The Democratic advocate., 1873-11-08
Ghe 1rapslelr.
The Ruins Of Babylon and Ninsveh

The Ruins Of Babylon and Nineveh.
Mr.. Geo. H. Smith, the eminent Eng
lish aEchwologist, who is now on en- expedi-
ton in the Valley Of the Euphrates, sent
out BY theproprietors Of the London 7sie.
graph, writes that he has had capital sue
cess, and has recovered many valuable
tablets. His last letter relates to the sup
posed site Of Nineyeh, now Kouyunjik and
Nebbi Yunas, connected by long and ir-
regular line Of mounds enclosing a space
largo enough for great city. He remarks
that If these represent the wall the Bible
and other accounts Of its extent would not
be borne out
There are, however, ruins beyond this
wall and ! think that the ridges may only
represent the wall Of an inner portion Of
Nineyeh, the city itself extending much
beyond this spaces The question of the
extent Of the city Of Nineyeh can only be
settled by excavation in the mounds be-
yond the walls, especially the mound called
faremjah. The disappearance Of the
city's outer wall Is easily accounted for, as
the people are even now using the materials
from the mound for buildings, and the
present wall itself has completely disap.
peared in many places
He sketches the history Of the place 50
far as it can be made out from the inserip-
ti0ns.
"The city of Nineyeh, together with
two or three neighboring places, was
founded by Nimrod, King Of Babylonia,
at some early but unknown period. II
was probably at first only fort, TO keep
the Babylonian conquests in this direction;
but temple was founded, even then, to
the goddess Istar, on the mound of
Kouyunjik. Probably in the nineteenth
century B. G. the region round Nineyeh
was under the dominion of the rulers Of
the city Of Assur, place some sixty miles
south Of Nineveh; and Samsi-vul, one Of
these princes, rebuilt the temple of Istar.
This temple again falling into decay, was
repaired by Assur-ubalid, King of Assyria,
fourteen hundred years B. c., and again
it was rebuilt about century later by
King Shalmanesar, one of whose brick
inscriptions have found during the DAILY
Telegraph excavations. Throughout these
centuries Nineveh was gradually growing
in power and wealth, and about 1850 B.
@. it became one Of the capitals Of the
country, the temple Of Istar was restored
again with great splendor, and palace
built at Kouyunjik by Assurisilim, King
Of Assyria. The city was now adorned
with noble buildings and monuments,
down to the time of Samsi-yul Ill, King
Of Assyria about 1880 B. G. After this
its history is blank until the time of
Assur-nazir-pal, King of Assyria b. C.
885. He rebuilt the city of Calah (now
Nimrud, and made considerable additions
to the temple at Nineveh he also had
palace here. A portion of one Of his
inscribed slabs has been found during this
expedition. Shalmaneser H., son of Assur-
nazir-pal, continued the building of the
temple at Nineveh, but paid most attention
to the city Of Calah, where he chiefly
resided. The old capitals Assur and
Nineveh appear to have grown disconten-
tod with his conduct, and towards the
close of his regin they led revolt, and
placed the crown on the head of Assur-
daan-pal, the eldest son of the King. In
all twenty-seven of the principal cities
declared for the revolution and the King.
giving the command of his army to his
younger son, Samsi-vul, the country was
now torn by a civil war between the two
brothers. The details Of the struggle are
unknown to us, but Samsi-vul conquered
and obtained the crown. Assur, the old
est capital, never recovered from the
effects Of the war, but Nineveh at once
revived, and buildings were erected here
by Sansi-vul and his SON, Vul-nirari. The
latter monarch raised temple to Nero
dach and Ncbo, the Babylonian deities,
and built palace on the mound called
Yunas. The consort OF this King was
the famous Semi-ramis.
A period Of trouble followed, and on the
arrival Of the Assyrian power by Tiglath
Pileser IL, B. c., 745, the capital was
placed at Calah. Subsequently, Sargon
founded new city on the mound of Knor-
sabad, and although he rebuilt the temple
Of Merodach and Nebo, Nineveh was in
great measure neglected for the new cap
ital. On the accession Of Sennacherib, B.
c., 7O5, that monarch determined to re-
store the city of Nineveh and make il his
capital. At this time the old palace was
ruined, and the stream Of the Khosr, which
ran under fba aonth e;da or tba ,.f.on