Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-11-02
RARrLoN IND RAnEL.

Interesting Lecture by the Rev. DIR.
cambridge in Delaware Avenue Bap-
tist Church.
Last Sunday afternoon, in Delaware
Avenue Baptist Church, the Rev. Will
liam f. cambridge, ID. D., delivered a
very interesting lecture on "a Visit TO
Babylon and the Tower of Babel, and a
Tour Of Egypt in the Time of Abram."
A synopsis Of the lecture follows:
The 10th chapter Of Genesis, generally
considered uninteresting, is full of
geographical information. Thus Elan
was Assyrian for "high," meaning the
highlands on the east of Babylonia
ArphaXad was Chaldea, and Aram
signifies the Aramaeans whose language
supplanted the Assyrian and Hebrew in
turn giving place to the Arabic.
Ca-dimira, "the gate of God" the old
Sumirian name of Babel, from probably
the local temple gate of justice, around
which the city expanded, subsequently
became wonderfully true to history
throughout the world, but to the
Hebrew and Assyrian tfanslations there
attached another meaning Confusion"
as the common Shemite word had or
acquired double etymology. Cunei-
form evidence is increasing that this
was the Flower of Tongues" 1t tells
of "a mound" built by those who "were
evil" and who were COMPOUNDED in
their speech"
In a recently found inscription
Nebuchadnezzars speaks of repairing and
completing this "most ancient monu-
menI," adding in unmistakable refer.
n tho nfttcigYN nf HStnnn
remote time people had abandoned it,
without order expressing their words"
After an excursion to Orfah and Haran,
the lecturer affirmed that the historical,
pathological and chronological argu-
ments are quite conclusive in regard to
the location of the fatherland of Abram
on or near the headwaters of the Per-
sian gulf.
Speaking of his experiences among
the nomadic populations, he said "We
call these Bedouin tribes lawless, and
yet it is not strictly just. The laws of
the desert are numerous, rigid, and
many of them admirable. Pure Arabs
will not steal, although they consider it
perfectly right to commit highway rob-
berry upon all travellers, who have no
proper introductions and escorts. But
this was the old Roman law, according
10 which an alien from an unallied
country could be plundered and en-
shaved. The Bedouin makes much of
arbitration, and is acquainted even with
trial by jury. A breach of trust among
Bedouin relatives and friends is almost
unknown, except in those small, scat
tered fragments of tribes, which are vir-
TALLY outlawed with Abram."
tiThe lecturer then visited Damascus,
and then the oaks of Moreh at "the place
| VI Sichem." lie described Egypt as
Abram found it, with its pyramid OF
Gizeh, which was then probably one Oh
1.-two centuries old, and with its Temple
of the Sun Mt On, then new or in pro-
cess of construction. The sphinx was
not there. Abram must have been able
to have conversed with Hykshos rulers
as they could not yet have forgotten
their Phpnician, so close in its relation.
ship to the Hebrew, and perhaps they
Remembered their Hittite, with which
also Abram may have become familiar
in Haran.
The next lecture will include toui
of the Dead Sea and q visit to the Cave
of Machpelch. ....-..