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into the whole text of the Bible ; even the most spiritual thoufjhts in the 

 Bible are to a great extent limited by the ideas derived from natural and 

 material things. The most fervent aspirations of our souls towards God 

 only find their due expression in thoughts 'which had tbeir natural birth 

 in Bible lands. If you take any of these expressions you will see that this 

 is so. For instance, — " Lift ou us the light of Thy countenance." Here 

 we have before us the idea of a man who, being dragged before a judge, 

 who, if he is not going to pardon the prisoner, frowns upon him, but, if he 

 means to extend a pardon, lifts on him the light of his countenance. Again, 

 the Saviour said, that the kingdom of heaven was likened to things on 

 earth, meaning that the spiritual and heavenly are pictured in earthly 

 material ; and any one who goes to Syria or Palestine is certain to see a 

 complete panorama of Bible pictures, there being scarcely an object in 

 those countries that has not its reflection in some part of the Bible. Just 

 as you see a physical basis for our spiritual nomenclature, so also do you 

 find, as evidenced in the paper this evening, what you may call a community 

 of ideas as the basis of the Semitic thought in the early ages ; but I prefer to 

 look on it as a feeling after a higher truth which was developed even in 

 earlier ages. I feel that I have been well repaid for coming here to-night ; 

 and I have no doubt that ultimately we may find in some of these things 

 that are brought under our notice, purer and higher thoughts, in which we 

 shall find Divine love and the form of lovo— love as the substance, and 

 righteousness as its form and expression. 



ISIr. HoRMUZD Rassam. — What I have to say will be mainly superficial, 

 while it will be special as regards that branch of knowledge which I have 

 pursued in the course of my travels, and also to the acquaintance I have 

 with the dift'erent languages of the East. With respect to Nebuchad- 

 nezzar, my friend Mr. Budge has given us a dift'erent meaning of the name 

 to that which is rendered by other Assyrian scholars, and I have no doubt 

 that my friend Dr. Stern, who is present here, has also his own inter- 

 pi-etation of it. What I have always understood, and what I believe the name 

 to mean, is, Nebo-chod-na/ar. Neho signifies the idol of the Assyrians, chad 

 is the name of God in Kurdish, and tucnr means victory, i.e., " the God Nebo 

 give me victory." This, at least, is what I always understood to be the mean- 

 ing. I trust that Assyrian scholars will apply themselves to the Kurdish in 

 studying these inscriptions, as I believe they will derive great help from 

 it. In page 4 of the paper is a passage to which I must take exception. 

 Mr. Budge merely quotes it, and therefore is not responsible for it. I 

 have had the honour of being associated with this Institute for many 

 years, and I should not likeit to be passed without making a remark thereon. 

 I allude to the passage which has reference to Elohim. The author, speaking 

 of Ea, says, " He was the husband of Bahu or Chaos (the in3 of Genesis i. 2), 

 and made father of Bel-lSIerodach." Sir Henry Rawlinson thinks the mono- 

 theistic Hebrews of Ur belonged to the followers of Ilea. He says, " Ho was 

 the ' Creator of mankind,'" ' the God of life and knowledge,' ' the Lord of 



