American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-01-05
HISTORICAL.
Layard's con6rmation of Scripture.

AlIeT all Vuc alteHUlOu WHICH mas
been given to Layard's discoveries a.
mong the ruins of Nineveh, we doubt
whether the public mind in general is
fully aware of the nature and extent
of tho confirmation which they bring
to the truth of Scripture history. 1t
may be useful here to set out, in the
bricfest form, q specimen of some of
the general results of these discoveries.
They show in conformity with the
tenor of Scripture, that the earliest
uges were not, as many think, barbar-
GUS ages, but that the race Of men, O.
riginally enlightened from divine
source, had, at first a degree of gene.
raj knowledge, which they gradually
lost through their detection to oidolatry.
1t has been demonstrated by these ex-
cavations, not only that a high state of
arts existed in Nincvoh thousand
years before Christ; but also, that in
the earliest ages of that city, dating
but a few: centuries from the food, their
sculptures aworc the, best. In this re-
markableresnlt the Egyptian and As
syrian antiquities also agree.
1t is also proved, contrary to the
general impression, that idolatry was
introduced when men had better
knowledge of the, true God than after
wards prevailed; that it did not grow
up as a religion of nature, by the in
eilectual attempts of men to find the
true God. But it was introduced as
an eXpedient of man in order to OBJ
seure what knowledge of God they
possessed, because they did not like to
retain God in their knowledge. This
is shown in the fact that the earliest
representations of God found in these
sculptures nro the best, and immeasur-
ably exceed nything Of the kind exist
ing in after ages; especially in their
approachto the true idea OF God. SO
that idolatry came in not for want of
light, butby an abuse of light. Men,
knowing God, and yet not willing to
! glorify him as God, became vain in
their imaginations, as their foolish
heart was darkcnod.
The Scripture accounts of the great
antiquity of Ninevah and the Assyrian
Empire agree with these records dug
out of Nineyah, The Scriptures date
the building ofthe city net long after
the flood; and tho fact that the Same
marble materials had been placed on
the rnins of those still more ancient,
and other unmistakeable indications,
the conclusion is made clear, that the
city hns oil the antiquity which the
Scriptures ascribe to it,
These monuments also bear upon
them the record Of the fulfilment Of
prophecy. Nahum prophccicd that the
city would he plundered of all its treas
ures, 50 thut meme would be left. Lay
ard has found, in all,his excavations,
nothing i'll the form of gold or silver /;
q fact which is remarkable, if the city
had not been thoroughly plunderod be-
fore it was burned. The prophet fore
told, that the invaders would obtain
easy access to some portions of the city:
and thai, wherever the inhabitants sho' d
resort to the strongholds, these would
be burnt. Now the ruins show lust
this result: that some parts of the city
were destroyed by fire and others es-
capped.
But a more striking confirmation is
found in the fact, that Inscriptions, on
the ruins of one of the palaces, gives
the records Of the military career of
Sennachcrib, with Just such q series of
conquests, and just such a boasting of
them, as the Scriptures ascribe to him.
For instance, the Diblo tells us that
Hezekiah rebclled against the King of
Assyria that in The fourteenth year
OF 1lczckiah's rcign, Scnnachcrib came
up against all tlc fenced cities of Ju-
dah, and took from Ifozekiak 300 tall
ents of silver and thirty Of gold
Now compare this with the historical
inscriptions Of Sennacberib's palace:
"Beeause lIezckial, King Of Judah,
did not submit 20 my yoke, / took and
pluudc1cd forty!six of llisstrohg fenced
cities, and itnumerablo smaller towns.
but / left him Jerusalem lis capital
city; and because lIcsekiah still re-
fused to pay homage, ] attacked and
carried off tho whole population which
dwelt around Jerusalcm, With 80 tall
cnts of gold and 800 talents of silver.
This agrees with the Bible account, ox.
ccpt in respect to the quantity of sill
YER" as to this, tlre one account tmay
describe what was delivered by Uczc-
kiah, and the other the whole product
Of the plumber.
The chamber of Sennacherib's pal
acc presents, in sculptures and inscrip
tions, the siege of the Jewish City Lac
hish. The king is sculptured in royal
pomp, on his throne, and over his head