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The Chairman (Mr H. Cadman Jones). — I am sure the meeting -will 

 nnanimously authorise me to return its thanks to Mr. Boscawen for the very 

 interesting glimpse he has afforded us into an important period. What must 

 strike everybody as one of the most interesting questions in Jewish 

 history is that with regard to the influences which were brought to bear on 

 the Jews during their Captivity. Every one is fcimiliar with the fact that the 

 character of the people seems to have been changed during that time — that 

 they wore constantly falling into heathenism prior to their Captivity, but that 

 after it they resisted heathenism in the most complete way. How such a 

 great change could have been brought about in the course of seventy years 

 is a most interesting problem ; and it is to be hoped that further search 

 into the Assyrian records will, in time, throw a flood of light upon the subject. 



Mr. HoRMUZD Rassam.— I have but little to say upon the learned and 

 most interesting lecture of my friend Mr. Boscawen. With regard to the 

 tiles I discovered in the Palace of Belshazzar, I have already exhibited some 

 of them here, and we are told by ancient historians that they portrayed 

 certain hunting-scenes. In reference to the work I have myself done, I can 

 safely say that, although I have been engaged in exploring and excavating 

 for nearly forty years, my discoveries amount to but a drop in the ocean, 

 in comparison to what I believe will yet be found. It is a disgrace, not to 

 England alone— for England cannot work alone — but to Europe in general, 

 that people do not join together and try to make a thorough examination of 

 the ruins existing in those ancient countries. All Assyrian and Biblical 

 students know that there must have existed a link between the cuneiform 

 characters and what is called Syriac. Although I have been excavating 

 for so long a period, I have found nothing whatever of the kind. There is, 

 nevertheless, some connexion between the two languages to be found. I am 

 almost certain, also, that we should find Jewish records both in Media and 

 Babylonia. Last year, when I was in Mesopotamia, I was told that Assyrian 

 inscriptions had been found in different parts of the border-land between 

 Turkey and Persia, which means, of course, Media. I am sorry to say I was 

 not allowed to go and examine them. The Turkish Government has shown 

 lately a great deal of jealousy against our explorations, as they are told by 

 mischievous men that they ai-e fools to allow the English to take all their valu- 

 ivble antiquities away, and that they could make a fortune out of them. Even 

 letters have been written to newspapers on the same subject, and have had 

 a bad effect. It is said that the Ambassadors have done their best, but if 

 Lord Dufierin would only do as Sir Henry Layard did, — that is, go to the 

 Sultan and ask him, — permission would be at once given for carrying on the 

 necessary excavations. It is deplorable that these inscriptions should be 

 allowed to be broken and destroyed by the Arabs. The latter are actually 

 excavating now, and we have lately received in the British ISIuseum inscrip- 

 tions dug up by the Arabs in our own trenches. There must always be a 

 certain amount of loss by breakage, and so, when these antiquities are dug 

 up, I have had inscriptions go to pieces as soon as they were exposed to the air. 

 Inthis way we have lost most valuable relics. Inconsequence of the clandestine 

 VOL. XVIIT. I, 



