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J.D.B. News Letter

January 18, 1928
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Hebrew University Expedition Throws Light on Origin of Manne (Ey Our ?)

The report of the Hebrew University expedition to investiage the orgin and substance of ? the food of the Israelizes during their fourty years’ woudering in the desert, has been published.

The expedition, ? of Dr. F. Bodeaheimer, director of the ethomological department of the ? in Tel Aviv, Dr. Ca? and Dr. Theodore Associate Professor in the Mi?biological Department of the Hebrew University conducted the investigation on the Sinal Pe?

The formation of manna was observed on the tress and in was seen to fall to the ground covering ? in the morning like a ? layer of ? as mentioned in the ? descriptions.

Bedouin tribes were ? as to the time and collection of ? and the quanity obtained. It was learned that mamna must be garhered at break of day, even as the first rays of the sun are breaking through in the ? otherwise it becauses ? and annually disappears.

The expendition spent twenty-five days in the desert watching the formation of manna under all sorts of atmospherin conditions.

The ? found that manna is a ser? of small “occidae” ## bugs and scaly insert–which ex? from their bodies a very clear ? which falls to the ground in drops and there hardens and assumes a ? aspect.

The quarlity of these secretions depended largely upon atmosphere conditions and the conditions under which the inserts themselves obtain their food.

Often so states the report of the Hebrew University expedition when conditions were very favorable the drops that fell upon the pround hardened and lay like while sugar grains of varied length–sometimes very small often as big as ##

There are good seasons and had seasons. Some twelve years ago, the Bed? told the expedition members there was such a good saon that one man could rather as much as three pounds per day. This amount was put through some cooking process and made into cakes or ## as the Israelies did in 4,000 years ago.

Manna of one sort or another was formd all along the rome of the expedition. At times in varied in color and also in chemical composition. Therefore in taste. But it was encoured all the way.

Large quantities gathered in various spots differing in color, weight and appearance gathered under varied atmosphere conditions, were taken back by the expedition to Jerusalem for chemincal analyis in the laboratories.

A general report is to be issued in the near future. The title has been found tends it prove that the full significance of the heavenly food that has mysified ? for centuries and that has been the subject of a good deal of ? and ? by unbelievers, may soon be realized. In addition to Chemical and possibly commercial value, manna is of the greatest significance in the development of certain marked characteristics of the desert tribes.

The problem of the orgin of the manna was raised early in the nineteenth century. It was after the explorer Burckhardt, observed in the Jordan Valley-lying on the leaves of a tree like a poplar matter resembling a ? which was of a brown or grayish color and dropped to the ground that scholars began to speculate whether this might be the food recorded in the Bible.

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