Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-02
BACK FROM ANCIENT NIPPUR.
Prof. HiIprecht's Discovery VIII Shed
Light the Times of Abraham.
From he New York Trjbuup

Light on the Times of Abraham.
From the New York Tribune.
Prof II. V Hilprecht of the University OF
Pennsylvania, who has been exploring the
mounds of ancient Nppur, in Asia Minor,
for eleven years, arrived here yesterday on
the North German Lloyd Line steamer
Friedrich der Crosse. He was met down
the bay by party from the University of
Pennsylvania, headed by his assistant DR..
A T. Clay.
The last years labors of Prof Hilprecht
at Nippur have been more fruitful than
those of the previous ten years. While his
explorations in previous years were sue
cessful, the discovery of the library Of the
ancient Temple of Nippur is considered Of
a character to eclipse all previous discoV-
cries. The library tablets throw light on
the life of the people living at this center
of population at the time, it is calculated,
that Adam and Eve were living in the Car
den of Eden. 1t is believed that this Ii
brary will reorganize the chronology Of bib
heal times, extending it back many cons
prior to the reckoning of the deluge period.
The value of this discovery has been recog-
nized by European scholars, and Prof. Hill
prechts journey across the continent was
Interrupted at many points for the bestOwal
of honors. He was honored by the Sultan
of Turkey, entertained by Prince Ruprecht
of Bavaria and by the Duchess of Anhalt,
sister of the King of Denmark, made a
member of several geographical societies
and had offers of prOfessOrships in more
than one German university.
THE Importance of this find to our civili-
cation and the bearing it has on the his
tory of the world and its religion are
great, said Prof Hilprecht yesterday.
THE chief point to be remarked is the
fact that have found the first Baby
lonian temple library that has ever been
discovered Hitherto We have possessed
nothing more than the knowledge of the
probable contents of such library from
copies found in the royal library of Ashur-
banapal, in Nineveh. which was discovered
sixty years ago This royal library, how
ever, was compilation of documents from
all over Babylonia, so far as was at that
time known.
IN the library which we unearthad this
year at Nippur we get for the first time
an insight into the arrangement of the IL
braries Of that early day and the arrange
ment of the rooms, &c, what is of major
/ Importance, a knowledge Of the literature
| of the period. OF special Importance is the
! fact that We have not only discovered a
Babylonian temple library, but that it
| proves to be the most influential and i'm
| pOrtant, as well as the oldest, in the whole
| country. No document discovered is
! younger than 1900 B. Chat Is, about the
period when the first blossom Of the Nip
puritan civilization was cut off by inVa-
sion of the Elamites. who descended on
Nippur, sacked the city and carried away
many of its treasures. After that event
| Babylon superseded Nippur the chief
city metropolis of northern Babylonia.
so far, only one wing of the library has
! been eXcavated. Nearly 1900 documents
| have been rescued from the ruins this year.
| The size Of these inscribed clay tablets
! varies from one by two inches to one by
| one and half feet. Unfortunately for the
! decipherer, they were made of unbaked
| clay, and therefore suffered considerably
| by the collapse of the building and by the
humidity of the ground. But We have all
| the fragments.
I'm what manner" Prof. Hilprecht was
asked. will these discoveries affect the in
| terpretations of biblical records?'
"They will materially affect our knowl-
! edge of the life the religion and the arts
| of the Hebrews, whose earliest roots are
| bound up with the history of Babylonia
The library of the temple at Nippur was
lost to human knowledge about the time
| that Abraham went out Of Ur Into Pales-
| tine, and it gives us clear historical set
| ting for that important event Many olher
| customs and religious notions which eX-
| listed among the Hebrews will find here
| their just Interpretation. We have known
| all along too little of this period. Now we
! will be able to tell what Is purely Baby
lonian and what Is purely Hebrew
| THE records from the library at Nippur
| are now on the way from Bassora to Con-
| stantinople, where they will arrive in the
course of six months. The conditions al
| Constantinople make 1t impossible for me
to speak as to the time when they may be
| looked for in this country"