230 OLD BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 



inscriptions (cf. Pis. XXIX and XXX). A number of Babylonian kings 1 applied 

 themselves to the care of this temple by building new shrines, restoring old walls and 

 repairing the numerous drains and pavements of the large complex, known under the 

 name of Ekur ("mountain house"). 2 But the three great monarchs who within the 

 last three millenniums before Christ, above all others, 3 devoted their time and energy 

 to a systematic restoration and enlargement of the ziggurrat and its surroundings, and 

 who accordingly have left considerable traces of their activity in Xuffar, 4 are Ashur- 

 banapal (G68-626 B.C.), 5 Kadashman-Turgu (c. 1250 B.C.) 13 and Ur-Gur (c. 2800 

 B.C.). 7 The structures of each of these builders have been, one after the other, 

 cleared, measured, photographed and examined in all their details by Mr. Haynes, the 

 intrepid and successful director of the American expedition during the last four years. 

 He is soon expected to communicate the complete results of his work, illustrated by 

 numerous drawings and engravings, in Series B of the present publication. There- 

 fore, referring all Assyriologists to this proposed exhaustive treatise on the history of 

 the excavations, I confine myself to a brief examination of the lowest strata of ancient 

 Ekur, which will enable us to gain a clearer conception of the earliest phase of Baby- 

 lonian history. "Whenever it seems essential, Haynes's own words will be quoted from 

 his excellent weekly reports to the Committee in Philadelphia. 



UR-GUR. 



At the time of King Ur-Gur the ziggurrat of Nippur stood on the X.-W. edge 

 of an immense platform, which formed the pavement of the entire temple enclosure. 

 It was laid about 2.5 m. above the present level of the plain and had an average thick- 

 ness of 2.40 m. In size, 8 color and texture the sun-dried and uninscribcd bricks of 



1 Among them Dungi (PI. 52, No. 123, cf. his brick legend in Part III of the present work), Ur-Ninib (PI. 18, 

 No. 10, and PI. XXIII, No. 65), Bur-Sin I (PI. 11, No. 19), Ishnie-B-agan (PI. 9, No. 17, cf. his brick legend 

 in Part III), Bur-Sin II (Pis. 12f., Nos. 20-22), Kurigalzu (PI. 20, No. 38), Banim* n-shumusur (PI. 28, 

 No. 81), Esarhaddon (cf. Vol. X of the present work and Hilprecht in Z. A., VIII, pp. 390f.). As to the 

 earliest builders cf. below. 



2 Cf. PI. 1, No. 1, 8 ; PI. 2, No. 2, 10 ; PI. 20, No. 38, 7 ; PI. 28, No. 81, 8 ; PI. 29, No. 82, 8 ; PI. 51, No. 121, 8 ; 

 also Jensen, Jxosmologie, pp. 18511. 



3 With the exception of the unknown builder above referred to, who enlarged the base of the early ziggurrat con- 

 siderably and changed its form entirely by adding a peculiar cruciform structure (each arm being 16.48 m. long by 

 6.16 m. wide) to the centre of its four sides. Each side appeared to have a gigantic wing. 



4 Cf. Part I, p. 5, note, and Noldeke in Hilprecht, Assyriaca, p. 86, note 1. 



5 Cf. PI. 29, No. 82, and Hilprecht in Z. A., VIII, pp. 389ff. 



6 Cf. PI. 24, No. 8, 8. His brick legend will be published in Part III. 

 'Cf. I R. 1, No. 8f., and Pis. 51f. of the present work. 



8 23 X 15 4 x 7.7 cm., practically the same size as Urdu's bricks found in the Buioariyya of Warka. Cf. Loftus, 

 I. c, p. 168. 



