The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-08-11
HOLY WRIT CONFIRMED

Attic annual meetin. of the victoria
Philosophical Institute. held on Mon
day last, at the Society Of Arts House,
under the presidency Of Sir George /
Stokes. f. r. S, Rev. Dr.. Wright read |
= valuable paper by Professor Sayce' I
describing the important cuneiform IN
scriptio.s which were discovered the
winter before last at Tel el-Amarna.
Upper Egypt.
The tale Of these tablets il a truly
wonderful one. showing that IN the
fifteenth century before our era
century before Exodus-activs literary
intercourse was going on throughout
the civilized world Of Western Asia,
between Babylonia ard Egypt, and the
smaller States Of Palestine. Syria. Meso-
potamia. aud even of Eastern Cappado-
Ella. The Intercourse was carried on by
means of the Baby language, and
Tho complicated Babylonian script. In
fact. Babylonian was as much the
language of diplomacy and cultivated
society throughout the regions as
French has been IN modern times.
This influence explains, among other
things. the existence Of Ba0ylonian
namo5 I'M Palestine Nhiie the Canaan
/ lie was still ia the land. 80 The newly
found tablets confirm the conclusions
Already arrived at by Egyptologist''
that Palestine was Canaanite at the
close OF the eighteenth dynasty, the
founder OF the nineteenth dynasty be
iug the new king who knew not
Joseph. The towns OF tie country
were. moreover, garrisoned by Egyp'
tian troops. aud though the governors
bore Semitic names. they were officials
OF the Egyptian king.
One of the most interesting passages
in the paper dealt with a question OF
the antiquity Of the writing. 1t has
long been tac.tly assumed by tho cut'
zeal school that writing was not only
a rare ant in Palestine before the az
Of David, but was practically unknown
Little historic al crsdence can b. placed
it has been urgod. ia the earlier re
cords OF the Hebrew people, because
they could not have been committed e
writing until a period when the history
of the past had become traditional an'
MYTHICAL This assumption IS now Tn
umphaully shown to DO opposed L
. facts. Long before the Exodus Canaan
had lbs LIBRARIES and scrbes. rs school
3 aud literary men. The ANIMAL
5 of the country, il Is true
o. wer, not inscribed i'm l.ttei
b Of the Pnonician alphabet on perisha
b be papyrus. the writing material wa
{ the Improbable clay-the character
/ those OF the clneiform syllabary.
q new light is thus thrown on royal hst
e like that contained ia Genesis Nxxyl
. " ny rlUNiu lAi' Hyt TO az NNt'"N ''r'
$ the chronicles OF EdOm, originally writ
r ten in the cuneiform syllabary Of Baby
lonmY ln what is asserted by tho crit
j cal school to be The oldest relic Of JIG
7 brew lilerature-the song Of Deborah
e reference 10 made 70 the scribes Of Lebu
u lon THAT handle the pen Of the writer
2. Judge, y. a., and we have now n
d longer any reasol TO interpret In
d words in non.natural sense. and trans
IS form the scribe into military con
s mander.
e Prof. Slyce's paper concluded wit
10 some words on the rich reward whic
d still awaits the explorer 4 toll beneat
o the soil of the Holy Land. Workme
j. and funds are found for eXhumins I'll
n buried history Of Greece. but little
nothing is done % s'cIre the treasure
h. that lie beneath the surface OF the o.
cred land o. ner faith. The tablets
Tel el-Amarua are. Prof. Sayce hold
an earnest OF what is yet to be al
eartb-d ln the holy Lend.-Londo
Chrish0U