UNEARTHING AN OLDER BABYLON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVII, Issue XXII, 28 November 1896, Page 101

UNEARTHING AN OLDER BABYLON.

Thb University of Pennsylvania, through its expedition to Babylonia, has secured to American enterprise the honour of rendering history one of the most valuable services "ever received from science.

Excavations began February 6th, 1889, under the direction of Dr. John P. Peters, and have been continued to the present date under the conduct of himself, Mr J. Haynes, and Professor Hilprecht.

In the valley between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, rife with deadly fevers, and with the thermometer ranging form no to 120 degrees, the expedition has prosecuted its arduous labours, with a result which marks an epoch in science. American discoveries in Babylonia supply the world

with history 2,250 years older than any we have ever received.

It has long been believed by archaeologists that the old mound of Nippur, where American explorations have been concentrated, held valuable secrets ; but the perils, hardships and expense of the undertaking have delayed investigation.

Nippur was a mighty city, the seat of learning and culture, long before its sister-city, Babylon, became great and beautiful under Nebuchadnezzar, 604, B.c. The earliest Babylonian kings, of whom we have had any’ account until now, were Sargon I. and his son, BurSin, 3,800 b.c, The American discoveries at Nippur are eloquent with the works of these mighty builders. Beneath the walls which Sargon and Bur-Sin built and

THE PROCESSION ON ITS WAY TO THE CATHEDRAL,

the pavements which they laid, American research has revealed the pavements and walls of a lower city. The last wall unearthed is 17 feet high, 45 feet broad, and rests upon another wall of unknown proportions. The latest encyclopedia (issued 1895) reads: ‘Babylonia is one of the first centres at which men reached a high state of culture. Whether the beginnings of this culture antedate that of Egypt it is impossible to decide.’ This question is decided. Egypt was young when Babylonia was old and wise. Professor Hilprecht is deciphering cuneiform inscriptions on tablets which date back 7.000 b.c. Other tablets which await his attention date back, it is blieved, 10,000

b.c. And that marvellous old telltale mound of Nippur has not sut rendered its last secret.

According to ‘ Biblical chronology,’ the world was born 4,004 B C.

According to the American discoveries at Nippur, the world was, at 4 CO4, not an infant, but an old world. At least 6 oou B c. it was living, reading, writing loving, bating, warring and building temples of worship ‘on high places to strange gods.’

It is well for the infirm of faith that ‘ Biblical chronology,’ as indicated by marginal figures on the pages of our Bibles, is in no sense an integral part of the Bible, but of a system devised by Archbishop Usher and assistant scholars 250 years ago Geology has long declared with no uncertain voice that the world is older by countless years than the age fixed for it by this chronology.

Archaeology, with learned ministers of the Church for interpreters, is reinforcing this conclusion. Through the American Journal of Archtrology for October-December, 1595. the discovery was announced of the oldest keystone arch known.

It is not the finished masonry of our own time, and it has been forced out of shape by the conditions of its surroundings ; but it shows that not less than 5.000 b.c. the principles of the construction of the keystone arch were known and applied. Beneath the arch is a drain, and above the drain, within the arch, indications of a waterway. The relations borne by these to the altar of the ziggurat suggest their possible use in bringing water and in bearing away from the sacrifice altar its gruesome waste. A causeway leads from the higher stages of the ziggurat (peak, high place) to the altar. Down this causeway’ must have come the priests of old to execute judgment and to sacrifice victims. On this altar were ashes—some of them bone-ashes. Near by was a receptacle of brick half full of ashes. When did the last priest raise the knife to slay the last victim on this altar ? The ashes and the altar are here to show how those people worshipped, and the manner of god they believed in a god to be appeased by sacrifice. Among the tablets discovered, Dr. Peters describes some as being of ‘exquisite workmanship.’ And there was found ‘ a new baked tablet in an oven.’ We know that writing in those days was sacred, that they w’ere at great pains to make and preserve their tablets.

Why did the maker of this never take it out of the oven ? Was he hurried to prison ? Did death overtake him ? Did a trumpet call him to war? We know that he made no profit from this baked tablet. What is believed to be one of the oldest discoveries is a terra-cotta fountain, one fragment of which represents a richly gowned priest standing on the shoulders of two winged animals. A pair of clasped hands from a diorite statue shows that men of those times, like unto ourselves, knew how to symbol love and prayer. These old kings who built ziggurats to Bel took pains to inscribe their bricks with their names and with lines of dedication. But the excavators came to know’ each man’s brick by the fashion of it. Thus, Bur-Sin made singularly large firm bricks, carefullv modelled, 20 x 20 x 3*2 inches. Ur Gur’s bricks were of small size, great excellt nee and shaped like the ordinary modern brick.

‘ So characteristic are the bricks of Ur-Gur that it is generally possible to determine a structure of his without inscription.’ Bur-Sin favoured fine diorite doorsockets, inscribed like his brick with bis name and titles. Alu-Sharshid inclined to marble vases. MeliShiha was one of the greatest and most artistic builders

of Nippur. A beautiful jade axehead shows a possible ‘ fad.’ Then there was a King Gande, who scratched his inscription on one of the door-sockets of Bur-Sin. *Of this king we know nothing,’ writes Dr. Peters, ‘ except that he caused his name to be scratched on the work of several older kings.’ These people who lived so many years before the world was thought to have been born were very much like us.