The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-06-11
THE ACTUAL SIZE OF BABYLON.
nuch Wild Conjecture Is Swept Away
By The Recent Explorations.

The report of the German ORR
entail Society on the extensive ex-
ploratious carried out on the ruins
of ancient Babylon, which has
just been issued under the editor
ship of DR.. Friedrich Delitzsch, is
a document of more then usual in
terest.
Perhaps one of the most astonish-
ing discoveries in the field of topo-
graphical research has been the
tracing of the walls of the city
and the ascertainment of the true
size of the city. Wonderful des-
criptiOns of the size of Babylon
have been given, based chiefly on
the hearsay evidence of Herodotus,
in ancient times, an the theories
of the late DR.. Oppert. These
writers made the city vast par
allelogram, surrounded by a wall
fifty miles long and hundred feet
high, with one hundred gates, and
bisected by the Euphrates. Ac-
cording to them the area was
about AS large as London and
Paris together, or some forty
square miles. All this wild con-
lecture has been swept away.
The exploration of the walls
commenced at the Babil fort, and
here was found a wall twenty-five
feet thick. with buttresses every
sixty feet. The line of the wall
was traced to the southeast angle,
until it bends to the west and
Jolnslthe great quay on the banks
of 1.-THE river. This portion was
pierced by only one gate, the gate
of Isar, flanked by tall towers
decorated with friezeS of lions and
dragons in 'encaustic tile work.
On the north it was traced to the
river bank. The whole enclosure
covered an area of little over one
mile, or roughly that of our City
OF London.
In the Kasr or "palace" mound
were found the remains of two
great palaces, one built by Natu-
palassar, the other by Nebuchad-
nezzar. Both were most complex
in plan, containing hundreds of
rooms for the accommodation Of
retalners, officials in the royal
family. The two palaces are sep
arated by street. The later or
new edifice is on the eastern side
and consists of several groups OF
chambers arranged around quad
rangles separated by strong walls
and gateways. The largest of
these is royal quadrangle, enter
ed by double gateway.
On the south side of this square
is the northern facade of the royal
audience chamber or Selamlik.
This facade was forty feet wide
and had been richly decorated
with floral designs il enamelled
brick in yellow, white, blue and
black. The audience hall measur-
es 90 by 40 feet and on the south
side is deep alcove with a dais
in front, where the royal throne
was placed.
What historic chamber this is
Here ACKNOWLEDGMENT had sat and
received homage ON his conquest
of Jerusalem. Perhaps in this
very chamber Belshazzar' feast
was he'd and the plaster covered
walls had received the terrible
message. Pere Cyrus the Con-
queror was enthorned in June 53S
B. c., and perhaps in this very
chamber Alexander of Macedon
held the fatal revels after his over
throw of the Empire of the East.
Nebuchadnezzar speaks of rich
ly decorated palaces and temples,
but the one prevailing feature of
all the building was the dull,
monotonous brickwork, void of
decoration If gold and silver
and precious stones. bedar and
cypress wood had been used, all
disappeared long ago.
Protection Against Loss By Fire.
Is your property insured? If not,