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

174 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
thick coating of massive, partially burnt bricks of a light red
color with layers ot reeds between them, the whole to the
thickness often feet being cased by a wall of inscribed kilnburnt
bricks." Next he turned his attention to the four
corners. While excavating the southwest corner of the
upper story, he found, six feet below the surface, a perfect
inscribed clay cylinder, standing in a niche formed by the
omission of one of the bricks in the layer. A similar cylinder
having been discovered in the northwest corner, the
fortunate explorer naturally concluded that corresponding
objects would be found in the remaining two corners. A
shaft sunk in each of them proved his theory to be correct,
at the same time bringing out the important fact that the
commemorative cylinders of the builders or restorers of
Babylonian temples and palaces were generally deposited
in the four corners. Fragments of another larger and
even more interesting barrel cylinder were rescued from the
same mound and from a lower elevation immediately north
of it.
The massive structure thus examined by Taylor turned
out to be the famous temple of the Moon-god Sin. 1
It is
"the only example of a Babylonian temple remaining in
good preservation not wholly covered by rubbish." 2
From
the fine barrel cylinders and the large inscribed bricks differing
as to size and inscription in the two stories, Rawlinson
established soon afterwards that the site of Muqayyar
represents the Biblical Ur of the Chaldees (Gen. 11:28;
15:7). The temple was constructed by King Ur-Gur
(about 2700 b. c), repaired by his son Dungi, and more
than 2000 years later was for the last time restored by the
last
king of Babylon, Nabuna'id (Nabonidos), who deposited
the account of his work inscribed upon these clay cylinders
in
the corners of the stage-tower.
1
After him Mount Sinai is called, the name meaning " Sacred to Sin."
2
Comp. Loftus, /. c. , p. 128.