And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
They took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit ... and laid a very great heap of stones. The people of the East indicate their detestation of the memory of an infamous person by throwing stones at the place where he is buried. The heap is increased by the gradual accumulation of stones which passers-by add to it. Absalom would, of course, be stripped of his armour, although nothing is said of it in the sacred narrative. The following appeared a few years ago in all the continental journals, from which it was transferred to the pages of the English newspapers; and it is here submitted to the reader to be received for what it is worth:-`A strange discovery has just been made by Major Pappazolu, of Bucharest-the sword which belonged to Absalom: the blade has on one side the following words traced in Hebrew characters: "Present from Gessur to Absalom, son of David; Jeho, Jeho." On the same side is engraved the image of the hexagonal seal of David, and on the other some characters, the meaning of which has not been explained. On the corresponding place to those of the Hebrew characters, and on the opposite side of the blade, are those words engraved in gold - "Titus excepit ex Hierosolyma." This sword had a handle in gold, representing at the upper part a warrior's head, covered, with a helmet, and joined by a chain to a dragon's head, which formed the hilt. The old monk, possessor of this weapon, procured it from a Janissary, into whose hands it fell during the disturbances at Constantinople in 1807. In a moment of distress he sold the handle and the scabbard, which was, he says, made of serpent's skin, and mounted in gold. The ancient origin of the blade is proved by a manufacturer's mark in Semitic characters.'