New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-08-11
DAILY CRESCENT.
SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATED BY LAYARD's
DISCOVERIES

DAoVoFhhA1S'
We may remark, that it is the peculiar char
acter Of the Assyran bas.-reliefs to bring what
ever SUBJECTS they illustrate directly u.
completely before the eye The prime "rg
u'e artists would seem 10 have been, MT e
arm me fancy by cunning effects, bat to IN
S,rucl me nhderstaniing by the communication
" pam iict- he absence Of q idea Of par-
sPes14'r' thhcates at the first glance the very
''l'"H-g " llt put the admira Die c9np0sit
ol some q the groups, and the perfec: execution
u h'1"y u 1He 'e'tHs' Hssipate at once the
hodoh lha1 we are contemplating the works Of
a ruie am uhcnIttEateq people The Assyriau
ullt'fs composer Histories on the bass relief
And t0ok lhe shortest way 10 the readers mind
J ne value Of TINS eSactness IN dealing with de
talis' Is strNngly manifest IN the case Of the
b"ss-IelleIs' Whlch ll4ustrate th1 moving Of the
Dulis INTO tAeir appropriate sites IN the palaces
ln one % these bass-reliefa n man j. scalpture1
gi,Fing in7H1ctohs 10 ms workmen through .
spelLa AT itriih ha.t' mode Of conveying sound
Ssug'7ed 70. oeitl.a4odern invention, nov aseer
tanned 70 blYe seen'fami.ar tosine subjects q
II. shacleSsJ- IN another stoSFe nni The y,
syr1an s"rssf1ss - > wei 2 q .Titr9 gish,iss
use Of the lever and the roll # as's1afstIyss III
truth. 3" very li'tIe have "e advanced in our
kho".rlse OF these instruments that it appears
rom Mr. t.hyari 3 account oi his refAoval Of thc
| 1uils nd Ions from the shores Of the Tigris to
the brltish Museum that he actually employed
t''t very same means % eittct tutIr TRANSMISSION
as the Assyrlaus used themselves, ages upon
ages since, when they first deposited the beasts
before the palace gates
me hing OF Assyria himself is represented
| supefntendIng the building Of the mounds upon
&hlcn the palace with its bulls Is to be built.
Tins hing, as the cuneitorm inscription shows
| Is Sennacherlb; and the sculptures, as Rawlin-
son ana the initiated are permitted to read
celeorate the building at Nineveh Of the great
palace and its adjacent temples-the work Of
1hIs great Ming ne inscriptions on the bulls
az hony uhJlA record most minutely the manner
IN Whlch the eilhce was built, it, general plan
ana the various materials employed in decor
ating the halls, chambers, and roofs. Some Of
| the inscriptions nave thrilling interest. They
lndlcatc tnat the jews, taken into captivity by
| the Assyrian hing, we're compelled to assist in
the erection Of the palaces Of their conquerors,
anu that wood Tor the building was brought
from Mount Leoanon, precisely as solomon had
| conveyed It's cedars for the choice woodwork f
the temple Of the Lord, There is an awful
strangeness in being thus brought face to face.
ms 1t We're, with the solemn mysteries of the
Blole, ana with our own earliest sacred recollec-
tons
during the month Of December the treasure
seekers were rewarded with rare harvest. \
facade Mt the southeas. side Of the palace at
| honyunJik, forming apparently the chief en-
trance to the building, was discovered 1t was
| l0O feet long, and presented no fewer than ten
colossal bulls, with SIX human figures Of gigan-
| NC proportions The bulls were more CT less
injured some Of them were even shattered to
pieces, but fortunately the lower parts Of all
renamed untouched, and consequently the in
scrlpuons were preserved. Two Of these inscrip-
tons contained the annals Of six years of the
reign OF sennaeherIb, s. besides numerous par
tculars connected with the religion Of the As
syrlahs, 'nelr gous, Their temples, and the cree
ton OF thelr palaces There can be no reason
able doubt OF the accuracy Of the translation
made oI these Writings and now giTln N Mr.
Layafd volume. Inc very differences and va
fatlohs that occur when the cuneiform charac-
| Ter ls submitted t. more than one translator,
attest the CORRECTNESS OF the general nterpreta-
I1h; Coignei haHAnson has translated into
| LhS!ish 'e particular inscriptions ui which We
| spe'h ana IT hlhcks, an equally competent
| scholar' mas done the same-both independently
OF each otneri ana there is no material discre-
panGy IN thelf views Inc inscription informs
US taat III the hrst year Of his reign SennacAe-
Ilp II uelealeu IeroaGch baladan' k1ng Of kar-
Duhiyas' city anu country trequently men
tiongd IA the -Assyfiah inscriptions, 1t IS not
iM9f M lhe hFst tlne that the reader hears Of tlis
mug, lor ne Wili fememher now when iiez aEi9h
was sich-aA AT taat time Merolach Baladan, the
son ol Dalauah' hlhg ol babylon, sent letters
anu present unto hezeAiah, who hoastiully
showed to the messengers all the treasures Of
ms mouse Inc Assyran monument and lt#ly
VIII mus oegH To renect lght upon each other.
% But 'nis IS only a siean of the illumination
th"t ioAo"s' IN the taird year OF his reign.
aecoruing 10 the inscriptions Sennacherlb over
ran IAN win MS armies the Whole ot Syria, llez-
exam; so runs me cuheliorm writing, King
| ol 'uuah' VINO Ilaa not submitted to my author
! ny iofty SIX ol MS principal cities, and fort
resses ana villages, depending upon them. of
WiAch look no account, captured and carried
| away theif spoil smut up himself within
Jerusalem, ms capital city. The next passage.
says Mr' Layard' Is somewhat detaced, bur
enough remains to show that he took from Ie1-
eklah the treasure he had collected in Jerusa-
leh-oo talents OF gold and sOU talents of sill
| Ver' besides ms sous, ms daughters, and his
slaves, Inc reader has not waited for US to re-
lnlna hlm that IN the "a book Of Kings it IS
| ~rl'ten nov " IN the fourteenth year Of hlng
liezeEah ana Slnnacherlh' King OF Aseyria,
come up against an the fenced cities OF Judah
anu TOOK theh' '.''' ana the hihg ot Assyrln
! appointed unto lie2eklih' hing OF Judah, three
hunfea t9tentS oi silver anu thirty talents ot
~ NM llgAehlah gave nm az the SILVER
that was io"ht III the mouse oi the Lord, and III
lne treasure oi the hlhg house II Is some.
thlhS 10 nave Won from the earth such testi-
in"hy on behaI OF inspired scripture. 1t Is
als9 something To have obtalned from holy writ
sue4 evidence IN layor ol the monumental re
cords Of long. buried Nneyeh.