Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-07
SIZE OF BABYLON.
Much Conjecture Swept Away by
Recent Explorations.

From the London Chronicle.
The report Of the German Oriental So
cety on the extensive explorations car
ried out on the ruins Of ancient Babylon,
which has just been issued under the ed
itorship of DR.. Friedrich Delitzsch, Is a
document of more than usual interest.
Perhaps one of the most astonishing dis
coveries in the field of Typographical re-
search has been the tracing OF the walls
of the city and the ascertainment of the
true size Of the great city. Wonderful
descriptions Of the size Of Babylon have
been given, based chiefly on the hearsay
evidence Of HerOdOrus, In ancient times,
and the theories of the late Dr. Oppert
These writer's made the city a vast paral-
telegram surrounded by wall 30 miles
long and a hundred feet high, with 1uU
gates and bisected by the Euphrates Ac-
cording to them the area was ABOUT as
large as London and Paris together, or
some 40 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 Is feet thick, with buttresses every
60 feet The line of the wall was traced
to the southeast ankle. until it bends to
the west and joins the great quay on the
banks of the river. This portion was
pierced by only one gate. the gate of 1sar,
flanked by tall towers decorated with
friezes of lions and dragons in encaustic
tile work. On the forth it was traced TO
the river bank. The whole Enclosure COW
cred an area of a little over one square
mile, or roughly that of our city of Lon
don.
In the Kasr or palace" mound were
found the remains of two great palaces.
one built by Nabupalassar. the other by
acknowledgements. Both We're most COM
pick in plan, containing hundreds OF rooms
for the accommodation of retainers, Off
Gals in the royal family. The two palaces
are separated by a street. The later or
new edifice Is on the eastern side and
consists Of several groups Of chambers ar
ranged around quadrangles separated by
strong walls and gateways. The largest
of these is royal quadrangle, entered by
double gateway.
On the south side of this square is the
northern facade of the royal audience
chamber of Selamik. This facade was
10 feet wide and had been richly decorated
with floral designs in enameled brick in
yellow, white. blue and black. The audi
ence hall measures 20 by 10 feet, and on
the south side is a deep alcove with d
dais in front, where the royal throne was
placed.
What a historic chamber this Isl Here
ACKNOWLEDGMENT had sat and received
homage on his conquest of Jerusalem.
Perhaps in this very chamber Belshazzar' s
feast was held and the plaster-covered
walls had received the terrible message.
Here Cyrus the Conqueror was enthroned
in June. 538 B. c., and perhaps in this
very chamber Alexander of Macedon held
the fatal revels after his overthrow of the
empire of the east.
Nebuchadnezzar speaks of richly deco
rated palaces and temples, but the one
prevailing feature of all the buildings
was the dull, monotonous brickwork. void
Of decoration. If gold and silver and pre-
cious stones. cedar and cypress wood had
been used all would have disappeared long
ago.