The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-05

nohShS SaiuenS VI OaDy ION. ~ IaOlet
was found containing list of sixty gar
dens or parks belonging to Merodach-
baden, the contemporary of Sargon, SEN
nacherib, and Hezekiah.
Another series of excavations has been
carried on about thirty miles to the south
west of Bagdad, at certain mounds called
by the Arabs Tell Abu Hubba, which
cover an area some two miles in circum-
ference. Digging into these mounds Mr.
Rassam has discovered one of the most
ancient cities of the world-a city older,
it is believed, than Babylon. The cita-
del was discovered at the southern por-
ton of the ruins. 1t was large square
edi6ce, about 1000 yards in circumfer-
ence, the architecture of the walls being
similar to that of the buildings discovered
at Warka and Mughier by Mr.. Lotus.
In the interior of this edifce two rooms
were discovered, and the debris being re-
moved, the explorer came upon the for,
tunate discovery of certain records which
reveal the name of the city and the ma
ture of this edifce. In large chamber
or gallery, 100 feet long, were found the
remains of brick altar, 80 feet square,
evidently the great sacrifcial altar of the
temple. From this chamber door led
into a smaller room, where the excava-
tors found the records of the builder Of
the great temple of the Assyrian War
God, which were contained in stone
cist and buried near the altar. One Of
the inscriptions reads: "To the Sun God,
the great lord, dwelling Bit PARA, which
is within the city of Sipparah."
The narrative from which we obtain
the above statements proceeds:
" Here then, we have restored to us the ruins
and records of city whose traditions go back
to the days before the flood, when pious Xisu.
thrus, by order of his god buried in the city of
Sippara of the Sun the history of the beginning,
progress, and end of all things" autediluvian.
And now we recover, 81 centuries after they
were buried, the records of the pions restorers
of this ancient temple. The history of this
treasure trove is one of interest for it shows
the pious regard which the Babylonian Kings
had for the memorials of their ancestors In
the 3lst year of Nabupaliddna King of Baby
lon-that is about the year $50 B. C.-there
was placed by the King in this cist votive
tablet in plous gratitude to the Sun god for
aiding him to defeat the Invasion OF the Sutu, a
northern Eamite tribe, headed by their King
Simas sipak.
Three centuries after, in about B. c. $50,
Nabonidus King of Babylon, after restoring the
shrine of the "Sun-god his lord" opened the
record chest and placed in it terra Gotta cylin
ders recording his pious works of restoration
and endowment. Nabupaliddina WIS the contem
porary of the Assyrian Kings, Assur- nazirpal
and Shallmanesar and the sculptured memorial
of his reign which has been restored is one OF
the most important discovered. In the upper
part of the tablet. the dimensions of which are 3
feet long by foot broad, is small sculptured
panel representing the worship of the Sun god
by Nabupaliddina and attendant priests. The
god is represented as seated on throne beneath
an open canopy shrine. He has long beard and
hair like most conceptions of the Suns god, and
holds in his hand ring the emblem OF revolv-
ihS biil0i anu ouOlO 100 Small 1Or
sceptre; we may, perhaps, see in this t.. fis
stick, which was closely connected with the
Sun god. Before him, on small table altar, is
a large disc, ornamented with four star. like
limbs and four sets of wavelke rays. Above
this group is cut the inscription, 1.-The disc of
the Sun god the rays (of his) eyes," The scene
here depicted is clearly Indicative of the fact
that the priests of Sippara were worshippers of
the solar disc and solar rays, and their creed
seems to bear close resemblance to that of the
disc worshppers of the 18th Egyptian dynasty,
who, under Amenophis III and his son Khuna
ten, for some time held their ground against the
priests of Ammon. This heretical creed was
introduced into Egypt by Thi, the Asiatic wife
of Amenophis III and its tenets have been made
the subject of special memoir by Sir Charles
Nicholson.
The discovery of this sculpture and inscription
from the ruins Of the temple of the Sun-god at
SiPpara tends very strong to place the origin of
the creed in Babylonia. The inscription on the
back and front Of this memorial tablet is val.
liable record Of the religious life and ceremonial
of the Babylonian temples, and the list of the
solar festivals in the fifth and sixth columns
shows how far back into the remote past we
must place the rise of Babylonian sun worship.
Astronomers will welcome this ancient list of
festivals, as it proves very clearly the high
character Of the astronomical knowledge for the