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

290 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
bearing of his magnificent results upon the interpretation of
the Old Testament and upon the history of art and human
civilization in general, appealed at once to the religious sentiment
and to the general intelligence of the people. The
American Oriental Society and the Society of Biblical Literature
and Exegesis became the first scientific exponents
of the growing interest in the lands of i\shurbanapal and
Nebuchadrezzar. The spirit of Edward Robinson, who
more than sixty years before had conducted his fundamental
researches of the physical, historical, and topographical
geography of Syria and Palestine, was awakened anew, and
the question of participating in the methodical exploration
of the Babylonian ruins, to which De Sarzec's extraordinary
achievements at Tello had forcibly directed the public attention,
began seriously to occupy the minds of American
scholars. " England and France have done a noble work
in Assyria and Babylonia. It is time for America to do her
part.
Let us send out an American expedition," — was the
kev-note struck at a meeting of the Oriental Society which
was held at New Haven in the spring of 1884. This
suggestion was taken up at once, and a committee was constituted
to raise the necessary funds for a preliminary expedition
of exploration, with Dr. W. H. Ward of "The
Independent" as director. The plan was sooner realized
than could have been anticipated.
A single individual, Miss
Catherine Lorillard Wolfe of New York, gave the $5000
required for this purpose, the Archaeological Institute of
America took control of the undertaking, and on- September
6 of the same year Dr. Ward was on his way to
the East. His party consisted of Dr. J. R. S. Sterrett, now
professor of Greek in Amherst College, Mr. J. H. Haynes,
then an instructor in Robert College, Constantinople, who
had served as photographer on the Assos expedition, and
Daniel Z. Noorian, an intelligent
Armenian, as interpreter.
Before the four men could enter upon their proper task,