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

DURING 19TB. CENTURY: ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 299
expedition. If, however, in view of a very natural desire
on the part of the director and his financial supporters, the
principal stress was to be laid on the rapid acquisition of
important museum objects and inscribed tablets
rather than
on the methodical and complete examination of an entire
large ruin, it would be by far wiser to select from among
the different sites visited by Dr. Ward one which was
somewhat smaller in size and considerably less superimposed
with the remains and rubbish of the post-Babylonian
period than anv of the ruins submitted for consideration.
1 The results showed only too plainly that the view
maintained by the present writer was correct, and that his
objections, raised for the sole purpose of preventing unpleasant
complications and later disappointments with regard
to " the white elephant," as the expedition was soon to be
styled, were based upon a careful discrimination between
uncertain hopes and sober facts.
The same evening " The Babylonian Exploration Fund "
was called into existence, about half of the sum requested
($15,000) subscribed, and an expedition with Dr. Peters as
director recommended. On March 17, 1888, the organization
of the new corporation was completed by the election
of Provost Pepper as president, Mr. E. W. Clark as
treasurer, and Professor Hilprecht as secretary. 2 Dr.
1
I had in mind a ruin of the type of Fara (recently recommended by me
to the German Orient Society for similar consideration, comp. Mittheilungcn,
no. 10, p. 2), where the pre-Sargonic stratum reaches to the very surface
of the mound.
-
The whole Executive Committee consisted of fifteen members, including
the three officers mentioned and the director of the expedition. The other
members were Messrs. C. H. Clark (chairman of the Publication Committee),
W. W. Frazier, C. C. Harrison (the present provost), Joseph D.
Potts (f),
Maxwell Sommerville, H. Clay Trumbull, Talcott Williams,
Richard Wood, Stuart Wood, of Philadelphia ;
Professor Langley, of the
Smithsonian Institute, Washington ; and Professor Marquand, of Princeton
University.