writing—the story of its discovery has often been told.[1] Some Jewish boys in attempting to pass through the tunnel accidentally found some writing on a recessed tablet of square form, measuring about 27 inches on each side, the lower portion of which was occupied by the inscription, which was in six lines, and curiously enough, “the top of the tablet was only about a yard above the bottom of the channel, which is here 2 feet wide and 11 feet high.” The inscription was reported to Herr v. Schick, and was subsequently visited and studied by Professor Sayce, Dr. Guthe (who removed the calcareous incrustation which had formed in the incised characters by a weak bath of hydrochloric acid, but without in any way injuring the surface of the hard rock on which the inscription was cut), and by Captain Conder and Lieutenant Mantell, who procured[2] a squeeze and also a cast of the inscription. The result of these researches was the publication of a tolerably correct text and translation by Professor Sayce, and a lengthy study of the “Alphabet of Israel” by Canon Taylor, in his very valuable work, “The Alphabet,” vol. i.[3] By the kindness of my learned and esteemed friend Major Conder, I have been enabled to study the squeeze which was taken by himself and Lieutenant Mantell, and from his tracing of this I give the
Text of the Inscription in ordinary Hebrew Characters.
(1) זה נ]קבה וזה היה דבר הנקבה בעוד..........[על]ו]
(2) הגרזן אש אל רעו ובעוד שלש אמ[ה] להת.......קל אש ק
(3) רא אל רעו כי הית זרה בצר מימן..........ובימה
(4) נקבה הכו החצב[ן] אש לקרת רעו גרזן על גרזן וילכ[ו]
(5) המים מן המוצא אל הברכה במא[ת]י[ם]...אלף אמה ונ
(6) ת אמה היה גבה הצר על ראש החצב..........
- ↑ See P.E.F. Quarterly Statement, 1881; article on “Ain Silwan,” in Jerusalem Vol. of “Memoirs of Survey of Western Palestine”; Major Conder’s “Palestine,” in Philip’s “Great Explorers” Series, 2nd Edition, 1891; Canon Taylor’s “The Alphabet,” Vol. i, 1883.
- ↑ Unfortunately, one must speak in the past tense of this precious monumental text, since folly and cupidity have combined (as in the case of the Moabite Stone) to effect its destruction. [The fragments are now preserved in the Imperial Museum at Constantinople.—Ed.]
- ↑ Canon Taylor’s work above mentioned is indispensable to every student of Jewish palæography. I have found it an invaluable aid in my study of the subject, although I am not able to accept all the learned author’s conclusions.
