THE RUINED CITIES OF PALESTINE, ETC. 



23 



built himself a dwelling-place, which has lately been discovered. 

 The history of Gezer stretches on through Roman, Crusader 

 and Arab periods. 



From the excavations we get an idea of the primitive religious 

 customs which Israel met with on their entry into Palestine, 

 the idolatry and the moral abominations, and from the dis- 

 coveries made it is easy to see why the worship of the High 

 Place was so fiercely denounced. The evidence of the wholesale 

 sacrifice of children, the images found testifying to the licentious- 

 ness pervading the whole worship, the evidences of bodies sawn 

 asunder, and other savageries, all throw a lurid light on the 

 " iniquity of the Amorite." 



We next reach Jafia, whence we embark on our w^ay to 

 England, and thus our delightful tour is brought to an end. 



Discussion. 



Prebendary Fox : I will not detain you for more than a minute 

 or two, but I cannot let the meeting go further without expressing 

 thanks to Dr. Masterman for his very able lecture, and for explaining 

 the shdes to us with such admirable skill. I am sure we shall not 

 forget this meeting for a long time. I move a vote of thanks to 

 Dr. Masterman. 



Mr. Theodore Roberts : I have much pleasure in seconding 

 this. Can you tell me with relation to the Mosque of Omar whether 

 it is to be taken from the Turks and given to the Jews ? 



The Secretary announced the next meeting of the Institute 

 would take place on January 19th in the same room, when Dr. 

 Schofield, to whom our very best thanks are due for taking the 

 Chair to-day at a moment's notice, will give us a Lecture on 

 " The Psychology of the Female Mind," which will be of great 

 interest to all men and of curious interest to all ladies. 



Mr. Martin Rouse : May I ask a question about Gezer ? I read 

 an account of Dr. Macalister's discovery at the time of the bodies 

 of httle children, and I heard a lecturer in America dispute the 

 fact that these children were sacrificed on the ground that there 

 was no injury found to the skeletons. There was no sign of charring 

 or anything to prove that they were sacrificed. 



Mr. Masterman : I think the inference was that the bodies were 

 put there for some ritual. There had been a regular fiooring made 



