REl-EiuaNG TU 13AUYL0NIA AND ELAM^ ETC. 81 



as really satisfactory ; improvenieuts will doubtless be made 

 as time goes on, and there is ahva^'S the hope that perfect, 

 or at least, more perfect copies than those here given, may 

 come to light, changing much of what is uncertain and lack- 

 ing, and giving us, instead, really trustworthy documents. 



The author has not thought it necessary to reply specifi- 

 cally to the various criticisms that have been made, the 

 critics having commented upon the texts without taking into 

 consideration all the facts, even when they knew them, and 

 he could, he thinks, place his finger upon at least one case of 

 deliberate suppression. These critics it would be absolutely 

 impossible to convert, even if the author had any desire to 

 do so. With such imperfect texts as these, however, dog- 

 matising is impossible, and the author disclaims any such in- 

 tention. It is quite indifterent to him whether J 'rty "rtf *T^y 



1^1 :^], r -^-T -H^ :^T Vr 'm, aud y ^V 4 ihU^^r be 



Ohedorlaomer, Arioch, and. Tidal respectively — they may be 

 entirely different personages, but if they are not what they 

 seem to be, it is a remarkable historical coincidence, and 

 deserves recognition as snch. 



The author greatly regrets that he was not able to refer 

 so much to Professor Hommel's Ancient Hebrew Tradition as 

 he would have liked, this paper having already assumed its 

 present form before that work came to hand. He here takes 

 the opportunity, however, of publicly thanking Professor 

 Hommel for the kind way in Avliich he has mentioned his 

 luime, and referred to the texts here published, and he 

 recommends to the reader desiring the opinion of another 

 specialist and earnest student of Assyrian, the striking 

 work of the well-known and eminent professor of Oriental 

 languages in the University of Munich. 



