DISCOVERIES IN PALESTINE.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19460, 27 December 1934, Page 6

DISCOVERIES IN PALESTINE.

It is impossible to over-estimate the importance of the discoveries which are being made by archaeologists in Palestine, further details of which were reported yesterday. They demonstrate a principle which has been faithfully held by many Biblical scholars, namely, that the theory of evolution and the acceptance of the Old Testament are by no means incompatible.

Side by side with the discovery of three skeletons revealing & progressive development from the Neanderthal type of prehistoric man, there is given a reminder of the Biblical chronicle of the conflict between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Thus it is seen that the inference and deductions of modern scientists are approaching a greater degree of harmony with the records in the Old Testament which earlier students of evolution were prone to regard as unacceptable.

In the region where the present discoveries have been made earlier researches have already confirmed the existence of the kings of Samaria described in the Book of Kings. The place of Ahab, built of ivory has been found by the searchers, or rather they have found pieces of ivory obviously part of a building, and other finely jewelled pieces of the same substance which must have been employed in the decoration of furniture. The royal stables of the city of Samaria have already been laid bare to modern eyes, and there have been numerous other discoveries which have corroborated even to trifling details .the truth of many of the Bible stories.

The value of such discoveries is not easy to assess. In the first place it is two-fold. They provide a considerable assistance to the scientists who unceasingly search for the complete history of the beginning of human life. But, at the same time, they give body and form to the Biblical record, and supply it with a corroboration which will do much to restore its authenticity in the face of the unbelief which has been caused by the uninformed popular acceptance of the evolutionary theory.