Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-24
DREAM SOLVES A PROBLEM
Vision of n Night Puts y PerpIexed
Archaeological ON Right
Track.

In the course of an interesting article
on Dreams and the Supernatural in the
current issue OF the outlook III. Adding
ton Bruce cites a number OF instances In
which dreams have guided the dreamer
to the solution OF problems which baffled
his endeavors when awake. One OF these
was an experience related by Prof. Her
man V. Hilprecht, the psychologist.
which is worth repeating. DR.. Hilprechts
own account OF this singular experience
follows:
zone Saturday evening about the mid
die of March, 1893. I had been wearying
myself as l had done so often in the
weeks preceding, in the vain attempt to
decipher two small fragments of agate
which were supposed to belong to the
finger rings of some Babylonian. The
labor was much increased by the fact
that the fragments presented remnants
only of characters and lines, that dozens
of similar small fragments had been
found In the ruins of the temple OF Bel
at Nippur with which nothing could be
done and that in this case, Furthermore,
I had never had the originals before me,
but only hasty sketch made by one OF
the members OF the expedition gent by
the University OF Pennsylvania TO Baby
lonia. I could not say more than that
tho fragments. taking into consideration
the place IN which they were found and
the peculiar characteristics OF the cunei-
form characters preserved upon them,
sprang from the Cassie period OF Baby
lonlan history (about l700-1140 B. CO.
Moreover, as the first character Of the
third life seemed TO be KU. 1 ascribed
this fragment, with an interrogation
nj ~ lstt rtrhfI I Mi
the other fragment as unciassifiabie,
with other Cassie fragments. upon a
page OF my book where l published the
undesirable fragments The proofs al
ready lay before me, but I was far from
satisfied.
THE whole problem passed yet again
through my mind that March evening be-
fore placed my mark OF approval under
the last correction in the book. Even
then had come to no conclusion. About
midnight, weary and exhausted, went
to bed, and was soon In deep sleep. Then
dreamed this remarkable dream:
"a tall, thin priest of the old pre-Chris-
tian Nippur about 40 years of age, and
clad In a simple abba, led me to the
treasure chamber of the temple, on its
southeast side. He went with me into
small, low-ceiled room wieh6ut win
dows. in which there was a large wooden
chest, while scraps OF agate and lapls
lazuli lay scattered on the floor. Here he
addressed me as follows:
The two fragments which you have
published separately upon pages % and rs
belong together, are not finger rings, and
their history Is as follows: King Kuri-
galzu (about 1900 y. c. once sent to the
temple OF Bel, among other articles of
(.
tive cylinder OF agate Then we priests
suddenly received the command TO make
for the statue OF the god Ninib a pair of
earrings OF agate. We were in great dis
may, 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 into
three parts, thus making three rings,
each OF which contained a portion OF the
original inscription. The first two rings
served as earrings for the statue OF the
god; the two fragments which have given
you SO much trouble are portions OF them.
II you will put the two together you will
have confirmation OF my words. But the
third ring you have not vet found in the
course of your excavations, and you
never will find It,
with this the priest disappeared.
awoke at once, and Immediately told my
wife the dream, that L might not forget
il. Next mornlng-Sunday-I examined
the fragments once more In the light or
these disclosures. and to my astonishmRnt
found all the details OF the dream pre-
cisely verified, in so far as the means OF
verification were in my hands. The orig
inal inscription on the votive cylinder
read: To the god Ninib, son OF Bel. his
lord. has Kurigalzu, pOntifex OF Bel, pre-
scented this"