The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-09
IT,.

In the fourth chapter Of the first volume
IL recounted what Is now known regarding
the beginnings Of history in Babylonia.
There is good reason 10 believe that as early
at least at 1000 B. c. high civilization had
been developed in the southern part Of the
region watered by the EuphrateS and
the Tigris. In the Judgment Of Prof. Justi,
however the chronology beyond $500 B. c.
Is still so uncertain that when we reach
the period preceding 5000 B. c. we can deal
in general statements only. We should
have a most important guide for the early
chronology il reliance could be placed upon
a date which the last King Of Babylonia,
Nabonidus (555-S39 B. c., has preserved in
one Of his inscriptions, where he speaks
of having d scoversd the foundation stone Of
the temple to the sun god Samas at Sippar,
which stone bore the name Of Naram-Sin
Cthe son Of Sargon ~, who had reigned,
Nabonidus says, $500 years before. Apart,
however. from the suspicion naturally
aroused by the round figure, there are seri-
Gus difficulties in the way Of accepting so
remote a date as $3.50 B. c. for Naram-Sin.
According TO Prof. JUST, TO the present,
at all events, there are not enough rulers
known 20 warrant us in going further back
than some centuries beyond 5000 B. c.
for the oldest Of those kings whose names
have been read on the monuments land
there are some older than Naram-Sin),
40 that the figures furnished TO Nabonidus
nv his scribes may be some 900 OF even
500 years out Of the way In view, never
theless, Of the fact that the oldest Baby
lonian inscriptions reveal a developed form
OF writing, a fully organized form Of gov
-. l. ~ II.
and a fourishing condition Of commercial
aoti witty, II is pronounced quite safe to
AZ the beginnings Of culture in the Euphra-
ties valley az a period earlier than 1000
B. c.
The origin Of the Euphratean civilization
il even obscurer than it's early history.
Prof. JUST is willing however, TO commit
himself to the statement that the Euphrates
vail ey seems 10 have been at all times a
natural meeting place for two distinct
waves Of migration, the one entering the
valley from the east and northeast. the
other coming from the south and south
west. These waves ema ated from different
divisions Of mankind and, II we adopt the
common though unsatisfactory nomen-
clature we may say that the wave coming
from the east represented the Turanian
tyne, while that issuing from Arabia repre-
sented the Semitic. THE Euphratean
culture in the oldest form known TO US
bears distinct evidence Of being a mixture
Of non-Semitio and Semitic elements,
With such a preponderance Of the latter
already discern BILE at the period when his
tOrica certainty begins that II, as seems
likely, the non-Semitio element represents
the older stratum 10 which the beginnings
Of civilization were due, its Significance
during the entire historical period known
TO US is largely theoretical, and limited TO
the traces that remained Of 1t IN the script,
in the spoken language, in the system OF
worship and in the forms Of political and
social life Even II the non-Semitie origin
Of the civilization in the Euphrates valley
be admitted, the Semitic conquerors 90
thoroughly adopted the earlier culture,
including the script 20 their peculiar method
Of thought and expression, and impaired TO
Il such a distinctively Semitic character
that. in Pr1f. Justi's opinion, 'the non-Se-
mitic traces represent u quoAift nsgligedbls
in any general view Of the civilization
Because We have spoken Of the Semitic
invasion a. wave" II must not be In
ferred that all the Semites came 10 the
Euphrates valley at one time. Prof. JUST
distinguishes several distinct waves Of
migration from Arabia, each one Of which
was fraught with political consequences
Of a more or lees violent character and oon-
tributed certain elements modifying the
aspects Of the Euphrstean civilization.
The oldest Of these waves known TO US
belongs TO a period before 5000 b. C., and
evidence Of its strength h TO be seen in
the establishment Of q north Babylonian