Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-16

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sent. Similar achieve
ments of not less inn
portance have been
made before this by persons no more conspicu-
ous-as for example the unfolding OF the secret
OF the Assyrian heiroglyphics by schoolmastcr
at Hamburg named Crotefend, who accom-
plished the task on a wager which had reference
to his skill in working out ciphers. This-if the
Information quoted is correct-is the third
great riddle of this sort that has been solved
during the present century. Tho successes OBJ
tanned in deciphering the Egyptian inscriptions
and the cuneiforms of Babylon have already
thrown bright light upon a third mighty en-
plre OF the past which now bids fair to leap into
historical view from out of the darkness in
which Its memory has been shrouded.
THE HrrTITE EMPIRE.
Respecting the empire of the Utilities, about
whom SO much is said in the Bible, practically
nothing was known until within a few years.
The Egyptian and Assyrian inscriptions. how
ever. when they came to be read, were found to
be filed with references to them and accounts
OF their doings, together with many portraits
OF them. both painted and sculptured. From
these data it has been learned that they were a
great military power, nation Of warriors,
river to the lEgean sea- So strong were they that
the Pharaoh who ruled Egypt at the time Of the
exodus was obliged to treat with them on equal
terms and to respect them as an equal. They
were OF light complexion and shaved their heads
partly. wearing pigtails and having long thin
mustaches like the Chinese. Their ewes were
slightly slanted and their facial angle was
oblique. They wore queer peaked hats, finger
less gloves and boots with exaggerated points
that curled upward toward the knees. Curiously
enough. precisely such boots and gloves are
worn to this day by the people in parts Of the
region which they inhabited.
THE FIRST PURCHASE OF LAND
mentioned in history was made by Abraham.
who, according to the Bible. bought a bit of
ground for a cemetery at Hebron from the
"sons Of Heth"-i e.. the Hittites. 1t is inter
esting to know that at so remote period silver
was employed as currency-the cash equivalent
given being 400 shekels Of that metal-and that
it was weighed out in q balance. notion Of
the geographical extent of the country occu-
pied by this nation, which was for long time
ahead of its Assyrian and Egyptian neighbors
in the arts of war and peace, is obtained from
the fact that in the Assyrian inscriptions alone
mention is made Of not less than 800 Hittite
geographical names. Yet this great empire of
the past has been historically ignored until
lately, and it is only since 1870 that scholars
have attempted TO decipher the strange hero
glyphs left behind as its only surviving me-
MORALS. In these investigations Americans
have been conspicuous, the actual beginning
having been made by j. Augustus johnson Of
the United States consular service and the Rev.
8. Jessup, missionary.
HrTTITE INSCRIPTIONS.
These two gentlemen, in 1870, came across
some very extraordinary Hittite inscriptions at
Hannah in Syria, which at once aroused the at
tention Of Psychologists everywhere. Some of
them were carved on stones that were built into
the walls of dwelling houses. Repeated efforts
were made to secure them, or to get copies in
the shape of ''squeezes." but the superstitious
Mohammedans. regarding them as sacred. would
not permit this. Scholars who made che at
tempts were mobbed by angry crowds and their
lives were even threatened. Finally, with the
assistance of Turkish official of unusual intel
ligence and honesty. the stones were obtained
by purchase and carried away, one of them be-
ing so large that fifty men and four oxen were
required to drag it a mile in day. Two sets
OF squeezes were made from the inscriptions
one OF which is at present deposited in the
British Museum. Many attempts have been
made to decipher them. Prof. Sayce of Oxford,
the Rev. DR.. William Wright and Mai. Claude
Gender of the royal engineers having ali claimed
more or less success. but their claims are not
recognized as established.
THE EGYPTIANS AND HrrrrrEs
According to DR.. Wright, to whom The STAR
writer is chiefly indebted for tho following in
formation the early Egyptian records, in
scribed on their monuments and on papyrus
scrolls, refer to the Hittites rs hereditary foes
on the northeast frontier. For century after
century wars with them were carried on with
varying success. In the year 1850 B. c.
Thothmes l assembled the throne of the
Pharaohs and began a struggle with the Hittites.
which was maintained for nearly 500 years. with
occasional intervals of peace. by his successors
When Thothmes Ill became king he found
things in rather bad shape. His predecessor
was q queen and during her reign the neighbor-
ing people. of which the Hittites were most i'm
portant, had declared themselves independent
Of Egypt, refusing to pay tribute. Thothmes
Ill was great warrior. He has been called
the Alexander the Great of Egyptian history.
Adopting an aggressive policy he began long
series OF campaigns. Of which thirteen are
sketched on the monuments of that period, de-
scribing the lines of march. the rivers crossed,
the cities stormed. the booty taken. the tributes
imposed of silver, gold, weapons, horses. wine,
spices, and SO forth. At length he led an army
against the strong city of Megiddo on the
count, the Hittite king of Kadosh had gathered
together ''the kings and their peoples from the
waters Of Egypt to the river land of Mesopo-
tamia and they obeyed him as their chief"
THEN THERE WAS GREAT BATTLE.
The confederates were arrayed near Megiddo,
and against them the Pharaoh drew out the
might of Egypt. Fighting was begun on the
twenty anniversary Of the Pharaoh's coro-
nation. He beat the confederates at every
point and they fed, leaving their chariots be-
hind and vast amount of plumber upon which
the victorious army fell, permitting the enemy
to escape into the city, which they defended
with such determination that after a long siege
they were permitted to surrender with honor
able conditions. The inscriptions record in de-
tail the booty captured. which included a
chariot plated with gold belonging to the
Hittite king and 924 other chariots: they also
mention the tribute imposed and give a list of
ll9 towns and nations represented by the con-
federacy. Nevertheless, during after years the
Pharaoh was obliged TO renew the fight against
the Hittites again and again. On the death of
Thothmes III, in the year 1866 B. c., the
Hittite power, which had been checked during
his reign, became formidable again, and fifty
years later q formal treaty Of peace was con-
Guided between Rameses I and Saplel, the
Hittite king.
RAMEsEs' ACHIEVEMENT.
In the year 1856 B. C. Seti came to the
throne. He was the father of the Pharaoh of
the oppression, and he renewed the war againa
the Hittites. His son, Rameses L-known a.
Rameses the Great, the ''Sesostris" Of the
Greeks-carried on the fight and led n mighty