New-York tribune., 1886-03-06
ASsyRIAN HISTORY And THE BIBLE.
TIDE STONE LECTURES BY PROFESSOR McURDY Al
PRINCETON.


PRINCETON, n. j., March 5.-Thc last OF the
s;one eciures by Dr. McCury before the students ana
professors OF the theological seminary wa' given to,
dac Tho subject OF the series I" The Assyrian and
BabyIonian inscriptions with special reieiehoo 10 'o
Old TrstapenL" The first three lectures were III
measure preliminary. the first being geographI'a' n
large map specially propared.wa used tue names OenE
Given IN the ancient forms Physical features OF u"
couutry were discussed The Island OF Demund IN the
per.an Gulf now close land Il spoken OF In the
mouuaents as lying distance equal TO ninety hl'H
on the head OF the Gulf showing tho amount "l
deposit made by the Igrs ard Luphr"teS ~ 'ooo
years. 49,
The second lecture gave synop's OF the poIi'ic"l
history OF Pabyiona aud Assyr.a' special attention
vas dreoed To tho policy OF Tiglath Prser II. 141
H. C. In dealing with conquered States oue of the pro
ysons OF which that peupla making SUD 'orn TO-
si.tauce-" sinners they were cIIed-"ohd % ue'
ported bodily To distant part Of tho empire IO''S
later to affect The Jews
rhc third lecture dealt with the civilization art Ian
iase ana literature OF the A--yrans and Babyonians
The early Babyionian civilization appears TO have been
ur.-Slcmtc In character. while its influence on the
succeeding Shemitlc civilization las been perhaps over
e.uatcd Tie origin and Development of The c"heI"rh
mode Of with WAS explained and Illustrated on inc
Lacgh,arl The wedge represents the picking OF the
,tylus IN soft claJ-n hc earliest writing, "hlch was
d.,,r,ublc fish for instance. represented D.
rc INT recoxnIz,ble outline and stood for that word
Later the shape became simpler aud n"ro conventional
a mere rhoubu4 signs In this stage were used
10 represent tie souni OF the first syllable of the spoken
word giving syllable writing aud then Tor tue hist
sound only which phonetic writing or letters
The different mcio u7rd together, aud thls ads
t the difficulty of Tho remains of great
libraries found showing the Tto-ro's OF these peo-
ucs In various sciences IN mathematics astronomy
mincruo,y. botany, geography hDsu'HiicS. Numerous
ar, found OF commercial Transactions those OF
l is.,il 10. -uu fhe Rnf flgglt lls
of tno day. who lent money TO the King Yet more
realistic are some tablets OF s.hooboy exercises, ono
with the ever pathetic. frank confession scraSiod on IT,
/ uI idi. don't know"
I'm. R,by an religion furnished tho basis for the
Western mythUlogies and astrOloses The legends aud
the s-caled Creation Po,ms," which are parallel In
MART To the narrative Genesis the account OF the
flood in the izdubar opic berr marks OF artificial con
structon the nluenc" OF science ana mythology
carefully selected Of lantern slidss was miro
duced to tho typical mode 81 CIV bulldlng tho
construction Of palaces and OF temples "ncn were
always oD-crydtones. ana sIecIhrhh OF scuIptuitu
drite-. my biological nSnrea dress ornament hhd Inc
Tho last three lectures were technical giving
sprcia Illustrations Oi th' Biblical T"cord from tho IN
scrlpuon- The character of civilization III The twenty
tEild aud twcnysrcOul centuries before Chfst wac as
cursed. Most important was the examination OF tho
Biblical chronology In the ght ot tho Elonym canon
from 9u2 Is. C. onward Damascus Tor a lUug tlme-in
the ninth century formoda barrier TO Asaynn arms TIC
! was followed ~ the deportation OF ih Ia
h entaured I'm Egyptian and Assyran politics
Al tns time tie prophets OF Judah arose and cxertcd
/ grrat p0ltca Influence On the revolt or Hcz kidh,
Ind IN ana Palestine invaded b sennachetb 7Ol
Tho n-crIptious not claim the capture OF Jcrusaem
| but give Duastfu and exaggerated accounts Of the
! humiliation OF IeZekiah and tho rihute cNhcted.
To days lecture recOuntcd tho decay OF the power OF
Judah subIectiOn for time To Egypt. tho conquest
aud the carrying away ntO Babylon Ia
5S7 this Bible .giyes Tar more Information than
| the inscrlptiun-. Then follows the rise OF AN Aryan
| nover iu the East, the rersianS Tho monuments
trey reconstruct the history OF Cyrus, traditional
| with the Greek histOrianA lie adopted now policy
toward subject aud allowed the Jews TO return
Tho lectures been hiEny appreciated aud are pro
no need TO be great value to i students OF the Old
| reata