WHERE DAVID SLEEPS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 289, 10 November 1925, Page 3

WHERE DAVID SLEEPS.

SEARCH FOR HIS TOMB. BY JERUSALEM’S OLD WALL. The present is an age of excavations and many secrets are being dug out of mother earth. The spades have been busy at Jerusalem for some time, set going by the Palestine Exploration r’unu, and now people are talking of the wonderful news that it is possible the excavators are getting to the site of the Tomb of David which lias been so long a mystery. When David became king over all Israel, about a thousand years before Christ, his first action was to change the capital from Hebron to Jei'usalem, the finest natural fortress in tho country. Tho town was an independent stronghold and withstood the advance of David. At a certain place he broke down the wall and entered. On Zion, the highest bill of the town, he built the City of David. He called in craftsmen from Tyre, built liis famous palace, and collected a mass of material for the Temple. Many walls, palaces, and fortresses have been built since then on the hill of Jerusalem. In the course of centuries the City ‘of David became a myth, a beautiful and sacred legend. For a long time it was considered that the site of ancient Zion was the western hill of the modern city. Then it was decided by many authorities, that the site was nearer Mount Ophel, and about two years ago excavations began there.

Very soon an interesting discovery was made. Professor Macalister reported that the execavators had unearthed a piece of the old wall of the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the site of -Jerusalem, and the fragments of one of their towers. Soon after that came the thrilling ,Tnews that they had found the place .where David made a hole in' the wall. ornamental portico added by King Solomon was next found. Since then the excavators have concentrated their efforts on this site, and recently it was stated tlult the Rev. J. Garron Duncan, who is conducting this part of the work, has discovered on Mount Opliel some very interesting rock-hewn chambers. It is quite possible that here we have the tombs of the kings of Judah. These rock chambers have shared the fate of Jerusualem; some were used to house an olive press, some served as store rooms, and some w-ere turned into cisterns.