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

DURING 19 CENTURY: ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 243
index— and in some instances bearing a long legend of the
monarch just mentioned. After a brief reference to his reign
and principal military expeditions, this ruler glorifies in
having
constructed " the great terrace of the well," i. e., in having
extended the crude brick terrace of his
predecessor so far as
to include in it the mouths of these two water supplies
which he raised from the plain up to the level of Ur-Nina's
buildings. 1 From the neighboring debris came some fine
pieces of carved or incised shell,
showing spirited scenes of
men, animals and plants, and doubtless belonging to the
same general epoch. A good many similar specimens of this
important branch of ancient Chaldean art, a few of them
colored, have been recently obtained from various other
central and south-Babylonian ruins by the present writer. 2
A rectangular massive building, remains of a gate, and
several artificial reservoirs differing greatly in size and form
were brought to light to the southeast and northeast of
Enannatuma's wells. A few inscribed bricks and a number
of copper figurines carrying alabaster tablets upon their
heads indicated sufficiently that most of these structures
were the work of Entemena, nephew of the last-mentioned
patesi of Shir-pur-la. Some of them may have been rebuilt
in subsequent times, but preceding the governments of
Ur-Bau and Gudea. Not without good reason Heuzey
proposed to identify the terrace to the southeast with the
substructure of the Ab{Esh)-gi z mentioned on some of the
inscribed bricks taken from the former, and the sacred enclosure
to the northeast, which in part at least can be still
defined by means of the copper figurines found in situ,
the Ab-bi-ru A
of the alabaster tablets.
with
1
Comp. De Sarzec and Heuzey, Une Ville Royale Chaldeemie, Paris,
1900, pp. 69-75, especially p. 74.
2
Comp. Hilprecht, «' The South- Babylonian Ruins of Abu Hatab and
Fara " (in course of preparation ).
3
Comp. De Sarzec and Heuzey, Une Ville Royale Chaldeenne, p. 79.
4
Comp. De Sarzec and Heuzey, 1. c, pp. 87, seqq.