Christianity and many American institutions and concepts of government
derived from the Hebrew Bible promised to awaken Christian respect for
Jewish history and literature. In the end, since only a meager sum was
raised, Schiff covered the costs of construction and furnishings in addition
to underwriting Lyon’s travels and acquisitions.^106
The banker spoke openly of his motives when the collection was in-
stalled in 1891. Jews were proud of their origin, he said, for Israel had been
the birthplace of monotheism. Today, “anti-Semitism in Europe [and] so-
cial prejudice and ostracism in free America may for a time be rampant....
To combat... these unsound currents in an efficient manner, opportunities
should be created for a more thorough study and a better knowledge of Se-
mitic history and civilization, so that the world shall better understand and
acknowledge the debt it owes to the Semitic people.” Just as anti-Semitism
in Schiff’s mind referred only to Jews, so did Semitic studies mean Jewish
studies. Twelve years later, the museum, the first of its kind, was formally
opened. At the dedication ceremonies some of the speakers echoed Schiff’s
sentiments. Professor Charles Norton dwelt on the Hebraic foundations
of Puritan New England, and Lyon voiced the hope that the museum
would serve as a corrective to anti-Semitism. Probably most meaningful to
Schiff was a personal letter he received from Harvard president Charles
Eliot that expressed a strong sympathy with the banker’s purpose. Eliot,
who claimed that the “extraordinary injustice” to Jews was the result of
pagan distortions of Christian teachings, wrote: “What we need at Cam-
bridge, and what is needed in the Christian world, is recognition of the
great part which Semitic literature has played in all historical time
throughout the civilized world. The centuries-long antagonism of the
Christian church to the Jewish race has obscured... the immense obliga-
tion of civilization to the Hebrew race.... You are availing yourself of
American freedom to reconquer for the Jewish race the intellectual and
moral respect of mankind.”^107
Deepening his involvement with the Semitics Museum, Schiff subsi-
dized Lyon’s plans for archaeological expeditions to Samaria. Perhaps
there, under the layers of later ages, the remains of an ancient Jewish city
would be unearthed. As was his custom with respect to all investments,
Schiff expected detailed reports of developments. Negotiations for an ar-
chaeological permit from Turkey dragged on, and Schiff grew impatient.
As it turned out, the results of the digs were minimal. A disappointed Schiff
explained to Mayer Sulzberger that he had known before the work started
that “nothing of great moment” would be found, because the Jewish relig-
ion forbade the creation of any art comparable to that of the Egyptians or
Greeks. Nevertheless, he had hoped that “something would be laid bare,
which would give to the world new light upon the life and accomplish-
ments of our ancestors in Palestine.” Sulzberger, known as “the most
Leadership and Philanthropy 77