Page:History of Art in Phœnicia and Its Dependencies Vol 1.djvu/188

1 68 HISTORY OF ART i PHOENICIA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES. Vogiie sought for additional information in the terms of the inscription, ami at last was enabled to compile the restoration, some idea of which is afforded by our section (Fig. II2). 1 The built portion may readily be distinguished from that which is native rock by a difference in the shading. Ye now know that the tomb of Ksmounazar is much less ancient than it was once thought to be. Its comparative lateness was suspected as soon as the necropolis had been more thoroughly explored and a relative date assigned to the tombs. None of the characteristics of the oldest tombs are to be found in it. There is no well, no chamber hoHowcd in the depths of the rock ; the king rests upon the surface of the soil, in a chamber with a built vault. The conclusion to which these facts pointed was confirmed by an KM. 112. Section ot the tomb of KsmoAnaziir resit examination of the sarcophagus. This was certainly not made in Phoenicia, where they possessed neither the very hard rock of which it is composed nor the skill to cut it. It must, in fact, have been imported from Egypt, and perhaps Esmounazar may not even have been its first proprietor. Upon that part of the lid 1 M. Di: VOGUK gives the following translation of those passages in the inscription which, in his opinion, confirm his restoration : Lines 3-6, " I repose in this stone coffin, in this grave in this monument which I have built. I conjure all men, be they of royal or common blood, not to open my sarcophagus nor to look for treasure about me, for there is no treasure about me ; (I conjure them) not to remove my sarcophagus, and not to load me (as I lie) in my sarcophagus with the vault of a second grave." Lines 7, 8, "Any man who opens the vault of this sarcophagus or who carries off my sarcophagus, or builds above me in my sarcophagus." Line 10, "The man who shall open the vault of this sarcophagus or shall take away this stone coffin . . . ." Lines 20, 21, "I conjure all men not to open my vault, not to destroy my vault, j^ot to build above my sarcophagus, nor to carry it away."