The times., 1897-07-11

1t is claimed for Philadelphia and the
University oil Pennsylvanla, and the facts
bearing on tile case seem to substantiate
The claim, that no other city or university
Iii this country has shown an interest in
archaeology at all comparable with thar
diSplareG by them. tieneFous men Of
Philadelphia have Supplied the substantial
funds for expeditions OF exploration and
the university has supplied field scientists
to prosecute the undertakings in manner
entireiy creditable to themselves and TO
the scholarship OF our country, for the
expeditions have attracted the attention
ana admiration Of all the scientific world.
These explorations have been made in
any ionla, EeyIt, Central America, Italy,
Greece, ana our own land.
The ilrst important work undertaken was
the expedition into Babylonia. The work
Is at present In allegiance, though not
completed The first party went out in
1855 and remained two years, but it was
only partially successful in unearthing
anything Of striking Importance To archae-
oioGy' lhe seoond expedition left in
1898 and came back in 1895. Its dis
coVeries We're beyond the dreams even
OF the enthusiastic projectors. So i'm
portant We're the explorations that thiId
party was organized and sent to the field
10 prosecute tile work SO happily begun
hut he allowed himself To Ire turned back
ana the work is now in statu quo.
Inc results OF these expeditions have
pe"n recorded and published, and no work
or an oriental character since PaIgrave's
Araba possesses the charm or the value
that does DR.. John Punnett Peters Nip
pur The first volume has Just teen
ISSUED. 1t describes the first campaign, The
Campaign of the late eighties, OF which Dr.
Peters was the director
Ihe volumes are called "Nippur,' IS
most specifically denoting the resultant
ol the explorations of the University OF
Iennsy lvania. / t was in reality these
explorations which CAV e back 10 the
world the name and the knowledge of a
Guy as sacred and 81 ignifieant to the
ancient religion Of Babylonia as is Jeru-
salem to ours
In Nppur was situated the great temnleo of
Bel Dr.. Peters calls this the old est
temple In the world I'VE found that
NIppur was a great and flourishing CITY
ana It's temple, the Temple of Bel, the
religious center o fthe dominant people Gfthe
world at period as much prior to he time
OF Abraham as the time of A hrahan is
prior TO our day. We discovered writ
ten records no less than q 200 years old,
and proved that writing and civiIiza-
ton were thea by no means in their
fancy fErticrthauunat, our eX phiratlons
nave shown that Nippur possesseda history
extending backward OF tie earliest writ
ten documents found by us at least = 900
years Two thousand years OF dormant,
obhterated history restored by one ex-
petition!
Ihe accounts of the organization Of the
expedition, the journey to and into the
ORIENT at Constantinople, Aleppo, Tiphsah
= Halehlah, afterward named for Zenob,a:
Eagd8d, Babylon, and finally Nippur. are
all charged with fresh interest begotten
ofthe eunfamiiauty allthat was
seen, the adventurous character of any ex-
pcditioninto Astatic Turkey, and Dr. Peters
wncharm ornarrative which isimparted to
every page.
The fiTst volume is rich in Illustrations
and maps, and the booknaker's art has
IN it fine exemplaE II is a 10y 10 the
eye and hand, as wellas to the mind a con
tingent merit neglected too often in books
which IL is desirable to keep by US in rer-
manency and squandered on tranSftory
TITLES OF Ehicl. IL is theredeeming and only
feature The second volume will lie ready
shortly. New York: G p Putnam's Sons.
Washington: Bretano.)