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

DURING 19'" CENTURY: IIITTITES 793
authentic information as to their history, language, and religion.
This is a feat remarkable enough in itself, but that
this people should prove to be the ancestors of the modern
Armenians makes the matter still more remarkable. Our
new knowledge throws light upon many centuries of Armenian
history and of the Armenian tongue which up till now
had remained in total darkness. Moreover, the Hittite
inscriptions must be regarded as the most ancient monuments
of our Indogermanic speech, and as the oldest native
documents of Indogermanic history. If the dispute
be justified as to whether Asia or Europe is the original
home of the Indogermanic nations, the fact that about
ioco b. c, if, indeed, not much earlier, Armenians were
settled in Asia Minor, Syria, and perhaps even Palestine,
must eventually influence its settlement.