THE STONE OF DESTINY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10635, 20 April 1900, Page 3

THE STONE OF DESTINY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir,—ln an interesting: letter on the above subject, your correspondent, "A Scotch Lassie," very nearly bits the truth with regard to the original home of the historic stone. For many years past there has been a vast amount of speculation regarding its origin. "Celt" has reminded us that "the Phoenicians are said to have brought it over." The supporters of the British Israelite theory have stoutly maintained the identity of this stone with Jacob's pillow. Three years ago a remarkable paper, dealing with the coronation stor.e at Westminster, was read before the Royal Archaeological point of Great Britain by Mr James Hilton, in which he, for the first time, treated the subject from th e purely archaeological point of view. He explained that there had existed a belief that the stone was originally taken from Palestine to Egypt and thence to Scotland, but that geological investigation proved beyond doubt that the stone was from a Scottish quarry. At Dunstaffnage the stone was used in connection with ancient coronation ceremonials, but there was no very clear e%-idence as to when it found its way to Areykshire. In 834 the stone (was removed to. Scone for protection, and remained there until 1296. when Edward I. brought it to Westminster together with the ancient coronation cheir and regalia. Few objects have given rise to so much speculation and none have been treated with greater veneration than the Lia Fail, a piece of stone 26in by 16|in and llin thick, and ouarried no one knows when from a Scottish quarry.— Yours, etc., w _ w _ a