have degenerated, and we find a class of pottery showing a mixture of styles. Hence, in using the term 'pre-Israelite' in regard to any given jar, we mean that it belongs to a type that came in during pre-Israelitic times, though the particular specimen may have been made during the early Hebrew monarchy. On the contrary, in using the term 'Jewish' we exclude not only pre-Israelitic times, but also the period of the early Jewish monarchy." Of the pre-Israelitic types found at Tell Zakariya is a fine drab-colored vase, with black and red ornamentation. It is nearly twenty-seven centimeters high and oval in shape, with two loop-handles, and a long cylindrical neck. There are several others, belonging to the same period, but of less elegance and smaller in size. There are half a dozen more, evidently of a later period, found on the “dividing line between two strata;" their clumsy shape and inferior decoration prove clearly that degeneration had already set in when they were made. Here were also found four jar handles having the royal stamp. Like all those with the kingly mark, they have the winged symbol which we shall explain later. One of them has, "To the king Shocoh; " another, "To the king Ziph;" a third, "To the king H-B," probably Hebron; while the fourth is so defaced as to defy deciphering—indeed, it may be said that the lettering is entirely wanting. In the upper or Jewish stratum, just two feet below the surface, was found a jar handle with a stamp similar to the ones described above. The letters are not quite legible in the lower line, but Mr. Bliss thinks that they may be read "Hori." The upper line is distinct and clear, and reads "To" or "Belonging to Ezer." The finds at Tel-es-Safi were not numerous, nevertheless they presented three distinct periods, namely, the Jewish, pre-Israelite, and early pre-Israelite. These consisted of jar handles, flints, four scarabs, some Egyptian amulets, a Babylonian cylinder, some very thin flint knives, and an object cut in slate resembling the human eye. The discoveries at Tell-ej-judeideh were not only more numerous, but also more interesting. This Tell is on one of those summits in the range of hills five or six miles north-northeast of Beit-Jibrim, or, to be more particular, it is the extreme south of the range, while Tell Zakariya lies to the extreme north. These hills are situated on the border land between ancient Philistia and Palestine, and the towns located near or on them would naturally be of great strategic interest, commanding as they did "one of the great highways not only of Judea, but of the nations around." The Tell itself is plainly the ruin of an ancient city or fortification. This can be demonstrated by the easily traced walls, so well defined as to render the work of locating the ancient limits very light. The wall, as might be expected, was so built as to conform to the natural contour of the hill on which it stood; hence the numerous curves shown in the plan or outline given in the report by Dr. Bliss. Gates were found without difficulty on three sides, and traces of a fourth gate were discovered. No less than twenty-four towers were unearthed, most of them of solid masonry and well constructed. The area covered by the town was about 1,900 by from 500 to 600 feet. One of the gates is in a splendid state of preservation, the masonry showing remarkably fine workmanship, the socalled "comb-pick" style of dressing being quite visible on many of the stones. The central bolt holes, as well as the sockets for the posts, prove that these gates were double. The tower on the east side has a chamber twenty-eight by seven feet. The approach to this is by a flight of steps, near the base of which was found a small portion of a mosaic in white and red tessera, about one inch square. In the very center of the old town the excavators came upon the ruins of a very fine Roman villa. The hewn stone and the broken pillars, with their rich carvings and elegant decorations, prove that the architecture was of no mean order. Even the atrium and impluvium, restored from fragments found on the spot, in a photograph make an imposing picture. The report of the excavators impresses one with the scientific precision with which the work is carried on. Every shovelful of earth was most carefully examined; indeed, every pound of it was passed through a sieve and every stone and fragment of pottery was closely scrutinized. The report is not only carefully and elaborately written, but it is also accompanied with exact illustrations of all the articles found by the workmen in the bowels of these Tells, so that the eye can take in at a glance the exact shape, size, and quality of everything discovered. As in all Tells, large quantities of broken pottery belonging to different periods were found-and, besides these, a number of nails in bronze and iron, a few catapult balls and flint knives, a rude lamp stand, a large saucer, and the upper part of an altar or a table of offerings. We may also mention the fact that a larger number of Jewish specimens bearing the royal, as well as private, stamps were unearthed here than at all the other sites put together. Two stages of pottery are distinctly traceable, the Amorite-or, as Dr. Bliss prefers to call it, the "early pre-Israelite", -and the pre-Israelite. Alongside of specimens of the latter there were almost invariably Phoenician and Mycenæan ware. The pre-Israelitic was not largely represented, though the Jewish and Amorite types were found in abundance. Many articles belonging to the Greek and Roman periods were also unearthed about four feet from the surface, proving that Tell-ej-judeideh was occupied about the beginning of our era. There were no less than sixty-one marked (royal) jar handles found on the various sites, bearing the names of four different towns. Twenty-five of these are so damaged, or so imperfectly stamped, as to make the place-name illegible. Six bear the name of "Ziph;" fifteen, that of "Shocoh;" eight, "Hebron; " and seven, that of some unknown place, having the consonants "M, M, S, T." It may be added that of these sixty-one handles thirty-seven were found at Tell-ej-judeideh, seventeen at Tell Zakariya, six at Tell-es-Safi, and one at Tell Sandahannah. The symbols on these jars are of two kinds, one having two wings, the other four, on either side of these wings being the Hebrew letters. It is not easy to decide the exact meaning of these symbols. They may be nothing more than an ornament, but more probably they have a symbolic meaning; perhaps they represent "a winged sun or disk, probably the emblem of the sun-god, or possibly of royal power." What their real significance may be it is therefore left for the future to decide. What do these inscriptions mean? A large number of these handles have stamped upon them in perfectly legible characters the conventional "," which might be translated "to" or "belonging to the king." Then, on another line, is the place-name, such as "Hebron " or "Ziph." Now the natural translation would be, "The property of the king of Hebron or Ziph," that is, royal jars belonging to this or that king. Or, as Mr. Clermont Ganneau thinks, is equivalent to the modern formula, "His Majesty's service," the jars being used to carry the royal tribute, consisting of corn, oil, and wine, from the various cities named to the king at Jerusalem. There is one difficulty, however, with this view, namely, to explain how a jar marked "Hebron" could be found at Tell Zakariya, or one marked "Shocoh" at some other Tell. Of course, these jars might have been accidentally left at these places. This, however, is not a satisfactory explanation. We much prefer the view presented by Dr. Bliss, who says, "It seems to me that the geographical distribution of the stamps is most simply explained by regarding them as belonging to different potteries which were royal monopolies, situated at Hebron, Ziph, Shocoh, and M-M-S-T.” With this opinion it may be noted that Professor Sayce and other eminent archeologists agree. As to the date of these handles some of them were found on the very surface, while others were discovered some seven or nine feet below among the ruins. The presence of those on the surface may be accounted for by the fact that excavations for foundations of late Greek or Roman buildings had to be made. Similar wares were found at Tell-el-Hesy which have been assigned to 800-500 B. C., Dr. Bliss being inclined to place them somewhere between 650 and 500 B. C., and Sayce in the eighth century before our era, while Major Conder suggests 500 B. C. In conclusion it may be stated that fifteen jar handles with private stamps were found at Tell-ej-judeideh. They are, in general, of the same form and material as the royal ones. Most of them do not have the so-called lamedh of possession always found on the royal ones. To many, the finding of these unimportant objects may appear in no way a fair compensation for the time and money expended on these barren Tells; but in exploration the unexpected constantly happens, and the efforts of Dr. Bliss and his colaborers may yet be rewarded with astounding discoveries. Be that as it may, no fair-minded man will hold the opinion that the labors already expended by these faithful workers have been in vain. MISSIONARY REVIEW. GROWTH OF MISSIONS DURING THE CENTURY. A REVIEW of the great movements of Christendom is always in order, even if it is not always easy to command the data for comparisons extended over wide areas and long time distances. It was therefore of great value to the late Ecumenical Conference on Foreign Missions that a patient student of missions, who had for several years devoted his energies to this special department of investigation, was led to summarize some of the results of his labors as his contribution to the success of the gathering. His document cannot be reproduced here, but the following condensation of a few features of it, made by the author, the Rev. James S. Dennis, D.D., himself, will be valuable for reference. He says: "There is one aspect of the case which concerns us all, and in which we shall all alike rejoice. I refer to the steady, continuous, unflagging growth of missionary service as reflected in the regular increase of missionary agencies during each decade of the past century. From 1649 to 1800-a period of over 150 years-twelve missionary societies were formed. From 1800 to 1830-a period of thirty years-twentytwo societies were formed. The subsequent record of decades is as follows: 1830-1840, sixteen societies organized; 1840-1850, twenty-five societies organized; 1850-1860, thirty-four societies organized; 1860– 1870, forty-one societies organized; 1870-1880, fifty-seven societies organized; 1880-1890, ninety-two societies organized; 1890-1900, one hundred societies organized. "The banner year of the century, as regards the number of missionary societies formed, is 1890, during which twenty-two new societies were organized. The next is 1896, with a record of eleven. The distinction which attaches to the year 1890 is worthy of notice in connection with our present Ecumenical Conference. No satisfactory reason is apparent for the unusually large list of societies formed in that year, except that it seems to represent the crystallized results of the missionary impetus given by the Conference of 1888, in London. Probability is given to this explanation by the fact that these twenty-two societies were well distributed throughout Christendom. "It is worthy of comment, also, that the decade of greatest educational development is 1890-1900, and that the year of greatest advance in that decade is 1894, allowing just sufficient time for the influence of the gathering of 1888 to record itself in the founding of new educational institutions in mission fields. Still another fact of singular interest, just here, is that 1890-1900 is moreover the decade of largest growth in the establishment of medical agencies, and the banner year in the decade was 1896, suggesting the further culmination of the effects of the London Conference. Let us realize, then, that our present Conference with its cheering outlook carries also a serious responsibility. We are touching springs of beneficent activity which will vibrate among all nations during the coming century." SOME AFFAIRS IN AFRICA. WHILE the break-up of China is the newest political movement in which missionary interests are involved, the partition of Africa goes on apace. By an agreement between Great Britain, America, and Germany, which primarily concerned islands of the western Pacific, but which came to include much else, the Hinterland of the Gold Coast colony of Great Britain has been greatly extended. The German government has by treaty practically sanctioned the continuance of the Cape and Cairo railway line through the six hundred miles of German territory, to connect the South African system at the south end of Lake Tanganyika with the east coast system, and ultimately with the Nile system. The road from Uganda to the east coast has been partially operated with profit, and lacks but little of completion in the entire line of over five hundred miles. The telegraphic connection between Uganda and London now brings the two within twenty-four hours of each other. In West Africa railway lines in Sierra Leone and Lagos are operated for both freight and passenger traffic. On January 1, 1900, Nigeria became a British protectorate, displacing the Royal Niger Company as the East India Company was displaced by the taking of India under direct British rule. Everyone who has studled the subject will recognize this as a great step forward in the interests of justice, humanity, and Christian propagandism. There is secured by treaties with some three hundred native tribes a definite British domain of half a million square miles in the most fertile and thickly populated portion of West Africa. The result has already been the putting down of slave-raiding and massacre over a great area, reducing to a minimum these curses outside the direct jurisdiction of the protectorate, while within it has totally abolished them. The change has also greatly lessened the curse of the drink traffic. In South Africa the British domain, by a war with two republics, the justice of which is still openly and widely challenged, has been, at least nominally, extended, and British Christians feel a greatly augmented responsibility to atone for their past negligence in making known evangelical Christianity to the native races. All this is the casting up of the highways for evangelistic progress, even though the means employed are often extremely unlovely and sometimes cruelly wrong. In and through it all the missionary force is doing something to inaugurate a better condition. The civil and political advance furnishes at least the " open door" for the missionary in Africa. |