EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1908. 33 



the mythological and art historical points of view. The exhibits of 

 the division occupy two alcoves in the west hall of the Museum 

 building facing the rotunda. The northwest alcove. contains mainly 

 the antiquities of western Asia, namely, the Biblical, Palestinian, 

 S3^rian, Assyro-Babylonian, and Persian, while the southwest alcove 

 is occupied by the Egyptian and Hittite antiquities. During the 

 year a special case with Egyptian antiquities was installed and speci- 

 mens of Egyptian (Coptic) textiles were put on exhibition. Addi- 

 tions were also made to the Bible collection. 



Historic religions. — Especially noteworthy among the accessions 

 of the year were 21 objects of Jewish religious ceremonial, added by 

 Dr. Ephraim Benguiat, of New York, to his important loan collec- 

 tion which has been on exhibition for several years. They comprise 

 2 finely embroidered synagogue veils, 2 silver-gilt breastplates of 

 exquisite workmanship, a silver and brass Hanukah lamp of artistic 

 design, a quaint brass spice holder, composed of 5 pear-shaped com- 

 l^artments surmounted by lions, and 8 framed pictures illustrating 

 the story of Joseph worked in embroidery. Dr. Cyrus Adler, curator 

 of the division, presented a pair of phylacteries from Jerusalem, and 

 Miss Eliza R. Scidmore, of Washington, a model of the church at 

 Borgund, Norway. 



The exhibition collections illustrating the historic religions are 

 mainly installed on the south gallery of the west hall, in the follow- 

 ing order: Judaism in six wall cases and two Kensington cases, Mo- 

 hammedanism in two wall cases and one special case, Christianity 

 in four wall cases and two special cases, Brahmanism in two wall 

 cases and one special case, Buddhism in five wall cases and one special 

 case, Shintoism in one wall case, other Eastern religious objects in 

 one wall case, and Parseeism in one special case. Three Kensington 

 cases contain, respectively, collections of amulets and rosaries and a 

 Korean sorcerer's outfit. The S. S. Howdand collection of Buddhist 

 religious art in two large cases and colossal statues of Buddha and 

 Vishnu are placed in the rotunda. Objects of the several sections, 

 which for lack of space can not be exhibited at present, such as photo- 

 graphs, prints, etc., are contained in drawers. The Jewish section 

 was partly, and the Christian section entirely, rearranged and labeled. 

 A case of Buddhist rosaries and a statuette of Confucius were added. 



A manuscript entitled: The Collection of Jewish Ceremonial Ob- 

 jects in the United States National Museum, containing descriptions 

 of the objects, with photographic illustrations, was completed by 

 Doctor Adler and Doctor Casanowicz. A study of the collection of 

 rosaries by Doctor Casanowicz is in progress. 



Physical anthroj)ology. — The more important acquisitions by this 

 division consisted of a large collection of skeletal parts, received in 

 exchange from Prof. George S. Huntington, of the College of Phy- 



