CONFIRMED BY KECENT DISCOVEKIES IN PALESTINE AND THE EAST. 143 



the water-marks in paper that proves its origin — thej are like the 

 little details in writing — all those minute points on which the 

 validity of the title to an estate may turn in the law courts 



I am glad to see some here who have specially studied the 

 question, and I hope they will give us the benefit of some 

 remarks. 



Professor J. H. Gladstone, D.Sc, F.R.S. — I join with you most 

 heartily, sir, in your thanks to Professor Hull for the way in 

 which he has brought these matters before us, and for the very 

 interesting points that he has united in one focus, so as to illust- 

 rate more fully the general historic accuracy of the sacred 

 writings of the Old Testament. I have not myself to add any- 

 thing to those particular instances which he has brought forward 

 as to places and buildings. There is one point, however, on which 

 T have worked a little, and perhaps you will allow me to add that 

 to the five points which Professor Hull has dealt with. It is the 

 metals that were used in ancient times. 



I was first led by Professor Flinders Petrie to take up the 

 matter of the metals of Egypt, and, later on, those of Assyria ; 

 but, just recently, through the kindness of Mr. Bliss, I have been 

 able to examine those of Tel-el-Hesi. I do not know the argu- 

 ments that will be brought forward against its being La hish, but 

 if it is not Lachish, it is probably a similar place. At any rate, 

 it is, apparently, a series of towns, one above the other, forming' a 

 great mound. There are remains of several ancient Amovite 

 towns at the bottom. Then you come to a level where there is 

 little else than sand and ashes, and above that there is an Israel- 

 iiish town or towns. This agrees at any rate very well indeed 

 with the general history we have of Lachish in the Bible. I asked 

 Mr. Bliss for specimens of the metals he had obtained, and he gave 

 me some from the bottom to the top. The lower portion contains 

 the metal which you will find almost always in ancient civilization, 

 viz., copper. Above that there was found to be bronze, that is, 

 copper alloyed with tin, and bronze continued from near the 

 bottom of the mound up to the top, but as you rise to the upper 

 part of the Amorite city, that is, towards the region of the 

 Israelifcish city, the bronze thins out and its place is taken by iron, 

 so that iron tools appear almost exclusively in the upper part of 

 the mound, and they are very numerous. The lowest part 

 contains copper tools, as I said ; but the copper has been hardened, 



