Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-12-29
ANCIENT BABYLON.

1t will not be forgotten that the French
Government, two or three years aco,
sent three gentlemen TO make scientific
and artistic researches in Media, Mesopo-
tamia, and Babylonia. One of them, M.
Jules Oppert, has just returned to Paris,
and it appears from his report that he
and his colleagues thought it advisable to
begin by confining themselves to the ex.
ploration Of ancient Babylon. This task
was of immense difficulty, and it was en-
hanced by the excessive heat Of the sun,
by privations Of all kinds, and by the
incessant hostility of the Arabs. After
while, NJ. Oppert's two colleagues fell
i'll, so that all the labors of the expedi-
tlOn devolved on him. He first of all
made excavations of the ruins of the
famous suspended gardens of Babylon,
which are now known by the name of
the Hall Of Amran-ibn-All; and he oh.
tained in them a number of curious ar
chitectural and other objects, which are
destined to be placed in the Louvre at
Paris, and which will be described here
after. He next, in obedience to the spe-
cial orders of his government, took meas
ures for ascertaining the precise extent of
Babylon matter which the reader is
aware has always been open to contro.
versy. He has succeeded in making a
series of minute surveys, and in drawing
up detailed plans of the immense CITY.
His opinion is that even the largest cal
culatlons as to its vast extent are not ex-
Gggerated; and he puts down that extent
at the astounding figure of 500 square
kilometres, French measure 1.-THE square
kilometre is l,l96 square yards.) This
is very nearly eighteen times the size of
Paris. But of course he does not say
that this enormous area was occupied, or
anything like it; it comprised within the
walls huge tracts of cultivated lands and
gardens, for supplying the population
with food in the event of q siege. M.
Oppert has discovered the Babylonian
and Assyrian measures, and by means of
them has ascertained exactly what part
of the city was inhabited, and what part
was in fields and gardens, On the limits
ofthe town, properly so called, stands at
present the fourishing town of Hillah.
This town, situated on the banks of the
Euphrates, is built with bricks from the
ruins, and many Of the household uten.
sils and personal ornaments of its inhab-
itants are taken from them alsp. Beyond
this town is the vast fortress strengthen
ed by Nebuchadnezzar, and in the midst
Of il is the royal palace-itself alme st as
large as town. NJ. Oppert says that he
was also able to distinguish the ruins of
the famous Tower of Babel-they are
most imposing, and stand on a site for
merly called Borsippa, or the Tower of
Languages. The royal town, situated
on the two banks of the Euphrates, COW
ers space of nearly seven square kilo-
metres, and contains most interesting
ruins. Amongst them are those of the
royal palace, the fortress, and the sus-
pended gardens. In the collection of
curiosities which NJ. Oppert has brought
away with him is vase, which he de-
clares to date from the time of one of the
Chaldean sovereigns named Narambel,
that is somewhere about one thousand
six hundred years before Jesus Christ
also number of copies of cuneform in
seriptions, which be has every reason to
believe that he will be able to decipher.