Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

DURING 19tu CENTURY: PALESTINE 617
coast, among other things, devoted itself especially to the
necropolis of Sidon. Renan carefully examined the tombs
which he found and discovered numerous other beautiful
sarcophagi. Most of them, and in many respects even the
arrangement of the tombs, remind one of
Egyptian cemeteries.
This is another proof of the great influence exercised
by Egypt on the development of Phenician civilization.
The Egyptians furnished the originals, the Phenicians imitated
them.
The other discoveries of the expedition were no less
valuable for the investigation of the whole mental life of
the Phenicians, above all of their religion and art. As regards
the latter, attention is directed to but a single point,
which will clearly show how much the civilization of the
Israelites was dependent upon the art of the Phenicians.
The conclusion drawn from the results of his investigations
of Phenician buildings Renan gives in the following characterization
of Phenician architecture :
" The principle of
architecture is the hewn rock, not as in Greece the pillar.
The wall supplies the place of the hewn rock without entirely
losing this character." This description applies also
word for word to Hebrew structures. They also have no
pillars ; when such are found (as they are reported to have
been in Solomon's so-called " house of the forest of Lebanon,"
i Ki. :
7 i) they are explained by the influence of
North Syrian architecture. Old Hebrew architecture, like
the Phenician, had a predilection for massive squared stone
structures ; the more massive the squared stones, the more
closely the wall resembles a natural precipice.
The treasures of the necropolis of ancient Sidon were not
all recovered by the French Expedition. Many a tomb,
whose entrance lay concealed beneath the ground, escaped
Renan's searching eye. So much the more carefully did
the inhabitants of that region dig for hidden treasures in
their fields and gardens; and the results obtained prompted