Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-08
IN ANCIENT BABYLoNIA.

According to an article In the Lon
don Globe, important and interesting
discoveries have been made In recent
times upon the site Of ancient Babylon
by the German exploration party now
at work there.
One OF these discoveries Is that Of
the great banqueting hall In the palace
which is believed to have been the lden-
teal room In which Belshazzar held the
feast on the night of the fall OF the
capital, 1t was hall of magnificent
proportions, being 100 feet long and
60 feet WIDE and the walls were dec
GRATED with paintings In bright colors.
Another discovery Is that Of the sa-
cred Procession Street" which leads
from the palace to the city, and through
which religious professions passed on
their way TO the palace, This street was
z, feet wide and over quarter OF a
mile long. Many Of the paving stones
lave been found, Some are large
lleces of limestone; others are smaller
end OF red breccia, and the supposltion
is that they were originally laid in
eeometrlcal patterns They generally
have an inscription which reads:
II am Nebuehadnezzar, King Of Bah
ylon, Son Of Nebupalassar, King OF
Babylon. The Highway Of Babylon for
the Procession Of Merodach with
blocks OF stone the products of the
mountains / paved the street. May the
great lord Merodach grant me everlast-
ing life"
Along this sacred thoroughfare the
triumphant procession OF Nebuchadnez-
sar, carrying the spells from Jerusalem
and the Temple, undoubtedly passed
Other mighty world.oonquerers, as Cy.
rus, Darius, and Alexander, have un-
doubleday passed that road too, after
successful campaigns.
The discoveries made in this center of
ancient world-oulture have disclosed
much Of It's nature, which once was en-
'urely unknown, II appears that the
ancient BabylonIans were great on fes-
tiyals and religious paegeants. Chief
among their many celebrations was
that which was held at the beginning
OF the new year, and lasted for eleven
days That, particularly, was the time
for wise men and soothsayers." as is
gathered from the following inscription.
said to have been made by Nebuchad-
nezzar;
u made bright the place where they
cast destines the Chamber Of Assem-
bly wherein on the Feast OF the Begin.
nlng OF The Year the Divine King of
Heaven and Earth taketh his seat, and
'll the gods OF Heaven and Earth with
reverence submit to him as they stand
before nm. A destiny OF everlasting
days for my life may they cast"
In explanation Of this festival, the
contributor TO the London Globe says
When the Chaldeans were q race OF
farmers and agrioulturists and had not
drunk deep In the intoxcants OF war
and conquest, the New Years festival
came In the fall OF the year, when the
farmers work was ended, and a new
year begun; but with the rise Of the
Babylonian empire and its great i'm
peralIst policy, the New Year became
a festival OF the national god In the
spring month Nlsan, corresponding
with the sacred year Of the Jews. Be
fore the procession started from the
great temple OF Il. saglla, the temple Of
Belus Of the classics, "a service was held
there OF which we have In the British
museum many OF the hymns One Of
these has a beautiful ending, almost
equal TO the Hebrew psalms
Look favorahly upon thy house,
Look favorably upon thy city.
On another.
Look favorably upon the people OF
Babylon.
Whom thou lowest, thy people.
Tho New Years festival commenced
I on the first OF the month and lasted al