Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-02-09

The discoveries of Layard, at Uneven,
though curious and instructive in all re-
spects, are most important from the light
they throw on the Scripture. In reading
the narrative of the bold explorer, we seem
to be transported back TO the days of the
Hebrew prophet for substantially the same
manners and customs prevail in Mesopota-
mia 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 bull
rushes may still be seen; and wild asses
of the desert, SO POLITICALLY alluded to in
Job, still watch the traveller from dis
tance, pause for him1o draw near, and then
gallop away to the shadowy horizon. To
realize the Old Testament, Layard should
be read. That ancient portion of the BIZ
bic causes to be the dim, far-of record ic
has heretofore appeared; light CLEANS all
along its pages; its actor slive and move
before US; we become ourselves slIarers in
the story and the past, for the moment;
its vivified into the present.
The confirmation of the truth of the.
Scripture derieved from the Sculptures Of
Nineveh, is not less remarkable. The bas-
reliefs on the walls of the palaces, now
inst restored to light, after being entombed
for nearly two thousand years, verify per-
petually the Hebrew Bible. There's still
to be seen the wild bull in the net men
toned in Iasaih; the Babylonian princes
in vermilion, with dyed attire on their
heads described by Ezekiel; and the war
riors bringing the heads of their enemies
in caskets, TO cast them out at the palace
gates, as was done with the heads of the
seventy sons of Arab. There, too, are
painted shields hung on the walls of be-
seiged towns, as we are told by the Jewish
prophet he beheld at Tyre. There are forts
built over against the beleagued city; the
King placing his foot on the necks of the
captive princes; and the idols of the con-
quered' carried away by victors, precisely
as described by Hosea and other sacred au-
thors. There are also the Assyrian gods,
still the same as when their portrait was
drawn five and twenty centuries ago-cut
from the trees of the forest, deeked with
silver and gold, fastened with nails, and
clothed with purple and blue. The very
star to which Amos alludes is yet on those
palace walls, above the horned cap of the
idol, though the worshippers have been
dead for thousands of years, and though
the wild beasts as predicted, have long
made their lairs there.
Even the story of the enormous circum-
ference Jonah gives of the walls of Nineveh
is fully corroberated, Three days journey
of the prophet is still required 10 make the
circuit Of the great ruins on the east bank
of the Tigris-for the people of Mesopota-
mia built their cities as the Hindocs still
construct theirs. First, one King erected
palace around which grew up q town;
then new monarch built one, for fresh
air on the verge in the open country, whith-
er soon followed another town; and this
process was repeated till severel contiguous
cities were decaying and beirg erected, all
passing however under the general name,
and covering together an extent of ground
which would otherwise be incredible. The
light thrown on Scripture, the confirma-
tion afforded to the Bible by these recent
discoveries at Nineveh. is so remarkable
that it almost seems that if that ancient
city, after being buried had been allowed
to be disinterred solely to confound the fol-
lv of modern skepticism.