The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-01
AMERICAN DISCOVERIES AT
BABYLON.

The hon. A. w. Terrill, United States
Minister TO Turkey, bias examined the ex-
plorations of the vicinity of Babylon,
which are being conducted bv the Babylon
Exploration Society Of PhiladelDhia, and
has reported thereon to the State Depart
ment. The society was founded six years
ago, at a time when the interest in Mes0-
potamian discovery had begun TO flag in
Europe; it supports a body of workmen
numbering over $50 with few competent
antiquarians at their head, out of fund
contributed by public-spirited Americans.
Something over a year ago Dr. Jonn P.
Peters reported to the Oriental Society OF
Washington that it had found in ruins at
NiffeI, near the site of the ancient Baby
Ion, tablets dating from The earliest Baby
lonian dynastiss, that is to say, some 1000
years before Christ.
Mr.. Terrill now reports that 10000 of
these tablets, weighing many tons. have
been brought to light, and have been
translated by DR.. Peters, who is in charge
of the work, and DR.. Hllpiecht. formerly
of the University of Pennsylvania. Be-
sldes these, the excavators have found
$50 Hebrew. Arabian aud Syrian bowls,
hundreds of BabyIonian seal cylinders,
gold and silver ornaments. vases of ala
bas:er and marble, votlve offerings of
laps lszuli and agate, toys. weapons,
household implements in iron, bronze and
clay and nine saTcophagi entire. But per-
haps the most valuable discovery made by
the explorers is the interior OF the great
temple of Bel.
This monument, which was covered by
the dust and earth Of centuries so tina it
had become a mers mound when it was
first identified by explorers, was described
from imperfect observation by Professor
Rawlinson. and our accounts Of 1t are de-
rived from his narrative. The American
explorers have now dug all around il and
into the interior so that exact measu re-
msnts have been taken OF its dimensions
and vast mum Der of objects which it con-
tanned and which had resisted the action of
time have been brought to light Rawlin-
son knew that it rested on a foundation
of 900 feet square. that it was eight-storied
and that on the top had once stood a
golden statue of the god Bel or Baal forty
feet high. The new explorers have now
cleaned out 100 vast rooms. which were
used as residences for the priests, slaugh-
ter-house, altar-chambers. places of de-
posit for historical tablets and receptacles
for royal treasure. Study of these reveals
not only the working OF The administra-
ton government, but like wise the princi-
Piles of the religion Of Baal, which, as the
prophets of the Old Testament indicate,
was phallic in its nature.
Perhaps the most Immediately useful of
the new discoveries is the collection of
tablets which enable us to reconstruct our
Babylonian chronology. The records of
the ancient dynasties of Babylon from
about 1900 B. G. to about 2300 B. C. are still
vague and subject to revision. but the
chronicle from 2300 B. C. to 53S B. c., when
the fall of Babylon took place, is complete
and appears to be exact. This will en- BILE
the future historian to place the events of
1900 years in regular sequence and 20 cor
rect the tumble OF existing history. Moth
ing is SO pulling to the student as the
chron ology of the centuries antedating the
Maccabean era. Events are related as
though they followed each other in rapid
succession, when close study shows that
they must have been centuries apart. The