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

DURING 19 CENTURY: ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 31
quote his own language :
" The morning was at first stormy,
and threatened a severe fall of rain, but as we approached
the object of our journey,
the heavy clouds separating, discovered
the Birs frowning over the plain, and presenting
the appearance of a circular hill, crowned by a tower, with
a high ridge extending along the foot of it. Its being
entirely concealed from our view, during the first part of
our ride, prevented our acquiring the gradual idea, in general
so prejudicial to effect, and so particularly lamented by
those who visit the Pyramids. Just as we were within the
proper distance, it burst at once upon our sight, in the
midst of rolling masses of thick black clouds partially obscured
by that kind of haze whose indistinctness is one
great cause of sublimitv, whilst a few strong catches of
stormy light, thrown upon the desert in the background,
served to give some idea of the immense extent and dreary
solitude of the wastes in which this venerable ruin stands." *
The impression which the ruin left upon the mind of an
otherwise sober observer and unbiassed man of facts was so
profound that it deflected his judgment and blinded his
eyes as to the great incongruity between his favorite theorv
and all the topographical evidence so minutely and accurately
set forth by himself, — another illustration of the
truth how detrimental to scientific investigation any preconceived
opinion or impression must be.
In addition to all his valuable topographical studies Rich
directed his attention to other no less important subjects of
an archaeological character. We refer to his remarks on the
hieratic and demotic stvles of cuneiform writing ("Memoirs,"
pp. 184, seqq.) ; his observation that inscribed bricks, when
found in situ, are " invariablv placed with their faces or
written sides downwards" (pp. 162, seqq.), a fact which he
the ruin at the summit of the mound, as over against the 235 feet strangely
given by Rich.
1
Comp. Rich's " Collected Memoirs," edited by his widow, p. 74.
4