Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-13

cred by Prof Eiselen was that written
by a man who lived in a boarding house
most likely in hall bedroom. The poor
devil of a boarder did not say that his
landlady set hash before her boarders
three times a day. but he intimates that
conditions We're bad or worse. The
letter is to his father. and he incloses
money and beseeches the old gentleman
to send him some fresh fish and other
food. One infers from the solicited wall
that has come down from this boarder
through the centuries that that ancient
boarding house was as bad as any that
of their inmates today. Where / live.
writes the unhappy Babylonian boarder.
there is no food that l am able to eat"
His letter in full reads:
20 My Father, from Zimri-Eramma:
May. the gods Shamash and Marduk keep
thee alive forever. May all go well with
thee. L write thee to inquire after thy
health. Please let me know how it goes
with thee. Lam stationed at Dur-Sin on
the canal Bitmsikirim Where 1 live
there is no food which / am able 20 eat
Here is the third part of shekel which
1 have sealed up and forward unto thee
Send me for this money fresh fish and
other food
Inc tOOtnacne eNlCentlN was "a great
mystery to these ancient people. They
prepared a peculiar mixture to put on the
aching tooth, but recited an incarnation
to help out the medicine. toothache
cure written on a brick is:
so must thou say this: o worm, may
Ea smte thee with the might of his fist
Thou shouldst then do the following: Mix
beer. the plant sa-kil-bar and oil together.
Repeat thereon the incarnation thrice and
put it on the tooth.
nj af Of h
ache is as weird, and is thus set forth
upon another brick:
After Anu had created the heavens
the heavens created the earth. the earth
created the rivers. the rivers created the
canals, the canals created the marshes,
the marshes created the worm. Then
came the worm to weep before Shash. oe-
fore Ea came her tears. What wilt thou
give me for my food? What wilt thou give
me to Destroy And the answer is, L will
give thee dried bones and scented wood.
What are these dried bones to me and
scented wood? Let me drink among the
teeth and set me on the gums that l may
devour the blood of the teeth and of their
gums destroy the strength Then shall
hold the bolt of the door. -
Here are some Babylonian proverbs de-
ciphered from the bricks:
He that says 20 that l might ia le
revenge and even add to it more" is
like man who draws water from a well
i'm which there is no water and rubs his
skin without amounting it.
The enemy will not be scattered in
front of the gate of them whose weapons
are not strong.
With disease that cannot be cured and
hunger that cannot be stiled. a Golfer
of silver and trunk full of gold are
not able to restore health or to still
hunger.
If L consume all my garlic when the
wind blows, my heart will be troubled
when the rainy season sets i'm.
A drunken man has the strength of a
worm.
The life of yesterday-it is every day
the same.
Thou art so offensive that when thou
goest into the river the water becomes
foul, and when thou goest into the garden
the fruit becomes bitter.
When the seed corn is not good. germs
will not sprout and grain will not grow.
Because l must die, 1 will eat: because
/ must live, l will work.
Strife you find among the servants.
gossip among BARRIERS.
servant in a strange town may be
taken for a high officer.
Enter into friendship the very first
day and thou dost thereby deliver thy
self into everlasting servitude.
The of an enemy shall eat weeds;
ones own OK shall lie i'm fat pasture.
The iiberality of the king insures the
liberality of the magnate; the benevolence
of the king insures the benevolence Of
the governor.
Letters from women, Prof. Eiselen
says, are extremely rare among these
ancient bricks. Here is one in which