256 
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters. 
THE INSCRIPTION OF ALVEND. 
This inscription is engraven upon two niches on a large block of stone 
near the base of Mt. Alvend. Not only is the monumental fame of Da¬ 
rius perpetuated by the Behistan mountain, but in different parts of the 
Persian empire this monarch caused to be inscribed historic records of 
his reign. At Persepolis the palaces declare the name of their founder 
and his prayers for the protection of heaven. To Darius beyond all 
others we are indebted for what we have of the Paleography of Persia. 
After translating the inscription indicated above I shall take up the re¬ 
maining ones of this king at Persepolis, Suez, etc. 
A great god (is) Auramazda who created this earth, who created yonder 
heaven,* who created man, who created the spirit? of man, who made Da¬ 
rius king, one king of many, one lord of many. I (am) Darius the great 
king, king of kings, king of the countries possessing many kinds of people,, 
king of this great earth far and wide, the son of Hystaspes, the Achae- 
menide. 
* Asman ( heaven ) is literally a stone as we know from its cognate in Sanskrit. Probably 
the Persians regarded the sky as a solid dome; cf. the Hebrew word raqi (a) (Gen. I. 8J), and 
our firmament (firmamentum). 
