Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

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PREFACE
Philadelphia citizens were obtained at the ruins of Nuffar,
and which through the liberality and personal interest of
Mr. Ecklev B. Coxe, Jr., will be printed and submitted to
the public more rapidly than was hitherto possible.
From the very beginning I have been connected with the
various Babylonian expeditions of the University of Pennsylvania.
The farther we proceeded with our researches, the
more it became necessary for me to spend my time almost
regularly every year in three different parts of the world
and to surrender completely the comfort of a fixed home.
In consequence of this nomadic life I was often out of contact
with my well-equipped library, — a disadvantage especially
felt when certain passages were to be examined or
verified from the earlier literature dealing with my subject.
With warm appreciation of all the friendly assistance received,
I acknowledge my great indebtedness to Messrs.
Halil Bev, Director of the Imperial Ottoman Museum ;
Leon Heuzey, Director of the Louvre; L. King of the British
Museum ; Dr. A. Gies, First Dragoman of the German
Embassy in Constantinople; F. Furtwaengler, H. Gebzer,
F. Hommel, R. Kittel, V. Scheil, Eberhard Schrader, F.
Thureau-Dangin, Karl Vollers, and not the least to my
friend and assistant, A. T. Clay, who not only read a complete
set of proofs, and improved the English garment of
all the articles here published, but in many other ways facilitated
the preparation and printing of the entire volume.
As it was not always advisable to ship valuable photographic
material to his
temporary abode, the editor found it
sometimes difficult to illustrate the articles of his colaborers
in an adequate manner. In several instances it would have
been almost impossible for him to obtain suitable illustra-