New Britain herald., 1923-04-03
MOON GOD SHRINE
 OF BIBLICAL DAYS
Interesting Reports Made of Ez-
 CaVatiOnS in Chaldea

Philadelphia, April B. Interesting reports are being received here on the archaeological excavations being made in UT of the Chaldees. the ancient city that Is being explored by the joint expedition of the University of Penn sylvania and the British Museum.
 Letters from c, Leonard Wooley, head of the expedition in Mesopota- mia. describe the progress of the eX- cavation. where diggers into the misty past have unearthed a portion of the wall of the temple of the Moon God, said by MT. Woolley to be the oldest and largest temple of Babylonia. While 1t is too soon to give details, it is believed that the excavation of this temple will undoubtedly show contin- uous service dedicated to the Moon God covering several thousand years and reaching backward possibly be- yond the third millennium E. c,
 Period Reconstruction
 The wall shows several reconstruc- lions at different periods. On the up- per part an inscription was found giv ing the name of Nebuchadrezzar as the restorer of the upper section. while another inscription shows that the main part wah built by Ur-Engur in the third millennium B. c.
 While the chief popular interest in Ur of the Chaldees arises from the fact that 1t is mentioned in the book of Genesis as the birthplace of Abra- ham, scholars will find even greater s,. 1,i ictn clF ward through the millenniums that preceded Abraham, whose date was about 2.oo0 B. c.
 The joint expedition of the British Museum and the University Museum was organized last summer and reach- ed Mesopotamia in November. Work proceeded until the present time, as the climate has been particularly fa- vorable for excavation. One hundred and fifty natives have been kept at work, a light railroad has been laid down, and a house erected to accom- modate the members of the expedi- tion, which consists Of Mir. Woolley, John Newton, archaeologist and archi- feet and Sidney Smith, reader of cum eiform writing.
 Lies On Desert Border
 UT lies on the border of the Syrian desert six miles from the Euphrates and not far from the head of the Per sian gulf. the nearest point of con- fact being Basra.
 It is planned to carry an excava- tions each season until the heat be- comes intolerable about the middle of April. By employing from 150 to 250 men and utilizing as much modern machinery as is possible in scientific excavation. it is believed that a few seasons will uncover some of the more important parts of the city and fur nish an abundance of material for his torical interpretation.
 There was an elaborate ritual con- nected with the worship of the Moon God. A large number of priests were employed under the authority of the high prelate and, according to an an- cient inscription, the last king of Babylon, Nobanidos. who lived in the sixth century B. C., consecrated his daughter as high priestess and proph- etess in the temple at Ur The inscrip- tion tells how she lived in her own house close by the temple, where a guard stood perpetually on watch She was not only the high priestess but the living oracle of the god
 As the calendar was based on the moon, it is supposed that the study of astronomy was one of the activities of the priesthood of the temple.