The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-06-06
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vations about the dwellings Of the middle classes
While German research has definitely fixed the
location of the Tower of Babel, the origin Oh the
biblical story of the confusion OF tongues mas
not been found in Babylon. That it is a world
myth is the conclusion of scholars. 1t is inter-
esting to note that similar legend is found N
Central America in connection with the pyramid
of Gholua. which was also intended to reach
the heavens and which brought disaster to Its
builders
But if this legend has not been verified by re
search the discoveries which have rewarded the
labors of explorers and archaeologists in Baby
lonia have been many and of the highest value
Innumerable tablets have been collected which
when deciphered will throw light upon cviliza
ton which was born more than six thousand
years ago. The oldest temple in the world has
been unearthed at Bisya. Large square blocks
have been discovered which date back to the
reign of Sargon l., $500 years before Christ
Even older is platform built of the peculiar
convex bricks used In B. G. $500. Inscriptions
on bricks found in the temple at Bisya are
stamped with the name of Dungi, B. G. 2T50.
crumped piece of gold bears the name OF Param
Sim, B. C. 1850 So much for the age of the
antiquities of Babylon The best. preserved edi-
fee Of ancient Babylon thus far Nsunearthed Is
the gate of the goddess lshtar of which the ma
sand years of neglect
What is even more interesting to the general
public modern research is making the Baby
lonians live again after thousands Of years.
Much is known now of their daily life, their aims
and occupations, their religious ceremonies 1t is
possible to reconstruct something of the life OF
the prophet Daniel in Babylon. 1t Is possible to
follow the coarse OF procession in honor OF
the god Marduk through the gate OF lshtar to the
palace of Northumberland. The sepultures of
the people and of the princes have been laid
open.
Everywhere on the walls of buildings are to
be seen representations of the bull, which was
the sacred animal of Babylon
Though 1t is uncertain whether the ancient
Babylonians were more civilized than their
Egyptian contemporaries there is but little doubt
that they were the pioneers Of civilization in
the whole Of western Asia before Greece and
Rome came to the front. Four thousand years
B. c. their system OF writing had already been
developed. and applied also the Semitic Baby
lonian tongue Fourteen hundred years B. c..
as the TellelAmarna tablets testify, It's use ex.
tended over the whole of western Asia as far
as the Mediterranean and Egypt Though not
warlike people the Babylonians possessed
more than once what might have been described
at the time as worldwide empire. Fhey were
energetic. intelligent. polished in their way and
fond Of letters. Excellent sculptures and en-
cravings on hard stone exist to testify to their
skill and artistic instincts. Representations OF
musical instruments imply also that the art OF
harmony was not altogether unknown to them
To this must be added agriculture mensuration
and mathematics, such as they were and their