The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-10-27

| COneClol were dllOHS INC oluCSI VI SNAo'
They did business in the year 1000 B. c. -,
and doubtless the complaints on the part of
taxpayers were quite as frequent as they
are today. Property owners in Nippur had
to pay s'king' tax, an army tax, tax
for the maintenance of canals and for the
improvement of streets and roads. Thus
it is seen that the special assessment depart
ment is also a matter of considerable an
tiquity.
Miss Susan B. Anthony possibly is ia
miliar with the position of women in Nip
pur 5000 years ago though it is not re-
called that she has ever cited it as 4 pre-
cedent which modern nations would do well
to follow At any rate, the women of
Nippur had in some ways greater rights
before the law than the women of the
United States possessed when Miss An
thony began her work Thus Babylo-
Man woman, married or single, could own
property in her own right and could even
engage in business. As today, marriage
might be effected either bya religious or a
civil ceremony.
The officers who are entrusted with the
enforcement of the Compulsory Education
las in Chicago may be interested to learn
that their ancestors in NiPpur had an
equally hard time of it in getting the small
Babylonians to 90 to school rather than
fishing or swimming in the gently flowing
Euphrates. Every free born citizen OF
Nippur was well educated, and even the
slaves were given the advantages Of man
ual training schools. The slaves were also
protected by law from cruelty ON the part
of their masters, and were even allowed to
own property in their own names.
More than 5000 years ago there were
sculptors in Nippur and biz art bronze
foundries, for both splendidly executed
statues. carved from solid porphyry and
other stones, and east bronze figures have
been found in great abundance. The skid
with which the sculptors did their work Is
evidence that the Nippurian toolmakers
were not far behind those of the present
generation. There were great jewellers,
too. in those days. for the ruins are full Of
beautiful amuleis and other ornaments.
When It comes to music and the arts,
the people OF Nippur would, If one may
Judge from their remains, give Boston a
/ close shave tor supremacy A. the Hub OF
the Universe Libraries were common, and
tablets haze been found giving directions
to students a. to how they should proceed
in DRAWN. books from the library From
tins il would appear that the Libraries were
c,talugued. aud that then, a now, there
were people who would keep out the latest
I novel, more than two weeks Il a hne ~
other punishment were not provided
There were several schusls Of literature
IN Nippur. Tablets have been found which
I "a to prove tina, the spring poet has been
( abroad in the world Tor a, least GUo0 years
and there j. even al epic po"m eaiied the
I .GiElhubar. which dates back ~ far IN
1 the history Of BabyIonia As the Had Of
I Homer does iu the history VI nrecCe-
! The .rras Libraries uf Babylonia have al
ready gwen to the world book, on poetry
Law. geography. science, Religion. assron
I umy. mythology aud magic tn say nothing
/ If fables and proverbs, In fact the modern
/ literary man. after heading the catalogue oi
the public library at Nippar, mas well de
,pair Of finding anything new "a las before
the public
The seventh son &C the seventh son did
business in Nippur m the same Old way
There are hooks giving a serios 81 spells
for relieving pains in the head. and oiheI
/ evidences that >nmc cr the m,e, r,'ccnt Il
r>eudo medical eur'- ais were known and
practicrd by the Bahylooians tine Of the
stone tablets r,,lcutly discovered j. a prom
iSS5r, note ga which thr person wbu>r sl-.
nature i az the bottom promises e. pay a
certain amoaui At a rate of interest which
would bp considered fairly remaucrativ,
even by the salary loan sharks q ths
present generation.
Ia addition 70 their other taxes the pe,,
pie &c Nippur wsre obliged a. taFn over .
tenth Of al their yearly pr,sluce 10 the
authorities at ,he temple la the temple,
an. found slone tablets carefully kept II
sets giving the exact ueccipts FROM the tax
:, that 1t i p,,~sihle by multiplying the -au
total sci down on these tablets by ton Il
set approximately the total production o.
the district Tor given wear lmmen>,
stores ii wool, copper. ses~l corn and o,hsr
products werc kep, in the temples, whiel
were warehouses A. well a. plao,ss Of wuT
ship. and Ia time ii famine corn was give'
10 the farmers for -eyj. wod "a loanes
out To the seayer>. and IN every way the
people werr assisted a. il from a CONNER
store
! Modern merchants may imaciue tha
they are adopting the latest plan in offer
ing 10 take back goods il not saJisiac,or,
to their customers. and in issuing writer
guarantees such a are now often slyrr
with watches. bicycles and other goods
And vet a tablet has been found da,in.
from 500 b. G ON which the firm o.
Murashu Sons, jewellers, guarantee 10
twenty years the setting of an emerald il
a gold ring bought los a certain MT. BE
Bazuzu. II the emerald drops out Of il
gold settin. within twenty years the tiru
of Murashu Sons are 10 pay penalty d
I 10 mana of silver Nobody knows wher'
the ring has gone t. but the guarantee /
still perfectly legibIe.
Another tablet dating back 10 ~ b
e. would amuse one of the professional
straw hailrrs at Chicago police court !
is bail bond made out in due form ans
signed not only by the principal but by n,
less than five witnesses, 1t sets fortl
that Nidiutum Bel was in prison out o
which his uncle. Bel-ah -iddina, wished I,
deliver him until such time a. the Nip
puritan Grand Jury should act upon hi
ease. Accordingly, he was ordered releases
on condition that the uncle should iortei
10 mana of silver if he was not produce,
at the proper time.
The age Of these various tablets Is not s'
much a matter Of speculation a might b
imagined. Almost all Of them are stampe,
either with the year Of the reign of TIA,
King in which they were made or witt
some reference to the year of the bulldln.
of the temple or other important event
Lists of the Kings, with the number o
years each reigned, are also in existence
50 that by comparing the dates on eact
tablet with the table of the Kings its exac