The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-02-19

1
mense stones With the Tyrian quarry marks
upon them. They have found the arches of
the viaduct which OF old crossed the Tyro-
pean favine, connecting the temple on Mt
Morish aud the palace on Mt. Zion in the
days of Solomon. In short, they have dis
covered in the ruins history of that won
derful city from the era of Solomon, which
corresponds exactly with the history written
in the sacred books. Then again, when we
bring this history to the tees of historic criti-
cism, it triumphantly passes through the
ordeal.
But probably the mos. remarkable Of all
these confrmations Of the sacred history is
fund in the explorations on the Euphrste5
and the Tigris since the discovery by Sir
Henry RawIinson Of tho key to that most
singular alphabet, known as thc cuneiform
inscriptions, or arrowhead letters. 1t ia an
alphabet composed wholly of arrows, or
wedge shaped strokes, placed in every sort
of position one to the other. The finding of
this key dates no further back than the pub
lication of Rawlinson's translation of the
famous inscription on the lofty rock at Be-
hstun, about the year 1850. Since that
time explorations carried on vigorously st
the ancient sites of NiDeveh and Babylon,
by Layard, Smith and others, have brought
to light immense numbers Of inscriptions on
slabs that formed the sides Of rooms in psla-
tial halls, on monuments, on winged bulls,
on sarcophagi, bat more fully on terra Gotta
cylinders which formed the books of that
era. More than 10000 such Inscriptions are
already in the British museum alone.
The inscriptions recording the Assyrian
and Babylonian connection with, and con-
quests Of the Hebrews, are very numerous
and very explicit. l select few specimens
by way of illustration of the remarkable coin
cidence between the sacred history and those
monumental inscriptions.
In II Kings, fifteenth chapter, it is record.
ed that in the days of Pekah, King of Israel,
came Tiglath. Pileser, King of Assyria, and
took lion and other cities of Israel. In the
same chapter ne have the record of the siege
of Menahem in Samaria contemporary with
Azariah, King of Judah, aud that Pal, King
of Aasyria, came up against him, compelling
him to buy his peace with an immense gum
of money.
In the sixteenth chapter it is recorded that
Ahaz, King of Judah, alarmed at the com.
binasion against him of Rezin, King of Da-
maacus, and Remaliah, King of Israel, sent
an embassy implorine and obtaining the aid
of Tiglath- Pileser, King of Assyria, who
came and devastated Damascus aud slew
Rezip, it's King.
Now among the discoveries on the TigriS
brought to the British Museum are inscrip-
tions of Tiglath-Pileser l. and H.. one of
which records his campaign to the West, bis
war with Azariab, King of judah (Vol. s.,
in which he mentions tribute imposed upon
Rein, King of Damascus, and Menahem,
King of Samaria In another inscription he
records "the land Of Beth 0mri (Samsria),
the population, the goods of its people and
their furniture to the land of Assyria sent.
Pekah, their King, they had slain. Hoshea,
to the kingdom over them, appointed. Ten
talents Of gold and one thousand of silver l
received as their tribute" You will observe
that this last is in every detail coincident
with the sacred history which relates (II
Kings, XIV: 30): "Aud Hosbea made con-
spiracy against Pekah and emote him and
slew him and reigned in his stead.
l may merely allude in passing to the
black obelisk of Shalmaneser (Vol. 81 which
Mr.. Lsyard found in the middle of the
mound at Nimroud, which records among the
conquests Of that monarch the tribute which
he imposed upon "Jehu, the son (successor)
of Omri, and the victory that he gained over
Benhadad, King of Syria, which again is CO.
incident with the sacred history.
DR.. Robinson next proceeded to note the
remarkable coincidence between the record
II Kings II, that Sbalmsneeer, King of AS
syria, came up aud Hoshea became bis SER
want; ''that the King of Assyria found con-
spiracy in Hoshea," and carried Israel into
captivity in Assyris, etc., and the elaborate
inscription of Shalmaneaer found at Kurkh
on the Tigri8, which, in the long catalogue
of bis conquests, declares, "Of the country
Of the Isrselites, 500 men, of the Greites,
1000 of the country of the Egyptians, ten
chariotS and 10000 men of the Irkantanans,
| took captive to Assyris, etc.-thus again
corrotorating in detail the sacred history.
He noted also how the inscription Of Ssrgon
confirmed the declaration in Isaiah Goth,
which declaration of the prophet for $500
yeara stood alone teatifying the existence Of
such monarch as Sargon, whom no history
or tradition recognizes. Now, here is the
elaborate inscription of Sargon himaelf, pro-
claiming list of his conques.s, and, among
others, that to which Isaiah refers. After
alludiDg to other testimonies he proceeded:
But perhaps the most remarkable Of these
direct testimonials is the case Of the famous
bull inscription Of Sennacherib, carved on one
of tho slabs belonging to the immense stone
bulls found at NineVeh, which is directly CO.
incident With he sacred history of the pious
Hezokiab in Second Kings, 18th and 19.h;
SecOad Chron., 92d, and Isaiah, 35th and
37:h In these accounts it is represented
that in the fourteenth year of Hezskiab, the
King SannaCherib, "came up against all the
fenced cities Of Judah and took them," as
also shat he took great number of cities of
surrounding nations, aud closely besieged
Hezekiah, that he was on his way to invade
Egypt, and tried every ers to induce the sur
render of Jerusalem.
Now Sennaoherib'S inscription, describing
the campaign to the west, after an account
of hundred conquests Of cities in surround.
ing Kingdoms, recites this event:
"Hezekiah, King of Judeah, did not sub
nit to my yoke; forty-six of his cities, strong
fortrasses and cities of their territory With.
out number besieged, captured aud count
cd sg spoil. Him,elf l made like q Gagged
bird in the midst Of Jerusalem, his city of
royalty; garrison towers over against him
raised; hia cities which had plundered
from toe midst Of his country l separated,
and to the Kings of Ashdod, Ascelon. Ekron
and Gazs | made them over and diminished