genuineness of some of them and he therefore proposes to place these and other mcnuscripts, coins and ring, which he has dug up, before competent scholars to settle, if possible, beyond a doubt, the question of their accuracy. The fact that he has found a manuscript purporting to come from the hands of Moses, bearing his name and that of Jochua (his successor) on the margin, wriiten in very primitive characters on the most primitive material ever found, would seem to be important in itself. But there have been sk ’'“ul forgeries of such documents before now, and, until a number of experts Lave passed unon the -~ tter judgment may have to be suspended. This discovery ls, however, in line with other startling finds of the past few years. The unearthing at Nippur of inscriptions which carry civilization back to five or six thousand years B. C., showing that the art of printing was known and practiced at that early day, settles one nf the objections which has fre- quently been raised against the possibility of Moses having written any part of the B: le, the natural doubt as to the use of writing : * that early date. The discoveries of Dr. Bruesselbach will certainly arouse widespread in- terest and awaken renewed enthusiasm for the work of exploration in the Holy Land. SOME QUEER LEGACIES. Here are some amusing particulars of legacles with strange conditions at- tached, as given by the Brooklyn Citi- gzen. Karly last year a peculiar pro- bate suit, involving some $500,000, was jmminent, the disinherited relations wishing to upset an old gentleman's wili because he had left the sum named to found and endow a church on the condition that every Sunday before the gervice the whole of the thirty-nine ar- ticles were to be read by the clergy- man outside the church door. A strange condition was attached to 000000000000 HE opening up of China has been a good thing for us up to this time, but I look for a devel- opment there which may revolu- the legacy the late Sir Edward Bates, who died last year, left to his —arried daughter. He stated that he had seen his son-in-law’s Scotch property, and he considered it would be a gross injury to his daughter and her children, con- sidering “there are no neighbors within miles, and there is no medical man within six or seven miles,” if she lived there any considerable time. So he ar- ranged that, if his daughter stayed more than six months in any year, “and those six months not in the winter,” at that spot, the income derived from the legacy for the twelve succeeding months should go to the residuary leg- atee. . During this year a gentleman who died at Mons left a legacy of $3000 to five friends, the money to be spent on dinners served in different restaurants, “and at each meal a certain dish to be eaten, and a certain wine, of which he was very fond, to be drunk. Further- more, his memory was to be toasted at .dessert, the five companions were to dine in black clothes and gloves, and enter the room preceded by a flag and the music of an accordion. tionize the manufacturing in- dustries of the world. What we should have done recently, I believe, was to say to Russia, “Let China alone. Her millions of people are content and the world has nothing to gain by changing their condition.” What will happen to China now, I think, is that Russia will step In and get control there and Rus- sianize the Chinese. Look at the history of Russis and you will see that she has Russianized every nation she has conquered. She fought the Cossacks for fifty years— fought them fiercely—but to-day the Cossacks are Russians. She Russian- ized them in thirty years. The Govern- ment of China is not unlike the Gov- ernment of Russia. Although Russia is an autocracy, there is .a democracy in her government, too. Russia is di- vided into provinces and every one of her cities has home rule and freedom except in matters which affect the na- tional Government. China is much the same. She has 2 0000000000 000000000000000003000000000000000000000C000C0000000000C0000000000000000000000000000 DANGERS WE MAY EXPECT FROM TRADE WITH THE ORIENT BY SENATOR TELLER, Of Colorado. For many years Senator Teller has made a study of Asidtic countries and the relation of the silver standard to commercial conditions there. Recently he has considered the possible development of China under the apportlonment among the great natlons which Is threatening. Instead of thinking that we are to benefit by the opening of Chinese markets to the trade of the world Mr. Teller balleves that it would have been better for us If we had left China in her isolation. central government, which is autocrat- ic, but each of her provinces is seif- governing. If Russia gets control of China, as I believe she will, it may be that she will Russianize the people and show them how to develop their re- sources in a very few years. If she does not it may be 100 or 200 years befores| they become competitors of ours. ‘When the development of China be- gins we shall have to look to our trade in manyfactured goods. I believe that the trade of the Pacific is going to be reater than the. trade of the Atlantic. umboldt predicted that, basing his belief on the enormous population there and its possible development. The millions of Asiatics are going to take agricultural products from us— | flour and other products—which repre- sent the greatest amount of toil. That of course is our most important export interest now. Of our great exports last year, 71 per cent were agricultural. But when it comes to manufactured goods the Chi- nese are not only going to supp'y their own needs but thry are going to send their products tol our Parsific Coast markets in competition with the prod- ucts of the mills of New England. If Japan had not gone to the gold stand- ard her exports to-day would be a Pacific Coast. I believe that in another decad2 Asia w1l be doing most of the manufactur- ing for the world. Both the Chinese and the Japarnese are deft people. They are not inventive, but they are imita- tive, and the progress they have made in manufacturing is wonderful. They can live and thrive on wages that mean starvation and death to _an American or Huropean laborer. I was talking some time ago with a missionary who had just returned from a six years’ stay in China. He told me that it would not be possible for one who had not seen them to realize the progress that the Chinese had made in manu- facturing. For a little time longer their conser- vatism will keep out foreign machin- ery perhaps. But the war with Japan made a great awakening in China. This missionary tells me that the present Chinese dynasty is doomed. The peo- ple see that it has deceived them and it is tottering to its fall. With the inau- guration of a new rule changes will come. The Chinese are a people of fine business ability. Not the river Chinese whom we know, but the Chinese of the interior. This missionary, who had been to the interior, told me that they were a fine business race, having splendid talents in that direction. In fact, he C0COC000C0000000000000000C0000000C000000000000000000000C0CCC000C00CO000000000000000000000000 menace to New England's trade on the | says at the most successful business enterprises in Japan have Chinese at their head. He says that tnere is the difference between the Chinese and the Japanese that there is between the Scotchman and the Parisian. The Par- istan ‘is a dapper fellow, all courtesy and smiles; the Scotchman is a hard- headed, practical man. So the Chinese are the superiors of the Japanese as men of affairs. With the building of the Nicaragua canal rates from the Atlantic to the Pacific will be cheapened to our manu- facturers, and the Nicaragua canal is going to be built. But I don't know that it will be an unmixed blessing. If China’s manufactures are to be a com- petitor of all the manufacturing coun- tries of the world the canal will be an outlet for her products to our Atlantic coast and to European markets, as well as a route for sending the products of Buropean and New England States to Asia. China has to-day in abundance every- thing that human needs could demand. The Chinese have iron, they have cop- per, they have: more coal than any other country in the world, except, per- haps, our own. They have 400,000 square miles of coal fields of extraor- dinary = richness. mined it much because they have no OCCUPATIONS : OF AMERICANS. Interesting data about the occupa- tions of the American people is given in the bulletin of the eleventh census re- cently made public. It shows that the total number of people engaged in oc- cupations of all kinds in 1890 was 22,- 735,961. Of the whole number of work- ing people the females form 17.22 per cent. Divided by classes the gvorking people of the country are as follows: Agriculture, fisheries and mining, 9,013,- 336; professional, 944,333; domestic and personal service, 4,360,57" trade and transportation, 3,326,122; manufactur- (3 (4] o o © [ (4 © © o [ need for it. But when manufacturing takes a hold in China they will have this coal supply close at hand and a vast army of cheap laborers to do their work. If the Chiriese themselves will They have never| not undertake to do manufacturing, the capitalists of America and England and Germany will introduce it. How long would it take you to raise $1,000,000 for a manufacturing enterprise in_China among the capitalists of New York if you could demonstrate that they could make 20 or 30 per cent on their money? There is no feeling of patriotism which would keep the American capitalist from going into anything which prom-4| ised a profit. I found in Mexico, when I was there some years ago, that $700,- 000 of the $3,000,000 invested in a cotton mill had been put in by a resident of New York. Machine shops in Monterey and other places in Mexico have taken away from Denver the trade in niin- ing machinery which we had with Mex- ico for so long a time. Mexico is now manufacturing all her own cotton goods, and she is manufac- turing furniture and other things for home consumption. I was in one of her cotton mills. It is the most complete, if not the largest mill in Mexico. All of the work is done right there, begin- ?lns with the manufacture of the pat- erns. ing, and mechanical industries, 5,081,293. Considerably more than four-fifths of the illiterate male population of the country and over one-fourth of the il- literate female population are working. Over 59 per cent of the workingmen are married, over 27 per cent single, over 3 per cent widowed and one-quar- ter of 1 per cent divorced. In manu- factures and mechanics the carpenters and joiners, numbering 611,482, make up the greatest element, with dressmakers and milliners following with 499,690, There are a little over 1,000,000 book- keepers, clerks and salesmen, 690,658 merchants and dealers, 5,281,557 farm- ers, planters and overseers. and 3,004,061 agricultural laborers, 349,592 miners and only a little over 60,000 fishermen and oystermen. Professors and teachers, aggregating 347,344, form the most numerous of the professional classes. Physiclans and surgeons, 104,805, come next; then lawyers, 89,630; clergymen, 88,203; Government officlals, 79,664; musicjans, etc.. 62,155; engineers and surveyors, 43,239; a and art teach- - ers, 22,498; journalists, 21,349, and ac tors, 9728.