Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-01-05

stion is by no means prlmtivel The date of this
book is $500 H. G.
Geography was taught. as were astronomy and
history In the collection Is the oldest history yet
found. tablet giving the list of Babylonan kings
going back 10 the food. The cl0lm is that Il is
record or 2oOOO years; but this may be disputed
since the names OF the monarchs. which TO
be those OF men who reigned successfully. may be
OF men who ruled simultaneously. In kingdoms
that were adjacent. conservative estimate is
that this history covers 1900 Jears.
There is a book on botany teaching the people
how 10 raise the date palm, an important crop of
the times. Agricultural books abound. for the
temple had collegiate department just as have
Cornell and other American universities where
scientific farming taught. The Babylonlans.
az Is well known. remarkable engineers and
past masters In the field of irrigation. 1t is not
surprising that Doctor Langdon has found many
records Of this In the museums Babylonlan col
lection. We learn. again. OF canals being dug
and OF tablet that chronicles the opening OF n
great waterway, like the Panama canal--the cele-
bration over II. the presence OF the king and the
pride felt In the great skill OF Its engineers
Further documents reported verifying previ-
Gus assertions that the Babyonlan woman
ceved an education equal to mans. took her place
with him In certain lines. and compensated
with the same wage as he.
Books" had and when found are often
crumbled broken, cracked or so badly Clipped
that parts of the translation must be guessed at
or omitted entirely Others. fortunately are found
intact
Letters. on the other hand were sent In en-
yelopes also OF clay, When the tablet letter had
been duly inscribed and signed IL was rolled in
fine clay powder aud slipped into a hollow clay
pocket More cny dust then shaken In. so
that layers OF powder were packed about the con-
tents OF the pocket and the letter could not get
rubbed or scratched. The clay opening was then
sealed aud stamped with the senders ring.
Afterward. the address added and a slave
dispatched with II. Later know that Baby
lonlan and Sumerian governments supported regu-
lar postal systems. Il Is quite possible that that
regime was In existence Ia 1900 u. c.
Many letters are found with seals unbroken.
and these are marvelonsiy preserved In their soft
powdered pads We can only surmise the reason
for their sealed state Perhaps kept sealed
copies OF the most important letters he had TO
write Duplicate copies OF records and transac-
lions have been uncarthed. sometimes miles apart
and the same practice could have held. ratoually
OF letters.
Some OF these letters may never have been
delivered. thanks 10 an inefficient postal service
IN particular locality; or. and this is
plausible the breaking out OF frequent revolutions
could have conceiynhly crippled the Babylonian
post offices and left many letters forever unde-
iyered.
Individually the oldest undevered letter in the
world Is IN the Babyionian collection OF the Uni.
fersity Of Pennsylvania museum. Its date would
be- ROO r. c.. and Doctor Langdon opened and
.ead 4 only last week
II Is from master 10 his slave 90 some un-
icrling employee. Obviously. n Is only one Of
several letters. since 4 refers 90 previous CORE
ipondence and 20 previous transaction over
which the writer Is pertarbed. Its archaic SUI
merriam II dctatorial. oycrbcarng and peevish.
md rants OF unsatisfactory -four deal that
ne underiing has undertaken one wonders
whatever became OF that -four
Other tablets being catalogued have pic
ures them one. hunting scene. reminds
ne OF the prehistoric cave drawings found In
france. There Is another OF a battle scene. very
much broken but rare and interesting.
The coming OF Doctor Lnngdon 20 the Universe
y OF Pennsylvania museum is timely and for
unate. The Babyionian division has had no Gu