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

550 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
cal ups and downs of Babylonia. We know even now on
the basis of our latest excavations that the outer wall of the
temple constructed by Naram-Sin followed a slightly different
course from that of Ur-Gur and all the subsequent rulers
(pp. 497,
seqq.). And it is likewise certain that the temple
library of the period antedating the Elamitic invasion was
more important and probably also of greater extent than that
of the time of Ashurbanapal (pp. 511, seqq.). But notwithstanding
these and other distinctive features which the
temple presented in different centuries, and which easily
could be multiplied, the general plan and disposition of the
sanctuary changed but little. In accordance with the conservative
character of the Babylonian religion, the space
enclosed by the walls Imgur-Marduk and Nlmit-Marduk,
or whatever their former names may have been, remained
nearly stationary, and the principal buildings erected upon
it
practically occupied the same position at the time of Sargon
I. and in the days of Artaxerxes I. and Darius II.
Roughlv speaking, the entire area covered with the ruins
of the temple complex (comp. the plan on page 305) forms
a trapezoid, the longest side of which runs parallel with the
northeast bank of the Chebar. By disregarding the triangular
librarv mound in the south, which never seems to
have been included in the walled territory, we obtain a parallelogram
with nearly equal sides, each measuring about 2700
feet.
Except on the southwest side, where the waters of the
great canal, probably lined by a dam or quay, afforded a sufficient
protection, this
large space was enclosed by a huge wall
25 to 40 feet thick (pp. 498, seqq.), and at least 25 feet high
(p. 492). Since the government of Ur-Gur this so-called
outer wall of the city was adorned with buttresses (p. 498),
while at all times, as far as we can determine at present, it
was strengthened by a number of well-drained bastions (pp.
494,496, 503), and by a deep moat which ran along its
entire base (p. 495), forming a regular navigable canal on