The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-09
RELICS OF OLD BABYLON.
Ancient Books md Letters in the
British Museum.

British Museum.
For more than year the BabyloniaI
Room at the British Museum has beer
closed for Encouragement. II is today re
opened to the public. many years the
authorities have been extending their col
lection, both by expeditions to the East
under the direction of DR.. E. A. W. Bulge
tine Curator OF the Department OF Oriental
Antiquities, and By extensive purchases
from native dealers. The result of this
quiet work, which has been carefully car
ried out, is the acquisition Of objects quite
unequaled by any other national museum.
Not only is the collection highly represen-
tative OF all classes of-Babylonian and AS
syrian archaeology. but it contains spcci-
mems of Babylonan inscribed tablets in
perfect preservation. Indeed, it is per-
fectly astonishing to see letters and &C
count books from Babylonian temples.
more than four thousand years old as
fresh as if just taken from the potter S
oven.
The collections have been arranged his
torically, and the section illustrating the
origin and growth of various systems of
cuneiform writing is most excellent,y els
player. Commencing with linear archaic
inscriptions dating from about B. C. $500.
OF this curious script down to the age
of Darius Hystasps, 3. c. SCI, and through
Greek times until as late period as B. c..
"a. In this section 4 most interesting ex-
hibit is that Of some paper casts of the
Behistun inscription taken by Sir Henry
Rawlinson. which led to the deciphering
OF the Cuneiform Inscriptions II is only
fitting that the father of Assyriology
should be thus represented in the great
museum with which he was SO long asso-
ciated. is"
On passing to the table cases the first
exhibit is that OF Il curious series Of cir
cular clay plaques. neatly inscribed. These
documents. which date from-B.- c. $500,
are really the 1.-THE rolls OF, the ancient
temples of southern Chaidea., Each tablet
relates to an estate and gives the esti-
mated value Of the various fields. accord
ing to the amount Of corn required to sow
them. The plaques are all carefully dated
by some important event occurring in the
year when they were prepared Such deeds
had to be compiled frequently, since the
winter floods removed the boundaries Of
the estates.
The next case contains remarkable Sc
ries of clay deeds relating to trade and
commerce dating from B. c. 2300-210o.
Many Of them have attached triangular
pieces Of clay. like seals to vellum char
tiers, and nearly all are In duplicate. one
copy enclosed within the other. Among
the most interesting objects are the unique
series of royal letters OF Khammurabi. or
Amraphel, which are contemporary with
the age of Abraham. These wonderful lit
tie clay tablets are each accompanied by
their clay envelopes, and show how the
King managed not only business OF state,
but the private affairs of the poorest Of
his subjects: and many Of them relate to
cases of exorbitant usury. The movement
Of troops and the provisioning OF garrison
towns are described with the fullest de-
tail. and from them We can reconstruct
the history Of the period with considerable
Letter writing was quite general at this
period, and from the varying handwritings
it is evident that great numbers OF the peo-
pie could read and write. Indeed, the cor
respondence here exhibited became the
model for letter writing throughout the
East, as in the case OF the missives from
Tel FL Amarra, fine collection OF which is
now exhibited. These valuable records
from Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, and Aram
Naharaim have restored to us the history
of Western Asia century before the
Israelite invasion Of Canaan.
In the section relating to the later Baby
lonian times, the age of the captivity, there
has been ranged a most interesting series
of dated contracts. Some of these contain
the records of commercial transactions by
Belshazzar. while one records the loan by
Cambyses OF three maneh of silver upon
the security of a heuse. A fine series OF
Babylonian bricks of all ages is exhibited,
and one OF these Is remarkable. II bears
an inscription of Nabonidus tB. C. 555,,
and on it is clear imprint OF the foot OF
the workmen, who trod on it while wet
Other interesting bricks are those of the
Elamite Kings of Susa or Shushan. some Of
which have the bitumen used as mortar
still attached to them.
OF Babylonian literature there are sew
eral valuable examples shown-a fragment
of the Deluge Tablet, several portions OF
medical and magical books, fragments OF
works on astrology, and several fine lexi-
tablets, one a vocabulary OF
kossean words, with Babylonian transla-
tions. To astronomers the valuable lists
Of calculations OF the new moon, by which
to regulate the calendar. will be OF great
interest, as they date from B. C. 232 down
to century before our own era. During
the Greek rule in Mesopotamia much at
tention was paid TO time measuring and
kind Of nautical almanac seems to have
been compiled. Mathematics are repre-
sented by tables of square and cube roots.
and by a curious list of calculations OF the
result Of multiplying the numbers from one
to fifty by forty-fve. This was, no doubt
used by astronomers.
In the archaeological cases we have fine
stone maces OF the earliest Babylonian
kings, and number of excellent speci-
mems Of bronze casting. Students OF the
glyptic art will find maI.y important iddi
tons to the collection OF engraved cylin-
der seals, among then, being several royal
ones. Recognizing that a good collection
deserves a good catalogue. the trustees
have issued an admirable guide. which EN-.
braces all the Assyrian department. The
work Is clearly written by DR.. Bulge and
Mr.. King, his assistant. A complete list
OF kings with the cuneform characters
of their names, is given. together with a
sketch of the history of the Mesopotamian
empires. The handbook is beautifully IL
Illustrated and issued at a moderate price.
Standard.
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Death of AN Old Soldier.