Show scientific men are rebuffed by sultan no surprise was manifested at the information received from Const constant antl nople that the sultan of turkey had again refused a firmin or sion to to an american named banks to excavate tel ibrahim a mountain about nine hours ride northeast of the ruins of babylon where a bradl tion of the country has it that the tomb of abraham Is situated there are two 0 these so called tombs of abraham in this region the one mr banks desired to ecca vate and the othe southwest of babylon where tradition says the tower of babel was situated inter est Is attached to both places owing to the ruins of buildings of an ancient people and to the traditions invested in them by the arabs and turks but do not believe that either Is the site of the tomb of abra ham locating the last resting place of the patriarch of the children of israel in the cave of machpelah Mach near hebron in palestine where abraham buried his wife sarah two years ago mr banks who Is a graduate from harvard made ef forts to secure permission from the sultan of turkey to excavate the ur or city of Chal dees on the western bani ban of the mesopotamia it Is said that john D rockefeller contributed 12 to the fund which mr air banks raised to defray the ex benses of the expedition he was or he returned to constanti Const antl i nople and as the representative ot of I 1 I 1 several american universities include erg it Is said harvard he applied to the porte for permission to excavate refusal was made by the sultan owing it Is said to the religious associations ciati ons of the so called tomb ot of abraham many of the edans believing that the mountain which Is the place mentioned as cuthal in second lungs bings b ings in the bible Is really the site of the burying place of abra ham in addition to the question of offending the religious beliefs ot of the natives of the country it Is said that while mr banks was consul at the city of bagdad he incurred the dis p basure of the porte it was declared at the university that it is problematical whether banks will ever secure permission to excavate in any part of the ottoman empire although the sultan bas has al ways been cordial toward exploring expeditions especially those from jm america and at present a p party arty of german scientists are at work not 1 far from where banks desired to ex k there are now some six Furo europeans i in the buddhist priesthood in burma |