[35] Ibidem, No. 43, p. 34.
[36] Cf. Mitteilungen, No. 44, p. 34.
[37] The Zend-Avesta is practically the equivalent of the Bible and prayer-book of the Zoroastrians. The Zoroastrian faith flourished as early as the sixth century B.C., and probably became the religion of the later Achaemenian kings.
[38] The Pehlevi language and literature belongs to the middle Persian period, i.e. from the third to the ninth century or so A.D. The language is related to old Persian on the one hand, and to modern Persian on the other. The Zend as it were bridged over the gulf between modern and ancient Persian, and was of the greatest assistance in the decipherment of the old Persian language as found in the cuneiform inscriptions.
[39] Archæology of the Cuneiform Inscriptions, p. 8.
[40] Squeezes are made by means of a series of layers of thick paper, which has been moistened, the impression being gained by applying the substance thus formed to the inscription and beating it in with a brush.
[41] A partial duplicate of this inscription on the Behistun Rock is inscribed on a dolerite block discovered by the German excavators at Babylon; it contains many interesting additions.
[42] The term “Assyrian” is used, as a large part of the earlier Babylonian literature comes down to us through Assyrian hands, being copied and as it were republished by Assyrian scribes. Assyrian and Babylonian were different dialects of the same language; similarly Assyrian and Babylonian cuneiform exhibit great differences in style, Babylonian being more cursive and generally therefore more difficult to read.
[43] Cf. A. J. Booth, Trilingual Inscriptions; Rogers, History, pp. 175 ff.; Sayce, Archæology of the Cuneiform Inscriptions, pp. 1-35; Harper, Biblical World, XVI, pp. 294-7, 371-3 (a short and concise summary).
[44] For references to texts in which these signs occur, cf. G. A. Barton in Harper’s Old Testament and Semitic Studies, Vol. II, pp. 241 ff.