Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-27
BabyIonian Discoveries.
Nondon TImes.)

During the last few years the WORK OK
archaeological exploration In Babylonia
has been almost entirely confined to the
lahors OF the American expedition. who
have been engaged for several years In
the systematic exploration Of the great
mound of Niffer, in Central Babylonla.
the site of the ancient city or Nipar,
and TO the partially resumed WORK OF
NJ de Sarzec at Tello, the ancient La
cash The discoveries made by these eA-
plorers have been Of great importance,
but they chiefly related to the earlist
days OF the Chalde2n empire, as lar
hack as 4OOO years before the Christian
era. Important as these discoveries are,
as furnishing us with the material by
which to study the dawn Of civilization
I'm Chaldea, there has always been a
desire What we should obtain some IN
scribed' records. possibly historical IN
scrptions, Of the period OF the New
Babyionian empire (B. G. G5-5Ss), ospeci-
ally Of the, reigns of Nebuchadnezzdr III.
and Nabonidus. With the exception or
the Babylonan chronicle of the reign
of the latter monarch and few histori-
cal notices I'm his cylinder inscriptions,
we have but little indication OF the eN-
is.ence of historical records. "A discovery
of the greatest importance has just been
made by Father Scheil, who has Tor
some llrne betu tAplOIlHS III i'dpy iVhie@'
In the Muielibeh mound, one OF the prin-
cipaI heaps OF ruins In the enciente or
Babylon, he has discovered a long IN
scription OF Nabondus, the last OF the
Babylonian Kings (B. G. o55-53S). which
contains mass Of historical and other
data which will be Of great value tn
students OF this important period OF
Babylonan history. The monument In
question is a small stella OF diorite, the
upper part OF which is broken. inscribed
with eleven columns of writing, and
which appears 10 have been erected early
in the Kings reign. II resembles I'm some
measure the celebrated Indian House In
scrlpton OF observation-disclosures, but Is much
more full OF historical matter. Its value
may be estimated when II is stated that
it contains q record of the war OF revenge
conducted by the Babylonians and their
Mandan allies against Assyria, for the
destruction Of the city by Sennacherib
in B. G. 69S: an account t.f the election
and coronation OF Nabonidus In Is. &.
Jj5. and the wonderful dream in which
Nebuchadnezzar appeared TO him; as well
as an account of the restoration OF the
temple OF the Moon god at Kharran.
accompanied by a chronological record
which enables us to fix the date OF the
so-caled Scythian invasion. There IL
also valuable reference 10 the murder
OF Sennacherlb by his son in Tebet, b. ..
6sl
II will be seen, therefore, that we have
thus recovered from the ruins Of Babylon
a most valuable record. The inscription
opens with n very graphical recital Of
the terrible sack Of the holy city OF Baby
lon in b. c. 6gS: "Over all this land an
evil curse from his heart. he uttered;
mercy he showed not; to Babylon he
came. he desecrated the temples. poured
out the dust, erased the sculptures, and
broke of the services" Still more i'm
pOrtant is the statement that he took
the hand Of the Prince Merodach and
and caused him TO enter into the midst
of the city OF Aesur." where, We ara
told, he established his seat for TWEEN "
one years. After that time he returned,
as the inscription says, THE King Of
Assyria, who by the power OF Merodach
the overthrow OF the land had accom-
pished, the son, the offspring of his
body, with the sword thrust him
through" The return OF the statue OF
the god TO it's temple i'm Babylon was
probably the work OF Esarhaddon. who
in Il. G. ca was doing all he could to
concilate the Babylonians. The murder
OF SennacEerib seems 10 have caused
great satisfaction in Chaldea, for 1t 10
mentioned also In the Babylonan chroni-
Gle. The second column contains an ac-
count of the terrible revenge exacted by
the Babylonians some years after. when,
assisted by the King OF the Urmanda.
or so-called Modes. the Barbarians, they
ravaged the whole Of the South OF AS
syria. 1t is remarkable how Biblical
is the phraseology OF this passage: He
(Merodach) granted him an ally and
found him a companion the King OF the
Urmanda who had no equal; he
caused him 10 obey his word and 10
march to his aid. From high and low
0and. from right and left like a food
he swept, restoring satisfaction TO Baby
lon" Tukte, King of the Manda, not
fearing, caused TO be thrown down the
shrines of all the gods of Assyria and the
cities on the frontier OF Akkad and came
not to his aid..... lie fulfilled like a
deluge the word OF Merodach, who 10
princedom had called him. he lifted not
his hand, he completed the curse Of all
the gods-he rested not upon his bed In
sleep" 1t Is unfortunate that the mama
OF the Babylonian King who had for
his ally Tukte. the Mandian, IS lost, but
II was probably Nabupalassar. This
seems confirmed by statement In an
other portion OF the inscription. where
we are told that fifty-four years prior to
commencement OF the reign Of Naboni-
dus, in Il. 9. SIS. the Urmanda. or Bar
barians, had destroyed the temple OF the
Moon god at Harran; that would be.
therefore, in u. c. coo. There Is no re-
ference TO Nlneyeh. the campaign being
confined 10 Assur and South Assyria,
and IL seems evident that this inscrip-
ton does not describe the destruction OF
Nineyeh.