ZION EXCAVATIONS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16114, 1 May 1923, Page 10

ZION EXCAVATIONS.

ITALIAN FEARS FOR THE "CENACOLO."

ROME. —The news that the Palestine Government has given archeologists of the "Palestine Exploration Fund" permission to excavato in order to establish the site of ancient Zion and of tho "so-called Tomb of David"* is causing considerable 4 stir, especially in clerical circles, and is sure to produce answering echoes from most Italians. The Church of Zion, enclosing the room of tho Last Supper, whero St. Peter preached his first sermon after the Descent of tho Holy Ghost, and the Virgin Mary "slept in tho Lord," was considered by tho early Christians to be their Mater omnium eeelcsiarnm, and became ever more especially . tho centre of Catholic cult during the Middle Ages, when a great Church was built by the Crusaders. It was one of the A - ery few churches which SalatJin left in the hands of tho Christians at tho capture of Jerusalem in 1189. The Jews obtained possession of the crypt, in 1429 in order to convert it into a synagogue on the pretext that they wished to excavate for the tomb of David. This was also a place of veneration for the Mussulmans who succeeded in obtaining complete possession of the Church and convent in 1021.

The legend that David's Tomb lay beneath the Cenacolo caused all the mischief. "A ridiculous legend," writes Dom Giulio do Rossi in tho Comoro <1 'ltalia, "circulated by an Israelite in the fourtenth century and upon which the enemies of Catholicism and of Italy based their arguments in order to contest our indisputable rights to it." He accuses England of acting in her usual underhand way, in inciting the Mussulmans to renewed devotion to the Tomb of David, and with so much success that during the last few months the Muezzin has called the faithful to prayer. There seems to be general scepticism as to Sir Herbert Samuel's enthusiasm for archeology, and suspicion grows that an attempt will be made to take possession of tho Cenacolo. Dom Giulio do Rossi goes a step further and suggests the existence of a Zionist plot to destroy all vestiges of the Cenacolo. Italy, he saye, must intervene and prevent any work of excavation being started until the claims of the King of Italy, which aro based upon the fact of his being the legitimate heir of the Kings of Naples, have been settled by tho League of Nations. It is more than likely that Mussolini will take the matter up,

especially aa his antagonism to the Jews is not of recent date, and as it forms part of his national scheme of reconstruction to conciliate tho Vatican. *Signor C. A. Nallino, in his book, "Sull 'lnfondata Lcggenda del la Tomba di David" (Turin, 1919), deals with tho whole subject, and comes to the conclusion that the real tomb oi David is situated on the hill southeast of Jerusalem, at Ophel.