I am certainly no expert on this subject...but I would say NO to anything
sounding like papier mache to use on stone relief.  A definite No No.  Even
rubbings on cloth are not a good idea.  Probably photographing with oblique
(side) lighting would be the best bet...but without seeing the grave
stones...can't really say for sure.

I would suggest to Ginny G that if she Really wants to know how it was
done, that she contact Joe Zias...the anthropologist who did the work on
the shrine.  I found this email for him on an article he wrote...but dont
know if it's current.  E-mail: [log in to unmask]
He is the retired Curator of Archaeology/Anthropology for the Israel
Antiquities Authority.  And apparently is affiliated with CenturyOne
Foundation....whatever that is.  http://www.centuryone.org/
Apparently this is Joe's website:  http://www.joezias.com/

I LOVE searching the net (especially when it's successful!)   :o)


At 07:57 PM 4/8/04 -0500, you wrote:
>Hey all:
>
>I got this email from a reader who read about a supposedly safe method
>of obtaining rubbings from monuments. I don't know anything about it;
>papier mache sounds like a bad idea to me---but I was hoping one of you
>guys does. Anybody know of a way to do rubbings without harming the
>stone? (or do we all do digital now?)
>
>Kris
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Virginia G
>
>
>Dear Kris,
>
>I am hoping that you, or some one you know can help me.  I found the
>method, "applying the squeeze", mentioned in a 11/21/03  Associated
>Press Article titled: "Gospel Verse found on ancient Shrine".  The
>method is a 19 th century technique of spreading a sort of papier mache
>over a worn surface of a monument in order to be albe to read the
>inscription. I would like to know more, because it sound's like a method
>that could also be applied to reading worn gravestones in my family
>history research. Thank you.
>
>Ginny G