o2G M. G. MASrERO 



known. I have recently been bringing out maps for tlie Bible Society, by 

 the assistance of Sir Charles Wilson and Captain Conder, and I have felt 

 constrained to hold to the old identification. The reasons we have fordoing 

 so are, I think, quite suflicient. It has been the battle-field of all ages. It 

 was from such a place of fighting and slaughter that we got the name of 

 the " battle of Megiddo." When the Romans came they pitched their tents 

 there, and it has been a place of battle in all ages. Then there are such 

 names as Damascus, and Ilamath, and as Ashtoreth. I do not think 

 sufficient importance is given to the last-mentioned place. I remember 

 spending most of a Saturday and Sunday with Dr. Thompson at the old 

 Edrei, and we took out different sets of people, and, pointing to certain ruins, 

 asked what they were. The answer in each case was, " That is Ashtoreth." 

 The ruins are standing there at the present time ; that country will well 

 repay the explorer. I think that some of M. Maspero's lesser identifica- 

 tions are open to question. I may point out in passing that he says he is 

 not sure that the ] H ^^ *^'^'^^' rendered in Arabic by the >. On this point 



M. Maspero need not feel any doubt. The weaker pf '"^"^ose of f]. These 

 letters, even in Hebrew, are frequently interchanged, as, for instance, 

 ■^pn and "^pn. Foreigners writing the word would, in all probability, soften 

 the latter. See the Septuagint renderings. Sec. Some of M. Maspero'a 

 minor identifications arc merely tentative. Take Pahur, for instance. The 

 word is connected with pottery, and at any place where pottery was made 

 you would have that word. When the country was populous, a great 

 deal of pottery was required, as people used it for carrying water, and for 

 storing wheat and oil. Pottery was needed all over the country, and 

 wherever there was a manufactory of pottery it would be called So-and-so 

 Pahur. When the spoiler came, the place, which perhaps was very small, 

 would be swept away. The identification here is that it may have been 

 the ancient name of Safed. Well, it may or it may not; that is all. There 

 are a number of minor names here which I have no doubt are happy 

 guesses. I think they may be useful, and that each guess may be used as 

 a working hypothesis. An hypothesis is always good as long as it remains 

 an hypothesis. One of the great virtues of the theologian is faith, but I 

 think a little scepticism should be a characteristic of the archfeologist. I 

 think we shall be safe in using a little scepticism in these matters. As to 

 the large and important towns, there is no doubt about them now. I was 

 told the other day that all the places which are mentioned in the Bible, 

 and which are identified with certainty, could be counted on the fingers of 

 one hand. Well, that is pure nonsense. It was the language of a man 

 who had not studied the subject. We know the chief lines of traffic and the 

 larger towns with a considerable amount of certainty. But where we have 

 no certainty we do not gain anything by pressing our own guess or our 

 own ideas. 



The meeting was then adjourned. 



