Or 
[os 
THE SEPULCHRAL CHAMBERS AND THE SARCOPHAGI 
OF SIDON. ; 
Tue account of the recent exploration of the above has most opportunely 
just come to hand (July, 1887), and its insertion here, following as it does 
Dr. Porter’s paper on Jewish, Phcenician, and Early Greek art, seems very 
appropriate :— 
“The Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund have received from 
Herr Gottlieb Schumacher, of Haifa, a brief and preliminary account of the 
examination held by his Excellency Hamdi Bey, Director of the Museum 
of Constantinople, of this magnificent find, most of which is now on its way 
to the Imperial Museum. Herr Schumacher (the Times says) was instructed 
to accompany and assist Hamdi Bey, but was, of course, unable to write any 
report upon the work so long as the outside world were not admitted to the 
works, The French missionaries of Sidon and others have, however, now 
been permitted to examine and describe the chambers and their contents, 
which have thus become, so to speak, public property. Herr Schumacher 
sends a printed description of the tombs by Pere E. Nourrit, of Sidon, 
together with notes of his own, and he promises photographs and drawings 
at an early date. Until these arrive it is well to refrain from detailed 
descriptions at second-hand. Suffice it to say that the first letter on the 
subject from Dr. William Wright, of the Bible Society, published in the 
Times three months ago, glowing and full of promise though it seemed, is 
now shown to have fallen short of the actual reality. We have here a ‘ find’ 
of Pheenician, Lycian, and Greek art which appears to be unequalled and 
unrivalled. The facts as put before the readers of the 7’imes being confirmed 
by recent accounts, it is only necessary, pending the arrival of the photo- 
graphs and drawings, to sum up the results of Hamdi Bey’s examinations. 
1. The chamber on the eastern side of the square excavation (which is 
truly orientated) contained two sarcophagi in white marble. One of these 
is perfectly plain, and the other is ornamented with sculptures of the 
richest and most beautiful kind. This is the chamber which is surrounded 
by an arcade [adorned with eighteen mourning figures in relief, dressed in 
Greek costume, each in a different pose. It is not stated whether the 
arcade itself or any portion of it has been removed. 
2. The south chamber had two sarcophagi, one in black marble, plain, 
and the other in white with splendid sculptures. 
3. The western chamber had one sarcophagus in white, mummy-shaped. 
But this chamber proved to be the vestibule to ‘another containing four 
sarcophagi, one of which was the richest and finest of all those found. The 
walls of this chamber also are richly decorated. 
4, The chamber on the north has two plain mummy-shaped sarcophagi. 
On removing the débris which covered the ground two other chambers 
were found, one on each side, on a lower level. One of these contained a 
small tomb; the other, four white marble sarcophagi. 
Under the eastern chamber also was found another containing a sarco- 
phagus of black stone, in which were the teeth, bones, and hair of a woman. 
All these tombs had been violated by breaking a corner of the coffin-lid. 
But in carrying out the works for the removal of the sarcophagi a chamber 
was found in which at first nothing was remarked but two fine bronze 
candelabra, each about five feet in height. The flooring of this chamber, 
however, on examination, proved to consist of a bed of great stones laid 
with the utmost care. Beneath these was a second bed of stones .and then 
VOL. XXI, F 
