Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-11-15

spectively.-Dan Bearc in Woman's
Companion.
ANCIENT eABYLoNIAN LIFE.
Its Manners and Customs as Told in
Old Records.
The London Globe.-As long ago as
1877, the late M. de Sarxec, French
consul Bassorah, while excavating
in the mounds of Tel-Lo, on the Sha-
hel-Hie, in the marsh district of the
Afadz in the extreme south of Baby
lOnia, discovered two remarkable in
scribed shaped cylinders, closely COW
cred with archaic writing The larger
of the pair contains thirty columns of
text and more than 600 of writing
and the smaller about 100 less. Al
though these important records have
been nearly thirty years among the
treasures of the Louvre no complete
translation of their contents has been
made.
This delay was due to two circum-
stances. First, the very archaic char
acter of the writing, which was re-
duced form of that usually employed
on the bricks and stone monuments
of the oldest kings of Chaldea; and In
a second case to their being in the
ancient Sumerian language, the speech
of the pre-Semitic population of Chal-
dea, Of which scholars had but little
knowledge until recent years. Both
these difficulties have now been over
come, the text having been copied by
DR.. Ira Price, an American assyriolo,
gist, and the difficult task of transla-
ton has now been most successfully
completed by Professor F. Thureau.
Dangin.
Now that the full translation OF
the two documents is before us, we
gain the most wonderful insight into
the lifes manners, customs, and relig-
ion of the people of Babylonia of 1000
years ago possibly. The story of the
origin of these cylinders is set clearly
before us. and it is one of curious
interest A drought had visited the
land and there was no water for irri-
gation-"the increase grew not up:
the rising waters sparkled not, nor
rose in their splendor" Naturally the
priest, king or viceroy saw in this
visitation the hand of the city god.
Min girsu, and turned to him with
prayer and sacrifice
All kinds OF rich things he offered
in sacrifice" He is troubled chiefly
about the dream, which has already
been described, but this is interpreted
for him by the goddess Nina. who
tells him that it is the god Nin-girsu
VINO has appeared to him in the form
OF colossal divinity, crowned with
the divine storm bird, a dedication
OF the lightning, and riding on hur-
rlcane, and, assisted by other divini-
ties. given him the plan of the temple
he is to build
1t is to be noticed that it is always
goddess whom the viceroy consults
in his trouble. Thus he says. ITO my
mother | bring my dream, that the
diviner (of the gods} who knows what
desire may reveal to me the mean.
ing" This clearly indicates a belief
in the power of wise women or witch.
es to interpret dreams and visions. II
appears that the chief oracle of the
temple was the sleeping chamber of
the divinity" where. as we are told
was the sacred couch richly decorated
and where the dreamer dreamed his
dream and the goddess appears and
explains it,
The inscriptions are interesting for
the light they throw on the manners
and~customs of this city. Gueda Away
calls himself the viceroy (patesi) of
the god, while the divinity is ALWAYS
addressed as King, and it is evident
that the government was a theocracy
and Gudea the earthly representative
OF the God King. In this relationship
we have the key to the long account
OF the construction of this temple
which is an idealized form of the row.
al palace in the city. Accordingly we
see all the component parts of this
building.
Before the great gate, guarded by
huge serpents, lad dragons with pro
truding Tongues" was the great tank
for Illustration, or the bronze sea.
The chief parts of the edifce were
the council chamber" and the judg.
ment hall" In the private apartments
was the banquet chamber" with its
golden table and couch. Here the
sod and his consort fed upon white
bread. honey. milk, wine and pure
Nntter,-foods untouched by fire
and each day the pious ruler re
llenished their table"
In the inner part of the building was
he harem. where the goddess Bau
twelt attended by seven virgins. "
There was garden full OF beautiful,
rees and flowers. which cast pleas
mt shade. and in the branches o.
x-fef Nh. a