1917
The discoveries which the British and Indian troops are making in Palestine of old churches and their sacred dust have reminded one of the soldiers of Sir Henry Layard's description of the excavators at Nimroud.
When the first of the enormous figures began to appear above the earth Arabs raced to him — "Hasten, O Bey, for they have found Nimroud himself. Wallah, it is wonderful; we have seen it with our eyes. There is no God but God!" And they hied them in terror to their tents. The Anzacs were filled with different emotions, for like all the forces their ranks were furnished with highly educated as well as men of the old type of privates.
Sayings
All men are born equal, but they mighty soon get over it.
No man is so fast that retribution won't sooner or later overtake him.
Showing posts with label archaeology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label archaeology. Show all posts
Friday, July 27, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Dolls in Babylon's Ruins
1905
Children of Ancient Greece, Too, Were Amused With the Playthings
The first dolls of which there is any knowledge were found among the treasures unearthed from the ruins of Babylon. They are small figures in terra cotta and ivory, beautifully carved and must have been fascinating playthings for the little Assyrian children.
The little girls of Syria had mechanical dolls. The arms and legs were moved by pulling strings much after the fashion of jumping jacks.
The dolls the classic Greek children played with were made of wax and clay decorated with bright colors. One kind had movable limbs and its clothes were made to take off and put on. Every doll had a bed of its own. These dolls represented gods and heroes, but whatever they were made to represent, they were dressed with loving care by the little Greeks.
As these children married when they were very young they played with their dolls until just before the wedding day. Then they made a sacrifice of all their toys, dolls and clothes included. They dedicated them as a pious offering to some deity. If the little girl died before she was grown up her dolls were buried with her.
Thus it happens that the kind and fashion of dolls which comforted these ancient children is known. All the specimens which are kept with so great care behind glass doors in various museums were taken from some tiny tomb.
Children of Ancient Greece, Too, Were Amused With the Playthings
The first dolls of which there is any knowledge were found among the treasures unearthed from the ruins of Babylon. They are small figures in terra cotta and ivory, beautifully carved and must have been fascinating playthings for the little Assyrian children.
The little girls of Syria had mechanical dolls. The arms and legs were moved by pulling strings much after the fashion of jumping jacks.
The dolls the classic Greek children played with were made of wax and clay decorated with bright colors. One kind had movable limbs and its clothes were made to take off and put on. Every doll had a bed of its own. These dolls represented gods and heroes, but whatever they were made to represent, they were dressed with loving care by the little Greeks.
As these children married when they were very young they played with their dolls until just before the wedding day. Then they made a sacrifice of all their toys, dolls and clothes included. They dedicated them as a pious offering to some deity. If the little girl died before she was grown up her dolls were buried with her.
Thus it happens that the kind and fashion of dolls which comforted these ancient children is known. All the specimens which are kept with so great care behind glass doors in various museums were taken from some tiny tomb.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Noah, Not Adam, Ate the Apple
Feb. 1920
Delver in Ancient Lore Finds Evidence Older Than the Bible
Apparent History of Human Race Back 14,000 Years Before Christ
Philadelphia, Pa. — What the discoverer claims to be evidence older than the Bible by two or three thousand years, that woman had nothing to do with the downfall of the human race, was produced by the museum of the University of Pennsylvania in the form of a new set of translations by Dr. Stephen Herbert Langdon.
Doctor Langdon is now professor of Assyriology at Oxford University, England. He was for three years curator of the Babylonian section at the university museum, and while there studied and translated thousands of ancient clay tablets from the ruins of Nippur, in ancient Babylonia.
Noah Ate the Apple
The new book is the fourth in a series depicting the religious life of the Sumerians, a mysterious race, the origin of which is unknown, which was finally swallowed up by the later Semitics. According to one of the flood stories in the collection Noah ate the forbidden fruit after he had been saved from the deluge.
This salvation was accomplished, according to the Sumerian version, by a woman deity. There is no mention of any Eve in the story. Clay tablets from which this and other stories are taken are said to be at least one thousand years older than Babylonian tablets.
14,000 Years Before Christ
After the Sumerians had been extinguished in their political power, according to Doctor Langdon, the Babylonians retained the language for ecclesiastical purposes for many centuries, just as Latin is now used in the Roman Catholic church.
The Sumerian records at the university provide an apparent history of mankind back to 14,000 years before Christ, but this is not considered absolutely authentic, because many of the reigns of kings are collateral. The Sumerians believed that the patriarchs, corresponding to those of the Old Testament, ruled before the flood for 360,000 years. According to their story it was 35,000 years after the deluge when Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylonia.
Delver in Ancient Lore Finds Evidence Older Than the Bible
Apparent History of Human Race Back 14,000 Years Before Christ
Philadelphia, Pa. — What the discoverer claims to be evidence older than the Bible by two or three thousand years, that woman had nothing to do with the downfall of the human race, was produced by the museum of the University of Pennsylvania in the form of a new set of translations by Dr. Stephen Herbert Langdon.
Doctor Langdon is now professor of Assyriology at Oxford University, England. He was for three years curator of the Babylonian section at the university museum, and while there studied and translated thousands of ancient clay tablets from the ruins of Nippur, in ancient Babylonia.
Noah Ate the Apple
The new book is the fourth in a series depicting the religious life of the Sumerians, a mysterious race, the origin of which is unknown, which was finally swallowed up by the later Semitics. According to one of the flood stories in the collection Noah ate the forbidden fruit after he had been saved from the deluge.
This salvation was accomplished, according to the Sumerian version, by a woman deity. There is no mention of any Eve in the story. Clay tablets from which this and other stories are taken are said to be at least one thousand years older than Babylonian tablets.
14,000 Years Before Christ
After the Sumerians had been extinguished in their political power, according to Doctor Langdon, the Babylonians retained the language for ecclesiastical purposes for many centuries, just as Latin is now used in the Roman Catholic church.
The Sumerian records at the university provide an apparent history of mankind back to 14,000 years before Christ, but this is not considered absolutely authentic, because many of the reigns of kings are collateral. The Sumerians believed that the patriarchs, corresponding to those of the Old Testament, ruled before the flood for 360,000 years. According to their story it was 35,000 years after the deluge when Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylonia.
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