Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-26

ANCIENT AssTRIA AND the DIRLE.-The dis.
coTeries of Layard at Nineveh, then0h ca.
rious and instructive In all respects. are most
important for the light they throw on Scrip.
ture In reading the narrative Of the bold
explorer. we seem to be transported back TO
he days of the Hebrew prophet, for su6star.
tally the same manners and customs prevail
in Mesopotamia now as did three thousand
years ago. There are still the lodges in the
cucumber gardens, which Isaiah describes
the oxen still tread out the corn the vessels
of bulruShes may still be seen and the wild
asses Of the desert, so poetically alluded to u
Job, still watch the traveller from distance.
pause for him to draw near, aud then gallop
away to the shadowy horizon. To realiza the
Old Testament, Layard should be read. That
ancient portion Of the Bible ceases to be the
dim, far-of record it has heretofore appeared;
light CLEANS oil along its pages its actors
live ana move before Us We become ourselves
shaFers in the story ; and the past for the
moment, is viTifed into the present.
The confirmation of the truth of Scripture,
derived from the sculptures of Nineveh, is not
less remarkable. The basSrelielS on The walls
Of the palaces, now just restored TO light af.
ter being eRtombed for nearly two thousand
years, verify perDetualiy the Hebrew Bible
There is still TO be seen the wild bull in the
net, mentioned in Isaiah the Babylonian
princes in yermil.on, with dyed attire on their
heads, described Ly Ezekiel and warriors
bringing the heads Of their eRereS in caskets,
to cast them Gown at the palace gates, as was
done with the heads Of the seventy sons Of
ALab. There, too, are painted shields hung
on the walls Of besieged towns, as we are told
by the Jewish prophet he beheId at Tyre.
There are the forts built over against the be.
Isagueged city the king placing his foot on
the n-ck CT the captive princes and the dols
Of the conquered carried away by the victors,
precisely es described by Hosea and other
sacred authors. There are also the Assyrian
gods, still the same Us when their portrait was
drawn GTe and twenty centuries ago-cut from
the trees Ct the forest, decked with silver and
gold, fastened with nails, and clothed with
purple and blue. Tae very star to which
Amos aliudes IS ye. on those palace walls,
above the horned cap Of The idol, though tho
worshippe;s have been dead for thousands of
years, aud though the wild blasts, as predic-
ted. have long made their lairs there.
Even the enormous circumference which
Jonah gives 10 the walls Of Nineveh is fully
corroborGted. The three DAYS Journey OF the
prophet is still required TO make the circnit OF
the great ruins OH the east bank of The Tigris
for the people of Mcsopotama built their
cities as the Hindoos still construct theirs
First, one king erected Q palace, around which
grew up town then new monarch built
one, for fresh air, on the verge of the open
country, whittier soon followed another town
and this process TTas repeated till several cor.
tgu0us cities were decaying ana being erected,
all passed, however, under the general name,
aud covering together an extent of ground
which would otherwise be incredible The
light thrown en- Scripture, the confirmation
afforded TO the Bible, by these recent discov-
cries at Nneveh is so remarkable that it al.
Host seems as if that ancient city, after being
buried. had been allowed to be disinterred
solely TO cOnf0aud the folly of modern skep-
ticisu.-B9sl0a Investigator.