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

--
pictorial
270 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
with lustre." 1
The cuneiform legend in front of the sanctuary
is identical with the label inscribed on each side of the
box in which the tablet was placed, and serves as an
__-^~
•— -~sbi explanation of the
1 -"" '_" "
,.
Marble Tablet of King Nabu-apal-iddina, about 850 B. c.
From the temple of the Sun-god at Sippara
representation
:
" Image of
Shamash [the Sungod]
, the great
lord, dwelling in
Ebabbara,
situated
in Sippar." The interpretation
of the
other two small legends
written above
and below the roof
of the shrine has
offered considerable
difficulty. Thev
are evidentlv also
labels which, in
briefest
the
possible
form, indicate important
and characteristic
details of
the golden image
mentioned in the
long inscription below,
and of which
the stone relief is
faithful reproduction. Similar to those found bv Smith on
clay tablets in the royal library of Nineveh, 2 they are to be
1
Comp. iv R. 20, No. 2, 1. 4, and the beautiful hvmn to the Sun-god,
first published by Pinches, in the " Transactions of the Society of Biblical
Archaeology," vol. viii, pp. 167, seq.
2
Comp. p. 198, above, and George Smith, "Assyrian Discoveries," 3d
a