PROGRESS OF ORIENTAL SCIENCE IN AMERICA 

 DURING 1888. 



BY CYRUS ADLER, PH. D. 



The study of oriental science has had a remarkable development in 

 America during the past decade, and has at the same time taken on an 

 almost entirely new aspect. Under the lead of Professor Whitney, and 

 of the men whom he inspired, the Indian branch of oriental studies has 

 in the past given — and still continues to give — many valuable contribu- 

 tions to science, and holds an almost unique position towards the Old 

 World in the circle of philological studj^ 



Investigation in the field of Semitic languages and archreology, on 

 the other hand, was carried on mostly by the way, and in spite of a few 

 valuable contributions the publications in that line were, as a rule, not 

 important. The year 1883 marks a new era for these studies in America 

 with the establishment of regular courses in Semitic languages (includ- 

 ing Assyrian inscriptions) at two of our great universities, Harvard and 

 Johns Hopkins. Most of the other important seats of learning have 

 followed this departure, so that in 1886 it was already possible for the 

 eminent French archaeologist, M. Joachim Menant, to say that the most 

 serious efforts in this line are now concentrated in America.* 



The year 1888 was one of great moment to oriental science in this 

 country. Possibly no stronger evidence of the interest had for these 

 studies could be afforded than the determination of the publishers of 

 the series of textbooks known as Porta Linguarum Oricntalium to put 

 an English translation on the American market; a confirmatory inci- 

 dent is the selection of an American member of the board of editors of 

 the Zeitsehrift filr Orienfalische Bibliographie, Prof. R. J. H. Gottheil, of 

 Columbia College. 



A number of gentlemen of Philadelphia equipped and sent out a 

 party to explore and conduct excavations in Mesopotamia, under the 

 auspices of the University of Pennsylvania. Considerable difficulty 

 was experienced in procuring from the Turkish authorities the requisite 



* Les Langues Perdues de la Perse et dc VAssyrie. Assyrie, par M. Joachim Meuant. 

 Paris, Leroux, 1886, p. xiv. 



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