Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht
Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht
458 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS senses and yet was the natural result of the combined action of man and the elements. It will now be clear why I was unable to accept Haynes' view as stated above (p. 395), with regard to the large solid structure within the ancient curb, which he interpreted as an immense altar. The white ash-bed found on its hollowed surface, its rim of bitumen, i. e., a material liberally used in connection with the cremations, its extraordinary size (14 feet long and 8 feet wide), the ash-bin discovered near its base, and the peculiar surroundings suggest the idea that it rather represents one of the crematoriums on which the bodies of the dead were reduced to ashes. As it stood within the sacred enclosure we involuntarily connect the cremation and burying of the bodies of all these thousands of ancient Babylonians, who found their last resting-place around sanctuary of their god, with the ziggurrat of Bel itself, remembering that at El-Hibba Koldewey also excavated a two-staged ziggurrat, or, according to his theory, " the substructure of an especially important tomb," 1 around the base of which, exactly as at Nippur, nothing but " ash- was graves " occurred. But we then naturally ask : What the 1 The stage-tower of El-Hibba was round, consisted of two stages, and was provided with a water-conduit like that of Nippur. Comp. pp. 286, seq., above, and Zeitschrift fur Assyriologie, vol. ii, pp. 422, seq. It appears almost strange at present, that the German explorer discovered and excavated one of the earliest Babylonian ziggurrats thus so far known, without realizing it. In view of the existence of a stage-tower at El-Hibba, I am convinced that both Surghul and El-Hibba cannot have been cemeteries exclusively. The German excavations carried on at the two places were by far too brief and limited compared with the enormous extent of those ruins to settle this question. All the pre-Sargonic ruins of Babylonia, as far as I have had an opportunity to examine them, consist largely of tombs. They occur in great numbers also at Nuffar, Fara, Abu Hatab, and other mounds, but it would be utterly wrong to pronounce them for this reason nothing but " firenecropoles." The pre-Sargonic monuments of art and the very ancient cuneiform tablets coming from all those mounds enable us to speak more positively on this question.
DURING 19 CENTURY : ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 459 the original significance of a Babylonian xiggurrat ? Were these stage-towers, like the step pyramids of Medum and Saqqara in Egypt, 1 in certain cases at least, only " especially important tombs " ? Did the Sumerian population of the country after all somehow connect the idea of death or tomb with Bel's high-towering terrace at Nippur? 3. It is generally known that Strabo (16:5), in speaking of Babylon, mentions " the sepulchre of Bel " (6 rod BrjXov rd(f)0
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DURING 19 CENTURY : ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 459<br />
<strong>the</strong> orig<strong>in</strong>al significance of a Babylonian xiggurrat ? Were<br />
<strong>the</strong>se stage-towers, like <strong>the</strong> step pyramids of Medum and<br />
Saqqara <strong>in</strong> Egypt, 1 <strong>in</strong> certa<strong>in</strong> cases at least, only " especially<br />
important tombs " ? Did <strong>the</strong> Sumerian population of <strong>the</strong><br />
country after all somehow connect <strong>the</strong> idea of death or<br />
tomb with Bel's high-tower<strong>in</strong>g terrace at Nippur?<br />
3. It is generally known that Strabo (16:5), <strong>in</strong> speak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of Babylon, mentions " <strong>the</strong> sepulchre of Bel " (6 rod BrjXov<br />
rd(f)0
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