The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-11-29
An Old WARRANTY DEED.
Some Of the treasures Of the
National Library.
VALUE OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES
Mr.. George Wilson Writes From the
Nations Capitol.

EDITOR OF THE INTELLIGENCER:-
1t may interest your readers to see
how the people Of Assyria and Baby
lonla arranged some Of their business
affairs "way yonder" in the times
when Sennacherib and Nebuchad.
nezzar we're boastiog of their 'great-
ness, just as Americans are doing
now, and were asking their gods to
keep the power in Their particular
families to the end Of all things, not
remembering that in this world and
! in nature "there is nothing constant
but change. I"
Instead of a deed it was there the
habit to have a stone set up (or
severaD with an inscription reciting
about what our deeds now do. It
is 70 no eprrosed that the statement
of the os ines was never
omitted aud hence IL an Inscription
did not begin chat way 1t was known
that it bao been tampered with,
Here is the text OF one This
Awriting is twenty -four lines, extend
ing to one greater 'hu' or cubit.
"The field in the city Abna Nebo
on the banks Of the river Tigrs,
situated on the estate of the MAJ
Kill, in shape an elongated rectangle,
1870 measures are the length Of its
east side, facing the high mound Of
raised earth. And $50 measures are
the length OF its west side, facing
the estate of the man Tunatzu. And
\ 90 measures are the length Of its
north side, facing the estate Of Kill.
Elisutussur, the son Of Kill, has
given this field forever to his daugh-
ter, now dwelling in the city OF Ear-
Sarcina, and who is the wife Of the
man Khiga-ship-Marduk, son Of lu-
beth-shagathu-zirashbit.
"And Khiga-ship-Marduk, son Of
= Observation-Disclosures, for per-
petual remembrance Of it, has carved
the awful images Of the great gods
and goddesses upon this stone tablet
III any one in future days, among
the brothers or descendants OF the
house Of Kill; any one Of their men
or women, male servants or hand
maidens whether he or she be young
or (old) (marricd or single) in order to
destroy this sculpture, and to ruin
these writings, shall chip of any part
Of this sculpture, whether it. be by
injuring the divine images carved on
the stone, or whether it be
4 (stone scaled of here) or IL any one
shall change the number OF the lne'
I Of writing, or shall alter the sculpture
and make new ones; or shall say thai
the form of the field has not beer
faithfully preserved so as to be thai
Of an elongated rectaugle THAT is
that fraudulent description ha
been set forth in The inscriptionl, o.
shall with accursed derision lift vi
this tablet so high that no one cal
read it; or shall make new table
[frauduently] and place it couspcu
ously, while this one is left Ia
neglected spot
cor who shall fling it 10 the river
or Shall smash IL in pieces: or shal
square it [in order to use It as
common building stonel or shall bur
1t in the fire: of shall scrane OIL 1t
surface and write something else 0
shall place it in an obscure corner;
"That person may the great god
Anu, Sin Bita and Makh cut hr
down like a man fells q tfee
MAY they carry off the tombs "a
the bones] Of his fathers, and punde
the possessions Of his race Ma
Marduk the great Lord bind him wit
fetters that cannot be brokenl
May the Sun, the great ruler {
heaven and earth, give him up to b
enemies, slave condemned to force
labor
May Sauna, goddess Of runnln
streams, let loose all the coplo.
w "a heaven and sweep away
0rulu the wheat harvests Of bis field
May ishtaF, queen Of heaven an
earth, who sits IN her palace, Il