The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-01

Dabylonian Empire, for more than $500 ysars
temple Gish shir gal, the home Of Sin. Inc
names Of urgur, .kungaEu and, NAbontdus
are found upon the bricAs Of its walls, and When
BabylOnian civilization paved away The Temple
al u Was ~ well recon struct~d that IL continues
" stand. To-day tits tho best- preservcd specimen
Of BabyloniAn Architecture known.
the ruins 81 tr. The work which MIR. Taylor
bcrnn revealed ono Of the oldest temples Of BABY
lortn, which, u like others, must contain numsr,
GUS ehambers perhaps Allied with objects OF great
archaeological interest. HE. explorations teach
that Tie remains 81 other buildings exist AZ Mn
CHER. and that uo countless graves are hied
and We may infer that the remains ~ the palaces
Of Lugal kixub nidudu, trgur and uungunu
and of other prominent kings, are thore; me
value Of the Inscriptions WHICH they contain u
q matter II conjecture, but they certainly exist
and search will reveal them.
The Inscriptions say that Gish -shir gal, al
though the most important, was but ono Of the
many temples which the city contained Gun,
gunu erected a temple 70 hamas one vas
dedicated W Mana, another wAs called kSkhar-hag.
and Kudur mabuk built + grl makh. How many
times the temple Of Sin vas repaired, how deep
the remain ~ earlier constructions sstcnd be
meath the platform Of the present building II u
impossible u say until excavations there have
been made.
Al the centres Of the Moon God worship Astron-
omy certainly nouTished. Jastrow says III Ia
In these places TINT We may cxpect " una some
utb as -
orle" As the great political centre II ~ al "
that wc should seek the historical records of ancient
Babylpnia; and ~ n literary centre W. may hope
" find the original forms Of thess stories, which
the agents VI Assurtanipal copied for the library
at Nineveh. No ruin tsmpts the excavation with
greater promises. MIR Taylor in his report 10 the
Into the mounds" and Of one Of the southern
hills be says, Il have no doubt but some very. inter
esting relics would b. discovered there Dr..
Is,. S %"v Gi The . very liT h. Americans ,ssn nv Sho 1o SsSS
which seems easier or safer 70 excavAse, or prom,
Is the consensus Of all AssyrIologists.
sxcavator may be enumerated AS follows:
First. Tn work which Mr. Taylor began Is oi
sreat assistance. His accurate drawings and
thu excavstor 10 proceed to the work with a great
saving of time and EXPENSE.
Second. At other ruins a difficulty has been
III" distance from any town Camp life In the
deser, il unsatisfactory and may be unsafe, Mas
arch. the most modern town VI Babylonia, Ia but
half an hour away. and there the eNcavator may
Third The Arabic Tribes about Ur are nov
under the control 81 III" Turks. 4 few years ago
the traveller approached the mound al the risk
Of his life
or, has been the headquarters for the Excavations.
Mugh"ir il in the yilnyst Of Busreh. a town In
which large English aud American Commercial
n be found further inland.
Fifth. Mugheir may be reached by water,
an important factor IN the expense OF travel and
eyportn,ion. Cargo may ~ shipped 70 ConsAu
tinoplr or New York with but one or two changes
Sixth. The proximity u Mugheiro 4 Abusharein,
the ancient Erdu, renders II possible 70 examine
or oNcavata both ruins at the same time.
Seventh. The location and nature OF Mugheir
are such that excavations could be carried on
! there at less cost than al almost any other mound
Of Babylonia. The work could be continue
through summer Strong. Arabic workmen from
| the reighborhood may be had for 10 cents or less
a dan. While Sl2 900 would probably suffice
\ 90 carry on the work, the sum OF $50 coo in two
years might complete IT,
Eighth The excavation Of Mugheir should moi
be delayed. The Inhabitants OF Nasarieh are
| quarrying bricks from the ruins, destroying the
tablets and efacing the inscriptions which they
uncover Any moment may witness the need
less destruction Of some II the most valuable
| records Of antiquity should the Arabs accidentally
| come upon them.
IN action Of this kind should be national, moi
local. The Inscriptions from Musheir should
| form a par, Of the National Museum at Washing
ton, that, as at London, Berlin and Paris, the
Assy biologists may congregate and have access
| 10 the records OF the oldest civilization now known.
EDGAR JAMES n