Part 5 (1/2)
The sculptures in the palace itself had rapidly fallen to decay, and of those which had been left exposed to the air after M Botta's departure, scarcely any traces remained Since my former visit to Khorsabad, the French consul at Mosul had sold to Col Rawlinson the pair of colossal hureat hall of the British Museum They had stood in a propylaeum, about 900 feet to the south-east of the palace, within the quadrangle, but not upon the artificialappears to have been nearly the saateway, in the walls of Kouyunjik, and like it was built of brick and panelled with low limestone slabs From the number of enamelled bricks discovered in the ruins it is probable that it was richly decorated in color
Trenches had also been opened in one of the higher roup of ruins at the S W corner of the quadrangle, but no discoveries of any interest had been le was now occupied by a fever-breeding marsh forht at Futhliyah, a village built at the foot of the Gabel Makloub, about a mile and a half from Khorsabad Near Futhliyah, and about two miles from the palace of Khorsabad, is a lofty conical Tel visible fro country It is one of those isolated mounds so numerous in the plains of assyria, which do not appear to forroup of ruins, and the nature of which I have been unable to deterht have been connected with those reht have been raised over a tomb By my directions deep trenches were opened into its sides, but only fragments of pottery were discovered
Froe of Baazani, chiefly inhabited by Yezidis There we found Hussein Bey, Sheikh Nasr, and a large party of Cawals asseentleman of Mosul, who had farroup of artificialexahbouring village of Baasheikhah, only separated fro the rains Both stand at the very foot of the Gebel Makloub Iy ravines worn by winter torrents In these valleys are quarries of the kind of alabaster used in the assyrian palaces, but I could find no rereat slabs froh they appear to be of ancient date
I have mentioned, in my former work, the assyrian ruin near Baasheikhah
It is a vast ular in shape, uneven in level, and furrowed by deep ravines worn by the winter rains Standing, as it does, near abundant quarries of the favorite sculpture- the platforms of Kouyunjik or Khorsabad, there was every probability that it contained the remains of an edifice like those ruins There are a fe mounds scattered around it, but no distinct line of walls for the former excavations only earthen jars, and bricks, inscribed with the name of the founder of the centre palace at Nimroud, had been discovered A party of Arabs and Tiyari were now opening trenches and tunnels in various parts of the mound, under the superintendence of Yakoub Rais of Asheetha The workmen had uncovered, on the west side of the ruin near the surface, so a flight of steps; the only other antiquities of any interest found during the excavations were a few bricks bearing the naments of earthenware
It is remarkable that no remains of more interest have been discovered in this mound, which must contain a h the trenches opened in it were numerous and deep, yet the ruin has not yet probably been sufficiently examined It can scarcely be doubted that on the artificial platform, as on others of the same nature, stood a royal palace, or some monument of equal importance
[Illustration: Bulls, with historical Inscriptions of Sennacherib (Kouyunjik)]
CHAPTER VI
DISCOVERY OF GRAND ENTRANCE TO THE PALACE OF KOUYUNJIK--OF THE NAME OF SENNACHERIB IN THE INSCRIPTIONS--THE RECORDS OF THAT KING IN THE INSCRIPTIONS ON THE BULLS--AN ABRIDGED TRANSLATION OF THEM--NAME OF HEZEKIAH--ACCOUNT OF SENNACHERIB'S WARS WITH THE JEWS--DR HINCKS AND COL RAWLINSON--THE NAMES OF SARGON AND SHALMANESER--DISCOVERY OF SCULPTURES AT KOUYUNJIK, REPRESENTING THE SIEGE OF LACHISH--DESCRIPTION OF THE SCULPTURES--DISCOVERY OF CLAY SEALS--OF SIGNETS OF EGYPTIAN AND assYRIAN KINGS--CARTOUCHE OF SABACO--NAME OF ESSARHADDON--CONFIRMATION OF HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE BIBLE--ROYAL CYLINDER OF SENNACHERIB
During the reatest interest and importance were made, both at Kouyunjik and Nimroud I will first describe the results of the excavations in the ruins opposite Mosul
I must remind the reader that, shortly before my departure for Europe in 1848, the forepart of a human-headed bull of colossal dimensions had been uncovered on the east side of the Kouyunjik Palace This sculpture then appeared to form one side of an entrance or doorway, and it is so placed in the plan of the ruins acco my former work[48] The excavations had, however, been abandoned before any attempt could be made to ascertain the fact Onout the opposite sculpture A tunnel, nearly 100 feet in length, was accordingly opened at right angles to the bull, first discovered, but without co upon any other remains than a pavement of square limestone slabs which stretched without interruption as far as the excavation was carried I consequently discontinued the cutting, as it was evident that no entrance could be of so great a width, and as there were not even traces of building in that direction
The work been then ordered to uncover the bull which was still partly buried in the rubbish, it was found that adjoining it were other sculptures, and that it formed part of an exterior facade The upper half of the next slab had been destroyed, but the lower still reure of the assyrian Hercules strangling the lion, similar to that discovered between the bulls in the propylaea of Khorsabad, and now in the Louvre The hinder part of the anie lie The legs, feet, and drapery of the God were in the boldest relief, and designed with great truth and vigor
Beyond this figure, in the same line, was a second bull The facade then opened into a wide portal, guarded by a pair of winged bulls, twenty feet long, and probably, when entire, le between theures in low relief, and flanking theures, one above the other
Beyond this entrance was a group si with that on the opposite side, also leading to a smaller entrance into the palace, and to a wall of sculptured slabs; but here all traces of building and sculpture ceased, and we found ourselves near the edge of the water-worn ravine
Thus a facade of the south-east side of the palace, forrand entrance to the edifice, had been discovered Ten colossal bulls, with six huether, and the length of the whole, without including the sculptured walls continued beyond the smaller entrances, was 180 feet They had represented the conquest of a district, probably part of Babylonia, watered by a broad river and wooded with palms, spearmen on foot in co lines of prisoners, and beasts of burden carrying away the spoil Aht as tribute to the conquerors, could be distinguished a lion led by a chain
The bulls, as I have already observed, were all more or less injured The same convulsion of nature--for I can scarcely attribute to any hureat masses--had shattered sost the ruins Fortunately, however, the lower parts of all, and, consequently, the inscriptions, had been more or less preserved To this fact e the recovery of some of the most precious records hich the monuments of the ancient world have rewarded the labors of the antiquary
On the great bulls forrand entrance, was one continuous inscription, injured in parts, but still so far preserved as to be legible alhout It contained 152 lines On the four bulls of the facade were two inscriptions, one inscription being carried over each pair, and the two being of precisely the same import These two distinct records contain the annals of six years of the reign of Sennacherib, besides nuion of the assyrians, their Gods, their tehest interest and importance
In my first work I pointed out the evidence, irrespective of the inscriptions, which led reat palace of Kouyunjik with Sennacherib[49] Dr Hincks, in a memoir on the inscriptions of Khorsabad, read in June, 1849, but published in the ”Transactions of the Royal Irish Acade in the group of arrowheaded characters at the co on all the inscribed bricks from the ruins of this edifice Subsequent discoveries confirust, 1851, that the mention of any actual event recorded in the Bible, and in ancient profane history, was detected on thewho had raised thelandbeen seen by Colonel Rawlinson, he announced in the Athenaeuust, 1851, that he had found in then of Sennacherib, ”which placed beyond the reach of dispute his historic identity,” and he gave a recapitulation of the principal events recorded on the h history either sacred or profane These inscriptions have since been examined by Dr Hincks, and translated by him independently of Colonel Rawlinson He has kindly assisted in with the name and titles of Sennacherib It is to be reh Priest, of Babylon,” as his father had done in the latter part of his reign, fro the record he was not the ih its chief ed his supres fro sun (the Mediterranean) to the lower sea of the rising sun (the Persian Gulf)” In the first year of his reign he defeated Merodach Baladan, a na who isletters and a present to Hezekiah[51], when the Jewish monarch in his pride showed the as, the silver and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominions that Hezekiah showed the which led to the reproof of the prophet Isaiah, and to his foretelling that all this wealth, together with the descendants of its owner, should be carried away as spoil to the very city from which these a of Kar-Duniyas, a city and country frequentlythe southernris and Euphrates, together with the districts watered by those two rivers, to the borders of Susiana This king, with the help of his Susianian allies, had recently recovered Babylon, froon, Sennacherib's father, had expelled hin The battle appears to have been fought considerably to the north of that city The result was that Sennacherib totally defeated Merodach Baladan, who fled to save his life, leaving behind hions_ (?), horses,horses with their trappings for war_ (?) The victorious king then advanced to Babylon, where he plundered the palace, carrying off a vast treasure of gold, silver, vessels of gold and silver, precious stones, men and women servants, and a variety of objects which cannot yet be satisfactorily determined No less than seventy-nine cities (or fortresses), all the castles of the Chaldaeans, and eight hundred and twenty ses), dependent upon thereat wandering tribes ”that dwelt around the cities of Mesopotamia,” the Syrians (Araht under subjection Sennacherib having n of the conquered provinces, proceeded to subdue the powerful tribes who border on the Euphrates and Tigris, and aarenes and Nabathaeans Fro people he declares that he carried off to assyria, probably colonising with thees, 208,000 ether with 7200 horses and mares, 11,063 _asses_ (?), 5230 camels, 120,100 oxen, and 800,500 sheep It is remarkable that the camels should bear so small a proportion to the oxen and asses in this enust the Bedouin tribes, who now inhabit the same country, the ca to find, that in those days, as at a later period, there was both a nomade and stationary population in Northern Arabia
In the sareat tribute from the conquered Khararah, and subdued the people of Kheri rebellious (neither people can as yet be identified), rebuilding (? or consecrating) the city of the latter, and sacrificing on the occasion, for its dedication to the Gods of assyria, one ox, ten sheep, ten goats or lambs, and twenty other anin, Sennacherib appears to have turned his ar reduced in his first year the southern country to obedience By the help of Ashur, he says, he went to Bishi+ and Yasubirablai (both na been rebellious to the kings his fathers He took Beth Kilamzakh, their principal city, and carried away their reat, horses, mares, _asses_ (?), oxen, and sheep The people of Bishi+ and Yasubirablai, who had fled froht down from the overnor of the city of Arapkha He made tablets, and _wrote on them the laws (or tribute) imposed upon the conquered, and set them up_ in the city He took permanent possession of the country of Illibi (Luristan ?), and Ispabara, its king, after being defeated, fled, leaving the cities of Marubishti and Akkuddu, the royal residences, with thirty-four principal towns, and villages not to be counted, to be destroyed by the assyrians, who carried away a large amount of captives and cattle Beth-barrua, the city itself and its dependencies, Sennacherib separated from Illibi, and added to his immediate dominions The city of _Ilbinzash_ (?) he appointed to be the chief city in this district He abolished its former name, called it Kar-Sanakhirba (_i e_ the city of Sennacherib), and placed in it a new people, annexing it to the governhbourhood of Holwan, coros
In the third year of his reign, Sennacherib appears to have overran with his armies the whole of Syria He probably crossed the Euphrates above Carchemish, at or near the ford of Thapsacus, and marched to the sea-coast, over the northern spur of Mount Lebanon The Syrians are called by their familiar biblical name of Hittites, the Khatti, or Khetta, by which they were also known to the Egyptians The first opposition he appears to have received was froe; but as soon compelled to fly from Tyre to Yavan in the middle of the sea Dr Hincks identifies this country with the island of Crete, or some part of the southern coast of Asia Minor, and with the Yavan ([Hebrew]) of the Old Testament, the country of the Ionians or Greeks, an identification which I believe to be correct This very Phoenician king isfro with Shalmaneser, a predecessor of Sennacherib He appears not to have been coe or tribute to the assyrian monarchs[54]
Sennacherib placed a person, whose name is doubtful (Col Rawlinson reads it Tubaal), upon the throne of Luli, and appointed his annual tribute All the kings of the sea-coast then submitted to hi of Ascalon This chief was, however, soon subdued, and was sent, with his household and wealth, to assyria, ----(na placed on the throne in his stead The cities dependent upon Ascalon, which had not been obedient to his authority, he captured and plundered A passage of great importance, which now occurs, is unfortunately so much injured that it has not yet been satisfactorily restored It appears to state that the _chief priests_ (?) and people of Ekron (?) had dethroned their king Padiya, as dependent upon assyria, and had delivered hiypt sent an ared to the king of Milukhkha, (Meroe, or aethiopia), to Judaea, probably to help their Jewish allies Sennacherib joined battle with the Egyptians, totally defeated the the charioteers of the king of Milukhkha, and placing them in confineyptians appears to be hinted at in Isaiah and in the Book of Kings[55]
Padiya having been brought back from Jerusale of Judah,” says the assyrian king, ”who had not submitted to my authority, forty-six of his principal cities, and fortresses and villages depending upon them, of which I took no account, I captured and carried away their spoil I _shut up_ (?) himself within Jerusalem, his capital city The fortified towns, and the rest of his tohich I spoiled, I severed fros of Ascalon, Ekron, and Gaza, so as to make his country small