St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-10-17
a Remarkable Historical Discovery

| udN luliIlS It's office of making Il record
ing contemporary history is abundant,
clear. But it not only does this bette,
than 1t has ever been done before. i
also makes important discoveries in tn,
domain OF the past, and thus clears VI
ana settles vcXcd questions of both 81.
cred and pr0tanc history. Ii is tn,
newspaper correspondent who not only
discovers living explorers. but himScl
deiNeS III distant lands among the mon
uhcntS of extinct nations for the mate.
rlllS OF past history. The explorations
made 10y DIR. Schlicmann on the site o
ancient Troy have awakened fresh in
teTcSt i'll the scenes which live in claSSi,
poetry and romance. but it has beer
reserved for another newspaper CORES.
| pondcnt to make still more interesting
and important discoveries. 1t is II,
mere fine writer whom the London Dii.
ly Telegraph employed to make thcSC
researches into the history and antiqui-
ties of Assyria, and to bring back the
most valuable memorials from the ruins
4 u one of the greatest mOnarchies of the
! Old World. An accomplished archaol-
0giSt attached to the British Museum
! having dcciphcred the ancient account
of the deluge on slabs dug up on the
| banks of the TigriS. where they had
remained for twenty five centuries. WAS
sent ont by uur London contemporary
F to make additional discoveries. and. il
/ possible, t" supply the gap in the record
"ccaSiOnrd by the frIgmcmtary cnndi-
tiun of tie flood. That ne should have
been able To discover. among the buried
NcStI%cS Of ASSNriam art. the very frag-
mcnt missing from the slab in the Brit
iSh Museum. which fitted into il with
an cNaCtncSS that left no doubt of its
identity. Is Il very remarkable CircUm-
stance. even III this age of surprises.
But the positive addition to our stock
of knowledge afforded by this recon-
Structcd tablet Is of greater Importance.
1t gives Is the orders given for his en-
halkatiun to the AS>yrian Noah 10y the
God llca. besides revealing important
informal on in reference t" the creation
of the world as recorded in Genesis.
with other curious and interesting mat
ter hearing upon Scripture history.
There is Il pardomahIc pride in the
announcement of the Telegraph on the
20th inst. that it completely tultiI> the
function of il daily newspaper in giving
the public the latest accounts of the
flood. and fresh tidiug~ from the seat oi
war between llcIckiHh and >cnmachcrih.
he old collection of. A>sNr man in>crip-
tiom> III the British Museum contained
the instruction nt t.od To Noah to v;llu
the world because. of the wirhrduc>s of
the people. The >uh>cuurnt prcdic-
tinnS of the Deity and Ills command
for cmbarl>atinu are ~ follows in thc
fragment of baked clay secured hl the
representative of the Daily Trlcwraph
which are of the highest interest to SIN
dents of Biblical history ION the
coming of the flood which | shall send
thou shalt cut,I. into the shin. and the
door of the shin turn. thuu Shalt send
into the midst of it thy corn. tll frrni-
turr and "nodS. thy rnld and silver.
and thy female slaves. the sons of the
oruI. fine beast. nf the field the ami
mails of thu. field. all thai thnu nearest
thou shalt do. They shall snrr,d
and they shall "uard the door of thr
shin. Si>it attended and or.urd hi.
month. and snake. and s,id tn th.,;
Ura. his Lord" Thi, !, followed h,
five line, of the sur.,.L ot Si.it which
i'm consequence. of mutilatinu. cannot h,.
the A>>yrian Noah drSrrihrs the diff
cultirS in the way of the work. OF
cuu>c. There are differences hctvcrfI
this account and that given in Genesis.
hut the rr$cmhlamrrS are much more
remarkable. The beasts mentioned is
going into the ark ar, not the r,.plc>ru-
tati>r pairs of all liNiu creatures. hut
animals for food and agricultural uur-
poses. while the escaping household
pu>>cs>cd com. slaves. gold and silver.
There is much more in thc>, n>c!ip-
tiunS of interest to students of ancient
history. 1t appears from one of II e
Tablets. dated Is. &. l,1. that at this
time. which WAS during the reign of
Scnuachrrih. human slavery houri>hcd
in N~~yr and the price which Anna-
lalati. Il female victim. five Suhdic in
height. brought half mdurh twelve
ounces of silver cNcitr> our curiosity
to know more about the lit, of thc I'M
fortunate girl. There is much. to. of
interest in reference To the goddess
A>htaInth. or T>htur. the Baby luHiau
Venus who figures also ON the famous
NIoahitC stone while Biblical students
war mentioned IN the twentieth chnntrr
of ISAIAH. the account "t which Is an
essential harmony WIN the scripture
narrative. ne dltN impressed upon
the monarch of the llGiit administration
OF his authoiii! appears on ON" "t the
tablets, Wlillc another shows the super
StItI"uS reliance winch was had IN those
days. as III ours, upon th">" VIII" as
suncd to- reVeai the secrets OF the other