EVIDENCES OP THE MIGRATION OF AKRAM. 139 



different opinion, and perhaps some of those who are acquainted with the 

 subject will favour us with a few words thereon. 



Mr. E. A. W. Budge, M.A. — I have just one or two observations to 

 make on Mr. Boscawen's paper. The life and times of Abram are extremely 

 interesting and important in more ways than one ; and I think the most 

 important point of view from which we may regard this subject is that 

 which enables us to see that the volume of collateral evidence we are now 

 enabled to produce is amply sufficient to prove the statements contained in 

 the Book of Genesis to be correct. With regard, however, to Mr. Boscawen's 

 paper, I think there are a few passages which more careful revision will 

 have the effect of rendering more accurate. For example, the author refers, 

 on page 95, to the " Home royalty of the flat plains of the Nile valley." 

 This, I fancy, is a slight mistake. He also says the sign given, [V/^ i , 

 refers to mountain peaks ; this I do not object to, although the word Set 

 means any country which is not the native country, and does not particu- 

 larly mean mountain countr3^ Again, Mr. Boscawen refers to the discoveries 

 of Dr. Paul Haupt and M. Lenormant, in the Akkadian language. It is 

 well known that, as far back as the time of Edwin Norris, it was discovered 

 that there was a double dialect in Akkad, and in 1870 Professor Sayce 

 pointed it out very clearly. In fact, every student of the volumes of 

 cuneiform inscriptions published by the British Museum must have found it 

 out. Dr. Paul Haupt has since claimed the discovery as his own entirely, 

 whereas the truth is that three or four English scholars found out this fact 

 as to there being a second dialect, and Mr. Pinches, of the British Museum, 

 wrote a label for the tablet to be exhibited in the Assyrian gallery two or 

 three years before Dr Paul Haupt came to England. The real state of the 

 case being that Dr. Paul Haupt came here and put together all the state- 

 ments on the subject, and upon that founded his claim to the discovery. 

 This view of the case Avas held by Dr. Hommel, who stated it publicly. An 

 action was brought in a German law court by Dr. Haupt to prove that Dr. 

 Hommel had misstated the case. The decision of Germany was given in 

 Dr. Paul Haupt's favour ; but I do not think it will stop there, and it is, 

 perhaps, as well to give these facts here, so that those who have not gone 

 very fully into the question may know how it stands. Again, Mr. Boscawen 

 speaks of " the mode of reading the characters from left to right," but he 

 omits to state that the Ethiopic reads from right to left. Curiously enough, 

 the Assyrian and the Ethiopic have many points in common, but this 

 particular method of reading from right to left is important, and the 

 question has to be determined, how did it arise ? On page 96 of the paper, 

 there is, as I think, a misprint. It is stated in a note that " the date 

 of these inscriptions rests upon a statement, twice repeated in cylinder 

 inscriptions, of Nabonidus, King of Babylon (B.C. 555-538)." That date 

 should be 530. With regard to the list of names Mr. Boscawen gives, 

 there are some mistakes, and, as every name we can find in the tablets 

 which can also be found in the Bible is extremely important, I am sorry 

 Mr. Boscawen has not put down many more names that he knows to be 



