RECENT DISCOVERIES IN THE REALM OP ASSYRIOLOGY, ETC. 147 



the better, — at least, such seems to be the policy noAv-a-days, 

 and slanderous tongues wag to good (or bad) effect. 



Steadfastness in friendship is always a rare thing — 

 probably the Babylonians did not possess it in any special 

 measure, but what they were capable of the following letter 

 shows clearly : — 



" Letter from Nabu-zer-ibni to Ugaraa, Balatu, Nabu-bel- 

 sumati, and Samas-udammik, his brothers. I now pray Nebo 

 and Nana to save the life of my brothers. Bel-epus, who is 

 along with you, is my brother. Whoever will speak his 

 slander (lit., evil words, dibhi bi'isuti), as my brothers wish to 

 do, let him be silent. As for him (i.e., Bel-epus), from the 

 beginning to the end brothers of each other are we (ultu res 

 ddi kit dJie dhawes rani). As warning to my brothers I 

 send this. May my brothers do what is right. Let me see 

 an answer to (this) letter from my brothers." 



Of course the words "brother" and "brothers" here 

 mean "friend" and "friends" respectively. It is on the 

 whole a remarkable letter. For one man to write to four 

 others in this strain, telling them clearly that they were 

 slanderers, is a thing which but few would be bold enough 

 to do. But Nabu-zer-ibni did it, and fate — or providence — ■ 

 has preserved his letter as a lesson to the people of our own 

 day, after 2500 years. 



The next stage, that of charity to people in distress, was 

 not unknown among the Babylonians. The lending of a 

 fairly large sum of money, without interest, for an indefinite 

 period, during a time of famine, is not what every business- 

 man would do ; but Remut, in the year 648 B.C., when the 

 armies of Assur-bani-apli had devastated the land, did so, 

 and the following record of the event has come down to 

 us: — 



" Five-sixths of a mana (50 shekels) of silver from Remut, 

 son of ... , unto Musezib-Marduk, and Kulla, his wife, for 

 necessities. In the day when the face of the land sprouts 

 (again) (ina time pan mdti ittaptu) the money, five-sixths of a 

 mana, in its full amount, Musezib-Marduk and Kulla will 

 repay to Reinut." 



Here follow the names of five witnesses and the scribe, 

 with the date, "Babylon, month Tebet, day 9th, year 19th, 

 Samas-suin-ukin, king of Babylon." 



Then comes the paragraph : — 



"At this time, in the city of Lamima (?), want and famine 

 (are) in the land, the people are dying for want of food." 



