ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 23 



"Wooden sepulchral figure of Amenhotep, face gilded. 

 Artificial leather toe of the right foot of a mummy ; from Thebes. 

 Linen Egyptian bag ; from Luxor; presented by Walter Myers, Esq., f.s.a. 

 Fragments of embroidered linen and woollen borders, with patterns in colours ; from 

 Sahkarah, 



Linen portion of the outer covering of a mummy of the Roman period. 

 Portion of a purple garment with embroidery in white thread. 



The following objects have been presented by Admiral Lord Clarence Paget, n.N. : — 



Fragments of glazed tiles and thirty-one circular ones from the Tel-el-Yahoudeh. 

 Six wooden figures of Ptah Socharis. 

 Two faces from Egyptian wooden coflHlns. 



A burnt brick with name of Menkheperra and Isiemkheb;, monarch of the 21st dynasty ; 

 from Meuieh. 



Fragments of wooden box and coffin. 



In the Assyrian division the following are the most important objects : — 



A slab of grey stone about 1-ft, high by 9-in. wide, found at Aboo-habba in an earthen- 

 ware coffer. Aboo-habba, the site of the ancient Sipara, was a city of considerable im- 

 portance in ancient times, and was the special seat of the worship of Samas, the sun-god. 

 Close to the Sipara of Saraas was another town called Sipara of Anunit, the seat of the 

 goddess Anunit, and it is thought that this twofold Sipara gave rise to the dual 

 Sepharvaim of the Old Testament. Sipara of Samas was specially celebrated as being 

 the town of books or tablets. This stone contains a long inscription in six columns, 

 and, at the top of the obverse, a representation in low-relief of a shrine in which 

 the sun-god is shown sitting. Above the shrine are two small figures, who seem 

 to be guiding with cords the course of the sun, which stands on a kind of table 

 below them. Servants of the sun-god lead into his presence a worshipper who is 

 most likely the king Nabu-abla-iddin, by whose order the stone was cut. The work- 

 manship of the whole is very fine and in perfect condition. The inscription, which covers 

 the rest of the obverse and the Avhole of the reverse, begins by mentioning the wrong- 

 doings of the Sutii, an invading tribe, who seem to have carried off the property of the 

 temple of the sun-god (called l;-barra) at Sipara, and destroyed the sanctuaries, in the 

 time of SImmas-Sikhu. 'i'he restoration of the temple, begun by Simmas-Sikhu, was con- 

 tinued during the reign of JE-Ulbar-sakin-sumI, and ended by Nabu-abla-iddin, the king 

 who had the slab carved. A long description is given of the repair of, and additions to, 

 the shrine and temple, and the founding of a shrine for the sun-god in Bit-kar-zagina 

 beside the Euphrates, where victims were offered, and honey and wine bestowed. The 

 inscription speaks also of the services of the temple called fl-barra. The slab is dated at 

 Babylon, the 20th of Nisan, in the 31st year of Nabu-abla-iddin, king of Babylon. 

 During the course of years the stone got broken, and was riveted together with iron, most 

 likely in the time of JMabopalassar, who made the earthen coffer in which to keep it, and an 

 inscribed covering, to protect the bas-relief. 



A baked clay mould of the bas-relief on the above slab. 



Two cylinders, written in an extremely rough style, containing an account of the resto- 

 ration by Nabonidus of the temple of the sun-god at Sipara, and referring to a former 

 ]-estoration by Naram-SIn, an early king of Babylonia. 



A cylinder, wi-itten in a very archaic style, referring to the restoration of the temple of 

 the sun-god at Sipara, by Nabonidus. 



A small tablet, dated in the reign of Darius, referring to the services of the temple of 

 the sun-god at Sipara. 



A boundary-stone, about two feet in height, carved on all four sides with a long 

 inscription in the Babylonian character, divided into six columns. It has on the top the 

 usual mystic figures of animals, &.C., supposed to represent the signs of the Zodiac. The 

 inscription refers to a grant of land made by Rammanu-stim-iddina, king of Babylon, and 

 confirmed by Rammanu-sttm-ibassi and Meli-Sikhu, his successors, to certain men, inhabi- 

 tants of the land. 



A small circular-headed stone, containing a bas-relief representing Asstu--bani-apli, king 

 of Assyria, dressed in his royal robes, and wearing on his head the distinctive cap, above 

 the point of which he holds with both hands a wicker basket. The whole is covered with 

 an inscription dedicating the figure to the temple of Borsippa (the Birs Nimroud, near 

 Babylon). The figure Avas carved during the reign of Samas-sum-ukin, brother of Assur- 

 bani-apli, king of Assyria, who then ruled at Babylon. 



Three small cylinders of Nebuchadnezzar, from Babylon, referring to the restoration 

 by that king of the temple called fi-makh, the seat of the goddess Nin-makh at Babylon. 



A large and exceedingly fine contract-tablet, recording the sale of a field or plantation 

 situated within the province of Babylon, for 22^ mana of silver. Dated in the accession 

 year of Neriglissar, king of Babylon. The edges of the tablet are covered with impres- 

 sions of the seals of the judges before whom the contract was signed. 



A broken tablet referring to a transaction for a half-talent of silver. Dated at Manaku, 

 in the 40th year of Artaxerxes. Presented by C. D. Cobham, Esq., H.M. Commissioner 

 at Larnaca, Cyprus. 



A contract-tablet dated in the 34th year of Anti'ukkusu (Antiochus). Also presented 

 by C. D. Cobham, Esq. 



0.90. c 4 A cylinder 



