Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-28
The Search
In Lost ''Ur
Of the
Chaldees for
the World $
First, Library

T HIS great word-war is going TO
build as we'll as destroy. II promises
TO solve more than one new problem
OF modern life, and is quite as sure 10 shed
q mood of light upon questions which have
seemed almost past human understanding.
Professor Langdon of the University OF
Pennsylvania has pointed the way TO most
promising field OF investigation and dis
rovery. He has discovered upon a very
careful and close study OF some OF the
thousands OF Babylonian clay tablets in
the museum OF the University, brought
as they we're from the great library OF
Nippur, that some Of the most important
inscriptions were actually copies Of sill
more ancient tablets, which are as vet un.
discovered. And Professor Lan-don has
done very much more. for he has ascer-
tanned the very site at which the American
excavator must plant his spade, II he is
to bring TO light tablets which will astound
the religious world carrying bacl; tho his
tory Of human thought thousands OF years
References upon the tablets OF Nippur
to-still older tablets. which were the orig.
inals. of which these are comparatively
late copies, have proved 10 him and TO
other scholars that if the originals are to
be uncovered the excavators will have 10
dig long and deeply upon the SIZE OF an
Gent ur Ur was the city from which,
according to Genesis XII. 81, Abraham
enigra'ed when he went 10 the Promised
Land, with his family and his nephew,
Lot
Fortunately for the projected work the
site OF ur has been known ever since iS47,
when Sir Henry Rawlnson. the famous
and original British Babylonian scholar
deciphered inscribed tablets found in the
ruin mounds Of what the Arabs called
MuEheir proving that here once stood the
mighty city OF Ur. with lis majestic tom
pie 10 Sin. the Moon.God
II lies on the west bank OF the Eu.
pirates, half way between Babylon and
the Persian Gulf. II was undoubtedly the
great capital OF Babylon at the earliest
period OF the civilization Of that powerful
monarchy, and thus helps 10 hear ont
Professor 1.angdon's suggestion that here
Will be found the primacval originals OF
that extensive literature which furnished
10 the Hebrews the material out OF which
tne! oui!t up the earlier chapters OF the
Bible itself
FOR more than sixty years. or ever since
the first translation OF the Deluge Tab.
lets was made by George Smith, scholars
nave recognized the more than striking
similarity between the story of the flood,
as told in the Bible and as decphcred
upon the clay tablets found in the ruins
or N!neveh. But how the Hebrews pos.
sessed themselves Of this very ancient
Semitic tradition was a constant przzjc
to students OF the Bible who had no record
oelore thei Of any contact between the
Hebrews and the city OF Nlnnych in ,or,
ancient times
Many a scholar has desired to dig over
the ruins of ur simply because II had neon
the home OF Abraham, and not for a mo.
mem suspecnng that here was all that
professor Lahgdon promises. bu, tho TnrE.
ish Government refused to grant Grmnn
or permission. because that would have
meant that they would give adonlIa,a MO
lection TO the excavat!ng party and iba,
we're not in a position to offer he.