New-York tribune., 1875-02-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SMITHS AssYRIAN DISCOVERIES


NISEvEH DURING 1873 AND 1874 By GEORGE SMITH,
sVo. pp. 46l. scrtbner, Armstrong. d 90.
Tho commencement Of Mr.. Smiths studies anu
researches in the field of Assyrian archaeology prac
tcally took place in the year 1885, when he engaged
IN the examination of Sir Henry Rawhnsons CASTS
and fragments Of inscriptions in the British Museum
with view to the elucdation OF several questions
I'm the Old Testament history. lie hrSt hghted
upon acnrious inscription of Shalmaneser H. giving
An account of the war against Hazael, king OF
Syria. and relating that it was in the eighteenth
wear of Shamaneser when he received trib-
nte from Jehu. His next labOrs were de-
voted to the cylinders containing the his
tory of Assurbanlpal, the Saraanapalus OF the
Greeks. The annals Of this monarch were
then in considerable confusion, bat by dint OF pa
tient comparison of the various copies, Mr.. Smith
nj length succeeded in obtaining fair text OF the
earlier part Of these inscriptions. Pursuing his
Investigations, he discovered several important
fragments of the annals of Tiglath Pilcser, contain
ing notices of Azariah, King of Judah. and OF Pe-
kah and Hoshea, Kings of Israel. In the course Of
four years he had discovered portions OF tue AS
syrian canon several accounts of the early conquest
pfBabyOnia by the Eamites, and areligous calendar
Of the Assyrians, ia which every month is divided
into four weeks and the seventh days marked ont as
Sabbaths in which no work was TO be performed.
During 1870 he was occupied with preparing The
large work on the history Of Assurhanipal, giving
the cuneifOTm texts, transcrptionS and tranSatons
which was published in 1871. In 1872. MI SMITH
discovered the tablets containing the Chaldean ac-
count of the deluge, which attracted good deal OF
attention both at home and abroad.
The interest taken in these discoveries prompted
the prop1ietors Of the London telegraph" newspa-
per to advance the sum of one thousand gmneaS Tor
fresh researches at Nineveh, Mr.. Smith to conduct
Ho accordin lv fertpd from london
jan 90 1873 and on the 81 of March arrived at the
ruins of Nineveh After an excursion to Bagiad
and Babylon be returned to Nineveh about the first
Of April and commenced Excavations on the mound
Df Nimroud on the third of that month. His work
st first, which was a small scale, was directed TO
The temple of Nebo Here he discovered some in
icriptiOns but most Of them were duplicates of
textS already known. Excepting the stone base
ment of the temple and few chambers round H.
the whole was in n rulnOus condition. After the
tiy had declined this part Of the mound appears to
have been used as a granarv. large tunnel bur-
towed through the walls and chambers the eastern
face This was found packed with grain, black and
rotten from age. In the central part excavations
had been made for tonlbs, destroying considerable
portions of the temple. The more prominent parts
of the binding were Of large square red blocks of
stone at the bottom and sun-dIed bricks at the top
On each side OF the entrance stood a colossal figure
of NebO, with crossed arms, in the attitude Of medi
tatiOn In one OF the eastern chambers Mr.. Smith
discovered n fragment of the reign of Tielath
Pileser but there nothing else of great interest
in the neichbOrhOOd. Many of the inscriptions have
suffered very much since the excavations of Mr.
Lsyard The explorations at Nmroud were closed
on the Sth Of May, without any important results,
and Mr.. Smith proceeded to prepare for his re-
searches among the ruins Of Ninereh, opposite the
4
eastern bank Of the Iinis, aud now
consist of large inclosure covered
with low mouuds. surrounded by the
ruins of magnificent wall about eight miles in
circuit and broken the western side by two great
artificial mounds. After commencing operations on
one of these mounds with a view TO recover in
scribed terra-cotta tablets Mr. Smith found several
valuable inscriptions, which served, in some degree
aS compensation for his labOrs. Much TO his sur
prise, one of the fragments contained the greater
portion of seventeen lines of inscription belonging
10 the first column Of the Chaldean account of the
deluge fitting into the only place where there
a serous blank in the story. Among other discOv
cries were a small tablet of EzarbaddOn. king of
Assyria some fragments of one Of the historical
cylinders of Assurbanipal, and curious frag-
ment of the history of SargOn, king of As
syria, relating to his expedition against Ash
dod, which is mentioned in the twentieth
chapter of the book Of Isaiah. On the same frag-
ment was a part of the list Of Medan chiefs who
paid tribute to SargOn. Part of an inscribed cylin-
der Of Sennacherib. and half Of an amulet i'll ONYX
with the name and titles of this monarch, sube
sucntly found, with implements Of bronze iron, and
glass There was part of a crystal throne, most
magnificent article Of furniture, closely resembling
In shape the bronze throne discOveredby Nh Layard
at Nimroud Near the close of his excavations
while preparing to return to England Mr.. Smith
dsinterred fragment of a curious syllabary di-
vded into four perpendicular columns In the first
column was given the phonetic values of the cunei-
form characters; the characters themselves were
written in the second column; the third column con-
tanned the names aud meanings of the signs: while
the fourth column gave the words and ideas which it
represented The work was brought to close on
the 9th Of June aud the day Mr.. Smith
started on his return journey to Europe with the
antiquities which he had collected. On passing the
custom houses Of AeppO and sAlexandretta, he be-
came involved n difficulty with the officials; the
treasures seized by the Turkish authorities Of
Alexandretta aud it only by the subsequent
Intervention of the British ambassador at Con-
stantinope that they at length released, and
finally deposited iu the British Museum.
The arrival Of the antiquities in England called
forth great interest in the results of the expedition
aud the trustees of the British Museum directed Mr.
Smith 10 return TO Mosul, setting aside sum Of
EIOOO for the enterprise. On this occasion, he left
London Nov. p. 1919, and trayersing his former
route arrived at Alcxandretta the 9th of Decem-
ber. Upon reaching Alep2o three days after, he
was informed that things had changed for he worse
at MOsu since his previous visit; suspicion was
teaincd to his objects; and the irregular soldiers
who had been in his employ closely questioned
as to what he had discovered. lie arrived at Mosu
l.