954 RKPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



THE LAND OF THE BIBLE. 



Map of Palestine.— It is not possible to understaiul the geology, 

 the flora, and fauna of a country, the habits and customs of the peo]ile, 

 nor their history, without an idea of the physical features of the coun- 

 try studied. The first object shown, therefore, was a relief map of 

 Palestine. This map is the result of geographical and geological sur- 

 vey work, carried on for more than ten years by experts in the service 

 of the Palestine Exploration Fund. It is 7 feet 9 inches by 4 feet 1 inch 

 in size and made on the scale of jeik^oi or three-eightlis of an inch to 

 the mile. It embraces the whole of western i'alestine, from Baalbec 

 in the north to Kadesh Barnea in the south, and shows nearly all that is 

 known of the country east of the Jordan. The natural features of the 

 country stand out prominently, being reinforced by appropriate colors. 

 The mountains and plains are shaded a creamy white. Tlie seas, lakes, 

 marshes, and perennial streams are shown in blue. The Old and New 

 Testament sites are marked in red. The map thus furnishes a most 

 important aid for the understanding of the Bible narrative.' 



GEOLOGY. 



No attempt was made to present in systematic form the geology of 

 the country nor to show in any way the features of the soil. The fol- 

 lowing specimens, which possess a sentimental interest merely, were 

 placed in the collection. 



Dust from Jerusalem. — Dust from the Holy Land is with many 

 Jews a much-cherished possession, perhaps suggested by Psalms cii, 

 14: "For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and have pity ujion 

 her dust." It is sometimes placed in the graves, and is considered as 

 a substitute for actual burial in the Holy Land, which is one of the 

 pious aspirations of the orthodox Jew. 



Water from the Jordan. — The Jordan is one of the points of 

 attraction for pilgrims to Palestine. As early as the time of Constan- 

 tine (306 to 337) baptism in the Jordan was deemed a special privilege, 

 on account of its association with John the Baptist and the baptism of 

 Christ;^ even now the Oriental Christians attach great importance to 

 the bath in the Jordan, as the termination of a j)ilgrimage.^ 



The pilgrims usually fill jars from the river to be used for baptisms 

 at home. 



Small shell {Janthina fragilis) from Tyre. — Tyre was in ancient 

 times the wealthiest and most magnificent of Pheniciau cities. It was 

 situated on the Mediterranean, and consisted of two parts, Palaetyrus 

 on the mainland and Neotyrus on the island. It was famous for the 



'Compare the Survey of Western Palestine; the Survey of Eastern Palestine, and 

 the Geology of Palestine and Arabia Petrtea, published by the Palestine Explora- 

 tion Fund. 



-Matthew iii, 13-17. 



■'For a description of the bathing of the pilgrims see Sinai and Palestine, by Dean 

 Stanley, New York, 1883, pp. 384-386. 



