DISCOVERIES IN BABYLONIA AND TflE NEIGHBOURING LANDS. 109 



a moderately large and fairly complete document, divided into 

 paragraphs, probably by ruled lines. 



Cylinders with inscriptions of Nabopolassar are said to have 

 been found on the site when the remains of the Tower of 

 Babylon were carted away some years ago, and in the interesting 

 text which they bear, the king seems to say that it was not 

 until after he had overthrown the power of Subartu (probably 

 Assyria), which took place in the ^year 606 B.C., that he turned 

 his attention to the rebuilding of E~temcn~an-'ki, " the House of 

 the Foundation of Heaven and Earth," which he further 

 describes, as does also his son Nebuchadnezzar later on as " the 

 tower of Babylon." Nabopolassar died two years later, so that 

 the rebuilding during his reign is reduced to within exceedingly 

 narrow limits. The implements used in the rebuilding of the 

 structure were of an exceedingly costly nature — nothing was 

 too good for the reconstruction of the great temple-tower 

 dedicated to Merodach. It is worthy of note, also, that the 

 tower was to rival the heavens in height, whilst its foundations 

 were regarded as having been placed " on the breast of the 

 underworld." The " stages " seem to be referred to, and at the 

 rear were apparently sanctuaries to Sama.s, Hadad and Merodach 

 (these are not mentioned in G. Smith's description, though it 

 is implied therein that the couch and golden throne of Merodach, 

 referred to by Herodotus, were in the temple buildings on the 

 western side of the tower). The gold, silver and other precious 

 things which Nabopolassar states that he deposited in the 

 foundations must have disappeared many centuries ago, together 

 with the figure of the king carrying a workman's basket similar, 

 in all probability, to those in the British Museum, representing 

 Assur-bani-apli and his brother Samas-suin-ukin doing the same 

 thing. These were carved to commemorate tlie restoration, 

 by tliose rulers, of the temple of Nebo within Babylon, possibly 

 one of the shrines on the eastern side of the tower. 



Besides Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar, his eldest son (who, 

 two years later, succeeded him on the throne of Babylon), took 

 earth, with olfering.s of wine, sesame-oil, and produce in (it may 

 be supposed) one of the golden baskets which are referred to in 

 the inscription, whilst his brother, Nabii-sum-lisir, took a rope 

 and a wagon, in which Nabopolassar liad placed a basket of 

 gold and silver, and offered it— or him, his darling (dudua) — to 

 the god Merodach. Was this a case of the redemption of the 

 firstborn, and the substitution of his brother, with a gift, in his 

 place ? We do not know, and, to say the truth, it seems 

 unlikely, as the kingly office did not prevent him who held it 



