The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-03

the Semitic races into Nippur. From my
Investigations l am convinced that the
city existed many millenniums before the
Semitic race came On the boundary of
the city we found an enormous temple,
with fr ontage of 500 feet, building that
will take years and years to uncover. I
excavated far enough, however. to ascer-
tain it's extent and found it TO be a two
story building, with odd little windows,
the inside of the building evidently used
mostly for sleeping, while the plaza was
used for business purposes. Judging from
playthings and works of art found within,
the building could not have been Of later
date than 1000 to $500 B. C. This palace
was the government building. We found
another palace or government building IN
the same neighborhood that probably ex-
listed down to 1900 B. c., and proof was
evident that this latter structure had been
destroyed by fire.
My greatest discovery, made this year.
however, was the Temple Library. he old
est temple library OF Baby;onia, confirming
a belief that / cherished when we first be-
gan work nearly twelve years ago. The
period to which the building belonged has
been proved beyond doubt
Invaluable Records Found.
In February 1 began excaVating the
eastern wing OF the building. As the work
progressed hundreds and thousands OF
tablets were uncovered. All of the tab
lets, or volumes, were side by side, al.
though they varied in size from an inch to
more than one foot. Some of the tablets
contained the same sentences written over
and over again. proving that they had been
used in schools, and some of the sentences
were illustrated by objects which the words
described There were also lists Of the
names of birds and plants-in fact, the
lexicolosy of the ancient Rabylonians- We
also found the records Of some Of the kings
who had reigned- There were literary Sc
Iections, astrological tablets, tablets on
astronomy, en- farming, on banking-in
truth enough to give US complete his
tory and record of the lives and doings OF
the people OF those ancient times. There
fore, uncovered the library that was
already in the ruins at the time of Abra-
ham, and not one OF the tablets bore date
later than 226G 3. C.
LAS for the tonbs that we uncovered,
most of them are not older than 500 or
600 B. c.. although some were found up
TO 1000 B. c., and / discovered personally
the only tomb known to have been actually
buried III the fifth millennium 3. c. This
tomb was inscribed and many objects OF
gold and silver were found within it, In
fact so rich were soIne OF the discoveries
in gold ornaments that the fact is reported
TO Constantinople.
Regarding other explorations in Baby
lonia 1 viii say that the French and Ger
man Governments are actively aiding their
departments, the Emperor of Germany per
sinally giving $4,000 to the expedition
from that country; but at present the work
done by Americans is far ahead Of that &C
complished by any other country. Whether
their record can be maintained or not de-
ponds largely upon the people. l hope the
record will be held
Prot Hilprecht left his wife in Jena.
She has been Ill for many months, and> it
was deemed best TO leave her in the old
country. II is his intention TO return to
Europe early next March proceeding to
CoBsIantinople, where he Will personally
/ label the valuables uncovered this year.
preparatory TO their shipment to the mu-'
seum at the Pennsylvania University.