Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/382

 A History of Art in Sardinia and Jud/ea. haram, where a hole was found scooped out of the rock i ft. across and i ft. deep. On clearing- the earth out of it, the red jar was found standing upright, as though it had been purposely placed there, at a depth of 19 rh. from the surface (Fig. 235). 1 This hole was probably part of a sepulchral chamber, which was demolished when the temple area was enlarged, but the pick did not reach the hole, then already filled up with earth. Hence the vessel, perhaps filled with water or perfumes, was preserved through long ages, and has now come out of its hiding-place as perfect and intact as if it had been made yesterday. Vessels of the same nature were picked up on Mount Ophel, at a depth of 18 and 20 m. (Figs. 2 3 6 > 2 S1, and 238). They are distinguished by the same body, the same thickness of fabric and inelegant shapes, as may be seen any day on the shoulders of Syrian maidens, standing about the fountain indulging in small gossip whilst their jars get filled. Along- with other travellers, I was man enough to admire their rich beauty, set off by their pic- turesque costume. It should be noted that the jars of the present day, doubtless for convenience, are double handled (Figs. 239, 240). A certain class of vases, found at the same depth, with or without handles, having horizontal channels or ribs up the middle or about the Figs. 239, 240.— Modern Jars in Palestine. npr U m3V liavp servpH fn hnlrl npr stade-Geschichte, P. 368. necK, may nave served to noici per- fumes (Figs. 241 and 242). What gives colouring to the hypothesis that kilns formerly existed here, in which large vessels to hold water, oil, wine, and the like were manufactured, are half a dozen handles, each bearing impressed upon it a more or less defined figure, and certainly among the most interesting specimens dug up at Jerusalem. The clay is well baked, red, and covered with a greyish or dusty deposit. We reproduce one of the best preserved of these handles, with a piece of the body still adhering (Fig. 243). It bears a concentric circle, and below it the symbolic winged disc or solar hawk with outstretched wings ; above and below these appear Phoenician letters which, by common consent, were interpreted as, Molechzeph or Molochziph. The letters upon another vase handle have been 1 Recovery, pp. 140 and 476.