New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-30

Perhaps the most important result ~ the ex'
animation of the tablets which are now being
dealt with is TO confirm the historical accuracy
Of the statements Of Ezra ana Nehemiah. II Ia
known that certain names In all peoples are
only used in the same form at certain limited
periods. Now the names and the forms q the
IA mes used In these tablets are those employ ed
by the authors OF the two Biblical books mem
toned For the first time there has been
brought to light number Of documents con-
temporary with these authors The River ke
bar in the land Of the Chaldeans." by the
ters Of which Ezekiel. while a captive among
his people ut Tel-abib. saw the visions OF The
Cherubm tEz. H. 3. ill., To- X. 10 and which
has hitherto been unidentified i'm cuneiform lit
eraturc. has al length come to light as Identical
with the Kabar Il large navigable canal not
far from Nippur, and not, it had previously
been suggested. a river many miles distant from
H. In the BOOK or Genesis lch. ". '. lu) the
reader Is informed Of Nimrod, the mighty hun
ter before the Lord that THE beginning Of his
Kingdom was Babel tElbylcn) and Er oh and
Accad and Calneh. in the land Of Shnaar."
The next verse states. out 81 that land went
forth Asshur. and buded Nineveh." The writer
Of Genesis is thus dealing with what be con-
sders the four Oldest cities In the world for
Nimrod is the grandson OF Noah. SO far Calneh
had not been Identified. There is, indeed. Il ira
dition in the TaImud which states it TO be Nip
pur. but little importance has been attached TO
it. Professor Hilprccht informs me that the re.
cent discoveries have confirmed the truth OF
this tradition. The impression is thus justified
that the American expedition has had the good
fortune to ind the runs Of 4 city REGARDED
long ago as the time Of tn. writer Of the Book
OF Genesis as one Of the oldest fl the world.
LEGAL DOCUMENTS
The translatiOns o. the legal documents OF
Murashu & Sons are very Interesting In re-
gard 10 these documents perhaps the most con-
spicuous feature is the publicity that was given
and probably required 70 give them validity
Here. for example. is a guarantee for twenty
years that an emerald Is so well set that ii viii
not fall out "Bel-ahiddina and Br-shunu
~ gf crt,,kp
unto Bel-naGinshumu. son - Morasilu. as fol-
lows. A concerns the gold ring set with an
emerald we guarantee that for twenty years
the emerald VIII not fall out Of tie ring. II II
should fall out before the cXpiry If twenty
years Be-shitdiua aud IT, two others) shall
pay to Bel-nadinshufau an indemnity Of ten
mana Of silver" Then follow the names ~
seven witnesses and II an official who l. de-
scrihed as the scribe Of the Concordance ot
with the "rhumbnail- maris If B,l-ahiddina. Bel
shunu and Hatin. instead Of their seal" This
must serve as a specimen. In the forthcoming
book many legal documents Of especial interest
10 the student Of law will be given. Among
these will be the following: Babyl0nian sub
ject becomes surety for the release OF his
nephew from prison On condition that he viii
not leave Nippur wthou; permission. Another
Potestas. The paterfamilias complains that
The servants Of another have robbed him. The
document Witnesses that. the property having
been restored. neither he nor those under him
will institute legal proceedings for the theft
There are leases of various kinds and contracts
for the sale Of sun-dried bricks and other mer
chandse. for the loan Of seed corn and oxen
for poughing. and a variety Of other documents
Of ordinary business life, which bring home to
the reader very wildly that he is in the pres
euce OF actual facts, that human If" and hu-
man operations Were very much like. and yet In
other respects widely different from. what they
are now. above all. that the inhabitants OF this
recently unearthed city had great capacity for
business. and mad made greater progress in the
development Of what are often considered as
modern commercial usagcs than has yet been
believed.