Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-10-10
INVALUABLE DISCOVERY.
Hicroglyphical Confirmation of Biblical
History Found in NineNeh!

Colonel Rawinson, the celebrated English
antiquary, the greatest of living archmologists,
has, of late, as is well known, devoted all his
learning and efforts to the task of declphering
the inscriptions obtained by Layard and the
French explorers, from among the ruins OF
Nincyeh and other hssyrlan towns. His sue
cess has been considerable: but he announces
in the last received number of the London Ath-
ennum, triumph which transceuds all pre-
vious ones of Importance, being nothing less
than the discovery Of records of the reign of
Sennncherb and of his war against Jerusalem
and king liezekiah. 81 have succe ded," saws
he, in deternnItely identifying the Assyr-
ian kings of the Lower dynasty, whose pal
aces have been recently cXcavated III the vi
clnity Of Mosul; and | have obtained from
the annals of those cotcmporary notices Of
events which agree in the most remarkable
way with the statements preserved III sacred
and proflne history. From his paper, which
is pretty long one in the Athcnwum, we alb
brevate some of the more interesting par
tlculars.
The king who built the palace Of Khorsa-
bad, excavatcd by the French, he. says, is
named SrginI but he also bears in some OF
the inscriptions, the epthet of ShamancSer
by which title he was better known to the
Jews. One of the tablets, which is much mu-
tilated, records his going up, in the first year
Of his reign, against the city OF Sdmarina
(Sam ,ria) and the country Of Beth Honuj
('Onrl was the founder OF Samarla j whence
he carried off into captivity in Assyrla, nc less
than 27,2o0 families Of the conquered, set
tling in their places coloniSts from Baby lonia
This event, which is commemoraled III the
Bible as having occurred in the sixth year OF
Hezkiah Colonel Rawlinsol supposcs must
have taken place subsequently to the building
of the palace Of khorSabad on one OF the tab
! lets of which tn. monarch styles himself
" conlucror Of the remote Judea.'
Senlcherib, the son OF Sarglna or Shllmln
cscr, is the king who built tue great palace o
| koyunjlk, which Mr.. Layard has been recently
eXcayatng. The inscriptions on one Of the
colossal bulls at the grand entrance OF the eX
cavaed palace, shows that, IN the third yea
of his reign, he conquered Luligd, king o
/ Sidun, and then, while turning his arms againS
some other cities of Syra, learned of nm in
surrectlon in Palestine, where the people haC
risen against their king Pddya, who had beer
| placed over them by the AsSyrlans compelling
hlm to take refuge with llczekiah at Jcru
salem Padiya was restored by Scnnacherib
and quarrel then arising with llezctial
about tribute, the proud king of kings chas
tsed him by ravaging his ngdom-thrcaten-
ing his CAPITOL compelling him to pay heavy
and lgnomnous fine, and taking away por
ton Of his lands and villages and transferring
them to other and more faithful and prudcn
vassalS The nscrptlve history here tallicS g
perfectly with the biblical that the "agrecment,
says Colonel Rawinson, extends even tC
the number of talents Of gold and silye
which were given as tribute" The inscrip
ton only covers seven years Of Sennacherb'
reign, and, of course, does not reach the even
of the miraculous destruction of his army
which Col Rawlinson supposes to hav,
happened fourteen or fifteen years later
The discovery of complete set of stOn,
annals, should it be fortunately made by Mr
Layard, will prove an event of incalculab
interest.
! Col. Rawlinson tells MS there is in the Brit
lsh Museum an Assyrian relic, containing
tolerably perfect copy of the annals of Esar
p lIaddon, the son of Scnacharb, in which is re
corded a further deportation of Israelcs irol
p Palestine; which, he says, explains plssag
t in Ezdra. in which the Slmaritans speak
I Esar-Iiaddon as the king by whom tacv wei
, carried into captivity. Many of the relic
I sent home by Mr.. Loyard from Nine, ch ref