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

DURING 19 CENTURY: ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 561
The north section of the vast complex was set apart for
a number of fine large rooms. Two of them, 1 surrounded
on all sides by spacious corridors, were composed of double
walls with an air space between them, scarcely wide enough
to admit of the passage of an adult. Similar passageways
ran around a few other rooms in the southeast wall of the
fortress. 2 The size of these chambers and the greater care
with which the whole quarter evidently had been planned
and constructed suggested their use as public reception halls
adjoined by the private chambers of the prince or governor
and his officers. As practically only a narrow room or
corridor connected this wing of the palace with the west
section, which to a large extent is still unexplored, we
may assume with a reasonable degree of probability that the
latter was reserved for the harem. No regular gate having
been found in the south and east parts of the enclosure,
it follows almost with certainty that the principal entrance
of the castle must exist somewhere near the unexcavated
north corner of the large structure.
From many characteristic objects discovered (pp. 330,
365) we know that the kitchens, storerooms, servants' quarters,
etc., were located in the southeast section of the
building. A narrow street running parallel with the principal
facade of the stage-tower separated them from the
palace proper.
In the middle of this unpaved street was a
well-made gutter of burned bricks, into which the drains of
the adjoining rooms discharged their contents.
Out of the midst of all these chambers and corridors
rose the stage-tower as an almost impregnable bulwark.
served as a citadel, on the top of which the garrison and inhabitants
of the palace would find refuge even after the lower
parts of the fortress had fallen into the hands of the enemy.
The infinite toil with which the only well of the whole
1
They measure 28 by 41 and 21 by 22^ feet respectively.
8
Indicated in the cut, p. 559. Comp. p. 246.
It