The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-04-16

THE HITTITES.


recent progress in geographical explOra-
ton. before the Geographical Society,
March %, was that touching the i'm
p0Ttant discovery OK the seat of empire
Of the ancient Uittite5 Judge DAILY
said
The readers of the Bible viii remem-
ber the frequent mention that Is made
OF the Hitt,es, q people occupying
Canaan, who are described IN the biblical
narrative as being commercial and mill
tarv, and in whose country Abraham
bought a piece Of land foT his burial
place. The scattered accounts In the
Bible simply indicate an ordinary tribe
of paople. with whom the Israeiites had
intercourse, but information derived
from the researches made in Egypt and
Assyria show that the UiJJites, whom
the Egyptians called the Kheta and the
AssyriaHs the khatti, We're q powerful
COuiedeTeCy occupying the country
which was the highway between Baby
lOniG OF Assyria and Egypt-a people
actively engaged Ill commerce, their
principal city being a place to which
merchants from all parts congregated,
and who were at the same time war
like people, who for long period kept
the Assyriaus in check, and who proved
the most formidable antagonist the
Egyptians ever encountered. They
were not only commercial and warlike,
but had evidently at a remote period
made great advance in civilization and
in the fine arts and early Greek art, as
found in the discoveries Of Dr. Schlie-
mann at Ayceup and the early art
found in Cyprus by our associate, Dir.
DI CtSuyla, IS supposed TO have been
largely derived from them.
They occupied the whole country OF
Southern Syria, from the Mediterranean
10 the desert, dwelling chiefly in the fer
tile valleys of the Creutes, river rising
10 the cast Of Baaibcc and flowing into
the Mediterranean, and had two principal
cities-Eadesh. or ;hc Holy City, and a
great commercial emporium, which was
their capital and the centre of their
power, called CaTCuemish. They were
finally Cyg-tGT1wu by the ASsyrians, B.
{. tlS and had 50 completely disap-
p,aTel tlaC they are scarcely ever re-
tC-rtl 10 by Greek writer's Great in
tvTesJ was felt 20 discover the site Of
their commercial capital Carchrmisl,
AID many c1DieC,ure5 have been made,
none IF which. however, could Oe veTi-
fed. 4 few years ago Dir. Skcue, the
British LGgsU, ~ Alcypo, discovered a
huge mound Of earth covering q large
aIta on jug western shore OF the lower
the route Sill traycrsed By Caravans
This great mound was surrounded b.
ruined walls and broken towers, while
the mound itself was but a mass Of
earth. fragments Of masonry, and dsJris.
IL had frequently been seen by previous
travellers, but they identified it with
other lost p.-cCs- lir. S.-Lc called the
attention OF tE. late George Smith, the
eminent EEsuLolaEist who brought 50
LuLu 60 light from the ruins of Nine
vel. TO this mound, and Eir. Smith
fgUai here the ionC-lust capital OF the
T.t-I-r5. Tho present British Consul,
Iii. Henderson, las been during the
las t-.J years engaged III the ezplCrG-
j-~u CI the mound, and has already sent
important remains with Inscriptions to
the British EiUsaum. 4 few years ago
&C. g-u-A which lad formed part Of the
walloi house ct Klamath had an in
scrlgIoI upon it which excited great
curiosity, because il was neither Assy-
rlau EJT Egyptian, bat something be-
tween both languages. !, may bC re
meHher5d that I called attention in
one Of my former addresses TO the dis
CgForE OF this Stone and one or two 9th
CTs containing like characters. which
were theu called the Klamath inscrip-
lions, witl TIC suggestion That this
M'El- probably De the language Uf the
H.--l55, which is now proved 10 be the
tac5 the Inscriptions found by Nh
Henderson, in .as exploration Of Carche-
m.sa are lot only O, l.a same character,
b-. as ss-1c ls.sEu', -9 which AiT. Lay
ard found ..lgg sd ig3l seals dl5-Jv-
cred hy him IG the ruins Of tle record
chamber uL -e--aCh.r-U's palace, and
WD-.a greatly excited his curiosity. as
taa writing was unlike any ever noticed
ts-.t.. AE---ar Inscription Was ai,cT-
war; discovered az Ailppa. by 1IT.
DAVIS, i-.5 -a-aIy- and II also LuTH5
ou. that The famous figures s-a!D,urgG
above tae -.,-.js from EglasUs to Pho
Ger. alC from smyrna Lo .saT.iis, when
are mentioned 10y IIcroJc.us. and were
supposed l." .iu - represent the Egyu-
tIaE niaE -,.-ai=sss H.. tie 5asos-f.s Of
the Greeks. l.u Inscriptions iu The same
c-..--c. ar as that recently found in Car
chsui 70. 1o"iUg that these figures also
are HI;tite monuments. It is supposed
that tEls language WAS the source Of
what IS known as the CypTIyye ylIaJary.
lcuud il Cyprus. and which was prob
ably the language i'm Use among COM
ncEclai people throughout Asia Minor
until. It vas superseded by The simpler
and more practical I,uuaielaE aIulaJgt.
This G.. coTgly is CycgedilElv interest
!I-. a5 ,ae iL....-es belong 10 tie same
rae r- people "lo perfected. uy the in
NSut1n or the alphabet that greatest Of
human Inventions, G written language.
We have now, an this discovery Of 1fI.
Cn-.I, tlo memorials Of q lost people
al ua.sHooi.lE proximity 10 the PH9ni-
clans, oi H-a-l also we know SD little
people who had aL important par. IN
tletaiiy Progress Of ancient civilization,
with --s --- 10 which al eminent -.s.Iy-