INDEX

THE END

Printed by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh.

[1]. Usually called in England The East India House Inscription.

[2]. See p. [167].

[3]. Smith’s Etemenanki Inscription:—

I have discovered a Babylonian text, giving a remarkable account of the temple of Belus at Babylon, and as my approaching departure for Nineveh does not allow me time to make a full translation of the document, I have prepared a short account for your readers, giving the principal points in the arrangement and dimensions of the building....

First, I must remark on the Babylonian measures used, that they are principally the cubit, equal to about one foot eight inches English, and the gar or sa, equal to 12 cubits, or 20 feet English; but there is another series of numbers used in measuring, consisting apparently of numbers of barleycorns arranged in sixties, thus the first number is a length of 11. 33. 20, which consists of 11 × 3600 ÷ 33 × 60 ÷ 20 barleycorns, or 1155 feet 7 inches. The barleycorn was the standard unit of measure among the Babylonians, and for this reason was used sometimes in measures of length without the other terms.

First in the tablet we have the measure of the outer court, called the “Grand Court,” which is given at 11. 33. 20 in length (that is about 1156 feet) and 9 in breadth (that is, 900 feet). There is a calculation as to the area of this court, which I pass over, and come to the next court called the “Court of Ishtar and Zamama.” This space is reckoned as 10. 33. 20 in length (1056 feet) and 430 (450 feet) in breadth. There is again here a calculation of the area which I omit.

Round the court were 6 gates admitting to the temples. These were: 1, the grand gate; 2, the gate of the rising sun (east); 3, the great gate; 4, the gate of the Colossi; 5, the gate of the Canal; and 6, the gate of the tower-view.

The next division is the space or platform apparently walled, and called a ki-galli, sur, or birut. It is uncertain if this was paved, and its extent is also uncertain. It is stated as a square, 3 ku in length, and 3 ku in breadth, but the value of the ku is uncertain. The 4 walls faced the cardinal points, in this agreeing with the other parts, all the buildings having their sides east, west, north, and south.

There were 4 gates, one in the centre of each side of this division: 1, the gate of the rising sun (east); 2, the southern gate; 3, the gate of the setting sun (west); 4, the northern gate.

Inside stood some building or enclosure, the name of which is damaged. It was 10 gar long and 10 gar broad (200 feet by 200), connected with the great Ziggurat or tower, which was the inner and crowning edifice of the group. Round the base of the Ziggurat or tower were ranged the chapels or temples of the principal gods, on its 4 sides and facing the cardinal points.

On the eastern side stood a sanctuary or temple 70 or 80 cubits long and 40 cubits broad (117 or 133 feet by 67), with 16 shrines, the principal being the shrines devoted to the god Nebo and Urmit, or Tasmit his Wife. Nebo was considered the eldest son of Bel, the great deity of the temple.

On the northern side stood 2 temples, one devoted to the god Hea, the other to Nusku. The temple of Hea was 85 cubits long and 30 broad (142 feet by 50 feet), and that of Nusku was a square, 35 cubits each way (58 feet by 58 feet).

On the southern side stood a single temple dedicated to the two great gods Anu and Bel. This was 70 cubits long and 30 cubits broad (117 feet by 50 feet).

On the western side were the principal buildings, consisting of a double house, with a court between the two wings. On the one side the wing was 100 cubits long and 65 cubits broad (166 feet by 108 feet), and the space between them was 35 cubits wide (58 feet). The building at the back was 125 cubits long and 30 cubits broad (208 feet by 50 feet). I do not properly comprehend the disposition of the buildings of this side, and my description of the position of the western temples must be taken as conjectural. In these western chambers stood the couch of the god, and the throne of gold mentioned by Herodotus, besides other furniture of great value. The couch is stated to have been 9 cubits long and 4 cubits broad (15 feet by 6 feet 8 inches).

In the centre of these groups of temples stood the grandest portion of the whole pile, the great Ziggurat, or temple tower, built in stages, its sides facing the cardinal points.

The bottom or first stage was a square in plan 15 gar in length and breadth, and 5½ gar in height (300 feet square, 110 feet high). This stage appears to have been indented or ornamented with buttresses.

The next or second stage of the tower was also square, being 13 gar in length and breadth, and 3 gar in height (260 feet square, 60 feet high). The epithet applied to this stage is obscure; it had probably sloping sides.

The third stage differs widely from the lower ones, and commences a regular progressive series of stages, all of equal height. It was 10 gar in length and breadth, and 1 gar in height (200 feet square, 20 feet high).

The fourth stage was 8½ gar in length and breadth, and 1 gar in height (170 feet square, 20 feet high).

The fifth stage was 7 gar in length and breadth, and 1 gar in height (140 feet square, 20 feet high).

Probably by accident, the dimensions of the sixth stage of the tower are omitted in the inscription, but they can be easily restored in accordance with the others. This stage must have been 5½ gar in length and breadth, and 1 gar in height (110 feet square, 20 feet high).

On this was raised the seventh stage, which was the upper temple or sanctuary of the god Bel. This building had a length of 4 gar, a breadth of 3½ gar, and a height of 2½ gar (80 feet long, 70 feet broad, and 50 feet high).

Thus the whole height of this tower above its foundation was 15 gar or 300 feet, exactly equal to the breadth of the base; and, as the foundation was most probably raised above the level of the ground, it would give a height of over 300 feet above the plain for this grandest of Babylonian temples ... (see App. p. [327]).

[4]. Oriental Literaturzeitung, 1911, No. 7:—

Ungnad translates the inscription: 1. (iṣu) ṣupur iṣṣuri(?) li (?)-in-ti-ka (?) 2. paan ... -šù(?)-du abulli-šu 3. l-ni’-irat-su 4. mit-gar-śu u(?) ki-bi-su(?) li-in-na(?)[...]. “May the claw of the bird (?) tear to pieces (?) the countenance of him, who ... his gate, and may it hold back his breast; him who is favourable to him and (?) ... may he....”

Peiser translates: 1. ṣupur iṣṣuri lintikā 2. pān nakri šudu abullim 3. linī’ iratsu 4. nuḳarśu u kibīsu linnasiḫ. “May the bird’s claw press down the countenance of the foe before the door, and check his breast, may his devastating step be turned away.”

[5]. Αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς ἀρχιτέκτονας ἀθροίσας καὶ λεπτουργῶν πλῆθος, τοῦ μὲν τείχους καθεῖλεν ἐπὶ δέκα σταδίους, τὴν δ’ ὀπτὴν πλίνθον ἀναλεξάμενος, καὶ τὸν δεχόμενον τὴν πυρὰν τόπον ὁμαλὸν κατασκευάσας, ὠκοδόμησε τετράπλευρον πυράν, σταδιαίας οὔσης ἑκάστης πλευρᾶς. (2) εἰς τριάκοντα δὲ δόμους διελόμενος τὸν τόπον, καὶ καταστρώσας τὰς ὀροφὰς φοινίκων στελέχεσι, τετράγωνον ἐποίησε πᾶν τὸ κατασκεύασμα.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

  1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling.
  2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.