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Show FIRMJN IS REFUSED SULTAN WILL NOT ALLOW PRO-POSED PRO-POSED EXCAVATIONS. Idea of American Archcologltts Was to Investigate the So-Called Tomb of Abraham Near the Ruins of Babylon Organizer of Expedition Unpopular. No BUrprlso was manifested at tho Information received from Constantinople Constanti-nople that tho Sultan of Turkey had again refused a "flrmln" or permission permis-sion to an 'American named Banks to excavate ""Tel Ibrahim," a mountain about nlno hours' rldo northeast of tho ruins of Dabylon, whero a. tradition tradi-tion of tho country has It that the tomb of Abraham Is situated. Tliero. nro two of theso Bo-called "Tombs Of Abraham" In this region, tho ono; Mr. Banks desired to exca-vnto exca-vnto and tho other southwest of Babylon,' whero tradition says th'o Tower of Babol was situated. Intor-cst Intor-cst Is attached to both places owing to tho ruins of buildings of nn ancient pcoplo and to tho traditions Invested In them by tho Arabs arid Turks, but archcologlsts do not bcllovo that either Is tho slto of tho tomb of Abraham, Abra-ham, locating tho last resting placo of tho patriarch of tho Children of Israel In tho Cave of Machpelah, near Hebron, in Palestine, whero Abraham burled his wife Sarah. Two years ago Mr. Banks, who Is n graduato from Harvard, mndo efforts ef-forts to secure permission from tho Sultan of Turkey to oxcavato tho Ur or City of Chaldees on tho westorn bank of tho Mesopotamia. It Is said that John D. Rockefeller contributed $12,000 to tho fund which Mr. Banks raised to defray tho expenses ex-penses of tho expedition ho was organizing. or-ganizing. Ho roturned to Constanti nople and na tho representatlvo of several American universities, including, includ-ing, it is said, Harvard, ho applied to the Porto for permission to excavate. Refusal was mado by tho Sultan owing, it Is said, to tho religious associations asso-ciations of the so-callod tomb of Abraham, many of the Mohammedans believing that tho mountain, which Is tho place mentioned as Cuthal In Second Kings In tho Bible, is really tho site of tho bnrylng placo of Abraham. Abra-ham. In addition to tho question of offending tho religious beliefs of the natives of tho country, it Is sold that whilo Mr. Banks was consul at the City of Bagdad ho incurred tho dls-pleasuro dls-pleasuro of tho Porte. It was declarod at tho university that it Is problematical whether Banks will ever secure permission to excavate in nny part of tho Ottoman Empire, although tho Sultan has always al-ways been cordial toward oxplorlng expeditions, especially thoso from America, and at present a party of Oerman scientists are at work not far from whore Banks desired to excavate. |