The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-25
HILPRECHTS USEFUL DREAMS
VISIONS THAT TOLD HIN NOW TO
DECIPHER INSCRIPTIONS.


One = Priest Told Him q Translation.
At the meeting Of tho American Oriental
society In Springfield, Mass, next Thurs-
day. the Rev. DR.. John P, Peters Is going
to read a paper. DR.. Peterss secretary
said yesterday that the paper would bear
upon the Hiprecht controversy and that
until II was read DR.. Peters would have
absolutely nothing to say for publication
about Prof, Hilprecht or the issues that are
now being sifted by the committee Of in
Vestigation in Philadelphia.
The fact that Prof, Hilprecht has had
some curious experiences in the matter Of
dreams, in connection with bis Assyr-
illogical researches Il being recalled by
some Of those who have been following the
controversy closely. As long ago as 1897.
Andrew Lang, In his volume THE Book Of
Dreams and Ghosts related one very re-
markable adventure OF this nat ure that
Prof Hipreoht had and touc hes upon
another.
DR.. Peters's secretary said yesterday
that these dream episodes in connection
With Prof. Hhprecht's studies had been
brought to DR.. Peters's attention some
time ago but that DR.. Peters had no COM
ment 20 make upon them.
One Of the most remarkable Of these
revelation dreams which have came to
Prof. Hnprecht is the one attributed to the
night Of a Sat urday-Sunday In March,
1898.
According to the accepted version Of this
story, II seems that all of the day before
Prof. Hilprecht had been engaged in try
ing 10 decipher the inscription on two
small fragments OF agate. The fragments
were supposed to DO broken pieces Of finger
rings, and from the nature OF the characters
engraved on them Prof. Hlprecht was
inclined TO date them anywhere from ll4O
10 100 B. G..
The first character Of the folIth line
seemed to read tx u and Prof. Hill
precht was inclined TO believe they might
stand for Kurigalzu, a King Of that name.
But beyond this guess he could not go.
He turned and twisted the bits OF agate
and looked at them under powerful mag
nifying glasses and in all conceivable lights
and angles. He could make nothing OF
them. Finally at midnight, quite worn
out. Prof. Hilprecht went to bed.
He had been in bed but a short time. he Ia
quoted as saying. before he had a remark
able dream. 4 tall, thin priest OF the old
pre-Christian Nippur suddenly stood re-
vealed 20 him. The priest appeared TO
he about 40 years Of age.
He led Prof HilpTecht to the treasure
chambers Of the Nippur temple on its north
east side and there into a small, low cell
inRed room without windows in which
was a large wooden chest, while scraps OF
agate and lapis lazuli lay scattered on the
floor. There the priest addressed the pro-
lessor as follows:
The two fragments belong together
They are not finger rings and their history
h as follows:
aKurigalzu once sent TO the temple Of
Bel, among other articles Of agate and
lapis lazuli, an inscribed votive cylinder Of
agate. Then the priests suddenly received
the command 10 make for the statue Of the
god Nibib pair of earrings OF agate. We
were in great dismay, since there was no
agate as raw material at hand. In order
to execute the command there was nothing
for US TO do but cut the votive cylinder
in three parts, thus making three rings
Each Of these rings contained q part Of the
original inscription
The first two rings served as earrings
for the statue Of the god. The two frag-
ments which have given you 10 much
trouble are parts Of those rings. II you
will put them together you will have con-
frmation OF my wo rds. But the third ring
you have not found yet. and you never will
find it
Then the long thin priest vanished.
As for the professor, Mrs. Hilprecht is
quoted as testfying that he bounded out
OF bed and ran about the room crying:
length coralled the excited professor and
the two Of them confirmed the words OF the
long, thin priest The professor translated
the inscription, after putting the broken
fragments together, TO read IS follows:
To- rHF GOD NIBTB, CHILD
oF THE con BEL,
ms LORD
kIGIGALZU,
IpNTGFEV or THE COD BFL.
MAS PRES ENTED IT.
It was drawings Of the agate fragments
that the Professor had been studying, not
the originals, and in these drawings the
fragments we're Of different colors, so that
n student working on the drawings would
not guess them 10 he parts Of one cylinder.
Prof Hilpp chit, however, examined the
two actual fragments in the Imperial
Museum at Constant inople. They lay
in two distinct cases, but when put together
fitted when cut asmder the white vein
Of the stone showed ON one fra gment,
the gray surface on the other.
Still another dream revelation II credited
10 Prof. Hilprecht IL occurred in 1888.
Prof Hilprecht in that year was working
on a translation Of an inscription wherein
came the words "Kal u -KuC0rsu-Usur
These words had been translated by Prof
board Prof Hilprecht had accepted
this translation and went 10 bed one night
fully believing IL TO be the correct one.
In his sleep he had vision which revealed
20 him that the correct translation was not
'Nebo protect my mortar board but
'Nebo protect my boundary This last
translation Prof. Hilprecht then and there
adopted. and the story Of the dream says
II has been the accepted one among scholars
ever since.
Aeed Woman Missing