The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-11-05
YANKEES IN BABYLON
THEY ARE UPTURNlNG SOME ES.
TABLlSHsD cHRoNoLoGlES.

Discoveries that Prove the world Count.
less Years Older Than Even Biblical
Students supposed-American Money
is Doing the Work,
The University Of Pennsylvania,
through It's expedition to Babylonia.
has secured TO American enterprise
the honor of rendering history one of
the most valuable services ever re.
ceived from science.
Excavations began February G.
1889, under the direction of Or. John
L. Peters, aid have been continued TO
the present date under the conduct Of
himself, Mrs. j. II. Haynes and Pro
fessor Hllprecht.
In the valley between the Euphrates
and Tigrls rivers, rife with deadly fe-
vers, and with the thermometer rang.
ing from 40 to 100 degrees. the expe.
dition has prosecuted its arduous Ia.
bors with a result which marks an
epoch in science.
American discoveries in Babylonia
supply the world with history 2.25O
years older than we have ever re-
ceived.
II his long been believed by arch.
aeologists that the old mound of Nip
pur, where American explorations
have been concentrated, held valuable
secrets, but the perils, hardships and
expense of the undertaking have de-
layed investigation.
Nippur was a mighty city, the seat
of learning and culture, long before
its sister city, Babylon, became great
and beautiful under Nebuchadnezzar
Goa b. G.
The earliest Babylonian kings, of
whom we have had any account until
now, were Sargon |. and his son. Bur
Sin, $500 Il. G. The American dis
coveries at Nippur are eloquent with
the works of these mighty builders.
Beneath the walls which Sargon
and Bur-Sln built and the pavements
which they laid, American research
has revealed the pavements and walls
of lower city.
The last wall unearthed is II feet
high, 40 feet broad, and rests upon
another wall of unknown proportions.
The latest encyclopaedia ISSUED
1899 reads: "Babylonia is one of the
first centres at which men reached a
high state of culture. Whether the
beginnings of this culture antedate
that of Egypt 1t is impossible to de-
eide"
This question is decided. Egypt
was young when Babylon was old and
wise.
Professor Hilprecht is deciphering
cuneiform inscriptions on tablets
which date back 7,OOe B. G. Other
tablets which await his attention date
back, it is believed, 10000 B. G. And
that marvellous old telltale mound of
Nippur has not surrendered its last
secret.
According to biblical chronology"
the world was born 4,004 b. G.
According to the American discov-
cries at Nippur, the world was at
4,004 not an infant, but an old world.
AT least 5000 b. G. 1t was living, read.
ing, writing, loving. hating, warning,
and building temples of worship ION
high places to strange gods"
1t is well for the infirm Of faith
that Biblical chronology" as indicat-
ed by marginal figures on the pages
of our Bibles, is in no sense an inte-
grail part Of the Bible, but Of a system
devised by Archbishop Usher and as
sistant scholars $50 years ago
Geology has long declared with no
uncertain voice that the world is older
by countless years than the age fixed
for it by this chronology.
Archaeology, with learned minis
ters Of the church for interpreters. is
reinforcing this conclusion.-The H.
lustrated American.