M.

(^Jh^^c-^-'t<0/t:S^n^

UNIVEILSITY OF PITTSBURGH

BABYLON AND PERSEPOLIS.

BABYLON,

LEARNED AND WISE, HATH PERISH'D UTTERLY,

NOR LEAVES HER SPEECH ONE WORD TO AID THE SIGH
THAT WOULD LAMENT HER.

WORDSWORTH.

'MiM

m
'id

iA-Ji

NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY
TO THE

SITE OF
IN

NOW

BABYLON
1811,

FIRST PUBLISHED

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS;

WITH ENGRAVINGS FROM THE ORIGINAL SKETCHES BY THE AUTHOR

REMARKS ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

ANCIENT BABYLON,
By
IM

MAJOR RENNELL;

REFERENCE TO THE MEMOIR:

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

IN REFERENCE TO MAJOR RENNELT.'s

WITH NARRATIVE OF

UEMAKKS:

JOURNEY TO

PERSEPOLIS:
NOWFIUST PRINTKD, WITH HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS
COPIED AT PERSEPOLIS

BY THE LATE

CLAUDIUS JAMES RICH,

Esq.,

FORMERLY THE RESIDENT OF THE HON. EAST INDIA COMPANY AT BAGDAD.

EDITED BY HIS WIDOM'.

LONDON:
DUNCAN AND MALCOLM, PATERNOSTER ROW
MDCCCXXXIX.

LONDON;
Printed by

William Clowes and Sons,

Stamford Street.

PREFACE.

The
were

following

first

Memoirs on

published,

of Sir

direction

many

the Ruins of Babylon

years

under the

ago,

The

James Mackintosh.

edition

having become exhausted, and another seeming to

be called

for,

the Editor has undertaken the present

work, and has endeavoured to add to

might be likely to render

it

For

stances would admit of

it

whatever

as complete as circumthis

purpose an In_

troduction has been prefixed, giving a general view

of the history of Babylon

and an Appendix sub-

joined, containing extracts from the authors referred

to in the

It

Memoirs.

has likewise

been suggested to the Editor,

that the Journal, from

which the Memoirs were com-

posed, might prove a valuable addition to the work.

This

Journal,

or

perhaps,

more

Notes of a Journal, are very short

journal

is

these

correctly,
;

but

somewhat more animated, from

still

its

very

PREFACE.

VI

nature,

be
in

and

than a topographical memoir can possibly

it

may

forming

assist the

imagination of the Reader

himself some general idea of these

to

ruined heaps, while examining the minuter details

and measurements contained

In order, likewise,

to

in the

assist

Memoir.

the

Reader

in

fol-

lowing the Second Memoir, the Editor has obtained

permission from the Council of the Society of Antiquaries to republish in this

Remarks
gested by

The

on the

work Major ReiinelFs

Topography of Babylon,

Mr. Rich's observations and

plates

sug-

discoveries.

by which the present volume

is

illus-

trated have been newly executed by that very in-

genious

artist,

Mr. Williams, from Mr, Rich's

original

sketches.

The second
sepolis, is

new.

part of this volume, relating to Per-

The

Journal, some portion of which

has already appeared in the latter part of Mr. Rich's

work on Koordistan,

is

only given to serve as an

explanation to the arrow-headed inscriptions which

were copied by Mr. Rich

at Persepolis,

and are

now

published for the first time.

It is

hoped that these inscriptions may prove of

PREFACE.
use
to

in

Vll

progress which

the

be making in deciphering

character, both by

appears,

at

liitherto

this

length,

unknown

learned foreigners*, and by

some

Major Rawlinson, an English

officer in Persia,

who

thinks that he has deciphered an inscription of great

length,

recording

conquest

the

of

Darius

the

Younger.
In a work of

been

much

this opportunity of

Sir

nature the writer has necessarily

this

indebted to others, and

R. H.

Elphinstone

happy

to

have

acknowledging her obligations

Inglis,
;

is

Bart.

the

General Briggs

and William Erskine, Esq.

to

Hon. Mounstuart
Colonel Chesney

who have most kindly

afforded her such assistance and information as she

requested of them.
Notting-hill ,

January

I'ith,

1839.

* The
labours of Raske, Grotefend, and St. Martin, have
been some time before the pubUc. Since that time the German
traveller Schulz made copies of some inscriptions near Hamadan,
which were submitted to M. Burnouf, a French savant, who is

equally skilled in Greek, Sanscrit, and

essay on Schulz's inscription
inscriptions,

he has framed

Zend and he has written an

;

and, by an examination with other

a

Zend alphabet

of

the cuneiform

character.

who is likewise a good

and translated these tablets
and his alphabet is said not to differ much from Burnouf 's. Burnouf
has printed a work, in two volumes, called " Commentaries on the
Ye(;na,'' on the same subject.
Lassen, a countryman of Burnouf, and

Sanscrit and

Zend

scholar, has also read

MEMOIRS

LIST OF THE
CONTAINED

Introduction, containing

and since her

Mr. Rich's Journal of

some accounts of Babylon before

By

fall.

VOLUME.

IN THIS

the Editor

his expedition to

Page

Babylon

i,

in the year 1811,

from which the following Memoir was composed, now published for the

first

p.

the Ruins of Babylon (originally published at Vienna,

Memoir on
in the "

Mines de

original sketches

On

time

1'

Orient")

with

by Mr. Rich

new

from the

plates,

p.

43

the Topography of Ancient Babylon (suggested by the recent

observations and discoveries of Claudius James Rich, Esq.),

by Major Rennell (reprinted by permission of the Council of

the Society of Antiquaries, from the " Archseologia)

Second Memoir on Babylon

p.

lOT

containing an " Inquiry into the

Correspondence between the Ancient Descriptions of Babylon

and the Remains

sioned by the "

" Archaeologia")

Appendix

to

still

visible

Remarks"
.

of

on the Site," with notes (occa-

Major Rennell, published

,

in the
p.

139

the Second Memoir, upon the subject of the Baby-

lonian antiques

p.

181

THE MEMOIRS.

LIST OF

Journey from Bussora

1821

the year

unpublished

to

to

Bushire, Shiraiiz, Persepolis, &c., in

which are added copies of several hitherto

cuneiform

inscriptions,

copied

at

Persepolis
p.

195

General Appendix by the Editor, containing extracts from the

authors

referred "to

Babylon"

the

in
.

"Memoir

on
.

the
.

Ruins
p.

of

281

CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION,
Containing some Account of Babylon, before and since her

By

Fall.

the Editor.

CONTENTS.
Narrative of a journey to visit the ruins of Babylon in the year 1811

Departure from the encampment at Gherara,

Description of the partyAggher Koofs Tauk
Kesra Artificial mounds Caravan of camels Beginning of the
ruins of Babylon Deputation from the Governor of Hillah Ride
(now

first

published)

near Bagdad

Large black stone with figures and inscription

The Kasr Conversation with the Governor
called Athele The Mujelibe The enchanted
of Hillah The
with human bones Marble fragserdaub^ Fragments of
the Mujelibe Earthen pots Jewish
ments The body found
through the ruins

Vestiges

of walls

tree

ruins,
in

synagogue
a son of
Ezekiel

at Hillah

All The

Skeleton in a coffinThe tomb of Amran,

Birs Xemroud Tribe of Arabs Tomb of

The statue called the Idol Return

to

Bagdad

p.

138

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS OF BABYLON.

Originally published at Vienna, in the "

with plates.

From

Mines de I'Orient,"

the Original Sketches by

Mr. Rich.

CONTENTS.
of Babylon Obligations
Major
Description of the country between Bagdad and Hillah^
convenient distances
Khans erected
The Naher
shot by a Zobeide Arab Description of
Malcha Large
pruphet
HillahMesjid-el-Shems Miracle wrought by the
Joshua his tomb The sepulchre
Ezra that of Ezekiel Revenues of Hillah the
of the
The Euphrates" canals

General observations on the

site

to

Rennell

for travellers

at

lion

of

fertility

soil

CONTENTS.

Xll

Ruins of Babylon on the eastern bank of the riverThe era Mounds of Amran TheKasrThe Mujelibe Bricks
with inscriptions Dens of wild beasts Satyrs The narrow passage in the Mujelibe Ruins on the western bank of the river
bankment

Birs

Nemroud Nebbi

Eyoub,

ruins to the southward of Hillah

lon

Sepulchre

ruins

is

of Belus

Articles of gold

Ancient

Difficulty

the sepulchre of Belus

found among

Babywhich of the

descriptions of

in discovering

Measurements of the Mujelibe and

Nemroud Compared with

the Birs

Job-

tomb of the prophet

or the

Considerable ruins near Jerbouiya

that given by ancient authors of

Question on which side of the river the temple or sepulchre was situated Generally-received opinion that

stood on the east ^The Birs a stupendous

Description of the
bricks at Babylon Three kinds of cement Concluding observations
the sepulchre of Belus

it

pile

p.

43 104

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT BABYLON,

Suggested

by

the

Recent Observations

Claudius James Rich, Esq.

By Major

and

Discoveries

Rennell.

of

[Reprinted

by permission of the Council of the Society of Antiquaries,

from the "Archseologia."]
CONTENTS.
General remarks on Mr. Rich's Memoir
probability that the Birs

Tower

of

Belus Probable change

Mujelibe has
of Belus

Nemroud

all

His

suggestion of the

the representative of the

is

of the bed of the

river

the appearance of being the remains of the

Position of the remains taken

Herodotus describes only one

The
Tower

for those of the palaces

Diodorus, two palaces The mound

of the Kasr answers to the remains of the principal palace In

this case a change of the course of the Euphrates must be admit-

Scanty notices respecting the mound of Amran Remarks

on the deserted bed of the Euphrates The Kasr not a Babylonish
structure Seated on a mound of ruins of Ancient Babylon Not
The subterraneous passage Birs Nemroud
identified with them
Has not the character of an artificial work Whatsoever may
ted

be

the
the

its

nature,

it is

too distant from the centre of the remains to be

Tower of Belus
artificial

Important

to trace

the ditch and city-walls

canal through Babylon Avas straight,

If

may be exmounds south

it

traces The ground about the

examined It should be ascertained what
Possibly it is
are the qualities of the substrain??! of the Mujelibe
p. 107 134
a natural eminence
pected to have

left

of the Mujelibe should be

CONTENTS.

Xlll

SECOND MEMOIR ON BABYLON,

an Inquiry into the Correspondence between the
Ancient Descriptions of Babylon, and the Remains still visible

Containing

Suggested by the "Remarks" of

on the Site, with Notes.
Major Rennell, in the " Archelogia."
CONTENTS.

Reasons

for

drawing up the

first

Memoir

Inducement to

enter into

between the accounts of the

ancient historians and the ruins visited by the author Difference
of opinion with Major Rennell Major Rennell's argument Re-

a discussion on the correspondence

marks on the ancient historians None of the ancients say on

which side of the river the Tower of Belus stood Major Rennell's
mistake in fixing on the Mujelibe to represent the Tower of
Belus No indication of any change in the course of the river
Description of the Euphrates The mounds rejected by Major
Rennell differ in no respect from those he admits The walls of
the Kasr coeval with the mound
The palaces
No reason
to believe the tower was situated on or near the river The
Mujelibe not the Tower of Belus Insignificant heaps between the
Kasr and the Mujelibe Amran offers no peculiarity meriting attentionRuins about Hillah all of one character The evidence
for their antiquity
Birs Nemroud The most interesting of all
the Babylonian remains The Tower of Belus likely to have left
considerable traces
Resemblance of the Birs Nemroud to this

tower

The

Birs Nemroud of a nature

to fix the locality of

Babylon

Birs and the eastern ruins

Description of the Birs

come within the limits of the city

Nemroud Of the Tower of BelusThe

whole mass of the Birs Nemroud is artificial No bitumen springs

in Babylon
The Birs Nemroud, in all likelihood, at present in

the

same

condition in which Alexander saw

may be

lon, in their present state,

it The ruins

Baby-

of

perfectly reconciled with the

best descriptions of the Grecian writers

p.

139

171

APPENDIX TO THE SECOND MEMOIR,

Containing

an Account

of

the Babylonian Antiques.

With

Plates.

CONTENTS.
Hillah the general depot for antiques found throughout the country

The most

interesting are Sassanian

and Babylonian

Most

of the

CONTENTS.

IV
latter contain

specimens of the primitive system of writing found

only in the Babylonian

form writing confined

stances

Another

monuments and

Deciphered

cuneiform characters

to inscriptions

mode

Brick,

Cylinders

with writing on
.

The

The
cunei-

on stone and other hard sub-

Sassanian
Description of different anfrom Nineveh Inscriptions
181 191

of writing for ordinary use

character Persepolitan inscriptions

tiques

those of Persia

by Dr. Grotfend

....
it,

p.

JOURNEY FROM BUSSORA TO BUSHIRE, SHIRAUZ,

PERSEPOLIS, &c. IN THE YEAR 1821.
To which

are added Copies of several hitherto unpublished In-

scriptions at Persepolis.

CONTENTS.

Leave Bussora for Bushire Curious phenomenon Cholera Morbus

Great heat Departure from Bushire Burauzgoon Arrival at,
and departure from, Daulekee Pass in the mountains The plain
Leave Shirauz for Persepolis
Arrival at Shirauz
of Shirauz

Persian musician The river Araxes Description of the ruins

Nakshi Regib Rocky hills above Nakshi Rustum The sun
shining on Mader iSulieman Descriplion of Mader i Sulieman
Return to Persepolis Remains of a gateway Tents pitched beside
The effect of the ruins by moonlight
the first portal
The
tombs Fifteen columns of the colonnade still standing Enormous
Began copying three inscriptions Nothing
blocks of stone

All the inscriptions at

Much struck with Grotfend's
inscriptions Ruinous staircase with

Babylonian in the Persepolitan costume

Pei-sepolis

sagacity

were

in

Copied

three kinds

three

The Zend occupies the pre-eminent place

the
scriptions Unfinished royal sepulchre Copied inscriptions

figures

in all

in-

at

Nakshi Regib Troublesome ride to Nakshi Rustum The four

tombs of the kings of the anti- Alexandrian dynasty Cuneiform
inscriptions
Fire-temple Bid adieu to Persepolis Return to
Shirauz

Articles

of

commerce Bazars The

Hafizia,

or

the

Valuable copy of worksThe tomb of

SaadiThe cholera morbus
Shirauz Festivities of the Prince's
195 280
the
wedding stopped General confusion

tomb

of the poet Hafiz

his

at

in

city

p.

DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLANS & PLATES.

Page

Plates.

General view of the ruins of Babylon.

I.

To face

Title-page

The ground-plan

II.

of the ruins.

To face the be-

ginning of the "Memoir on the Ruins of

Babylon"
.

View

III.

of the

Kasr. To

IV. View of the embankment.

V. Viewof the Mujelibe. To face

65

To face

VI. View of the Birs Nemroud.

.43

face

67

68

To face

93

VII. Sketch of the site of Babylon, by Major Rennell.To face .

.

VTTT

TV

i
I

.105

B^'bylonian antiques and inscriptions, To be

placed at the end of the " Append!
dix" con^
taining the account of the Babylonian an
(
tiques.
To face

-^'

XI. View of Mader

The following Inscriptions

Sulieraan. In

to be placed at the

240

end of the Journey

to Persepolis.

Page

Plates.

XII. Inscriptions at Morghaub and Nakshi Regib.

Referred to in
.

XIV. iThree

1. {

No.
No.

2.

No.

4.

No.

5.

Three
f^^Xr'lThr

6.

XIX.

tablets,

ferredtoin

XVIIlJ

No.

tablets. Referred to in

and three small

.

tablets.
.

XV.J

.254

XIII.-|

No.

Re.

Inscription in the building south-east of the

first, after passing the colonnade.
Referred to in 25

XXI.>Three tablets. Referred

XXII.

XXIII. Tablet

to in

.}
J

in the centre of the north-east face of

the platform.
Referred to in

7. {

,,
^^^

fXXlV.l
No.

248

XXV.jThree

Ixxvi.j

tablets. Referred to in

>
j

250

INTRODUCTION.
SOME ACCOUNT OF BABYLON, BEFORE AND SINCE
HER DESTRUCTION.

In re-publishing Mr. Rich's Account of the Ruins of

Babylon, as they existed when he visited them in the
year 1811,

it

has been thought desirable to prefix a

sketch of some of the leading circumstances connected with the history of that celebrated city.

Many

circumstances combine to

make

a difficult task to the Editor, and one

this rather

which must

necessarily be very imperfectly executed.

The

present

account, which

a very interesting

bylon by

M. de

"Memoires
the

year

de

Memoir on

St.
1'

1789,

Rich, will enable

is

the

drawn up from
subject of Ba-

Croix, that appeared in the

Academic des Inscriptions" in

and is referred to by Mr.
the

reader to

tory of this city through

many

follow

ages.

the

The
a

his-

Editor

INTRODUCTION.

has added, from other sources, some further particu-

which seemed requisite in order

lars,

account;

the

whole

to complete

has endeavoured to

but

was

as concise as

make

the

possible, consistently with

the object in view, which was to revive the recollections of

some readers,

to supply information to others,

who can rarely

many books of reference about with him.
The first mention we find in history of Babylon,

and to

assist the traveller in the East,

carry

or Babel,

in the

is

In the tenth chapter of

Bible.

Nimrod,

Genesis, at the tenth verse, speaking of

added, " and the beginning of his

is

it

kingdom was

Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh in the

land of Shinar."*
It is surely

further notice

worthy
is

Sacred Volume,

to be observed that little if

taken

of this great

until the

time of

in

city

its

any
the

connexion

with the history of the Jewish people, and, even

then, our attention

ment

is

chiefly directed to the punish-

and ruin that are about to

wickedness.

During

splendid capital of

this interval

a most

fall
it

upon

it

for its

had become the

powerful

empire

the

teacher of other nations in every kind of knowledge

the mistress of the world in arts and sciences, and

civilization

But

all

these things, so great in the

eyes of men, are passed by in silence, or slightly referred to in the Bible, that History of Nations, written
*

This

is

supposed to have been about 2300 years before Christ,

or about 1300 years after the creation of the world.

INTRODUCTION.
by God, who there points out

Ill

what He

to us

ac-

counts of importance in history, and what insignifi-

He

cant.
in

tells

us that the advancement of nations

and knowledge are nothing in His

civilization

sight, unless there

be a corresponding advancement

and obedience, and love

in reverence,

to Himself,

and in true loving-kindness among men, to each

other.

It

would

be

well

would but look upon things

mankind

for

man which

the wonderful history of

is

eternal

and they would be much helped in so doing,

observed

how

they

if

bear upon

truly, as they

they

if

spoken of by the

these things are

Creator and Father of Men.*

Of Babylon

that glory of kingdoms, that beauty

of the Chaldees' excellency, that city so great

the nations of the earth

dignation

for

having

He speaks

unmerciful
sure

not

for

up

given
for

Him

for

having been

for

Her wisdom and

says, perverted her

multitude of her
*

having been

to

plea-

saying, " I shall

as a widoAV, neither shall I

of children. "t

God

Him

for dwelling carelessly

sit

against

striven

having been proud against

among

only with in-

know

the loss

her knowledge,

her enchantments and the

sorceries

made her

brutish, and

very remarkable book has lately been published, entitled,

Revolution," by Thomas Carlyle, which contains

most powerful unveiling of this true history, and sweeps
away all the unrealities and falsehoods with which men endeavour to
delude themselves. This work is, surely, a great gift to men, in this
day of confusion and perplexity. May it prove a word of warning,
Ed.
and not of prophecy, to England

"The French
a

f Isaiah, chap, xlvii.

INTRODUCTION.

IV

she said in her heart, " I am, and none else beside

me."*
In order to obtain any details concerning this
great

first

sample of man's mighty works, by which,

many

during so

ages since, he has been dazzled and

warning thus early

intoxicated, notwithstanding the

given him

his

l)y

faithful

Creator, Ave must have

recourse to other sources, which, however, are very

abundant, for Babylon

appears

object of admiration to

all

to

have been an

By some

the ancients.

of the ancient authors the building of Babylon

attributed

to

Semiramis,-!-

lished, or enlarged

being

its

The

who

and hence got the name of

it,

founder.

which rendered

principal works

were the walls of the

city,

the bridge, the lake, banks, and canals

stood on a large and very fertile plain.

480

feet thick,

350

built of large bricks,

men.

trench,

surrounded the

in height,

60 English

furlongs, or

famous

miles.

the hang-

The city
The walls

and in compass

They were

all

cemented together with bitu-

deep,

city.

so

it

the palaces, quays, and

ing gardens, and the Temple of Belus.

were 87

is

embel-

probably

wide,

" It

dotus, " that I should say in

is

and

full

proper,"

of water,
says

Hero-

what manner the earth

removed from the trench was disposed

of,

and how

* Jeremiah, chaps. 1., h.

t Herodotus tells us that she raised an embankment worthy of
admiration through the plain, to confine the river Euphrates, which
heretofore often spread over that level country like a lake.

INTRODUCTION.
the wall was constructed.

was removed from

bricks,

The

furnaces

in

earth, as fast as

was converted

the trench,

and baked

when

it

into

thus

pre-

pared, melted bitumen was used instead of mortar,*

thirtieth course of bricks there

and between every

was a layer of
first

sides of the trench

were

lined with brick-work, and then the wall raised

the

in

The

reeds.

manner described."

there were 25, were

The

reader

The

made of

gates,

of which

At

solid brass. f

between these gates were towers,

different intervals

said to have been

all

10

feet

higher than the walls.

probably aware that some of the

is

ancient authors describe the walls of Babylon

as

being drawn round the city in the form of a square

and that 25

each 15 miles long and 150 feet

streets,

broad, went in straight lines to the 25 gates, which

were directly over against them, on the opposite

so that the

sides,

50,

whole number of the

streets

were

whereof 25 went one way and 25 the other,

directly crossing each other at right angles.

And

besides these there were also four half streets, which

had houses only on one

other

these

and the wall on the

side,

went round the four

sides of the city

next the walls, and were each of them 200

broad.

By

the whole

city

squares, each of

on every
*

feet

these streets thus crossing each other,

side,

is

described as

cut out

into

676

which was four furlongs and a half

that

is,

two miles and a quarter

See Mr. Rich's observations on Gen.

the Ruins of Babylon,"

p. 98.

xi.

3,

in the "

t Isaiah

in

Memoir on

xlv. 2.

INTRODUCTION.

VI

circumference.

towards the

Round

these squares, on every side,

streets, stood the

houses (which were

not contiguous, but had void spaces between them),

all built

three or four storeys high, and beautified

with

manner of ornaments towards the

The

all

streets.

space within, in the middle of each square, was

likewise all void ground, employed for gardens, &c.,

so that

Babylon was greater

reality

near one half of the city being taken up in

in

appearance than

we

are told by

ancient authors differ as to the

number of

gardens and other cultivated lands, as

Quintus Cur tins.

The

royal palaces in Babylon.

Herodotus mentions only

which they

one,* but other authors speak of two,

describe as situated at the two ends of the bridge,

having a communication with each other by means

of a tunnel, built under the channel of the river.

The

old palace, which stood on the east side of the

river,

was three miles and three-quarters

in compass,

near which stood the Temple of Belus.

palace,

which stood on the west

opposite to the other,

compass.

It

The new

side of the river,

was seven miles and a half

was surrounded with three

in

walls, one

within the other, with considerable spaces between

them.

These walls,

as also those of the other palace,

were embellished with a variety of sculptures.

" In the centre of each portion of the city is an
the one occupied by the royal palace, a building of
vast extent and great strength in the other stands the Temple of
Herod. (TayBelus with its brazen gates, remaining in my time."
*

His words

enclosed space

are,

lor's Translation), p. 86.

INTRODUCTION.
In the

and were carried up

manner of
till

or neAV palace, were the hanging gar-

last,

They contained a square of 40

dens.
side,

Vll

feet

aloft into the

on every
in the

air,

several large terraces, one ahove another,

The

the height equalled the walls of the city.

ascent

was from

terrace to terrace,

The whole

wide.

upon other

raised

by

were

22

feet

one above another, and

arches,

feet in thickness.

first laid

4 broad

10

was sustained by arches

pile

strengthened by a wall, surrounding

side, of

stairs

On the

large, flat stones,

it

on every

top of the arches

16

feet

long, and

over these was a layer of reeds, mixed with

a great quantity of bitumen, upon which were two

rows of bricks,
plaster.

closely

The whole was

cemented

together

with

covered with thick sheets

of lead, upon which lay the mould of the garden.

And

all

this floorage

was contrived

to

keep the

moisture of the mould from running away through

the arches.

The mould

or earth laid hereon

was

deep that the greatest trees might take root in

so
it

and with such the terraces were covered, as well as

with

all

other plants and flowers that were proper to

adorn a pleasure- garden.

In the upper terrace there

was an engine, or kind of pump, by which water

was drawn up out of the river, and from whence the
whole garden was watered. In the space between
the

several arches

structure rested,

upon which

this

whole super-

were large and magnificent apart-

ments, that were very light, and had the advantage

of a beautiful prospect.

But by

far the greatest

and

INTRODUCTION.

Vlll

most interesting work

ot

Belus,* which

stood

is

Babylon was the Temple

at

some authors

said by

near the old palace.

only one, describes the

tions

have

to

who men-

Herodotus,

Temple of Belus

as

standing in an enclosed space, in the centre portion

of the

" It

opposite to the palace.

city,

says

is,"

Herodotus, " a square structure, each side measures

two

Within

stadia.

and depth
another,

Midway

upon

tower

this

making eight

path which

enclosure

the

erected

is

measuring a stadium both

tower,

solid

is

in

is

ascent

in the ascent

is

On

the

who ascend

No

statue whatever

is

and throne, are

all

is

an im-

tables,

which,

The meaning of Belus

Upon which he

Croix.

is

Avith

Heaven, God,

observes, "

potamia had not always been idolaters

The

Without

or Lord, says

M. de

inhabitants of Meso-

and though they became

such, they for a long time acknowledged the supremacy of the

Nachor, and of Abraham."

the

of gold, and, as the Chal-

deans affirm, contain 800 talents of gold.

a smaller

is

statue of Jupiter in a sitting posture

around the statue are large

St.

a great

stands a

erected in the

on the ground, within which there

mense golden

steps

is
it

Within the precincts of the Temple of

Belus," adds the same author, " there

edifice

repose

summit of the topmost tower

stands a large temple, and in this temple

golden table.

by a

is

a resting-place, furnished

couch, handsomely fitted up, and near

temple.

and

formed on the outside of the towers.

with easy chairs, in which those

themselves.

raised another

The

all.

width

in

God

of

INTRODUCTION.
tliis

edifice is a

golden altar

altar of great size,

Upon

animals.
to offer

any

the golden altar

also another

is

it

not lawful

is

Once

except sucklings.

the festival of this god

brated, the Chaldeans burn

1000

there

on which are offered full-grown

sacrifices,

when

every year,

IX

in

is

cele-

upon the greater

altar

talents of frankincense.

There was

also,

not

long since, in this sacred enclosure, a statue of gold,

12 cubits

in

affirmed.

height;

at

the

so

least,

not myself see

did

Chaldeans
This figure

it.

Darius Hystaspes would fain have taken, but dared

not execute his wishes.

But

his

son Xerxes,

not

who endeavoured to prevent its removal.*

Such was the magnifience of this temple, which contained also many
only took

it,

but put to death the priest

private offerings"!

Among

the stupendous works

scribed by ancient authors, none

of Babylon, de-

seem

to

more wonder and admiration than those

have excited
for the pre-

servation of the city from the effects of the inun-

dations of the Euphrates, which, during the

summer

months, or after the melting of the snows on the

mountains of Armenia, overflows

its

banks, from the

very great increase of Avaters which run into

it

at

that season.

To
*

prevent the

According

to the

damage
calculation

aa

hich both the city and

which Diodorus makes of the

sum total amounted to above

riches contained in this temple, the

21 millions sterling.

t Herodotus. (Taylor's Translation, p. 87.)

INTRODUCTION.

the country received from these inundations, there

were

cut,

town, two

at a very considerable

distance above the

artificial canals, Avhich

turned the course

of these waters into the Tigris before they reached

And

Babylon.

to secure the country yet

more from

the danger of inundations, and to keep the river

within

its

channel, prodigious banks were raised on

both sides of the

river, built

with bitumen,* which began

and extended below the

To

facilitate

the

with bricks cemented

at the artificial canals,

city.

making of

these works,

it

was

necessary to turn the course of the river another

way, for which purpose,

dug a prodigious
160

in compass,

the whole

finished,

when

channel.

But

increase might

gates on

its

preserved.

side of
it

till

was made

to

work was

flow in

Herodotus
Is,

charging

its

not overflow the city, through the

banks, this lake with the canal was

The water

common

says, "

still

received into the lake at the

the

all

reservoir, for the benefit of the

times, for the watering

*

former

its

that the Euphrates in the time of

country, to be let out by sluices, at

named

cut

canal,

artificial

the whole

time of these overflowings was kept there

year, as in a

square,

Into this lake was

by an

it,

40 miles

lake,

and 35 deep.

river turned

from the west

west of Babylon, was

to the

artificial

all

convenient

the lands below

The

it.

Eight days' journey from Babylon

is

a city

near which runs a small river of the same name, dis-

itself into

the Euphrates.

This

river brings

waters clots of bitumen in large quantities.

From

down with

this source

derived the bitumen used in cementing the walls of Babylon.'"

its

was

INTRODUCTION.
lake was thus

made

XI

equally useful in defending the

country from inundations, and in rendering

more

it

fertile.

Herodotus attributes these magnificent and useful

works

to the

two queens, Semiramis and

Nitocris,

between whose reigns there was an interval of

generations.

He

tells

embankment worthy of admiration through

to

confine the river,

five

us that Semiramis raised an

the plain,

which heretofore often spread

over the level like a lake

and Nitocris, he adds,

left

monuments, some of which he proceeds to describe.

" Seeing the Medes already possessed of extensive
and

empire,

restlessly

taking city after

city,

extending their power, by

among which was Nineveh,

she resolved in good time to secure herself against

them

in

the

best

manner

possible.

place, therefore, as the river

straight course through the city, she

vations at a distance above

it,

course became so tortuous, that

In the

formed exca-

by which means
it

its

three times passed

a certain town of Assyria, called Ardericca

lers

first

Euphrates ran in a

travel-

from our sea,* in descending the Euphrates

towards Babylon, three times arrive at that town

in the course of three days.

She

also raised both

banks of the river to an amazing height and thickness.

At some

* Persons

Greece.

from this

distance above Babylon, and near

sea, the

Mediterranean, that

is,

travellers

from

INTRODUCTION.

Xll

dug a

the river, she

depth as to drain

was such

The width

make

as to

earth removed from

of the river:

which the

reservoir in the marsh, of such

it.

of this excavation

was taken

it

stadia.

The

to raise the

banks

420

circuit

its

done, she brought

this

sides of the lake

were

stones, with

Both these

lined.

works, the diverting: of the river and the reservoir,

were formed with the intention of rendering the

current less rapid by
its

force, and, at the

more

circuitous

many

its

same

windings, which broke

time,

that those

so

made

the navigation

who descended

wards Babylon by water might have a long

to-

circuit

around the lake.

"

The

city

being divided into two portions by the

river in former times,

whoever wished

the one to the

was obhged

other

to pass

which manifestly was a great inconvenience.

defect she supplied

when

she had

from

to take a boat,

This

dug the lake

in

the marsh, she availed herself of the occasion to con-

monument

struct another

will be

magnitude

to

also by

which her fame

She caused stones of great

perpetuated.

be hewn

and when they Avere ready,

the lake being empty, she turned the waters of the

Euphrates into
channel dry.
river

it,

which, as

Then

it

filled,

left

the old

she both lined the sides of the

and the descents from the gates with burnt

bricks, in like

manner

as the city walls

and with

the stones already mentioned she constructed, as near

the middle of the city as possible, a bridge, binding

INTRODUCTION.

Xlll

During the

the stones together with iron and lead.

day planks of wood were extended from pier to

so as to

plunder each other.

said,

we have

This bridge was, as

formed by withdrawing the water of the Eu-

phrates into the

river

at

people from passing over to

to prevent the

night,

pier,

form a pathway; they were withdrawn

artificial

was restored

priety of this

parent,

lake

when

to its ancient

completed, the

channel

the pro-

mode of proceeding then became ap-

by means of which the

citizens obtained the

accommodation of a bridge."

The luxury and wealth

of the Babylonians seem to

have corresponded with the magnificence of their city.

Herodotus gives a striking proof of the very great

of the

fertility

says,

soil

of the surrounding country.

He

" All the countries under the great king are

divided into parts to supply provisions for his house-

hold and his army, each part furnishing food for one

Now,

month.

the region of Babylonia

is

charged

with the supply for four months out of the twelve

the remaining eight months being provided for by
the whole of Asia.

Thus

it

appears that this As-

syrian region, in produce, bears the proportion

ment of

this region

is

by

of

The govern-

one-third to the entire extent of Asia.*

far the richest of all the

provinces.

Little rain falls in Assyria, but the corn

receives

supply at the root, being fed with water

for

its

its

nourishment from the river

*

The Persian dominions

till

in Asia.

the

ear

is

INTRODUCTION.

XIV

This

ripened.

fertilization does not

take place, as in

Egypt, by the river overflowing the

fields,

lands are irrigated by the hand or by

the whole region of Babylonia

is,

where

intersected

The

canals

is

east, connects the

lands

but

we know,

river,

This region

stood.

the

is,

of

the richest in the gifts of Ceres

does not afford any produce from such trees

it

the

yields

to the

soil

Yet

this region

so favourable

growth of corn, that

two hundred

The

dred.

largest of these

Euphrates with another

which Nineveh

as the fig, the vine, or the olive.

is

for

Egypt, every-

like

navigable, and, turning towards the south-

Tigris, on
all

by canals.

but the

pumps

fold,

it

ordinarily

and sometimes three hun-

leaves both of the Avheat

and barley

are four fingers broad.

As

in

for millet

and sesame (Indian corn), the plant becomes a tree

of such magnitude, that, though I

knowledge of the

fact, I

have

personal

forbear to mention

feeling assured that to those

who

its size,

have never visited

the province of Babylonia, what I have already said

of

its

oil,

They use no
made from sesame. Palm-

produce will appear incredible.

except that which

is

trees

grow throughout the

bear

fruit,

and from

plain,

this fruit is

which

for

most part

prepared a kind of

bread, as well as wine and honey."

Having thus

it

is

hoped given the reader some

idea of Babylon, during the time of her prosperity,

it

may be

well to begin the description of her decay,

with some of those passages in Scripture where

had

lone:

been foretold

it

INTRODUCTION.

"And

Babylon, the

beauty of

XV
kingdoms, the

of

glory

Chaldees' excellency,

the

shall

when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah

never be inhabited, neither shall

be dwelt

it

be as
it

shall

in,

from

generation to generation, neither shall the Arabian

make

their fold there

shall lie there,

ful creatures,

and

but wild beasts of the desert

their houses shall be full of doleshall dwell there,

and owls

and satyrs

and the wild beasts of the islands

shall dance there,

and dragons

shall cry in the desolate houses,

pleasant palaces

shepherds

the

neither shall

pitch his tent there,

and her time

is

in their

near to come, and

her days shall not be prolonged*"

In the succeeding chapter, the

of Babylon

is

announced.

fall

The

of the last

cedars of

are supposed to rejoice over his destruction

thou art cut

Upon

down no

feller is

men

come forward
art thou

meet him.

to

become

to the grave

the

art thou fallen

of the morning

the sight of him

oh, Lucifer, son

art thou cut

down
!

said in thy heart, I will ascend into

Is thy

from heaven

How

At

become weak

ground, which didst weaken the nations

hast

us."

as we
pomp brought
noise of thy viols ?
the worm
and the worms cover thee.
also_,

like unto us?

spread under thee,

How

come up against

of the earth, the kings of the nations,

they exclaim, " Art thou,

down

" Since

his arrival in the place of departed spirits, all

the chief

is

King

Lebanon

See Isaiah, chap.

xiii.

to the

For thou
heaven.

INTRODUCTION.

XVI
I will

will

exalt

sit,

my

throne above the stars of God.

ascend above the heights of

I will

be like the

will

brought down to

High

IVIost

look

consider thee, saying. Is this the

the

earth

doms?!"

Then,
the

tremble,

to

tiie

that

clouds.

Yet, thou shalt be

hell, to the sides of the

shall narrowly

see thee

that

upon the mount of the congregation.

also,

They

pit.

upon thee, and

man

did

made

that

shake

king-

22nd

in the

King

to the

verse, the

Prophet turns from

people, and says, " I will rise

up

Lord of Hosts, and cut

off

against them, saith the

from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and

nephew,

saith the

Lord.

session for the bittern,

will

sweep

it

I will also

make

The Lord

Lord of Hosts.

and

with the besom of destruction, saith the

of Hosts hath sworn,

saying. Surely as I have thought, so shall

pass

a pos-

it

and pools of water

and as

have purposed, so shall

it

it

come

to

stand. "t

* M. de St. Croix's paraphrase of this passage is very striking:

The princes and great men advance in the place of departed spirits
to meet him. ^ At sight of him they exclaim, Art thou really fallen

"

from thine exalted throne, where thou didst shine like the morning
star in the heavens
what arm has been strong enough to make him

lick the dust,

who was

the terror and the scourge of nations

saidst in thy heart, I shall

mount above the

clouds.

Thou

I will elevate

to heaven. I will establish my throne above the stars; and

walk beside the Most High. In the midst of thy projects of
ambition, thou hast been precipitated into the grave !"

myself up
I will

"The
f Isaiah, chap. xiv. Thus rendered by M. de St. Croix,
Almighty has spoken I will extinguish the very name of Babylonian, and the posterity even to the last remnant of this hateful race.
The place of their abode will I give over to birds of prey and reptiles.
:

INTRODUCTION.
Jeremiah* repeats

XVll

prophecy, with some addi-

this

tional circumstances, f

The

Psahnist, in addressing Babylon, says,| " O,

daughter of Babylon,

who

art to be destroyed;

happy

shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served

us.

Happy

little

ones against the stones."

and dasheth thy

shall he be, that taketh

A inarsh shall occupy

its

place,

and an abyss shall swallow

it

up

in

everlasting forgetfulness."
*

Jeremiah, 1., li.

t Upon which M. de St. Croix observes, that Jeremiah and Ezekiel
follow less scrupulously the order of time than the other prophets

and

that, therefore,

not be surprised to find that Jeremiah

we need

has referred to one period, events which relate

and which

to several,

happened successively. As St. Jerome says, it is one thing to write

history, and another to write a prophecy under the immediate effect
of inspiration. The first of these periods relating to the ruin of Babylon

He

was in the time of Cyrus.

took the city, which henceforward

ceased to be the chief seat of the empire

for this prince

to Berosus, issued a

command

and

his suc-

He, according

cessors resided here only during one part of the year.

to destroy the walls of the city, in order

But Herodotus and Xenophon say nothing

and the conquest of the city by Darius the son of Hys-

to prevent a rebellion.

of this order,
taspes

makes the

truth of the matter clear to us

which are too well known

to require to

be repeated.

the particulars of

The

rebellion of

the Babylonians at this time was the cause of

all their

Darius commanded that the walls of their

should be destroyed,

city

misfortunes,

and he carried away the gates, which, before him, adds Herodotus,
Cyrus had not done. This is conclusive: so that either Berosus
must have been mistaken, or Josephus, in citing the passage from the
Chaldean author, must have confounded together the two conquests.
Jeremiah speaks of the destruction of the walls, but he refers it to
the end of all the disasters which that city experienced, and he attriConsequently nothing makes it imit to a King of Media.
probable that Darius was the author of the demolition of the walls.

butes

% Psalm

cxxxvii.

This passage, according

M. de St Croix, must refer to Cyrus.

compared him to a lion, and the Baby-

to

Isaiah, he adds, after having

lonians to timid deer, flying before him, proceeds to describe the

massacre of the people in the very heart of their

city,

and

as

unable

INTRODUCTION.

XVlll

And

commands Cy-

the Lord, through Jeremiah,

"to go up against the land of the

rus

rebels

waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the Lord,

and do according;

sound of battle

How

have commanded thee.

to all that I
is

in the land

and of great destruc-

hammer of the whole earth cut

asunder and broken
how is Babylon become a
desolation among the nations
I have laid a snare

tion.

is

the

and thou

for thee,

art also taken,

thou wast not aware

Babylon, and

thou art found, and also caught,

because thou hast striven against the Lord.

"

The Lord hath opened

armoury, and hath

his

brought forth the weapons of his indignation

this is

the

work

of the

Lord God of

Come

land of the Chaldeans.

be

let

cast her

up

as

nothing of her

left.

"Call together the archers against Babylon:

camp

ye that bend the bow,

let

for

against her from the

utmost border, open her storehouses

heaps, and destroy her utterly

hosts in the

none thereof escape

to her

work

unto her

all

round about

all that

she hath done, do

hath been proud against the Lord,

Holy One of

" Therefore shall her

to escape

it

recompense her according

according to

for she

against the

against

from the victorious

Israel.

young men

soldiers,

fall in

who appeared

to

the streets,
be less eager

in the pursuit of plunder than in the shedding of the blood of their

enemies.

"Every one

every one that

is

that

is

found shall be thrust through, and

fall by the sword. Their children

joined to them shall

also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes." Isaiah, xiii. 15, 16.
* See the marginal note on Jeremiah, 1. 21, in Bagster's Bible.

INTRODUCTION.
and

her

xix

men

of war shall be cut off in that day,

Behold, I am against thee, O thou
most proud, saith the Lord God of hosts for
thy
all

saith the Lord.

day

is

come, the time that I will

most proud
raise

and

it

No

shall

stumble and

shall

him up

visit thee.

and

devour

fall,

And the

and none shall

I will kindle a fire in his cities,

all

round about him."*

made by Herodotus of these massacres, but Xenophon informs us that, the soldiers
of
Cyrus' army having murdered vast numbers of the
mention

is

Babylonians, he issued a

massacre only those

command to his cavalry to

who were found in the streets
;

and he commanded the inhabitants, upon pain of

death, to keep within their houses.

The Prophecies
were thus

literally

of David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah,

accomplished

and the narratives

of the two latter supply us with those details
which
the

Greek authors have neglected

to relate.

Indeed

there can be no doubt that the Babylonians

were
treated with much more severity by Cyrus

than

either

Herodotus or Xenophon seem

aware

of,

With

to

have been

or perhaps were willing to allow.

this conquest of

Babylon perished the Chaldean empire, by which so many other empires had
been destroyed and, as had been prophesied, the
;

hammer which had broken

the nations to pieces

was

at length itself broken.

* Jeremiah, chap.
t

how

"How
IS

is

the

I.

hammer

of the whole earth cut asunder and broken!

Babylon become a desolation !"- Jer. 1. 23.

b 2


INTRODUCTION.

XX

Darius continued the work of desolation begun

by Cyrus, and, not

with destroying the outer

satisfied

walls of Babylon, he shed

city,

much

3000

and put to death

blood within the

of her principal

citi-

stoopeth, their idols

were

zens.

"Bel boweth down, Nebo

upon the

beasts,

and upon the

cattle

your carriages

were heavy loaden;* they are a burden

beast. f

They

stoop, they

bow down

could not deliver the burden

gone

to the

weary

together; they

but themselves are

into captivity. ''j;

Jeremiah makes use of very similar language,

" Babylon

is

taken, Bel

broken in pieces;

is

confounded, Merodach

And,

images are broken in pieces. "

place, he

is

commanded

Babylon, and

in

that

I will

to say,

shall not flow together

in another

" I will punish Bel

bring forth out of his mouth

which he hath swallowed up

and the nations

any more unto him

wall of Babylon shall fall."

We

yea, the

\\

learn from Herodotus that Xerxes laid hands

upon the massive statue of gold

in the

Temple of

Belus, of which Darius had not ventured to

is

her idols are confounded, her

These huge statues were generally formed of baked

with bronze.

It

is

not, therefore, surprising that the

make

clay, faced

fragments of

them should be a sufficient load for several camels.

"Bel has
t M. de St. Croix thus renders these words of the prophet
been broken Nebo has been shivered to pieces and their ponderous
remains bow down the camels and the horses which are loaded with
:

them."

1 Isaiah

xlvi. 1,2.

Jeremiah

1.

2.

||

Jeremiah

li.

44.

INTRODUCTION.
himself master
the

Tomb

XXI

and that he likewise forced open

;*

of Belus, in hopes of discovering a great

treasure.

Weak

and broken as Babylon by

this time

had

become, these acts of violence caused a rebellion

among

the people.

It

was

and

quelled,

easily

Xerxes, in order to punish the inhabitants for their

revolt,

and

humble

to

had been the

that the vast

commanded
and magnificent Temple of Belus

And

should be destroyed.
fact,

adds that

the same

fate.

"he

Arrian,

all

"

Arrian,

who

relates this

the other great buildings experienced

When Alexander

left

Arbela," says

when

hasted straight to Babylon, and

he came nigh
in order

who

the pride of the priests,

instigators of the rebellion,

to the city

of battle

he drew up his whole army

but the Babylonians,

having

notice of his approach, threw open their gates, and

in vast multitudes,

went out

with their priests and chief men,

meet him, offering him great

to

besides delivering the city, the tower,

treasure into his hands.

commanded

Alexander entering the

city

the Babylonians to rebuild the temples

there which

the

gifts,

and the royal

Xerxes had destroyed, and

especially

Temple of Belus, whom the Babylonians wor-

letter of Jeremiah to the Jews on being led capBaruch thus makes Jeremiah speak: "Now ye
shall see in Babylon gods of silver, and of gold, and of wood, borne
upon shoulders, which cause the nations to fear beware, therefore,

In the supposed

tives to Babylon,

that ye in nowise be like to strangers, neither be ye afraid of

when ye
shipping

see the multitude

before

them

them, and behind them, wor-

them." Apocrypha, Baruch,

vi. 3, 4.

INTRODUCTION.

XXll

He

shipped as their chief god.

deans

in

this

city

about the

consulted the Chal-

the

of

restoration

temples, and whatever they advised he performed;

and

in particular

to Belus."

by their advice he offered

who

Alexander,

Avas very desirous of restoring the

of Babylon,

splendour

Temple of Belus; but

which
tells

work

lay buried

it

us
for

sacrifice

undertook to rebuild

the

the mass of rubbish under

was

immense, that Strabo

so

10,000 men would have been required

two months

in only clearing

it

to

away.

Alexander was ambitious of rebuilding this temple

upon a more magnificent

and was eagerly
taking by

scale than the

assisted in

except the Jews,

all

his

former one,

purposed under-

who

alone refused to

have anything to do with the work.

However, notwithstanding

went on but

all his efforts,

on his return from India, hastened back

with his army, that the soldiers might
labour.

But he had come back

and from that time

of Belus

At

the

slowly, and in order to accelerate

all

to

to

work
he,

it

Babylon

assist in the

Babylon

idea of rebuilding the

to die

Temple

was given up.f

the period of Alexander's death, Babylon

was

* " Arrian's History of Alexander's Expedition," translated by

Mr.

Rooke, vol. i. chap. xvi. p. 153.

t M. de St. Croix remarks upon this failure of Alexander's "We
ought to be struck with the ways of Providence upon this and other

similar occasions.

At

the very

moment when

everything seemed

about to prove the failure of the oracles of God, then were they on
the point of being completely and perfectly fulfilled."

INTRODUCTION.

XXIU

completely fallen from her ancient splendour, and

was beginning

to

wear a deserted appearance.

The houses were few and

scattered abroad, and

the rest of the area of that once flourishing city was

now

turned into fields and cultivated lands.

Indeed,

Alexander, who had desired to be the restorer of

Babylon's splendour,
destroyer.

He was

may be

the

considered as her final

who broke down

first

innermost or sole remaining wall of the

the
the

city,

two outer ones only having been ruined by Da*

rius

and

it

was

in his time likewise that the

wor-

ship of Bel ceased.

But he was an instrument

whose unchangeable and
all

in the

hand of God,

secret purposes he,

like

other conquerors, executed without knowing

and even against

his

By him were

will.f

it,

ac-

complished the Prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah,

and Babylon was

Thou

saidst,

finally

I shall

and completely destroyed. J

be a lady for ever

so that

thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither

didst

remember

now this,

the latter end of

it.

carelessly, that sayest in thine heart,

* "

Thus

Therefore hear

thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest

saith the

Lord of Hosts

I am, and none

the broad walls of Babylon shall

be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burnt with fire; and
the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall
be weary."~Jeremiah, li, 58.
+ " I am the Lord, and there

me:
of

is

none

no God beside
known me." Isaiah xlv. 5.

else, there is

girded thee, though thou hast not

X M. de St. Croix considers Alexander as the last scourge spoken

by the prophets in the threatened ruin of Babylon and it is his
;

opinion that this has been overlooked by interpreters of prophecy.

;:

INTRODUCTION.

xxiv

me

else beside

know

shall I

things shall

not

I shall

sit

as a

the loss of children

come

to thee in a

the loss of children, and

widow, neither
but these two

moment

in one day,

widowhood they
:

shall

come

upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of

thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine

enchantments,
"
it

Howl

ye

&c."'"^

for the

day of the Lord

hand

at

is

come as a destruction from the Almighty.

shall

Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with

wrath and
"

fierce anger,

How

is

the

der and broken

among

tion

mount up

desolate

the

hammer of the whole earth cut asunhow is Babylon become a desola"Though Babylon should
nations!"

of

her

strength, yet

come unto

spoilers

and though she should

to heaven,

height

the

to lay the land

shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it."|

and he

her,

saith the Lord.

fortify

me

from
.

shall

Because

the Lord hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of

her the great voice^X

At

the

time

when Demetrias

Poliorcetes took

possession of Babylon, two fortresses alone remained

of

all its

defence

magnificent fortifications, and were

its

sole

and before his arrival Patroclus, a General

of Seleucus, had driven the inhabitants of Babylon

out of their city.

Most of them, we

by Diodorus, retreated
fled

'''

into

the desert

Isaiah

xlvii.

far

are informed

from the Euphrates, and

others took refuge upon the

t Isaiah

xiii. 6, 9.

% Jeremiah

1.

and

li.

INTRODUCTION.
further shores of the Tigris,

XXV

and down towards the

south of Persia.

who succeeded Alexander

Seleucus Nicator,

in

portion of his empire, determined to abandon

this

BaJ^ylon altogether, and to transfer the capital of his

empire

own name

had founded on the

the city which he

to

banks of the Tigris, and

;

to

which he had given his

and Pausanias informs us that the Baby-

lonians were compelled by that prince to

come and

settle there.

"
the

The walls of Babylon," adds this author, " and

Temple of Belus, had almost ceased to exist,

though there were

still

a few Chaldeans

who

con-

tinued to dwell around the latter edifice."

Pliny assures us that Babylon was swallowed up

by Seleucia, and became quite a wilderness.

much

says

same

the

"

remarkable.

None

were

it,

The Persians

destroyed

and time, and the indifference of the

Macedonian princes, completed

after

very

and the remains of that

entirely neglected.

one part of

is

of Alexander's successors ever

cared more for Babylon

city

Strabo

thing, but his language

Seleucus Nicator

neighbourhood.

had

its

built

ruin, especially

Seleucia in

nifested a decided preference to the latter place,

fixed there the capital of their empire.

sent time Seleucia

is

actually a

able city than Babylon, which

deserted, and to

its

This prince and his successors ma-

At

much more
is

and

the pre-

consider-

to a great degree

which may be applied, without any

INTRODUCTION.

XXVI

words of

hesitation, the

city is a great desert.'

Before

Strabo, this city had l)een subjected to

sion.

About 127 years

general

reduced

He

to be sold.

the

great

much

oppres-

before J. C. a Parthian

number of

great

families into slavery,

'

described by

condition

the

into

fell

it

comic poet,

tlie

"

Babylonian

and sent them away

destroyed

Media

to

remained of the

all that

public buildings, overturned the temples, and spared

no monument of ancient splendour.

In the reign of Augustus,
Siculus, that in his time a

Babylon was

was under
Strabo,

still

we

learn from Diodorus

very small portion of

and that the remainder

inhabited,

cultivation.

who

wrote

in the

time of Tiberius, could

not have been informed of the latest misfortunes of

this

miserable

city,

and he

says,

merely in a general

way, as has been already related, that

it

was

quite

deserted.

Babylon never recovered such a succession of

misfortunes, and seems only to have
ancient

celebrity

amone: the

cities

preservation

the

of

the

might have lingered on

East.

owed

to her

her

name

of

Nevertheless she

in her reduced

and feeble

condition some time longer, had not religious intole-

rance given

rise to a civil

was the devotedness of

the

war, the cause of which

Jews

to their religion.

large body of that people had taken refuge in

Babylon, many of

whom

perished in this persecu-

INTRODUCTION.
tion

XXVll

and those who escaped being massacred were

unable to support the cruel exactions to which they

were subjected, and

Six

from Babylon

fled

years after tranquillity

to Seleucia.

had been restored the

plague ravaged Babylon, which, together with fresh

emigrations of the people, thoroughly drained her of

her inhabitants.

From

the time of these events, which took place

Babylon seems almost

in the reign of Caligula,

to

is

hardly mentioned in the

expeditions of Trajan and

Severus into Mesopo-

have been forgotten, and

tamia.

Pliny,

seems

to

who composed

his

work under Vespasian,

have heard of the emigrations, but not to

have known the true cause.

The

writers of the succeeding century,

natives of the East^ differ but

in their accounts of the fate of

little

who were

from each other

Babylon.

Lucian of Samosata, which was a town not

far

from the Euphrates, who flourished under Marcus

Aurelius, speaks of Babylon as a city that had once

been remarkable for

its

numerous towers and vast

circumference, but which would soon disappear as

Nineveh had done.

From
era,

the 4th to the 10th century of the Christian

Babylon

is

only occasionally and slightly

tioned by different authors, and

confounded with Seleucia.

is

men-

even sometimes

In the 10th century the

abridger of Strabo says positively that Babylon was

INTRODUCTION.

XXVlll

time deserted, and that even her rival Seleii-

at that

had

cia

The

her name.*

lost

ecclesiastical writers of those ages speak of

Babylon

as

having been long ago destroyed.

In the

3rd century Eusel)ius of Csesarea informs us that

the people of the surrounding country, as well as
strangers, avoided

it,

for

it

had become completely a

desert.

Jerome believed

St.

had

that the ancient walls

been repaired, and that they surrounded a park in

which the Kings of Persia kept animals

He

for hunting.

says he learnt this from an Elamite father resid-

ing at Jerusalem, but he was evidently

that

in

satisfied

time there were but few remains of

his

Babylon.
Cyril of Alexandria,
tells

who

flourished about 412,

drawn from the Euphrates

soil of Babylon had become

us that, the canals

having

filled

up, the

Theodoret,

nothing better than a marsh.

in 460, says that this city

either

was no longer

who

died

inhabited,

by Assyrians or Chaldeans, but only by some

Jews, whose houses were few and scattered abroad.

He

further adds that the Euphrates

course, and passed through the

had changed

its

town only by means

of a small canal.

In conclusion
*

Upon which M.

Procopius of Gaza

de St. Croix remarks

pour

seems

to ]a.hour

names

of which are forgotten

le

neant.
!''

in the middle

" Man builds in vain

How many

cities

he
have been, the very
;

INTRODUCTION.

XXIX

of the 6th century speaks of Babylon as having been

a long time destroyed.

We thus
rities,

clearly gather

from these various autho-

that in the 5th century every purpose of the

Lord had been performed upon Babylon,

to

make

the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant

and Babylon had become heaps, a dwelling-

place for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing,

without an inhabitant.*

Thenceforward the only mention made of Babylon by the

vellers

is

Mahometans and

as a

mass

early

European

tra-

of unshapely, solitary ruins,

vyhere the animals at enmity with

man

found a safe

refuge.

Ibn Haukal, in 917, speaks of " Babel as a small

The Persian geographer some time

village."

assures us " that hardly

were

to be seen."

Jewish

traveller,

after

any remains of Babylon

From Benjamin of Tudela, the

we learn in the 12th century that

nothing was to be seen but the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar's palace, into

which no one dared

to enter

on

account of the quantity of serpents and scorpions

with which

it

was

infested.

In the reign of Elizabeth an English merchant, of

the

name

London
ceeded

of Eldred, sailed in the year 1583 from

to Tripoli in

first to

Syria,

from whence he pro-

Aleppo, then in three days

to

Bir,

on

the Euphrates, where he hired a boat, and sailed

down

the

river

in
*

twenty-eight days to Felugiah.

Jeremiah

li.

29. 37.

XXX

INTRODUCTION.

Here he landed, and proceeded across Irak Arabi

New Babylon (Bagdad). On the way he passed

" the old mighty city of Babylon, many old ruins

to

whereof are easily to be seen by daylight, which

John Eldred have

often

beheld."

He

notices

Tower of Babel, which he

particular the

in

describes

quarter of a mile in circuit, and about the

as a

height

"but

Saint Pauls,

of

bigger."

was

It

it

much

showeth

built of very large sun-dried bricks,

cemented by courses of " mattes, made of canes, as

though they had been laid within one yeere."

German traveller, who visited the ruined

Rauwolff, a
city in the

16th century, speaks of the remains of an

ancient bridge,

the

of

ruins

of ancient fortifica-

and of the Temple of Belus.

tions,

he adds, "

is

so

much

ous animals, that

two months

it

" This tower,"

ruined, and so full of

venom-

can only be approached during

in the winter,

when they do not

leave

their holes."

Another

traveller, of the

name

of Boeventing, dis-

tinguishes this tower from another square building

of 125 paces in circumference, which he takes to be

the

Temple

veller,

of Belus.

Texeira, a Portuguese tra-

informs us that in his time there remained

very few traces of that once famous city

there

was no spot

as that

and that

in all the country so little visited

upon which once stood Babylon.

In the year 1616 these ruins were visited by the

celebrated traveller Pietro della Valle
it

is

true that

and though

he enters more fully into the de-

scription of

INTRODUCTION.

XXXI

them than any former

traveller, it is still

matter of astonishment that he did not give a fuller

account of the various heaps which he must have

He

seen.

them generally

describes

mass of ruined buildings,

as a confused

so covered over with earth,

much

that they sometimes looked as

like

hills

as

buildings.

Carmelite monk, on his return overland from

India, about the year 1657, left

sailing

Bussorah in a boat

up the Euphrates on the 16th of August;*

and though he says but

little

of Babylon, the ac-

count he gives of his voyage up to

it is

curious,

and

the book being scarce, a few particulars from his

journal are here inserted.

They were

four days in

getting from Bussorah to Koorna, the point of

Me-

sopotamia where the Euphrates and Tigris unite.

From

thence they sailed up the Euphrates, passing

several places, the

lost,

names of which are

or so changed by the Italian

either

monk,

now

that they

are not recognisable.

After having passed a place he calls Goi, and then

moving on

to the

two Medinas and Mansura, they

arrived on the 6th day at Saghe, and the following

day they came to Gezzael, by which he probably

means Ghezzail, or the

chief of the

Arab

place of residence of the

tribe of that

name, which inhabits

the banks of the Euphrates, below Babylon.

He
*

next speaks of

reaching the

place

where

Viaggio air Indie Oriental! del Padre F. Vincenzo Maria di

S. Caterina di Sienna, Procurator Generale de Carmelitani Scalzi.

XXXU

INTRODUCTION.

the Tigris and Euphrates separate, and likewise of

arriving at Seleucia, all of which

He

gible.

rivers

surely

quite unintelli-

two

that the

divide at Koorna, and the only Seleucia on

these rivers

was

is

must have perceived

is

not on the Euphrates, up which he

but on the Tigris,

sailing,

about twenty-five

miles below Bagdad.

He goes

on to say

" The heat was

insupportable,

and for many hours of the day quite stupified

Though

us.

the nights tempered the burning heat, yet

were then greatly molested by musquitoes, which

Ave

are

much

the

morning

the

evening at

places,

larger than those

of the 24th

we

The

following day

we

Arge, where the jurisdiction of Bagdad*

Here we halted

fering from the heat

passengers

mats and reeds,

built with

but abounding in provisions.

begins.

On

in Italy.

arrived at Salussar, in

IMarmer, both of them miserable

composed of huts

arrived at

we have

was

fell ill.t

for

Uvo days, and our

so great that

The water

suf-

some of the

of the Euphrates

is

very relaxing, and easily brings on dysentery, the

sole

"

remedy

On

for

which

the 27th

is

burnt wine.

we found

ourselves surrounded by

an open desert, and the weather was intensely

We

heard

all sides,

woods.
*

The

And

lions,

hot.

tormented by the heat, roaring on

there being great

numbers of them

Having posted our guards

writer always calls this city by the

name

in these

at the coining
of Babylon.

they were cured by a strange remedy an infusion of

tobacco in a glass of brandy, which produced a profuse perspiration,
and thus relieved them.

INTRODUCTION.

XXXlll

on of night, we gathered together a good provision of

in order to

wood,

keep up a brisk

through the

fire

But towards midnight our guards having

night.

asleep,

fallen

and the

fire

having become

fainter,

one of these wild beasts came so near, that there

was not more than twenty paces between us and him,

when, by the Divine permission, a Turk awakened,

who,

soon as he became aware of the danger,

as

commenced crying
were

out as loud as he could, and such

one was quickly up,

his screams, that every

same

and the noise of the fire-arms which

at

time were discharged on

alarmed the

lion, that

he quickly took to

We were off early in

"

to a little

we

all

wood

the

sides,

so

the

flight.

mornmg, and soon came

of wild cypress-trees,

among which
who were

heard the whistling of some Arabs,

making

signals to each other to assemble, in order to

attack us.

We all

prepared to meet them

afterwards about forty

men made

and soon

their appearance

on the shore, some armed with lances, some with

bows and arrows.

Having steered our

vessel

away

from the shore, our people inquired of them what

they wanted.
stolen

They pretended

abuse, they retreated.

31st

we

arrived at

cow had been

Pursuing our voyage, on the

Samadava, a very flourishing and

well-peopled place, where

"

that a

from them; and, after much disputing and

we

halted two days.

We resumed our voyage on the 2nd of September,

in considerable fear of thieves

a wood

full

and we passed through

of wild beasts, where often

we

heard the

XXXIV

INTRODUCTFON.

roaring of the lions,

who from

time to time an-

swered one another from the opposite shores of the

our no small terror

river, to

we met with Arabs

ing,

upon capers and wild

"

On

the 9th

we

some hours' repose we

is

who

live

arrived at a village where the

anniversary of the

which

yet, notwithstand-

fruit.

the Coorban

people were celebrating

the

and

in these woods,

sacrifice

set off for

Bairam, or
After

of Isaac.

Kader and Romaia,

The

rather a considerable place.

captain

of our vessel had promised us at Bussora to conduct

us from

Romaia by land

should reach in

him

five

days

to
;

Bagdad, which place we

upon our requesting

but,

to provide us with horses,

we found

here, in order to hasten our voyage, in

off;

impossible

it

He, however, hired a smaller boat

to obtain them.

which

Ave set

and having passed Coscus,* we were attacked

by some Arabs, who, enraged

at

having

some

lost

who had been devoured by lions,

make up for their loss by plundering

of their cattle

ex-

pected to

us

but seeing us

all

armed, and with

little

baggage,

and knowing that they would, therefore, gain

and might

lose

much, they thought

we

arrived at Hillah, passing along

beautiful banks, covered with

trees,

"

It is a
*

palm and other

and abounding in the necessaries of

we remained

for

little

most advis-

Finally, on the 16tli

able not to meddle with us.

of September,

it

life.

fruit-

Here

two days,

very general opinion that this place

By which he probably means

the place called Hasca.

was

INTRODUCTION.
the ancient Babylon,

which

is

XXXV

proved by the

being on the banks of Euphrates, by the

site,

fertility

of

the adjacent lands, and by the ruins of magnificent

buildings, which abound for

many

miles round

but,

by the remains of the Tower of Babel,

above

all,

which

to this

day

were curious

is

called

We

Nimrod's Tower.

to see these buildings,

but finding that

no one would accompany us for fear of robbers,

were compelled
"

The

to give

it

captain had again promised to provide us

with horses at

this place,

it,

when

but he put us off again

We

with a thousand excuses.

about

we

up.

were in great trouble

hearing, on the evening of the second

day, that a caravan of Persians had just arrived from

the tomb of Ali, on their

way

to

Bagdad, we pro-

vided ourselves with horses, and crossed the river

over the bridge of boats with the caravan that night."

The day after leaving Hillah they arrived in the

neighbourhood of Bagdad, and " passed the remains
They entered

of several remarkable buildings."

city,

the

and took up their abode with some Capuchin

friars,

who

received

them " with

their

wonted ex-

pressions of love and affection," and treated

them

with the most unbounded hospitality.

But

to return to the history of the

remains of

Babylon, concerning which the Carmelite

it

not in his

Another
nuel de

power

Roman

much

Catholic missionary,

St. Albert,

solitary city,

to give us

at

monk had

information.

le

a later period

Pere Emavisited

the

and describes the mass of ruins which

c2

INTRODUCTION.

XXXVl

had been seen by Pietro

della Valle

besides which

he mentions having seen remains of walls built of

brick and cemented together with bitumen, some of

which were

had

standing in his time, and others

still

He

down.

fallen

fore reaching Hillah,

then goes on to say, " Bea

hill

visible

is

which has

been formed by the ruins of some great buihling.

It

may

between two and three miles

be

cumference.

brought away from

in

cir-

some square

it

on which were writing in certain unknown

bricks,

Opposite this

characters.

and

hill,

leagues, another similar hill

is

distant

two

between two

visible,

reaches of the river at an equal distance."

After

speaking of Hillah, and of a lake into which the

Euphrates enters near that town, he continues as

follows

"

We

went

to the

have already mentioned

opposite

this

one

which

hill,
is

in

Arabia,

about an hour's distance from the Euphrates, and

the other

is

in

Mesopotamia,

at the

same distance

from the Euphrates, and both exactly opposite

each other.

found

it

to

very like the other, and I

brought away some square bricks, which had the

same impressions
remarked upon
still

as

the

this hill

ones.

standing on the summit, which, from a distance,

looked like a large tower.

overturned beside
that

first-mentioned

a fragment of thick wall,

it

was

whole.
vitrified,

it

similar mass

was lying

and the cement was so

quite impossible

Both masses seemed

to

solid,

detach one brick

as if they

had been

which made me conclude that these ruins

XXXVU

INTRODUCTION.

Many

were of the highest antiquity.

that this latter hill

lon

but I

other,

The

know

which

what they

will

and exactly

people of the country related to

foolish stories

Jews

not

opposite,

is

make

who

of the

like this one.*

me

a thousand

about these two mounds

call the latter the prison of

Niebuhr,

people insist

the remains of the real Baby-

is

and the

Nebuchadnezzar,''

seems to

visited this spot in 1765,

have no doubt that here Babylon once stood, and

mentions that

it

was

still

called

Ard Babel

adding,

that hereabouts were evident traces of a once great

city.

On

both sides of the Euphrates, according

him, were mounds or

ging

into,

little

hills,

were discovered to be

to

which, upon dig-

full

of bricks.

Between the years 1780 and 1790 the ruins of

Babylon were examined by M. de Beauchamp-j-, who
begins his account by saying, " It

is

in the territory

of Hillah, at about eighteen leagues south-west of

Bagdad, that are

still to

be seen the ruins of ancient

Babylon, on the banks of the Euphrates

chiefly consist

but they

of bricks scattered about, with the

exception of a very considerable tower, which

ropeans take to be the

place he adds

Tower

of Babel."

Eu-

In another

" The ruins of Babylon are very con-

spicuous a])out one league to the north of the toAvn

of Hillah.

Above

all

* " It is evident," adds

the rest

M. de

is

one which

St. Croix, " that the

is

rather

second

mound

Emanuel ought to have

had no hesitation on the subject."
He resided some years at Bagdad, as the Pope's Vicai-General
is

within the site of Babylon, and the Pere

i'

of Babylonia.

INTRODUCTION.

XXXVlll

on the

flat

top, of

toises high,

would never have been taken

It

sides.

of man's, were

which are
natural

an irregular form, about thirty

and much cut up by furrows down the

it

visible,

and which prove that

Beyond

hill.

work

for a

not for the regular layers of bricks

was no

it

mound, on the banks of

this

immense masses of building which

the river, are

This

supplied bricks for the building of Hillah.

mound

place, and the

called the

commonly designated by
means overturned."
Besides these ruins,

the Arabs, 3Iaklouhe,

M.

de

mentions a brick wall, which

been sixty

feet thick.

with the

river,

the city.

Tower

of Babel, are

Beauchamp
lie

which

likewise

judges must have

" It ran," he adds, " parallel

and may have been part of the wall of

discovered, also, a subterranean chan-

nel,

which, instead of being vaulted, was covered

with

flat

long.

stones, three feet broad,

These ruins extend

by

or seven

six

several miles to the north

of Hillah, and satisfactorily prove this to have been

*
the site of ancient Babylon."

In another memoir upon the same subject, ]M. de

Beauchamp adds

" There

is

no longer any doubt

regarding the position of Babylon,

above Hillah.

I have explored the

which
site,

brought away Babylonian inscriptions.

on the spot an account of what
*

Memoire

le

Journal

des?

just

have

drew up

saw.

sur les Antiqiiites Babyloniennes, &c., lu a

des Belles Lettres, et impiime dans

1790.

lies

and

do not

TAcademie
Dec,

Savans.

INTRODUCTION.

M.

agree with

d'Anville,

the river Euphrates.

who

XXXIX

divides

Babylon by

carefully inquired of the

Arabs, who have been forty years employed in dig-

ging for bricks with which

to

build

houses in

Hillah, whether in digging on the other side of the

and they answered no.

river they found bricks,

is

It

true that, on the other side of the river, at about

a league's distance from the banks of the river, there

are

mounds

of ruins, called by the Arabs, Brouss.

Those of Babylon are exactly under the mound they

call

Babel.

was

told

on the spot, that the ruins

of Babylon extended three leagues to the north of

Mohawil, and
a length of
fore,

no

as far

below Hillah, which would give

more than

difficulty

six leagues.

There

there-

is,

about the position of Babylon."*

* In speaking of the latitude of Babylon, M. de Beauchamp says,

According to M. Niebuhr, the latitude of Hillah is 32 28', which
would make the distance between Bagdad and Hillah 21| leagues,
allowing 25 to a degree, the meridian being pretty much the same.
But Hillah is 5 degrees to the west of Bagdad, according to an
observation of longitude taken on the 5th of November,
789, at
*'

Hillah,

It therefore appears to

much, and that 18 leagues

is

me

that 22 leagues

is

rather too

The

about the real distance.

result of

two expeditions made by me from Bagdad to Hillah is 164 hours, at

a horse's pace, not at the rate of caravan travelling. M. Niebuhr
counts 13 or 14 German miles and in taking 13^, that would give
225 leagues, at 25 to a degree. This distance, which is too much, is

sufficient to induce

me

to believe that the latitude of Hillah, accord-

ing to M. Niebuhr, is too little. I made it to be 32 35'. I had made

it 32 40', but I think there must have been some error in my instrument, and that my observation gives as much above, as M. Niebuhr's
had given under, the truth. My last observation corresponds better
with the distance; so that the latitude of Babylon would be 32 37'.
M. d'Anville has made it less, as well as Niebuhr, The only error I
could have made, would have been in

march.

my

calculation of the hour on a

But, supposing I granted that a horseman would walk his

horse one league an hour, allowing 20 to a degree,

it

would follow

INTRODUCTION.

xl

Not many years

well-known
it

"

The

Babylon was

after,

Olivier,

traveller,

sight no traces of a city

gone

fully

observed

direction

it

for

in every

that,

been

has evidently

Here the Arabs have

at

must be care-

some heaps and mounds are

over, before

and in order to discover

the earth

stood, at about

Bagdad, presents
and

by the

visited

thus describes

Babylon once

place where

tAventy leagues to the south of

first

who

dug

into.

more than twelve centuries

been occupied in digging and carrying away the

bricks, with

Mesjid

Ali,

towns

in

which

chiefly Coufa,

Bagdad, Mesjid,

Hussein, Hillah, and almost

all

the neighbourhood have been built.

that which, as

much

excavations,

these

as

the

But

contri-

buted to the disappearance of the very remains of

Babylon, was the nature of the materials with which

it

was

soil

built.

It

was

situated in a

flat

plain, the

of which was composed entirely of earth, with-

out being mixed with any stones, and in a country

where wood was always scarce

the inhabitants were

therefore obliged in building to have recourse to the

earth which was deposited by the rivers

they

made

bricks,

which they baked

out of this

in the sun,

and

which they bound together with the reeds that grew

For the same reason they

ready to their hand.

generally employed bitumen in their buildings instead

of mortar.

It

is

manifest

that Hillah ought to be at 32 32',

that

and Babylon

a building

at 32 34',

my statement. I may further add, that Babylon

and Hillah on the western, bank of the Euphrates.

very near
eastern,

'

which is
on the

is

INTRODUCTION.
composed of bricks baked
leave

destroyed,

xH
sun would, when

in the

few traces of

its

but

existence,

would soon be mingled with the surrounding

soil."

" However, notwithstanding the lapse of time, and

the Arabs, and the frailty of the materials employed
in the buildings, there

are

still

mains of very considerable

very foundations.

The most remarkable

their

to

ruin of

all

one which appears to be the remains of the

Temple of Belus,
is

and very thick

which the Arabs are demolishing

Avails,

is

to be seen the re-

edifices

mound

which

is

that

was

built

by Semiramis.

It

of considerable extent, the surface of

formed of earth, out of which the Arabs

dig large baked bricks, cemented with the bitumen

I

Between each

layer of

a thin bed of reeds and bitumen.

In this

have already mentioned.

bricks

is

mound, the form of which seems square, and the

circumference between 11 CO and 1200 ordinary
paces, there has been discovered several openings,

which, however, have never been sufficiently cleared

to trace

them, and discover

tended.

This

mound

is

for

what they were

to the north of Hillah, at a quarter of a league

the eastern

bank of the Euphrates.

mound and the riv^er

and many foundations
" Here

it is

Between

there are a great

many

from
this

heaps,

of ancient walls.

that, in general, are

bricks on which

in-

situated at about one league

found the large

are the inscriptions in

unknown

characters.

" There are

some ruins

to

be found on the west

INTRODUCTION.

xlii

side of the Euphrates,

where likewise are sometimes

found hricks with inscriptions on them

but I sought

in vain for traces of the pahice of the kings

discover in any direction the

walls of the city." *

coukl

The

history of the

thus brought

were

visited

down

ruins of Babylon

near the period

to

has been

by Mr. Rich, whose account of them

since that period been

by two very

nor

when they
They have

contained in the following Memoirs.

is

ramparts or

examined and

fully described

intelligent English travellers.

Sir R.

K. Porter and Mr. Buckingham, whose travels are

too well known to require any further mention here,
than to point them out as continuing the subject
first

undertaken by Mr. Rich.

It

may

not

be uninstructive to the thoughtful

reader to conclude

Mr. Rich's work,

who winds up

this

in the

his

imperfect

own Memoir on

Babylon with the following

Though

introduction

words of M. de

to

St. Croix,

the ruins

of

revicAv of her history.

the above details are not so complete as

could have been desired, they suffice, nevertheless,

to prove to us the literal fulfilment of the prophecies

of Isaiah and Jeremiah.

things in these prophecies.
ancient

Let us

The

inhabitants of Babylon

first
first

observe two
relates to the

they fully expe-

rienced the chastisement with which they had been

menaced by God,
Cyrus
*

after the taking of their city

by

nor were their descendants better treated by

Travels in the Ottoman Empire, Syria, and Egypt.

By

Olivier.

INTRODUCTION.

The second

Darius and Xerxes.

Babylon

relates to

In order better to understand the application

itself.

here,

xliii

we must bring some

This magnificent

facts together.

having fallen

city,

power of Cyrus 538 before

J.

C,

capital of the empire of the East,

foreign yoke

and thus was

As

of prophecy.
revolts, the

the

into

ceased to be the

and

under a

fell

fulfilled the first

object

a punishment for her repeated

outer walls

were demolished

510,

in

under Darius the son of Hystaspes, and thus began

which had been

that destruction

The

and Jeremiah, t

foretold

by Isaiah*

carrying off of Bel, and the

demolishing of his temple about 48 i by Xerxes,

and

all

the outrages

to

which he subjected the

Chaldeans, had equally been foretold by Jeremiah..]:

But

the fate of

existed,

Babylon was not yet decided

and with some

sort of consideration,

it vStill

for the

kings of Persia spent a part of every year there.

It

was Alexander who gave

before J. C.
decay.

it

the final

and once dismantled,

The two

it

blow

soon

in

325

fell into

emigrations, which were occasioned

by the invasion of Demetrius and the foundation of

the city of Seleucia, during the years

general in 127 before J.

C,

310 and 311,

caused by a

and the third emigration,

Parthian

together with the plague,

which completed the depopulation of Babylon

year 39 after J.
us

C,

by the profane writers

*

Chap,

xxiii. 19.

in the

are the only events preserved to

t Chap.

but they establish the

li. 2.

Chap.

li.

4-47.

INTRODUCTION.

xliv

complete and
ancient

final

Josephus places

which

great

this

and

abandon

this

visitation of the plague, to

have referred, in the reign of Caligula.

The Jews and

the air

overthrow of

city.

the other inhabitants were obliged to

where the insalubrity of

this miserable city,

was kept up by

Euphrates.

It

the stagnant waters of the

would seem

famous em-

the

that

bankment, constructed by Queen Nitocris, had been

broken down, and the lake which had been formed
to receive the overflowina^s
o of that river,

was

still

to

and which

be seen in the time of Trajan, had been

entirely filled

up.

The Babylonians had

already

been frequently menaced with a similar misfortune,

and they had only averted

it

by a labour and expense

which, at the time of this latter visitation, they were

no longer in a condition to undertake.

Before the foundation of their
territory

was covered with water

confining the Euphrates to

its

city,

and

bed,

it

the whole

was only by

that the

first

kings of Babylon succeeded in peopling the province

and the

The

capital.

Persians, by that

destructive

has been so often pursued by

policy

conquerors,

which
placed

obstructions in the middle of the Euphrates, in order

to

hinder

its

trouble to set

navigation.
it

Alexander spared no

free from these impediments, but

time was not allowed him to accomplish his undertaking.

and

After his death the whole was neglected,

consequently

fell

into a Avorse condition

than

INTRODUCTION.

xlv

Several canals of communication with the

before.

which had been dug above Babylon,

Tigris,

drained the Euphrates, that

it

so

ceased to be navigable.

This river likewise, occasionally, changing

course

its

during the inundations caused by the melting of the

snows, which takes place in the spring, or about the

summer

solstice,

through which

it

would necessarily cover the ruins

flowed, and keep up the surround-

ing marshes.
It

country

we

accordingly

at

in the face of the

marshes

find that these

subsisted, even after the caliphs

dence

Maho-

not to be expected that under the

is

metan yoke any change took place

had fixed their

resi-

Bagdad.

Isaiah had foretold that

Babylon should be covered

should be lost in an a])yss

with a marsh, or that

it

of mud, according to

tli6

rendering of the Septua-

which could only be brought about by the ne-

gint,

glect of the canals.

Jeremiah declares that the sea

Babylon, and shall overwhelm

How

was

city,

which was so

it

far

doret explains to
is

mean

come up
waves

its

come up

possible for the sea to

said before, " I will dry

that

shall

with

it

removed from

it ?

to
.*

to that

He

had

up her sea,"t which Theo-

the multitude of

to say, she shall lose

them

phorical expression, and, therefore,

Ijer

subjects,

It is a

all.

meta-

might we not un-

derstand by Babylon covered with waves, the complete

abandonment of the
*

Chap.

li.

42.

city,

and

Chap.

its

li.

36.

becoming a

INTRODUCTION.

xlvi

desert

Some

writers have attempted to solve the

otherwise,

difficulty

from a passage in Alydenus,

where we read that anciently the name of sea was

given to the waters spread abroad in the neighbourIf this explanation, which has

hood of Babylon.

been adopted by some commentators, and among

Don

others by

might

Calmet,

thought too conjectural,

is

here for the Euphrates

which served

itself,

Babylonians

in the habit of trading with the

seems the more probable, as

was not unknown

commonly

as a port

who were

to the ships of all the nations of the East,

sion

word sea

not be as well to take simply the

it

This

manner of expres-

this

East, the Egyptians

in the

calling the Nile, hahr, or sea.

These waves which overwhelmed Babylon soon

rendered

it

uninhabitable

and, as Isaiah says,* she

became the habitation of wild

The

satyrs.

phecies

is

one means used by

remembrance of His

that progress

is

this

is

principally

by several epochs

merus

keep them con-

of men.

Nevertheless,

lets

what we ought

Her

destruction

and one of the

itself

to

the rod

be seen
observe

was marked

last of these

she was sacked by the Parthian general,

:

and

to perpetuate the

to

neither hidden nor unfelt

as regards Babylon.

when

God

and

and from time to time

strikes,

and

oracles,

before the minds

tinually

beasts, and owls,

progressive accomplishment of the pro-

was

Hy-

from that time forward the name of city

could no longer be applied to

* Isaiah

xiii.

21.

her.

"

Mine eyes

INTRODUCTION.
behold her," says the Lord to Micah

shall

shall she

And

xlvii

"

;*

now

be trodden down as the mire of the streets."

truly, for a

long time nothing was to be seen

but fragments of her ruined walls and buildings, in

the midst of which she seemed altogether

Her

appear.

and

it

to

has only been by diligent search that

again been

dis-

very position came to be a problem

With

discovered.

it

has

does the

difficulty

modern times find out the remains of

Queen of Cities he turns them over with as-

traveller of
this

tonishment and contempt

and seems

to

triumph

over her, in carrying away some fragments of her

The

remains.

Avhole territory

no longer passing through

carried on by

means of the

it,

is

a desert, caravans

and commerce being

Tigris, from

Bagdad

to

Bassora.

Thus has everything concurred

most

literally that

the final ruin of Babylon

lation, a dry land,

no

man

to

accomplish

prophecy of Jeremiah, regarding

" Her

cities

and a wilderness

dwelleth,

neither

doth

are a deso-

a land

any

thereby, "t
*

Micah

vii.

10.

Jeremiah

li.

43.

where

man

pass

JOURNEY TO BABYLON,
THE YEAR

December

^th.

Set out

this

tion to visit the remains of

1811*.

morning on an expedi-

Ancient Babylon, accom-

panied by Mrs. Rich, Mr. Hine, and some friends.

Our

escort consisted of

my own

troop of Hussars,

with a galloper gun, a havildar, and twelve sepoys

about seventy baggage-mules, a

man from

Pasha, and a

mehmandar from

the

the Sheikh of the Jirbah

Arabs.

We

our encampment at Gherrara, or rather

left

bank of the

the opposite

the morning,

W.,

distant three miles.

Hillah road
level

river, at half-past eight in

Bagdad bearing from Gherrara N. 44

we

In order to get into the

took a course 50

W.,

passing over a

country covered with small bushes.

of the

Naher Malcha

morning.

We

called the old

a half

Avas in sight the

passed over several

bed of the Tigris.

we reached

to Hillah, after a

The

artificial

mounds,

In two hours and

the road that leads from

march of seven

canal

whole of the

Bagdad

miles, according to

* It was from this Journal that the following "Memoirs on the Ruins
of Babylon" were composed.

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

N. 12

E.,

was

much

not

by the celebrated

built

Kiahya of Bagdad

it

Our

frequented.

now

road

and

Assad Khan,

after a

lay S.

in

W.

took the direction of S. 5

arrived at

khans
all

At noon we

march of three hours

and a room or two near the gateway.

there

there

is

on which travel-

a raised plinth,

summer; and

Over the gate

nmd

always a small

is

travellers,

In the centre

the best khans

in

an inner range of stabling

is

quadrangle.

We

is

sleep in the

lers

These

quadrangular forms, with niches

round them for the acconmiodation of

of the court

it is

20 W.,

about half an

and three quarters, or about eleven miles.

are built in

Ahmed

but being so near the town,

over a perfectly level country

hour

Khan, which bore

Kialiya

our rate of travelling.

all

round the

an open room, and

village

round the khan.

only halted for a short time, in order to take

some refreshment, and then proceeded on our jourFrom a mound near Assad Khan the ruin of
ney.
Koof, or Nimrod's
Affffher
DO

Tower, bore N. 26 E.*

Bagdad, Saturday, January Ath, 1 812. I went with a party to see

or Nimrod's Tower, as it is vulgarly called, a ruin of very
great antiquity, and very muchof the same character as those of Babylon. It stands on the west side of the Tigris, about six miles from Bag*

Agger Koof,

dad.

The general resemblance

forcibly.

Like that ruin,

it

of it with the Birs

has a

mound

Nemroud

struck

me

of rubbish on the east side.

of the building is of unburnt bricks, mixed up with chopped

and layers of reeds between every fifth or sixth layer of bricks.
Fragments of burnt bricks are found in the base, which is apparently
composed of the decayed bricks and rubbish, together with the dust
blown up against it by the high wind. The mass is of an irregular

The mass
reeds,

shape, and about half

extent.

way up

Square holes are

it is

an aperture, apparently of no great

visible in the sides, as at the Birs.

The

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

We

left

Assad Khan

at half-past twelve, and, after

riding about three miles, our road bore S. 10

and Tank Kesra became

nence,

bearing due

visible

We

east.

W.,

from a small emicrossed the

Naher

Malcha, which was now dry, eight and a half miles

further on.

the

little to

high part of the bank,

which was

from

visible

left

of the road, on a

observed a small ruin,

a great distance,

called

Sheikh Shoobar.

At three

o'clock

onoos, from

we came

to a

khan

called Bir-

whence Tank Kesra bore N. 66 E.,

our road to Iskenderia, a khan where we proposed

halting for the night, being due south.

minutes

we came

to four

Hillah roads join.

where there

is

a bridge on the road from

Another khan was

Kerbela.

seib road, called

S.

W.

67

All

is

126 feet

ten

in sight

Bagdad

to

on the Mus-

Mizrakjee Oghlou Khan, bearing

this

plain

cement must have been mere

of the ruin

About

where the Musseib and

Musseib is on the Euphrates^
to

mud

is

covered with

scarcely any

is visible.

artificial

The height

the diameter of the largest and middle of

it is

100 feet the circumference of that part above the rubbish is 300 feet the
visible remains of the tower contain 100,000 cubic feet (Ives, p. 298).
:

The lands

or morasses about

Nimrod produce annually, in corn, to

They were once rented of go-

the value of 50,000 or 60,000 piastres.

vernment by Selim Aga, for the term of six

which was nothing like their value.
April 17 th, 1818.

Nimrod,

years, for 18,000 piastres,

The superfluous water of the Haour, or Morass

received by the

Masoudi

and carried into the

now broken by the
great press of the waters of the Euphrates, which is at present very
high and the water will cover all the country, and run into the
Tigris on the Kazemeen road, between the village of that name and
Bagdad. From Mr. Rich's Note-book.
of

is

Tigris below Bagdad.

The dam of

the

canal,

Haour

is

B 2

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

mounds, and, probably,

at

some very remote period

there was a town here.

We
after a

arrived at Tskenderia at a quarter past

march

of about fifteen miles.

It is a

Mahommed

and handsome khan, built by

five,

large

Hussein

Khan, the present minister to the king of Persia,

is now quite
new khan was

near the old one, Avhich

deserted.

bricks of which this

built

up on the

The

were dug

spot.

December

\Oth.

We

Iskenderia

left

at

ten

minutes before eight in the morning: soon after leaving which,

running

we

observed the remains of an old canal,

a slanting direction with

in

about two miles distance*.

At

the road, at

half-past ten, being

two hours and twenty minutes, or about seven miles

and a half from Iskenderia, we arrived
different khan, called

of the person

We
loaded

who

at a

very in-

Hajee Suleiman, from the name

built

it.

met here with a large caravan of camels

with

rice,

and going

to

Bagdad.

have

often observed that camels have a very disagreeable

smell,
I

and that horses are naturally afraid of them.

mention

this

circumstance because some persons

have asserted that camels have no smell, except

* After a

sights

march

when

of an hour and ten minutes I took the following

Hajee Suleiman Khan bore

S. 5

W.

Musseib, on the banks of the Euphrates, was in sight, at an

angle of 60, bearing S. 80
Iskenderia bore N. 10

The

W.

W.

village of Naseria, S. 60

W.

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

smeared over with pitch or naphtha, after the casting

My own

of their coats.

observations in this respect

confirm the assertion of the old historians.

Hajee Suleiman Khan

distinguished from the

is

surrounding mounds by a pillar over the gateway,

which

at a distance presents exactly the figure of a

man. Near

khan there

this

is

over

many

understand that

it.

which

Naher

a canal called

Naseria, in which was water, and

of the canals by

this country is intersected are full of

the spring,

when

the Euphrates

direction of our road

is

wds now 38

water in

at its height.

The

W.

About noon we reached Khan Mohawil, which

also a

al

had a bridge

it

bad khan, and where we only halted

is

for three-

quarters of an hour, in order to take some refresh-

From

ment.

this

spot

the ruins of Babylon

was

the

grand mound among

visible,

bearing S. 5 E.*

Close to Mohawil was a canal, over which was a

Soon

bridge.

passing Mohawil, the country

after

assumed the appearance of a morass

though

it is

casionally

and

in

especially the grand

Tower

Makloube

ruin

Mukelibe

nunciation,

or,

and, indeed,

that

it

partially covered with water.

posed to be the
this

was informed

dry, I

mounds were

artificial

tions

now

was ocSeveral

sight in different direc-

mound conmionly
Beauchamp

of Belus.

but the inhabitants

supcalls

term

it

according to the vulgar Arab pro-

Mujelibe, or overturned.

Beauchamp

in his description does not convey a correct idea of

*

Musseib bore N. 15 W-; Naseria, N. 20

W.

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

grandeur

its

from

its

At

line.

but

its

appearance

very deceiving,

is

great extent of base and perfectly level outthe top a person might conjecture

my

went up on horseback

companions

fore I

had proceeded
and

pletely giddy,

earth,

on
is

was

my

and

it,

but be-

head grew com-

obliged, on this occasion at

give up the attempt.

least, to

visible

far up,

be

to

it

I rode to

a comparatively insignificant mass.

Great furrows are

and the whole surface, which

its sides,

is

covered with broken pans and bricks, some

of which have writing on them.

Several deep holes

or caverns were visible on the sides, near the top,

and the angles present an appearance something

The view from

towers or bastions.

mound was

like

interesting-

very extensive.

Near Hillah

was met by a deputation from the

who excused

Governor,

this

himself from not having come

out in person to meet me, on the plea of sickness.

He

sent his band of double

Turkish hautboys

mense crowds of people

rived

at

drums and

zoornas, or

and we proceeded through imto the

town, wliere

we

ar-

The whole distance from

Hillah may be computed at about

four o'clock.

Iskenderia

to

twenty-five miles.

We

took up our quarters in the

house appointed for us by the Pasha of Bagdad,

which was

built

by the

late

Ali Pasha for his

own

use.

December

llth.

ing by the Governor.

any place

was

visited early in the

I inquired of

in the vicinity of

him

if

morn-

there

was

Hillah called Broussa or

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

Bursa; but he was entirely ignorant of any such

was every one

place, as indeed

make

but he promised to

me

brought to
perfect,

with inscriptions

commonly

The

had proposed

low a place
Jazeria,

strip, different

him

to

called

close

to

which are two

Nemroud

of the Birs

He

yesterday.

is

an

called

on

to all the questions I

Nebbi Eyoub there

Mokhalat and Adouar

Towereij

The

it.

from those

Governor again

me answers

me, and he brought

told
is

me

that be-

a canal called

artificial

mounds

and that to the west

artificial

mound

called

besides which, four hours distant from

same bank of the

Hillah, on the
it,

one of them was

found.

December I2th.

to

whom I inquired
Two bricks were

and had bitumen* on the back of

stamp was a long, narrow

called

else of

inquiries.

river,

but not close

he said there was a village called Jerbouia, and

that near

it

a place called Boursa,

is

where are

vestiges of ancient buildings, similar to those found

at

Babylon.
After he

left

me,

and tracked a

little

people measured

the

landed, and mounted

embarked

in

one of his boats,

way up

the river, while

eastern

bank.

my

my

afterwards

horse at the termination of

the gardens which immediately surround the town.

banks, and through a

vil-

rode up the river, along

lage called

Jumjuma.

its

observed on the opposite bank

of the river artificial mounds, which are called Anana,

*

was not able

to

the vicinity of Hillah.

hear of any bitumen ever having been found in

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

natives told me,

and which, the

of an ancient town

further,

to the east I

little

were the remains

but they could

me

tell

nothing

remarked a very great

range of mounds, on which was a small mosque called

Amran Ibn

Ali,

this place.

Here a man came up

who, they pretended, was

to

killed in

me, of

whom

purchased a large black stone, with figures and in-

on

scriptions

it"^,

of which I hope to give a fuller

tell

me

him

I could not persuade

description elsewhere.

to

the exact place wdiere he found this antique.

These mounds were composed of loose

which the

horses' feet

earth, into

sunk sometimes knee-deep, and

the surface, Avhich exhibited a great deal of nitre,

was covered with potsherds and pieces of

rain

brick.

The

had worn deep furrows, and the excavations

were

great,

the people of the neighbourhood con-

tinually digging very deep in them, to find bricks for

building,

them.

a great

many

of which have writing on

After descending these mounds,

we

passed a

Avinding road or ravine, about as broad as the

phrates, and

we came

Eu-

higher than

to another range,

the last in some places, where the people had exca-

vated to the depth of

more than ten

dent vestiges of walls,

which had

all

saw

evi-

bricks,

bitumen on the backs of them, and

were placed on layers of mortar

unburnt bricks or reeds.
nearly as hard as the brick

feet.

composed of large

Now

also.

The mortar
itself,

in the British

observed no
has become

and seems the same

Museum.

Ed.

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
as

is

or

used in the present day, which

Jos.

found

here written

Noora

called

is

bricks.

am

of

opinion that the written bricks must have been laid

with their faces outwards, as

never saw any with

the smallest vestige of bitumen or cement of any kind

On

on the face where the writing was.

this

same

range of mounds are deep ravines, or hollow ways,

more than twenty

There are excavations

feet deep.

who dig for bricks, in all of which are

vestiges of walls. Near there I saw the half of a large
made by

jar

those

been broken in digging.

the other half had

This jar was fixed in the wall, and near

ral bones,

Not

far

which
from

this, I

came

to

it

were seve-

between the

easily pulverised

fingers.

an excavation more

than thirty feet deep, at the foundation of which

was a canal

full

walls,

was

of water, over which was a floor laid

This canal, which runs between the

of cement.

horseman might

so deep that they say a

ride through

it.

vine, the walls

A little further on,

on the same ra-

on each side are extremely

distinct

the face of the one on the south, or right hand, was

clean and perfect, and between the layers was

mud.

One

of the bricks had writing on

edge, they being here laid

The wall

flat.

extremely thick, the inner side of

it

fine brick, as,

rises clear of the rubbish,

of one brick

and wherever

and
it

is

much

external

itself

was

not being visible,

I think

but buried in the rubbish.

have had a facing of the

it

its

it

could only

near the top,

only the thickness

has been bored, the in-

side bricks are found to be infinitely smaller, and of


JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

10
an

inferior

quality

the

to

facing;

exterior

but

did not meet with bricks merely dried in the sun.

Great numbers of written bricks are found here.

The

mounds

height of these

greatly deceive one

from their immense extent, and gradual descent into

the

level

plain,

much

appearing

lower than they

really are.
I

met here with a man who had been

Bagdad,

fortifications of

at

Hillah

he had a number of Arabs

work digging out bricks,

me

in directing

me

to the

They took me

building.
or,

from

sent

in order to superintend the repairs of the

who were

of great use to

most perfect vestiges of

to a place called the

Kasr,

according to their pronunciation, Gusr, or the

Palace

in

going to which we observed a con-

tinuation of the wall above mentioned, but without

the external facing of fine brick

To

peared perfectly white.

the

the north

is

cement apan old tree

of greater apparent girth than any found in this

country, and of

which only the external surface of

one side remains, and yet

vigoi-ous.

The people

it

perfectly fresh

is

me

told

they believed

it

and
had

been there ever since the time of ancient Babylon

it

seems a kind of Salix.

Upon

the opposite side I

About

observed a great number of willows.

dred yards from the

of

N.N.E. from

Kasr

or Palace

it, is

which

lies in

a hun-

the direction

the remarkable ruin called

tlie

which remain are

as

the

clean and perfect as

corresponds

tree,

if

parts

they had been just built.

exactly with

the

four

points

It

of the

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
compass, and
nearly

appear as

with rubbish in the inside

filled

about

all

natives serdauh,

or cellars,

are

me that his father and

escaped the same

and while

called

by

several

standing by told

and that he very narrowly

took drawings of these

fate.

it,

which

brother were buried in the ruins

there, in digging for bricks,

talking

which

walls,

in

in

An Arab

people have been killed.

ruins,

it

they had been overthrown by an earth-

if

There are several hollows

quake.
the

is

the top

to

11

was doing

this,

the Arabs were

among themselves about my

hussars,

and

wishing they had ten thousand of them to destroy

The

the Wahabbees.

building here was exactly of

the same description as those above mentioned, but so

compact that the Arabs had

left off

digging in

it,

on

account of the great trouble in detaching the bricks.

The circumstance
buildings

of mortar having been used in these

a curious

is

one though

probably the

great quantity of nitre found in these

proof that

it

was very generally used.

mounds

is

There must,

however, of course, have been buildings of different

ages in Babylon.

It

is

far

from being improbable

that the noora or jos was discovered by the Babylonians, as

soon as the bitumen, since the desert

abounds with

it.

December ISth.
informed

me

in the vicinity of

formerly Governor.
a place

I called

upon the Governor, who

of several antiques having been found

thirty-five

Bedra Jessan, of which he was

One

of his

men

told

me

that at

hours down the river on this

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

12
side*
libe,

is

mound

very nearly as large as the

where a hat was found

Pasha of solid

gold,

time

in the

Mujeof Ali

and a goose and some goslings of

pure gold likewise.

Ali Pasha, as soon as he heard of

this discovery, sent after the treasure,

Arabs would not give

serdauh, as he called

it,

but Avhich the

The Governor spoke

up.

in the

of a

Mujelibe into which

he and several men had attempted

as soon as they had proceeded a

to penetrate, but

way

little

into the

cave their lights were extinguished, as they said, by

an invisible being.

explained to him the natural

cause of this, and requested he would send a

point out the spot to me.
dars,

and

yesterday
it

with

and found
:

it

to

discovered

Mooref nent

runs to the south.

lights,

man

sent one of his tchoa-

proceeded to the canal

it

to stand upright in
is

He

high enough for a

each side of

it is

into

man

walled, and

it

covered where the superstructure of earth and

rubbish has been cleared away, with a large thick

white stone of a

soft nature,

taken for indurated cement.

which
I

had yesterday

observed here some

and others

parts of the wall cemented with bitumen,

with mortar, but not both together.

kinds of cement
just as

it is

used

one bitumen or
present and the

zift,

at

found three

one mortar,

third a reddish

substance, probably mortar in a difterent state.

This

canal seemingly passes under a street which extends

for a considerable
*

That

An

is

way north and

on the west

south

side.

English servant of Mr. Rich's.

and

the


JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

13

walls of which are very high and built with baked

They are

brick and mortar.

discernible tor a consider-

able distance, and run parallel to each other, the space

or street between being about fifteen feet wide,

am

of opinion that a great part of these structures were

manner used

built in the

at present in these parts,

a quantity of small bricks, earth and rubbish

viz.,

were rammed down

door, but

We

it

was

built

round

saw something

like a

in the centre,

At one

with bricks.

filled

part I

up with rubbish.

next went to the tree which the Arabs call

Athele, and they maintain that

Imam

on purpose for

tree, left

Near

to.

and

the

it

was a Babylonian

Ali to

tie his

horse

Kasr we found a range of unburnt

The Kasr

is

about two hundred yards from

the street or passage.

I here corrected the sketch I

bricks.

made

yesterday,

Mujelibe, which

and then rode

is

and surrounded by gardens.

plain

is

to

the village of

situated in a flat to the north

All this part of the

traversed by canals of different ages, one of

which they were just forming, and near

plantation of cotton.

We

and came

mound,

to the great

was a

it

crossed over these canals

called

by Beauchamp

Makloube, and by the natives Mukelibe or Mujelibe, or

Babel.

This

is

by

far the greatest

the whole, and stands insulated.

runs near

it

to the south,

and on the north

the four cardinal

points

most perfect in regard

is

a fur-

This mound faces nearly

ther appearance of ruins.

to

mass of

A canal called Neel

to

the

west face

building

is

the

there appears

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

14

near the top a wall running nearly round

some

interruptions,

some of which lead almost

The whole

great pile.

composed of unburnt
with reeds or straw

it,

with

and deep ravines or furrows,

into the heart of this

of the buildings here

with

each layer of bricks.

are

which are mixed up

bricks,

a layer of reeds between

brought

specimen of

off a

these.

we found

In ascending from this point,

a wild beast, where

we

that of a lion, and found in

The whole

some bones of animals.

it

extent of the top consists of a confusion

mounds and

of smaller

worn

by the

heaps, intersected by furrows

and covered with pieces of

rains,

broken bricks, both burnt and unburnt

pottery

the den of

perceived a strong smell like

pieces

fragments of bitumen pieces of

mother of

&c.

pearl,

The

glass,

of

and

composed

rest is earth

most probably of the decomposed unburnt bricks.

On
top,

the northern side, which

a large

is

branches

aperture,

is

the steepest, near the

which on

off into three passages.

these with lights,

entering

Moore went

it,

into

and found the passages above

twice the height of a man, and the top was

flat.

This apparently was a part of the original structure,

and not an excavation.

This

is

the place the Gover-

Near the

nor mentioned as the enchanted serdaub.

bottom

of

it,

bitumen was

perfectly

observable

between the bricks, which were unburnt, and reeds

also

between every

passage

is

layer.

The beginning

no more than three

feet

high

this

of the

winds

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

The

very much.

corners of this

have been crowned with turrets.

of the river

is

quite

as

was

visible in the horizon,

mound to the N.W., and the

S.W. At the foot of this

the Towareij, a

Nemroud

Birs

mound appear to
The opposite side

without the smallest appear-

flat,

Musseib was

ance of ruins.

15

to the

mound, between seventy and a hundred yards from

it,

and

to the north

This

mound

faces of

550 yards from the

mound on

the bank of the river, near the

Jumjuma, some of our party discovered

village of

fragments of urns with

human

bones, at the depth of

below the surface, close

forty feet

to the river.

took some refreshments on the great

we had been
towards

mound

by

river,

took sketches of the four

it.

the

We

are vestiges of buildings.

east,

exactly

measurement.

actual

On

is

the

of

exploring,

south-east,

loose

earth,

mound

and then rode from

it

where we found a large

and fragments of bricks.

This must have been a considerable structure, and

yet it is certain, having been dug into in various
directions, that
rials.

it

was composed of no other mate-

might have been cased with materials of a

It

superior nature.

Near

this are the smaller

and on the west a large open space between

mounds of Amran Ibn Ali and

the grand

which was very much impregnated with

few yards

to the eastward of this,

mounds,
this

and

the Kasr,
nitre.

running nearly

north and south, with a trifling variation to the east,

is

a long

mound

of no considerable height, but con-

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

16

tinned for a great

way

We

taken for the wall.

came

where the mound on the south

We

gate.

an opening

to

in it

was much larger

side

and might possibly have

than the general range,

been a

which might be

to the south,

came

to

larger

still

mound

crossed the other at right angles, and after

which

running a considerable way

the north

to the east,

at a great distance,

This appeared to be

still

more

extended to

forming a

like

square.

what one would

There

imagine must be the remains of the walls.

appear to be no remains of any consequence on the

western bank of the

which

is

except the Birs Nemroud,

river,

come under con-

at too great a distance to

sideration

present.

at

smaller mound, Avhich

be the

If this

we

case,

the

took for the wall, would

give too small an area for the city

for in that case

the river must formerly have had a different channel,

as

we know

city

this

is

it

ran nearly through the centre of the

far

from being improbable.

We

ob-

served several places where the river had altered

original bed

several

hundred

feet.

But

range of ruins even would be too small

its

the large

and

then

the termination or southern wall of the city would

be a great way above Hillah.

walls certainly

Some

must be preserved,

traces of the

as they

were used

as an enclosure so late as the time of the Parthian

monarchs.

The
these

present remains of Babel, as the natives call

ruins,

are

as

follow

gardens of Hillah you come

first,

on leaving the

to the first range,

on the

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
which

side of

which

is

is

the

tomb of Amran Ibn

the village of

Jumjuma,

ravine or rather road

the west of that,

feet

on the north of which

street,

on the west

is

above the

urns and bones were found

or ruins, in

is

which

is

and the Kasr

Ali, under

to the south-east.

on the bank of the

eminence about forty

mounds

17

and,

river,

on

another

river, is

where the

to the north is a plain,

still

greater range of

the tree, the canal and

descending from this to the

north you come to another plain^ which extends to

the north and east

there are gardens near

it,

and a

To-

small village close to the banks of the river.

wards the north-east

which

is

is

the

village

surrounded with a wall

of Mujelibe,

you then

come

to

the canals* above mentioned, and then to the north

to the

grand mound called Babel, or Mujelibe, by

the natives, and noticed by Pietro della Valle, Beau-

champ, and others.

are no

The
soft

more
first

Further on to the north there

ruins.

range of mounds, those of Amran, are of

mould, with fragments of bricks.

The second
bricks.

dug

is

into

in

every direction

for

Between these and the Mujelibe are low

mounds, which may have been private houses.

December

\^th.

We

went again

where a number of men were

bricks,

who had

left off

at

to

the canal,

work digging

for

working yesterday on ac-

count of its being Friday.

I

observed a range of ruins extending

* Called by the natives

all

Naher, or Arki.

along


JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

18

bank of the

the
its

which has evidently changed

river,

some

course, in

parts having encroached, as in a

burying-ground, and in others having

At

left its

the canal I took particular notice

how

channel.

they pro-

They were all burnt ones, and

The face which had the
was always placed downwards the

cured the bricks.

had

all

writing on them.

inscription on

it

cement on the right hand or southern

men.

It is

was

The people

but invariably to the

say that noora or lime has been

strewed over the bitumen to prevent

and

the writing

yet to

its

sticking to

what purpose preserve

which was placed in such a manner that

never be read

some

still

If these bricks had been taken from

them

all

regularly with

great

number

writing on them.

faces

of bricks, but found no

had a great quantity of bricks

pulled out of the wall in

all

their

scraped off the bitumen from the upper

sides of a

them

that,

could

it

older building, they would not have taken

care to place

down.

bitu-

curious that the bitumen does not adhere

to the lower or written face,

upper.

side

my

presence, and found

answering the above description, without

any variation.

The

only instance

inscription being found on

face of the bricks,

some of the

all

ever saw of any

was one on the edge of a

in the part of the wall

of opinion that

any other than the lower

which

is

most

brick,

perfect.

am

the burnt bricks were inscribed

inscriptions are contained within a long

narrow frame, others

in

one perfectly square

ways with a margin round.

The

al-

clay or unburnt

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

19

bricks appear to be of greater dimensions than those

which are burned.

The wall which

is

at the termination of the street,

appears to have crossed

it

between

this

and the

and

at right angles,

north, are small eminences,

To

apparently composed of inferior buildings.

east

is

the

a large circular space, which apparently had

never any building on

and

it,

socks of rank grass, as

The

to

In the plain,

have been connected with the Kasr.

is

covered with tus-

water had covered

if

greatest part of the plain

it.

and smaller eminences

are very rich in nitre, which in some places looks as

white as

if

the ground had been covered by a recent

of snow.

fall

am

informed that in January the river

and then a great part of

this

plain

which renders many of the ruins

is

high^

overflown,

is

inaccessible.

The

opposite side of the river has a very verdant marshy

appearance, and

observed a great number of wil-

lows*, some of which had attained a great

On

a range of mounds, and the great

we

size.

the right or east of the plain just mentioned

visited yesterday.

We

mound

is

of rubbish

rode on to the Mujelibe

or grand mound.
I

observe as a singular circumstance in this part

of the country, that there are several old canals with

more recent ones running

parallel

and close

to them.

* " By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down yea, we wept, when
wo remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in
;

tlie

midst thereof," &c.

Ps. 137.

c 2

20

JOURNEY TO BABYLON,

It appears extraordinary that instead of

new

The

ready to their hand.

There

instance of this.

modern
I

digging a

canal they do not repair that which

one, close to

is

is

found

canal called Neel

is

an

an old one, and a more

it.

went with ten men with pickaxes and shovels

make experiments on

dug

the Mujelibe; they

the heaps on the top, and found

to

into

layers of burnt

bricks, with inscriptions laid in mortar.

parapet of unburnt bricks

have sur-

On

rounded the whole.

appears

to

the western face the

bricks were not only laid on reeds, but

with them.
also

still

In the northern

brought away.

The

on the west front

more

so,

is

part of the

here I found

mud

that

wall standing

on the northern

but none of them are of any con-

siderable thickness.

On

the north front, the height

of the whole pile to the top of the parapet

The

south-east angle

other

parts

rubbish.

is

mixed up with

specimens of which I

tree,

not thick

mud

mixed up

where a part

on layers of them

some beams of the date

side is

face,

standing, the bricks are not

reeds, but only laid

kind of

is

higher.

dug

is

132

feet.

into several

of the top, and found only earth and

In one hole I found some quills of a por-

cupine, which animal the natives eat.

The tchoadar

who accompanied me yesterday, came with us again

to-day.
He told me that in the desert to the west
animals are found, the upper part of which resembles
perfectly a

man, and the lower parts a sheep

the Arabs hunt

them with greyhounds, and

that

that


JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
when they

find themselves close pressed, they utter

miserable cries, entreating for mercy

hunters

21

but

that the

The

them, and eat their lower parts

kill

tchoadar had evidently not the slightest doubt of the

truth of his Avonderful story.

my men

I set

much

of

to

work exactly over the passage

with the hopes

Serdaub,

called the

open

it

jecture Avhat

was

it

might lead

as

of laying as

to a probable con-

In the

originally destined for.

Serdaub, about four years ago, they found a great

number of marble fragments, and immediately

wards a body enclosed

berry wood, completely dressed.

person

who saw

it

me

it

I conversed

he was a respectable

Bagdad, and appeared not

he told

after-

case or coffin of mul-

in a

with a

man from

deficient in intelligence

had on boots which were black and

reached above the knees, that the dress was a tight

or short one

that on getting

two

and that soon

pieces,

it

out,

it

separated into

exposure to the

after

air,

both the body and the coffin crumbled into dust.

found a small point or spike of brass wrought with

some

care.

I left

enough

will have

my
to

people at work, as they here

employ them

I observed from the top of this

which we yesterday took

outer and large one.

from

this

this tower,

and

it

Ibth.

its

the

course was to the

must have come close

mean

had clearly the appearance

beyond which no traces of

December

the range

for the city wall, I

height of a boundary

south-east

more

It

for several days.

mound

rode out

in the direction of the river.

to

it

to,

or joined,

are visible.

the

ruins, but

The

ruins com-^

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

22

mence about one mile and a half above Hillah, near

which place there are none on

The

this side of the river.

southern boundary of the ruins

mound, running on the

risrht

hand

a large

is

north-east and by east, and on the left

sweep

On

to the north-west.

it

flat

of

in the direction

makes a

it

two very small

are

walls standing, evidently belonging to a compara-

modern

tively

building.

Continuing your course to the left or north-west, you

come
as

banks of the

to the

a range of

mounds or

you advance

at the

washes
bones.

along which there

When

Kasr they

they are about

its foot^

it,

is

These are

mound

abrupt, and

still

which

close to the water's edge,

are found the urns filled with

fixed

the

in

continues

its

human

which

wall,

burnt bricks, cemented with bitumen.

this

height of

rise to the

the front towards the river

bottom of

is

which increase in height

to the north.

the parallel of the

forty feet

river,

ruins,

is

of

Just above,

course, though not of

so great a height, in a direct line to the north or

north-west; but the river has deserted

dently, there being a

yards' breadth
river,

plain of above

between the

This mound loses

east

itself a little before

the canal called Neel.

evi-

the

and west.

you come to

Another canal runs through

the plain, at the foot of the Mujelibe,

direction to the south-east.

ruins

bed

mound and

foot of the

which takes a bend nearly

its

two hundred

on the banks of the

Between
river,

in a slanting
this

range of

and the

grand

central heaps, runs a broad valley, white with nitre,

and covered with tussocks of rank

grass.

The two

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
grand heaps, namely those of
appear to join, or nearly
old tree, in the

species,

though not

so

The

nitre.

the

I discovered another of

of

great age,

The

so as the other.

full

is

the Kasr,

Below

this side.

but seemingly

much

often mentioned

Amran and

on

same mound,

a different

with

so,

23

canal so

of rain water impregnated

bricks of the

Kasr

are

much whiter

than any found elsewhere, and have no inscriptions

on them.

In

mound

this

pieces of varnished bricks

are found in great abundance.

measurement of

mound
feet

to the

out the

the top of the

bottom of the foundation, thirty-eight

breadth of the

Moore made

height from

this

street

thirty-four

The

feet.

which cover the canal are several yards

stones

breadth, and about a yard thick

that the brick-work

bent in

on each

by which they are supported

side.

At

Mujelibe

the

covered the entrance to another passage on the

hand

side

of the great furrow

western face.

in

they are so heavy

or

is

disleft

chasm on the

The men at work on the top of the

mound had penetrated about
They had come to a quadrangular

north-west angle of the

ten feet deep.

funnel about thirteen feet square, the sides of which

M^ere of burnt brick

been

filled

which had decayed.

pots,

and bitumen

with dust or

dirt,

the centre had

probably unburnt bricks

They turned up

several earthen

one of which had the remains of a

varnish on the outside.

mound

several shells, a

We
few

of-pearl, also several bricks

fine

white

found on the top of the

bits of glass

and mother-

which had been

so

much

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

24

burnt that they had

parts.

The

and south-east

to its

vitrified in

river near this runs north-west

some

angle, about the parallel of the village of Mujelibe,

and termination of the ruins on

El Hheimar

called
is

about four hours

village called

it is

In an

banks.

mound

is

of a pyramidal shape, and

In the west we observed a

off.

Tahmasia, in the dn*ection of the Birs

At

Nemroud.

its

from the Mujelibe

easterly direction

the foot of the

mound where

the

water bricks

urns were found, I discovered in the

and other vestiges of building, a sure sign that the

river has encroached here.

The

side of this ridge

towards the land slopes down into the plain that

separates

my

tions

it

from the grand mounds.

people

making

are

In the excavaMujelibe,

the

in

another beam of date tree has been found.

December
the place

Jews
was

I6th.

came

The

call the prison of

the Birs.

self.

He

Seraff Bashi*

me.

to see

Nebuchadnezzar

had never been

The Jews have

(a

Jew) of

asked him what the

small

he

said,

synagogue

it

him-

at the Birs

here.

There are no Christians.

The Governor

called again this morning.

wards took a ride among the gardens,

were any remains of building thereabouts,

tioned

by some

travellers.

I after-

to see if there

went

first

as

men-

to

the

Mesjid-el-Shems, where they say the sun delayed his

course on purpose to oblige Ali.
is

The Mosque

itself

small, and contains nothing worthy of observation.

* Tlie head, or

government banker.

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
It has a

dome and

a spire in shape resembling a pine

apple, similar to the one at the

celebrated wife of

Haroun

al

of the spire

was a mud cap on a

unlike the cap of liberty.

among

tomb of Zobeide, the

Raschid, and Sheikh

On the top

Shehab-ud-deen of Bagdad.
of the Mesj id-el- Shems

this turns

25

with the sun.

They pretend
From this I

pole, not

to say that

penetrated

the gardens of the western side of Hillah in

every direction, and by the most unfrequented paths,

but saw nothing resembling
ancient building.

Indeed

it

there can be nothing of this nature

dens.

They

of any

the remains
stands

to

sense

among

that

the gar-

could not cultivate such heaps of ruins

mound simply

as those of Mujelibe, and any inferior

composed of earth, they would certainly have

velled.

that the

do not understand
site

of Babylon

is

M.

le-

Otter's expression,

generally covered with

wood, and that most of the ruins are concealed

coppices.

There are no vestiges of wood near

in

this

plain except the gardens on the banks of the river,

and those belonging immediately

all events,

coppice

to the town.

was a wrong word

and we must probably attribute

to

make

use

At
of,

this to the faultiness

of the translation.
I rode partly

round the town walls

they are very

miserable, composed chiefly of mud, with here and

there

a semicircular

Near

the

tower

repaired

with bricks.

Tahmasia gate they were repairing the

walls, or rather

making men work with

bricks brought from the Kasr.

There

fine
is

square

a small

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

26

ditch round the town.

The Euphrates

tensive.
fall

again shortly, and

The gardens are very exis now rising, but it will

in the spring,

rise

when

it

will continue longer at its height than the Tigris

will overflow the low

does, and

parts of the sur-

rounding plain, including the valleys among the

ruins.

December
had employed
informed

me

\ltJi.

Last

night the

men whom

grand mound came and

to dig into the

they had discovered a skeleton in a

They brought me a specimen of the bones

and of the coffin. The bones were astonishingly
They brought me also a brass bird, which,
sound.
coffin.

from being hollow on the other

been fixed to the

coffin as

side,

seems to have

an ornament

besides this

was another brass ornament, which must have been

suspended to something and a round stone which
;

they found under the head of the

to

go and examine the place

wise retouch some of

my

this

We accordingly

sketches.

set off after breakfast, but the

day was too boisterous

and dusty, the wind being southerly,

ing.

I resolved

coffin.

morning, and like-

to attempt

I therefore rode directly to the great

found that

my workmen

into the Serdaub.

We

draw-

mound, and

had opened a passage down

descended with a mashall or

flambeau^ and found some narrow low windings

those that were most perfect were

flat

roofed.

Tvvo

kinds of bricks are found here, burnt and unburnt,

with layers of straw, and also bitumen

bricks being laid in the latter.

These

the burnt

cells or

pas-

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
sages are so ruinous that

it is

27

impossible to say what

Fronting the

could have been their original design.

place

where we descended,

at

about the height of

eight feet from the bottom, in the wall,

the

men had

them by the
out, standing

I stood

discovered.

was the

dug

it

only pull

it

light of the mashall, while they

on a ladder.

coffin

by and observed

They could

out piece by piece; sometimes the bones came out

with occasionally pieces of the

find the

digging a

young
seem

little

child.

coffin,

could not

nor collect a perfect skeleton.

skull,

further

we found

the

In

bones of a

These with the bodies found before

to prove this place to

The person whom

have been a cemetery.

employed assured

me

that the

black boots mentioned above were nothing more than

On

bitumen.

the

top of the

mound

I observed

burnt bricks, not perfect in shape, laid in layers of

mortar.

From

the place whence they

dug out the bones

they pulled out several fine burnt bricks, perfect in

shape,

some of which had writing on them, and

bitumen adhering

home

over the

to the other

mound

side.

large statue which had been found

but had been covered up again.

steps to procure

it,

In

my

ride

of the Kasr, I heard of a

and hope to be

some time ago,

immediately took
in possession of

it

to-morrow.
I sent Moore to measure the river
he found it to
be 75 fathoms broad at Hillah, 2^ in depth and the
;

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

28

current 2J knots per hour.

It is at present rising.
In the spring, when it is at its height, it probably

runs a knot more, and

The number of
is

composed,

half a knot

low,

When

thirty-two.

is

they diminish,

when

less.

boats of which the bridg-e at Hillah

when

the river

at its height they

add

is

low

to this

number.

December

ISth.

Went

afterwards rode out to the

to retouch
to

my

sketches,

do yesterday.

to see the Governor,

and

moundsof Amran Ibn Ali,

which

had not been able

I entered the

mosque, and

little

found a court-yard, at one end of which was a dome.

The" tomb of Amran, who was a son of

killed in a battle near this place,
])ut

is

below the surface of the earth

by a flight of twenty-two steps.

Ali's,

you descend

and

under the dome,

The body

is

to

kind of niche, or rather chamber, in the wall, and

enclosed in

a wooden

chest, part of

which

is

it

in a
is

visible

through the wooden grating that covers the door of

the niche, which

is

not above two feet and a half

To

high above the ground.

the balustrade are tied

various small pieces of silk and cord.

meaning of this, and was informed

the habit of

coming

to

make

inquired the

that people are in

requests of the Saint,

upon which occasion they

tie

balustrade of his tomb, and

when they have succeeded

a piece of string to the

according to their desire, they come and remove the

string,

tomb.

bringing a small present to the keeper of the

On

the right hand, in the

same chamber,

is

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
a large

tomb of

stones, under

which are

said to lie

Amran's comrades, who were

the bodies of seven of

all slain

29

on the same occasion.

They believe that Ali himself built this structure.

The keeper told me that his father wished to make
some

alterations

dome, but that Ali had

the

in

appeared to him in a

vision,

and desired him not to

meddle with what he had himself constructed.

rode to the highest part of this

my

sketches.

Although
which

was pretty

certain

had of the other bank of the

could be no ruins on
it

mound and completed

it,

more narrowly myself.

from the view

river, that there

was determined
I therefore

to inspect

returned home,

and thence rode through the gardens on the west

side of the Euphrates,

Sliems, which

and came

situated

is

among

to the

town, on the outside of the walls.

and found

it

Mesjid

the gardens of the

went

into

supported by very thick and short

it,

pillars,

about ten or twelve feet in girth, from which sprung

arches exactly in the Gothic manner.
ingly struck by
railed in with

is

by canals, which

it

is

the

Shems,

The

where intersected

in a very surprising

manner.

easily deceive the unpractised eye

into the belief that they

buildings.

me was

the banks of the river.

perfectly level, except

These might very

was exceed-

saw a tomb

Quitting the Mesjid

rode out along

country

wood, which they told

tomb of Joshua

we

the resemblance.

Here and

were vestiges of walls or

there the gardens extend along

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

30

the banks of the river at intervals, into ahnost all of

went

w^liich vre

There were

in search of ruins.

We

several miserable-looking Arab^villages.

mined the whole of

this side

of the river in the most

minute and particular manner

posite the village of

we

ran,

Jumjuma,

and except nearly opor the

Mosque

of Am-

could discern nothing that bore the most re-

mote resemblance to remains of

a

also

exa-

mound

two of no height

or

There was

building.

or extent, one of which

ran nearly parallel to the mounds of

about ninety or a hundred yards.

Amran

for

Every other emi-

nence on minute inspection turned out to be a canal.

I took a drawing of the elevation of the

mounds of

Amran, comprehending the remarkable embankment

of the river

being

and we afterwards returned back,

satisfied that there

never could have been a

town, or at least any remarkable buildings, on the

west bank of the river.*

bee.'-,

this

found to-day that I had

I

had seen on

bank, from the opposite one, to be willows

were none

There
near

mistaken in supposing the trees

is

there

This, however, proves nothing.

visible.

a low spit of land left by the river Tigris,

my camp

Bagdad, wdiich

at Gherrara, in the
last

neighbourhood of

year was covered with willows,

but this year there was not a vestige of them re-

maining.

December
see the Birs

The

X^th.

To day we made an excursion

Nemroud.

We

went out of the town

rise of the river to-day

has been twelve

feet.

to
at

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

31

the Mesjid Ali gate (Bab-ul Mesjid), on the inside

of which the Pasha of Bagdad has begun buikling a

new

dug up from

wall to the town, of bricks

Kasr

and

the

seems constructed on a much better

it

plan than the old one.

The morning was

rain, but

it

and threatened

at first stormy,

On

afterwards cleared up.

our right

we

had the village of Tahmasia, embosomed

in a

of date-trees.

have been

built

It is a small village, said to

grove

by Shah Tahmas.

We

about half-past eleven.

arrived at the Birs

There are vestiges of mounds

all

siderable extent, and the country

The

canals in every direction.

was sandy.

To

the north of

it

round
is

it

to a con-

also traversed

soil

by

round the Birs

runs a canal called

Hindia, dug for the use of Mesjid Ali, by order, and

at

the expense

Birs,

or

Shujah ud Doulah.

of,

at about

parallel to its southern front,

is

and

On

the top of

The one

called Ibrahim Khalil,

which

Amran

where they show

under ground, exactly

is

his burial-

that

pears to relate to

circumstance
able to learn.

it

Mekam
Meh'hdy

was

Close to

Saheb Zeman, which ap;

was destined

Under

it

by Nim-

fire

This tomb has been lately repaired.

a ruin called

it

is

in the style of

The natives tell you

Abraham was thrown into the

Ibn Ali.

here that

it is

it,

two koubbehs, or places of prayer.

place,

rod.

from

a high mound, almost

equal in size to that of the Kasr.

are

Close to the

a hundred yards

this, in

but what particular or

to celebrate, I

the side of the

was not

mound,

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

32
is

an excavation which they

Serdaub.

call the

It is

I searched here for the inscriptions

not remarkable.

mentioned by Niebuhr, but found no traces of them.

Saheb Zeman appears to have been that kind of
pine-apple spire

two of

piece or

As we had

it

have before alluded to

now

very

but only a

remains.

time to spare,

little

we

divided

Mr. Lockett, with my Englishmen,

our work.

fell

to measuring, and I to take sketches.

The
end

it

Birs

is

rises

thirty-seven feet

upon

breadth,

At

an enormous mound.

and there
in

is

height

This wall

it.

the north

an immense brick wall,

and
is

twenty-eight in

not on the centre of

the north summit of the mound, but appears to have

formed the southern face of

the

summit

are covered

it.

The

other parts of

by huge fragments of brick-

work, tumbled confusedly together;

and what

is

most extraordinary, they are partly converted into a

solid, vitrified

perfectly

mass.

The

distinguishable

lumps seem

to

layers are in

many

places

but the whole of these

have undergone the action of

fire.

Several lumps of the same matter have rolled down,

and remain partly on the side of the mound, and

partly in the plain.

face of the

summit

The
is

large wall on the southern

built of burnt

bricks,

with

writing on them, and so close together, that no ce-

ment

is

discoverable between the

square apertures are

left,

layers.

Small

which go quite through the

building, and are arranged in a kind of quincunx

form.

Down

the face of the wall the bricks have

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
separated, leaving a large crack.

33

On

the side to-

wards the mound of Ibrahim Khalil the mound

slopes

down from

height,

its

twenty of
slopes
it

is

my

flat

the foot of this, and up nearly half

road running round this part of

From

paces broad.

more gradually

to the plain, or valley

and the mound of Ibrahim Khalil, and

it,

mound

this the

between

worn

is

into deep ravines or furrows, like the Mujelibe.

On

the other, or north face of this pile,

down more

it

slopes

abruptly, at once into the plain, with only

hollows or paths round

the road before mentioned,

it,

which from that part appears

ing, losing itself before

north-west face, where

it

it

to surround the build-

reaches this.

On

also slopes at once

the

down

into the plain, are vestiges of building in the side,

exactly similar in appearance and construction to the

wall on the top, with the holes or apertures which

are mentioned in the description of that.

At

the foot of all

is,

greater extent, but very

seemingly,

little

The whole

of the plain.

flat

base of

raised above the level

sides of this

mound

are

covered with pieces of brick, both burnt and un-

burnt

bitumen,

same sand

at the Kasr,

No
ing,

pebbles,

spar,

blackstone;

or lime-stone which covers the

the

canal

and even fragments of white marble.

reeds were to be seen in any part of the build-

though

saw one or two specimens of burnt

bricks which evidently had reeds in their composition,

and some had the impression of reeds on their cement.

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

34
I

saw

also several bricks

which were thickly coated

with bitumen on their lower face.

In the lowest part of the mound, opposite Ibrahim

mounds

Khalil, the

are most evidently composed of

unburnt bricks, the layers being

This would lead one

visible.

not originally a part of the great

mens

in a great

measure

imagine that

to

pile,

of this kind of brick found in

it

it

was

were not specialso.

The Arabs do not, I believe, dig so often for

bricks in these mounds as in those on the eastern
bank of the Euphrates

seemingly on account of the

of separating them

difficulty

incon-

the

perfect,

venience of land-carriage, and the fear of the Bedouins.

The

tribe of the

Algheshaum Arabs

in this neighbourhood.

They

are at present

are under the govern-

ment of the Pasha of Bagdad, though,

with

all their

annoyance

to the traveller.

Other

his respects to me.

common

The Sheikh came

tribes,

of a

dangerous character, often frequent

may

hood, which

in

countrymen, they are very likely to give

to

pay

more openly

this

neighbour-

account for this ruin never having

been accurately described before.

There

is

a very fine view from the face of the

tower and summit of the mound.

or the tomb of Ezekiel,

Mesjid Ali, which

is

We

saw Kefeel,

and were informed that

ten hours

off,

is

visible early in

the morning.

Bricks are found in every part of this huge pile by

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
digging.

low one,

is

The circumference of
762 yards the whole
:

measured base

this

wall,

is

235

feet

35

the base, not the

height of

from

but there can be no doubt that

The form

was much higher.

is

it

more oblong than

I found the longest side to be

square.

it,

summit of the tower or

to the

my

248 of

If this building had been on the other bank of the

Euphrates, or nearer the ruins, I should have had no

hesitation in calling

it

some of the bricks

Tower

the

a most astonishing ruin.

of Belus.

perfect, but they

were so strongly

cemented together, that the workmen

me
all

It is

endeavoured to procure

I took

with

They had

could only break off pieces of them.

writing on them.

We

set out,

on our return,

minutes before

at five

The

two, and arrived at Hillah about four.

between the Birs and Hillah

Our

escort consisted of

is

distance

six miles.

my own

hussars, sepoys,

and galloper- gun, under the care of Tcheyt Sing

in

addition to which the Governor had sent about sixty

Arab horsemen, Avithout asking my leave. I inquired

mehmandar the reason of this. He said that

of the

the orders of the Pasha

were

so particular respecting

me, that the Governor did not think himself authorised to break through
first sent

them

that he

had even at

out in addition twenty or thirty kaouklees*,

but that these the mehmandar had ordered to

* Officers of government.

D 2

retire.

JOURNEY TO BABYLON,

36
"

As

for these

Arabs," said he,

*'

them come

let

should any Arabs start up in the way, they will save

The Governor excused himself from

me on my

out to meet

being

"

We will let loose dog against dog

us trouble.

my haram

return,

not coming

on the score of there

with me.

I heard this evening that

my Avorkmen

had uncovered a colossal statue of black

purpose visiting

it

to-morrow, on

at the

Kasr

stone,

and I

my way

back to

Bagdad.
Decetnher 20th.

my way

Set

out on our return home.

mound of the Kasr, where

my men had been at work for the last ten days in
clearing away what they call the Idol.
To my great
In

I rode to the

disappointment, instead of j&nding the statue of a

with inscriptions,

grey granite, of extraordinary dimensions.

on a pedestal, which
It is

is

It stands

nearly buried in the rubbish.

on the side of a mound, about a hundred yards

to the east of the tree

from
rest

man

found a lion cut out of coarse

its

and the Kasr, and

upon the ground, being rather

position.

under

it,

is

fallen

apparently original position, but does not

in a reclining

The rubbish having been

it

from

cleared

Mr.

will probably soon fall entirely.

Lockett remarked having seen several

lions,

seem-

ingly of the same kind of workmanship, in Persia,,

especially at Shapour, but never of so great a size.
I take this to

be the idol mentioned by Beauchamp,

The workmanship

is

indifferent.

In the mouth

is

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.
circular aperture, into

37

which a man can thrust

his

fist.

All along the road to Mohawil

of ruins

Al Hheimar
same

We

are vestiges

mounds.

three hours from Mohawil,

upon the

It is a high, conical

line.

like those

is

Khan

observed three

particular I

in

mound, with bricks

found at Babylon.

slept at Iskenderia

and, indeed, almost

all

Khan,

all

about which,

along the road to Bagdad,

are vestiges of buildings, mounds, &c.

my mehmandar

Heard from

of the city mentioned

by Niebuhr, called Hatra, between Mousul and Ana.

My

Englishman (Moore) had been

saw very
stone

at the place,

and

considerable ruins, with large pillars of

in particular, a high wall, about forty feet,

with a ledge on the

sculptured on

top,

and a row of men's heads

it,

December 2\st. Left Iskenderia.

About half
way between Bir-onoos and Assad Khan is a dry
canal, over

which

is

a ruined bridge of one arch.

'

Yesterday a caravan was plundered here by Sulei-

man
This

Bairak, and his Agalees, about sixty in number.

is

a very rare occurrence.

Zobeide Arabs

is

The Sheikh

of the

responsible for all accidents that

occur on the Hill ah road.

The country hereabouts

is

the most

flat,

barren,

and dreary that can possibly be imagined.

Between Assad Khan and Kiahya Khan we met

with upwards of one thousand Persians going to Kerbela,

for the

approaching Bairam.

Kiahya Khan

JOURNEY TO BABYLON.

38
was

built by

Ahmed

Kialiya of Bagdad.

He was

out late on a hunting-party in this neighbourhood,

and was obliged

Arab
this

to take shelter for the night in

tents near this spot,

khan.

now much

It is

which caused him

a handsome one in appearance, but

neglected.

We arrived at

some

to build

Bagdad

at four o'clock.

MEMOIR
ON

THE RUINS OF BABYLON.

CLAUDIUS JAMES RICH,

Esq.,

RESIDENT FOR THE HONOURABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY AT THE COURT OF THE

PASHA OF BAGDAD.

..;?

jJi\

i'i

jrtSJ

iiu Tiiun.s

(>/

Babyfon

on the^a^tBank Of

tin

Ei/ph/ares.

ADVERTISEMENT*.
The

following

Memoir was originally published at Vienna,

Mines de V Orient, conducted by Mr.

in a Journal entitled

Hammer,
quest

it

a learned Orientialist of that

was composed.

It

now

is

city,

at

whose

re-

though

republished,

without any instructions from the author, and without the

advantage of his correction,

curiosity

in

order

on an interesting subject, but

partly to

still

more

satisfy

to solicit

the counsel of the learned in the prosecution of those inquiries,

tion of

Geographical and Antiquarian,

Bagdad

This Memoir

for

which the

situa-

furnishes peculiarly favourable opportunities.

is

viewed by the Author as only the

fruits of imperfect research.

with the more indulgence, as

It
it is

may perhaps
believed that

first

be considered
it is

the only

account of these memorable ruins hitherto laid before the

public by a native of the British Islands.
* Written by the late Right Honourable Sir

James Mackintosh.

MEMOIR
THE RUINS OF BABYLON.

The

site

of Babylon having never been either tho-

roughly explored,

or accurately described,

leave to offer to the Associates of the

my

an account of
spot, the

beg

Mines de V Orient

observations on that celebrated

completion of which has been retarded by

frequent interruptions from indisposition and

official

occupation.
I

have frequently had occasion to remark the

adequacy of general descriptions

to

curate idea of persons or places.

found

this

ticularly exemplified in the present instance.

the accounts of

modern

have found on the

than I actually did.

travellers, I

site

in-

convey an acpar-

From

had expected

of Babylon,

more or

Less, because I

to

less,

could have

formed no conception of the prodigious extent of the

whole

ruins, or of the size, solidity,

of some of the parts of them

thought that

and perfect

state,

and more, because

should have distinguished some traces,

however imperfect, of many of the principal struc-

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

44

tures of Babylon.
**

imagined,

Here were the

should have said:

There stood the

the extent of the area.

this

and such must have been

walls,

and

palace,

most assuredly was the tower of Belus."

was completely deceived

mounds,

instead of a few insulated

found the whole face of the

country

covered with vestiges of building, in some places

consisting of brick walls surprisingly fresh, in others,

merely of a vast succession of mounds of rubbish of

such indeterminate figures, variety, and extent, as
to involve the person

theory in

who

inextricable

should have formed any

confusion.

This,

together

with the impossibility, in such a remote situation,

of referring to
sulted,

Babylon
I

to

the authorities I should have con-

all

my

cause

will

account of the

announce no discovery,

hypothesis

am

and frequent

much

visits to

my

study and consideration,

the same place, are requisite.

probably more weight

opinions from

advance no interesting

sensible that to form anything like

a correct judgment,

As

remains of

appear very meagre and unsatisfactory.

may be

attached to

my

residence on the spot, and advan-

tages of observation, than they would otherwise be

entitled to, I

would rather incur the imputation of

being an ignorant and superficial observer, than mislead by forming rash decisions upon subjects so
cult to be properly discussed

and

confine myself, in the present

diffi-

shall therefore

Memoir,

to a plain,

minute, and accurate statement of what I actually

saw, avoiding

all

conjectures except

where they

riiay

OF BABYLON.

45

tend to throw light on the description, or be

means of exciting others

to inquiry

tlie

and consideration.

I have added a few sketches, illustrative of the prin-

which

cipal objects, for

I claim

no other merit than

that of scrupulous fidelity, having been solicitous to

render them accurate representations, rather

my

in

than

For the sake of greater intelligibility

good drawings.

descriptions, I have added a general sketch

of the ground, for the measurements of which I

who

Lockett),

am

who accompanied me (Mr.

indebted to a gentleman

superintended that operation whilst

I was employed in drawing and exploring.

I project

other excursions to the same spot to confirm and

prosecute
solicit

my

researches

and preparatory to them I

the communications and queries of the learned,

my guidance and information.

An inquiry concerning the foundation

for

and the

my

of Babylon,

position of its remains, does not enter into

present plan

so ably treated by

the latter subject has been already

Major Rennell,

of Herodotus (a work to which

in his

Geography

have often been

under obligations, which

acknowledging), that

shall consider the

Babylon

take this opportunity of

site

of

as established in the environs of Hillah, and

commence my

description with

an account of the

country about that place.

The whole country between Bagdad and

a perfectly
as

flat

you approach the

That

it

was

at

Hillah

is

and (with the exception of a few spots

latter place) uncultivated waste.

some former period

in a far different

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

46

from the number of canals by which

state, is evident

now dry and

traversed,

is

it

and the

neglected,

quantity of heaps of earth, covered with fragments of

brick and broken
tion,

At

which are seen in every direc-

tiles,

the indisputable traces of former population.

present the only inhabitants of this tract are the

Zobeide Arabs, the Sheikh of which tribe

sible for the security of the road,

which

is

respon-

much

so

is

frequented that robberies are comparatively seldom

heard

At

of.

convenient distances khans or cara-

vanserais are erected for the accommodation of travel-

and

lers,

them

to each of

of Fellahs*.

The

first

called

from

ter of

Suleiman Pasha

its

from

The

its

it is

Kiahya or minis-

about seven miles from

handsome building
is

now

is

the next stage, and

five miles to the

five

now

it is

dry, like

is

is

said, of

S.

from

and between four

Naher Malcha,

many

but,

N. and

distant

southward of it the road

sected by the famous

gius, the work,

miles

unfrequented.

general direction of the Hillah road

Kiahya Khan about

is

the

vicinity to the town,

Assad Klian

and

is

Ahmed

rather a

is

Kiahya Khan, so

of these

founder,

Bagdad f, and

attached a small village

is

is

inter-

or flumus re-

Nebuchadnezzar which

others

which

I forbear

men-

tioning as being of no importance, though as late as

the time of the Caliphs

it

was applied

to the purposes

Arab peasants.

1 1 have laid down the distance on the Hillah road by computation

and not actual measurement, taking the ordinary walk of a light caravan

at three British

miles the hour.

OF BABYLON.
of irrigation.

It is confined

47

between two very high

mounds, and on the northern one, near the road,

small ruin, called Sheikh Shoubar, which

from

afar.

is

a small canal, over which

ly

Before arriving at the Naher Malcha, and

halfway between Assad Khan and the next

Some

ruinous.

is

visible

is

a bridge of

stage,

one arch,

is

now

time ago, a large lion came regular-

every evening from the banks of the Euphrates,

and took his stand on

traveller

he was

this bridge, to the terror of the

Till very lately this canal

phrates

and the desert

quence, cultivated

by a Zobeide Arab.

at last shot

was

filled

from the Eu-

in the vicinity was, in conse-

but the proprietors, finding the

exactions of the Government to be more than their

industry could answer^ were obliged to abandon the

The next khan,

spot.

miles,

is

distant

Turks Orta Khan, from

its

being erroneously counted

the half of the distance between

It

is

upwards of seven

Bir-iunus, or Jonas's Well, called by the

Bagdad and

Hillah.

only remarkable for a deep well, with a descent

by steps
saint.

to the water,

and the tomb of a Turkish

Fine hawks, of the species called Balahan,

used in hunting the antelope, are caught here. Near

three miles from this, the road to Kerbela, by the

bridge of Musseib on the Euphrates, branches off

from the Hillah road,

Iskenderia

and

is

a large

pense of
to the

is

in the direction of S.

67

W.

about seven miles from Bir-iunus,

handsome khan,

Mohammed

built lately at the ex-

Hussein Khan, Emin-eddoulah

king of Persia, near a former

much

inferior

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

48

one of the same name, which

would seem

building, which
istence of
it is

built

still

is

All around

though deserted.

standing,

of

are vestiges

it

to indicate the prior ex-

some large town, and the bricks of which

were dug up on the

The

spot.

khan

first

on the Kerbela or rather Musseib road, called Miz-

name of

rakjee Oglilou, from the

chant

who founded

line

and Musseib

80

W, From

S.

man

(a

very near

it, is

on the same

Khan Hajee

erected by an

tance of upwards of eight miles

is

this,

itself is visible in the direction

Iskenderia to

mean building

the road

Bagdad mer-

the

Arab)

and

of

Sulei-

is

a dis-

at this

khan

Eu-

traversed by a canal cut from the

phrates at the village of Naseria (which bears N. 20

W.

from the road), and

spring, as are

many

is

of water in the

full

of the canals between this and

Hillah.

Four miles from Hajee Suleiman

is

Mohawil,

a very indifferent khan, close to which

canal, with a bridge over

announces an approach

it

beyond

to the

is

also

a large

this every thing

remains of a large

city.

The ruins of Babylon may in fact be said almost to

commence from this spot, the whole country between
it

and Hillah exhibiting,

ing, in

at intervals, traces of build-

which are discoverable burnt and unburnt

bricks and bitumen

tract attention
to the right

three

mounds

in particular at-

from their magnitude.

and

left

The ground

of the road bears the appearance

of being partially, and occasionally, a morass, though,

at the

time

we

passed

it,

it

was

perfectly dry

the

OF BABYLON.

which

road,

is

due

S., lies

49

within a quarter of a mile

of the celebrated mass, called by Pietro della Valle,

the

Tower

of Belus

Hillah

nine miles from

is

Mohawil, and nearly forty-eight from Bagdad.

Hillah
zeid

him, say

called

is

by Abulfeda, Hillah Bene Mo-

and the Turkish geographer, who copies

he,

was

it

augmented, by Saif-

built, or rather

ed-doulah, in the year of the Hejira 495*, or a.d.

The Turkish

1101-2, in the land of Babel.

geo-

grapher appears to place the ruins of Babylon con-

more

siderably

tives

northward in the direction of

to the

The

Sura and Felugiah.

by the na-

district called

El-Aredth Babel extends on both

Euphrates.

Its latitude,

32 28', and

it is

the

sides

according to Niebuhr^

is

bank of the

situated on the western

Euphrates, a few shops and huts only being on the

eastern.

meanly

It is

not exceed between

(3

built,

and

population does

its

and 7000, consisting of Arabs

and Jews (who have one synagogue), there being no

Christians, and only such

Turks

the government.

divided

,_^_5

L^^

V^^^
J

It

L/=;^ '^J^ t_S^

JjU^l L^
<3o^

t_?Jwjill

^j^^^W^

\al=^\

^_5'*^.

is

<^ (^
^^

Is.

c)yJL<

<-^y^. Jli' *

^^

sid^

^Ji

in

seven small

into

Jjlj JU' jfi\

^J {juMi^

employed

as are

^^'^ l)^' I^-^j^ \J^

ii]sj,)

jd^tiJl

J^

u-cJu<

"1*

'^

Abulfeda.
Jji^ii tiof^
|tjdaji"

^^^

As>-

^^

^'i-J^

^^ ^]

^_jj Ai\ ilLJU-l JjIjujj t_j>jJoJ

4_^tX-;j!l

cX^

Ic

Djihannuma.

Jj^

(JJ^Wt) ^j> <xi'A^

i^'^J^J

J^ ^<^

S\Ski

As^

Jjl ^jai-^

aJ^jJkll

i-jUo

y^

^Jiy>\

J^*'^ Ji^Ji'^ ^J'^'

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

50

mahalles or parishes

but there

is

only one mosque

in the town, all the other places of worship being

mere ibadetgahs

The

or oratories.

walls are of mud,

and present a truly contemptible appearance; but

the present Pasha of

Bagdad has ordered a new wall

Babylonian bricks.

to be constructed of the finest

The

gates are three in number, and, as usual in the

East, each takes the

leads

to,

name

of the principal place

it

the northern one being called the gate of

Hussein or Kerbela, the centre that of Tahmasia (a

large village in the neighbourhood), and the south-

ern the gate of Nejef or

on the eastern
door.

Imam

The gardens on both

extensive, so that the

tance appears

town

embosomed

The

Ali.

side is also closed

little street

by a gate, or rather

sides the river are very

itself

in a

from a

wood of

little

dis-

date-trees

on the outer verge of the gardens on the west, small

redans are established, within sight and hearing of

each other, in each

mounts guard

at

of

night

which a
and

for

matchlockman
greater security

against the marauders of the Desert, the late Ali

Pasha dug an ample trench round the whole, and

built a citadel (which, as usual in these countries,

is

nothing more than a square inclosure) in the town,

on the bank of the

Among

river.

the gardens a few hundred yards to the

west of the Husseinia gate,

mosque

built

is

the Mesjid-el-Shems, a

on the spot where popular tradition

says a miracle, similar to that of the prophet Joshua,

was wrought

in favour of Ali,

and from

this the

OF BABYLON.

mosque derives
ing,

51

appellation.

its

It is

a small build-

having instead of a minaret an obelisk, or rather

hollow cone fretted on the outside like a pine-apple,

placed on an octagonal base

this form,

which

is

very curious one, I have observed in several very old

tomb of Zobeide, the

particularly the

structures,

wife of Haroun-al-raschid at Bagdad, and I

formed

cannot

it

the cone

is

now be

mud

On

imitated.

cap, elevated

am

in-

the top of

on a pole, resem-

bling the cap of liberty. This, they say, revolves with

the sun

The

a miracle I had not the curiosity to verify.

mosque

inside of the

short pillars about

two

each spring pointed arches,

tion resembling in

architecture.

supported by rows of

is

feet in girth

from the top of

in

form and combina-

a striking

manner the Gothic

It contains

what the people show

nothing remarkable except

as the

tomb of the prophet

This country abounds in supposed tombs

Joshua.

of prophets.

On

the Tigris, between

Bagdad and

Bussora, they show the sepulchre of Ezra

miles in the Desert to the S.

W.

of Hillah

of Ezechiel, and to the southward the

twelve
is

that

tomb of Job

the two former are places of pilgrimage of the Jews,

who do
The
(which

not acknowledge those of Job and Joshua.

district
is

Musseib

of Hillah extends from Husseinia

a canal leading from the Euphrates near

to

Imam

Hussein) on the north, to the

town of Hasca on the

Bey,

who

is

south.

It is

governed by a

always a Turk or Georgian, appointed

by the Pasha of Bagdad, from

whom

the govern-

e2

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

52
merit

is

is also

farmed

for a stipulated yearly

a Serdar or

For the information of those who

may be

curious regarding such

subjects, I subjoin a statement of the revenue of Hillah,

to

me by

There

sum*.

commandant of Janissaries, and a

the Serraf Bashi of the place

communicated

Annual Receipts of the Governor of Hillah.

From

the farms and villages

....
....
....
....

100,000

Duties on rice, corn, &e., grown in the vicinity

and passing through the town from the Khezail
territory

Farm

of sesame

dyeing
the butchery
silk

tannery

lime kilns

100,000
^

5,000

15,000

6,000
4,000
1,000
1,500

Collections of voluntary contributions levied on

the townspeople under various pretexts about

three times a year generally

Miri on the dates

8,000

20,000

Paid by the Commandant of Janissaries for his

appointment
.2,000
.
Private revenue of the Zabit, his own farms, gardens 20,000
.

Total in piastres Hillah currency

Add

the difference of exchange

Total in standard Turkish piastres

To

the Pasha

Kiahya Bey

also supplies

342,500

Bagdad Government.
.

Total in Turkish piastres

He

....

Public payments made by him to the

292,500
50,000

260,000
30,000

290,000

Government with 5500 tagars of corn and

barley,

but this he levies on

the farmers at the rate of two tagars for every five, over and above the
He must also supply
rent and imposts of their farms and produce.
in value about 165,000 piastres on the average

the Pasha's army or any detachment of

it

that

may

be in the neigh-

fee the most powerful members of Government from time to

time, and yet be able to lay by a sufficiency not only for his own reim-

bourhood

53

OF BABYLON.
Cadi, whose

unlike any other of the same

office,

kind in Turkey, has been continued in the same

family for upwards of a century.
of Hillah bear a very bad character.
lubrious,

and the

extremely

soil

The inhabitants
The air is saproducing

fertile,

great quantities of rice, dates, and grain of different

kinds, though

it

degree of which

The grand

is

not cultivated to above half the

susceptible.

it is

cause of this

fertility is

the Euphrates,

more

the banks of which are lower and the stream

Strabo says that

equal than the Tigris.

stadium in breadth at Babylon

more reduced

according to Ren-

scale,

400 Danish

Niebuhr says

330.

feet

broad;

fathoms, or

450

feet

its

it

my measurement by

Its

depth

to be

2^ fathoms, and the current runs

dium

rate of about

The

Tigris

it

to

75

breadth however varies in

passage through the ruins.

bably half a knot

still

at Hillah

graduated line at the bridge there, brings

its

was a

about 491 English feet; or D'Anville's

nell,

is

it

found

at the

me-

two knots when lowest being pro;

less,

is infinitely

of near seven knots

and when

more

when

full,

a knot more.

rapid, having a current

at its height.

The Eu-

bursement, but also to pay the mulct that is invariably levied on Governors when they are removed, however well they may have discharged their duty. And when it is considered that his continuance
in office

seldom exceeds two or three years,

it

may

well be imagined

that he has recourse to other methods of accumulating wealth, and

that the inhabitants of his district are proportionably oppressed.

regulation of this petty government

is

The

a just epitome of the general

system which has converted some of the finest countries of the world
into savage wastes and uninhabitable deserts.

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

54

phrates rises at an earlier period than the Tigris

the middle of the winter

again soon after

latter

increases a

March

in

end of April

it

is

the latter end of June.

it

again

little,

rises,

but

and in the

at its full, continuing so

When

flows the surrounding country*,

at its

height

it

till

over-

the canals

fills

in

falls

dug

for its reception, without the slightest exertion of

labour, and facilitates agriculture in a surprising degree.

The

Babylon are then inundated

ruins of

many

as to render

parts of

converting the valleys

them

inaccessible,

among them

so

by

into morasses.

But the most remarkable inundation of the Euphrates

is at

Felugiah, twelve leagues to the westward of

Bagdad, where on breaking down the dyke which

confines

its

waters within their proper channel, they

flow over the country, and extend nearly to the banks

of the Tigris, with a depth sufficient to render them

navigable for rafts and flat-bottomed boats.

moment

am now

writing

(May

At

the

24th, 1812) rafts

laden with lime are brought on this inundation almost

every day from Felugiah, to within a few hundred
yards of the northern gate of Bagdad, called the

Imam Mousa
The water
*

gate.

of the Euphrates

is

esteemed more sa-

Otter came up the Euphrates from Bussora in the month of May,

when the river is rising. He speaks of the em-

1743, at the season

bankments

raised to keep the river within bounds,

and complains of

the detention and other annoyances he suffered while passing through

the extensive marsh to the southward of Babylon, in the country of

the Khezail Arabs, which

formed by the waters of the Euphrates

See Voyage en Turquie et en
ii., p. 196. 204. Ed.

is

overflowing the surrounding country.

Perse

par

M.

Otter,

Tome

OF BABYLON.
lubrious than that of the Tigris.

through the

site

of Babylon

tioned the fishermen

its

bottom, and they

who
all

is

55
Its general course

N. and S*.

I ques-

ply on the river, respecting

agreed that bricks and other

fragments of building are very commonly found in

it.

From

the gentleness of the current, regularity

of the stream, and equal substance of the banks, I

am

of opinion that the Euphrates would not naturally

alter its course in

much

any great degree, certainly not so

as the Tigris,

whose

variations in a

are often very considerable.

stances

may however have

It is evident

caused some alterations.

from what Strabo

state of the canals

ginal stream,

and

few years

variety of circum-

says, that the neglected

had considerably injured the

it is

possible that a part of

it

ori-

might

have continued to flow through the channel cut by

Cyrus

for

a long time afterwardsf.

* In the year

That some

1579 Balbi, a "Venetian jeweller, travelling from

Bagdad, embarked on the Euphrates at Bir, on the 10th of
January, and arrived at Felugiah on the 21st of February. On the
24th, at sunrise, they passed a bridge over a stream which runs, when
the water is high, from the Euphrates to the Tigris, and came at noon
to the ruins of a city called Sendia, and then, in half an hour after, to
the beginning of Old Babylon, and going along by the same, at night
came to Nareisa, midway from Felugiah to Basdet, a place famous for
robbers and lions. Before sunrise next day they travelled again along
those ruins, leaving them on the left hand, seeing pieces of great walls
ruined, and one piece of the great tower of Babylon, till, coming to
Muscadon, they saw the towers of Bagdad or New Babylon. From
" yet neither is there tree, or
Felugiah thither the soil seems good
green grass, house, or castle, but mushrooms so good that the natives eat them raw."
Ed.
t Vide RoUin (see Appendix, No. 1), who quotes Arrian, whose
work I regret not having at present to refer to*.

Aleppo

to

'

See Appendix, No. 2. Ed.

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

56
change

of

river has taken place,

in the course of the

shown.

will be hereafter

have before remarked that the whole of tliispart

Mesopotamia

by canals

intersected

is

(^*)-

uncommon to
see workmen employed in excavating a new canal,
close to, and parallel with, an old one, when it might

These are of

all

ages

and

not

it is

be supposed that the cleansing the old one would be

a

work of nmch

less toil.

The high embankments

of these canals easily impose on the unpractised eye

for ruins of buildings, especially

has been

doubt not are the origin of the

some

when

soil,

and

expressed by

belief,

travellers, that there are ruins in

of Hillah.

the channel

up by the accession of

filled

the gardens

Niebuhr and Otter say that the remains

of walls and edifices are in existence, though enve-

loped in woods and coppices.

observes that the

with wood*

site

this

is

are

On

the

hereafter have

shall

but in the intervals of the ruins,

in all probability

some patches of

generally covered

not a single tree growing,

excepting the old one which

where

is

certainly incorrect.

is

ruins of Babylon there

occasion to mention

Otter in particular

of Babylon

no building ever stood, there

cultivation.

made

the most

* I am unacquainted with the original work of Mr. Otter, and

imagine that the word coppice must exist only in the translation, as
it is an improper term, the only wood being the date gardens of Hillah, to which certainly the word coppice will not apply^.

= Mr. Otter's expression is as follows

" Le Geographe Turc place
Babil aupres de Hilla, a la gauche du chemin en allant de la a Bagdad. Aujourd'huion n"y voitqu'un bois taillis." Voyage en Turquie
Ed,
et en Perse, par M. Otter, Tome ii., p. 211.
:

OF BABYLON.
diligent search

57

through the gardens, but found

all

not the slightest vestige of ruins, though previously

I

heard of many,

an example

of the value of in-

formation resting solely on the authority of the na-

The

tives.

reason

obvious.

is

Ruins composed, like

those of Babylon, of heaps of rubbish impregnated

with

cannot be cultivated, and any inferior

nitre,

mound would

of course be levelled in

making the

garden.

In such a

soil as that

of Babylon

it

appears sur-

prising how long some of the canals have remained.

The Naher Malcha,

narchs, might

still

work of

mo-

the Babylonian

be effectually repaired, and

it

is

many of the canals now seen on the

site of Babylon may have been in existence Avhen it
was a flourishing city. Some of the canals were used
probable that

of navigation, and Alexander took

for the purpose

great pains to cleanse and restore those that were out

of order.
p. 510,

Aristobulus, quoted by Strabo*,

edit.

lib. xvi.,

Casaub., says that he went into these

canals in a boat, which he steered himself, and in-

spected the repairs in person, in presence of a multitude of spectators, cleansing the

mouths of some

which were choked up with mud, and blocking up

others.

In one instance, where the canal led toward

the morasses

and lakes of the Arabian

side,

he

opened a new mouth thirty stadia from the old one,

in a

He

more stony
also

place, to ensure

dug basins

these works,

it

is
*

for his fleet

greater durability.

and

said the graves of

See Appendix, No.

3.

in performing

many of

the

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

58

who were

kings and princes

were dug up

by which

state of the canals

had caused inundations

From

places of sepulture.

the

soil I

buried in the morasses

understand that the bad

in the

the yielding nature of

can readily conceive the ease with which

Cyrus dug a trench round the

city, sufficient to

tain the river (Cyrop. lib. vii.)*.

con-

have not however

been able to discover any traces either of

this trench,

or the lines of circumvallation.

The ruins of the eastern quarter of Babylon commence about two miles above Hillah, and consist of
two large masses or mounds connected with, and

N. and

lying

S. of each other,

ones which cross the plain

The northern

at

and several smaller

different

termination of this plain

is

intervals.

Pietro della

Valle's ruinf , from the S. E. angle of which (to

it

which

evidently once joined, being only obliterated there

by two

canals,) proceeds a

narrow ridge or mound

of earth, wearing the appearance of having been a

boundary wall.

Vide the annexed plan (A).

This

ridge forms a kind of circular inclosure, and joins

the

S. E.

point of the most southerly of the

two

grand masses.
.

The

river
for

shall,

bank

is

skirted by a ruin (B), Avhich I

perspicuity's sake,

call

its

embankment,

though, as will hereafter be seen, there

reason for supposing
It

commences on a

it

line

Sec Appendix, No.

4.

good

with the lower extremity of

the southernmost grand mound, and

is

never was intended for one.

is

there nearly

t See Appendix, No.

5.

OF BABYLON.
three

hundred yards broad

59

at its base,

from the E.

angle of which a mound (resembling the boundary A,

but broader and

forty yards

more

proceeds, taking a sweep

flatter,)

be nearly parallel with, and

to the S. E., so as to

to the south than, that

this loses itself in the plain,

southerly of

is

boundary
most

in fact the

The embankment

the ruins.

all

and

con-

is

tinued in a right line to the north, and diminishes

in breadth, but increases in elevation

till

at the dis-

tance of seven hundred and fifty yards from

mencement, where
height,

and

is

is

it

forty

its

com-

perpendicular

feet

interrupted by a break (C) nearly of

the same breadth with the river

at this point a tri-

angular piece of ground commences, recently gained

from the

which

river,

above, and

ground (D)

returns
is

it

again here: this gained

a hundred and ten yards in length, and

two hundred and

point,

and along

its

in

fifty

that soon loses

breadth at

its

angle or

base are traces of a continuation

of the embankment, which

itself.

river affords nothing

in

channel

deserts its original

to

is

Above

there a narrow line

this,

the bank of the

worthy of remark

some places there are

for

though

slight vestiges of building,

they were evidently not connected with the above-

mentioned embankment.

The whole

of the area inclosed by the boundary on

the east and south, and river on the west,

is

two

miles and six hundred yards in breadth from E. to

W.

(exclusive of the gained ground,

which

do not

take into account, as comprising no part of the ruins).

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

60

much from

as

Pietro della Valle's ruin to the south-

ern part of the boundary (A), or two miles and one

thousand yards to the most southerly

which has been already mentioned

as

from the embankment.

is

This space

all,

again longitu-

same kind with the boundary, but much

inferior in

its

of

branching off

by a straight

dinally subdivided into nearly half,

line of the

mound

point of size (E).

crossed the whole inclosure from

present only a mile of

with

it,

and a

W.

of

it,

is

little

it

to S., but at

Exactly parallel

more than a hundred yards

another

description, but

remains.

may have

This

N.

still

northern termination

line

precisely

to the

of a similar

smaller and shorter (F)

is

its

a high heap of rubbish, of a

curious red colour, nearly three hundred yards long,

and one hundred broad, terminating on the top in a

ridge

it

has been dug into in various parts, but few

or no fine whole bricks have been found in

the

ruins

of

Babylon

western division of the area,

most of these

lines

contained

are

and the

i.

e.

it*.

within

All
the

between the inner-

river, there

being no

vestiges of building in the eastern or largest division

between the outermost

line

and the external

boundary.

Before entering into a minute description of the

saw one found at the foot of this heap, which had an impresresembUng the spade or shovel in use at present among the
Arabs. This is a singular specimen, as I never saw an instance of
* I

sion

any other impression than that of writing on a Babylonian brick. I

therefore made a drawing of it, which will be given in its proper
place.

OF BABYLON.
ruins, to avoid repetition,

it is

61

necessary to state that

they consist of mounds of earth, formed by the decomposition of building, channelled and furrowed by
the weather, and the surface of

them strewed with

pieces of brick, bitumen, and pottery.

On
the

taking a view of the ruins from south to north,

mound

that attracts attention,

object

first

two

little

few

feet in

parallel walls close together,

oratory or Koubhe.
(Calvary,) and gives

it

are

and only a

This ruin
its

name

is

Mohametan

called

Jumjuma,

to a village a

little

to

The Turkish geographer says, " To

Hillah on the river is Jumjuma, which

it.

the north of
is

on

height and breadth, which bear indis-

putable marks of having formed part of a

the left of

the low

is

connected with the embankment

the burial-place of a Sultan." Z^s^:^^

mon name

here for a skull.

It also

is

the

com-

means, accord-

ing to Castell and Golius, " Puteus in loco salsu-

Either etymology would be appli-

ginoso fossus."
cable.

To

ruins,

which

succeeds the

this
is

first

grand mass of

one thousand one hundred yards in

length, and eight hundred

in

greatest breadth,

figure nearly resembling that of a quadrangle

height

is

irregular

be about
plain,

and

fifty
it

a small

but the most elevated part

its
its

may

or sixty feet above the level of the

has been dug into for the purpose of

procuring bricks.
is

dome

in

Just below the highest part of

it

an oblong inclosure, which,

is

it

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

62

pretended, contains the body of a son of Ali,

named

those of seven of his com-

Amran, together with

Unfortu-

panions, all slain in the battle of Hillah.

nately for the credit of the tradition, however,

is

it

proved on better authority to be a fraud not un-

common

From

the north

is

this

the most remarkable object on

mound by the name

I shall distinguish this

On

had no son of

in these parts, Ali having

description.

a valley of five hundred and

yards in length, the area of which

is

it,

of Amran.
fifty

covered with

tussocks of rank grass, and crossed by a line of ruins

of very

little

To

elevation.

grand heap of

this succeeds the

which

ruins, the shape of

is

second

nearly a

square, of seven hundred yards length and breadth,

and

its

S.

W.

angle of the

angle

mounds

connected with the N.

is

of

Amran, by a

W.

ridge of con-

siderable height, and nearly one hundred yards in

This

breadth.

is

his observations,

the place where

and

Beauchamp made

certainly the

it is

ing part of the ruins of Babylon

discoverable in

it

declares

it

to have

most

been composed

of buildings far superior to all the rest

left traces in the eastern quarter

the finest description

interest-

every vestige

which have

the bricks are of

and notwithstanding

this is

the grand storehouse of them, and that the greatest

supplies have been, and are now, constantly

from

it,

they appear

still

to be abundant.

drawn
But the

operation of extracting the bricks has caused great

confusion,

and contributed much

to

increase the

OF BABYLON.

of deciphering the original design of this

difficulty

mound,
it

63

as in search of

them the workmen

pierce into

in every direction, hollowing out deep ravines

and

and throwing up the rubbish in heaps on the

pits,

In some places they have bored into the

surface.

forming winding caverns, and subter-

solid mass,

ranean passages, which, from their being

left

out adequate support, frequently bury the

workmen

In

in the rubbish.

with-

these excavations, walls of

all

burnt brick, laid in lime mortar of a very good

quality, are seen

and in addition

to the substances

generally strewed on the surfaces of

we

all

these mounds,

here find fragments of alabaster vessels, fine

earthen-ware, marble, and great quantities of varnished

tiles,

the

glazing and colouring of which

In a hollow near the southern

are surprisingly fresh.

part

found a sepulchral

which had been broken

lay

in

urn of earthen-ware,
digging, and

near

it

some human bones, which pulverised with the

touch.

To be more

particular in

my

description of this

mound, not more than two hundred yards from

northern extremity
those

who

On one

thirty feet

side of

ing, the face of

it

its

a ravine (G), hollowed out by

dig for bricks, in length near a hundred

and

yards,

is

it

wide by forty or

fifty

deep.

a few yards of wall remain stand-

which

is

very clean and perfect, and

appears to have been the front of some building.

The
that

opposite side
it

is

so confused a

mass of rubbish,

should seem the ravine had been worked

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

64
through a

Under

solid building.

the southern end an opening

is

the foundations at

made, which discovers

a subterranean passage, floored and walled with large

bricks,

and

bitumen,

in

laid

covered over with

pieces of sand-stone, a yard thick, and several yards

long; the weight of the whole being so great as to

have given a considerable degree of obliquity

It is half full

side-walls of the passage.

to the

of brackish

water (probably rain water impregnated with

in filtering through the ruins,

ductive of

it),

it is

as

much

saw of

as I

height, and

it,

man on horseback to
it

was near seven

This

course to the south.

its

by Beauchamp

(vide Rennell,

unaccountably imagines

The

the city wall.

is

nitre,

very pro-

all

and the workmen say that some way

high enough for a

on

which are

it

p.

described

is

369)*,

pass:

feet in

who most

must have been part of

superstructure over the passage

cemented with bitumen, other parts of the ravine

with mortar, and the bricks have

them.

The

all

writing on

northern end of the ravine appears to

have been crossed by an extremely thick wall of

yellowish brick,
mortar,

lowing

cemented with a

it

out; and a

covered what

little to

the north of

Beauchamp saw

was

told

was discovered by an

the
old

idol.

Arab

in digging,
it,

See Appendix, No.

dis-

and un-

(Rennell,
that

it

but that

he covered
6.

hol-

it

same thing, and

not knowing what to do with

*

in

imperfectly,

derstood from the natives to be an

ibid.)

white

brilliant

which has been broken through

it

up

,lll

11

'

I,

IP

I)

II

'

l^tx-^i-

OF BABYLON.

On

again,*

who

sending for the old man,

number of men

out the spot, I set a

show

that

it

was

pointed

work, who

to

open enough of the

after a day's hard labour, laid

statue to

65

a lion of colossal

dimen-

standing on a pedestal, of a coarse kind of

sions,

and of

grey granite,

mouth was

rude workmanship

might introduce his

in the

which a man

a circular aperture, into

fist.

A little to the west of the ravine at

(H)

the next

is

remarkable object, called by the natives the Kasr, or

Palace,! by which appellation I shall designate the

whole mass.

It is

a very remarkable ruin, wliich

being uncovered, and in part detached from the rubbish,

visible

is

from a considerable distance, but so

surprisingly fresh in

its

appearance, that

minute inspection

after a

in reality a
ral walls

was

it

was only

satisfied of its

Babylonian remain.

being

It consists of seve-

and piers (which face the cardinal points),

eight feet in thickness, in some places ornamented

with niches, and in others strengthened by pilasters

and buttresses, built of fine burnt brick

clean

and

tenacity,

sharp),
those

that

laid

in

(still

perfectly

lime-cement

of such

whose business

it

is

to

find

bricks, have given up working, on account of the ex-

treme

difficulty

higher.
* It

On

The tops
may have been much

of extracting them whole.

of these walls are broken, and

the outside they have in

some places

probable that many fragments of antiquity, especially of the

larger kind, are lost in this manner. The inhabitants call all stones
is

with inscriptions or figures on them Idols,

t See accompanying

Plate.

ft:o
'

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

6b

been cleared nearly to the foundations, but the internal spaces formed by them are yet filled with rubbish,
in

some parts almost

to their

One

summit.

part of

the wall has been split into three parts, and over-

thrown as

if

by an earthquake

some detached walls

of the same kind, standing at different distances, show

what remains

to

original fabric

have been only a small part of the

indeed

it

appears that the passage in

the ravine, together with the wall which crosses

upper end, were connected with

it.

its

There are some

hollows underneath, in which several persons have

lost their lives

no one will now venture into

so that

now become choked

them, and their entrances have

Near

up with rubbish.
bish, the sides of

which

this ruin is a

heap of rub-

by the

are curiously streaked

alternation of its materials, the chief part of which,

it is

probable, w^as unburnt brick, of which I found

a small quantity in the neighbourhood, but no reeds

were discoverable

in

the interstices.

There are two

made by

workmen, who

paths near this ruin,

carry

down

the

to the

N.N.E.

of

tives call Athele,

ing in

it is

and maintain

God

and a

to

have been flourishthe

destruction

purposely preserved

afford Ali a convenient

horse after the battle of Hillah

place to
It stands

it,

tie

it

of

that

up

it

his

on a kind

of ridge, and nothing more than one side of

remains (by which

little

the famous tree which the na-

ancient Babylon, from

which, they say,

might

whence

their bricks to the river side,

they are transported by boats to Hillah

its

trunk

appears to have been of con-

ftl

111!

OF BABYLON.
siderable girth)

67

yet the branches at the top are

and gently waving

perfectly verdant,

still

in the wind,

produce a melancholy rustling sound.

It is

an ever-

green, something resembling the lignum vifce, and

of a kind, I believe, not

country, though I

am

common

told there

is

in this part of the

a tree of the same

description at Bussora.

All the people of the country assert that

night-fall,

by which

on account of the multitude of

it is

It will not

it is

mound

tremely dangerous to approach this

ex-

after

evil spirits

haunted.

be necessary to describe the inferior

heaps, which cross the plain between the

mounds, and the inner

line (F),

two principal

and whose form and

extent will be sufficiently apparent from the accom-

panying sketch

but, previous to giving an account

of the last grand ruin, I shall say a few words

on the embankment of the

river,

Amran and

from the mounds of

which

the Kasr

ing valley or ravine, a hundred and

breadth, the bottom of which

is

is

l)y

fifty

a small circular heap in the centre of

point (C).
side is

a wind-

yards in

white with

and apparently never had any buildings in

it

The whole embankment* on

more

separated

it,

nitre,

except

near the
the river

abrupt, perpendicular, and shivered by the

action of the water

at the foot of the

most elevated

and narrowest part of it (K), cemented into the burnt

brick wall of which

urns

filled

with

it is

human
*

composed, are a number of

bones, which had not under-

See accompanying Plate.

f2

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

68

gone the action of

The

fire.

encroached here, for

river appears to have

saw a considerable quantity

of burnt bricks, and other fragments of buikling in

the water.

A mile to the north of the

distant

yards from the river bank,

wdiich has been

series,

who

Valle,

Kasr, or

full five

determines

it

is

Mukallibe (ij^)

described by
to have

or,

Pietro della

been the Tower of

The

term

to the

its

Mujelibe,

they sometimes also apply this

mounds of the Kasr.

shape, irregular in
its sides,

natives

according to the vul-

gar Arab pronunciation of these parts,

meaning overturned

fifty

the last ruin of this

Belus, an opinion adopted by Rennell.

call it

miles

from Hillah, and nine hundred and

It is of

an oblong

height and the measurement of

which face the cardinal points the northern

;

side being

two hundred yards

in length, the southern

two hundred and nineteen, the eastern one hundred

and eighty-two, and the western one hundred and
thirty-six

the elevation of the S.E. or highest angle,

one hundred and forty-one

which

is

the least elevated,

feet.
is

The western

account of the appearance of building

Near

the

summit of

it

appears

reeds,

it

presents.*

a low wall, with

interruptions, built of unburnt bricks

chopped straw or

face,

the most interesting on

mixed up with

and cemented with clay-

mortar of great thickness, having between every

and on the north

side are also

vestiges of a similar construction.

The S.W.

layer a layer of reeds

some

See accompanying Plate.

OF BABYLON.
angle

crowned by something

is

like

or

turret

the other angles are in a less perfect states

may

originally have been ornamented in a similar

lantern

but

69

The western

manner.

the northern

ascent,

worn

into furrows

where

face

lowest, and easiest of

is

most

the

All are

difficult.

by the weather and

in

some

places,

several channels of rain have united together,

these furrows are of great depth, and penetrate a

way

considerable

into the

The summit

mound.

is

covered with heaps of rubbish, in digging into some

of which, layers of broken burnt brick, cemented with

mortar are discovered, and whole bricks with

in-

scriptions

on them are here and there found

whole

covered with innumerable fragments of

is

pottery, brick, bitumen, pebbles, vitrified brick

scoria,

and even

On

pearl.
latter

shells, bits

asking a Turk

the

least

or

of glass, and mother-of-

how

substances were brought

without

the

hesitation,

he imagined these

he replied,

there,

"By

the

deluge."

There are many dens of wild beasts in various

parts,

in one of which I found the bones of sheep and other

animals, and perceived a strong smell like that of a

lion.

I also found quantities of porcupine quills, and

in most of the cavities are

It

is

numbers of bats and owls.

a curious coincidence, that I here

oriental account of satyrs.

first

heard the

had always imagined

the belief of their existence was confined

to

the

mythology of the west: but a tchoadar, who was

with

me when

examined

accident, that in this desert

sembling a

man from

this ruin,

mentioned by

an animal

the head to

is

the

found, rewaist, but

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

70
having the

thi^;hs

said also that the

and legs of a sheep or goat; he

Arabs hunt

it

with dogs, and eat

the lower parts, abstaining from the upper, on ac-

count of their resemblance to those of the

"

species.

But wild

there,

and their houses

tures

and owls

dance there."

shall be full of doleful crea-

shall dwell

Isaiah

human

beasts of the desert shall lie

xiii.

there,

and satyrs

shall

21.*

In the northern face of the Mujelibe, near the

sunnnit,

is

man

a niche or recess, high enough for a

to stand upright in, at the l)ack of

which

a low

is

a])erture leading io a small cavity, wlience a passage

branches off to the

erly direction,

I'ight,

till it

sloping uj)wards in a west-

natives call this the serdaub or cellar

and a respect-

able person informed me, that four years ago,

men

searching in

it

The

loses itself in the rubliish.

some

for bricks, pulled out a (juantity

of marlde, and afterwards a collin of mull)erry wood,

containing a
per,

human

body, inclosed in a tight wrap-

and apparently partially covered with bitumen,

which crumbled

into dust soon after exposure to the

* I with difficulty refrain from transcribing the whole of this

spirited

satyrs

and poetical chapter.

is

D''T'yti/ literally

The Hebrew word which we

most

translate

" the hairy ones," a signification which

has been preserved in the Vulgate. In Lev. xvii. 7, the word is used
The present Jews understand it in this
for " devils, evil spirits."
place as synonymous with DHli^ or demons. I know not why we
introduced the word satyrs,

probably

Ezra, or some other commentator,

how we made
being.

on the authority of

Aben

but we should have been cautious

the Prophet, in a manner, accountable for a fabulous

Since the above was written, I find that the belief of the

is by no means rare in this country.

The Arabs
them Sied Assad, and say that they abound in some woody places,
near Semava on the Euphrates.

existence of satyrs

call

OF BABYLON.

71

This account, together with

air.

appearing the

its

most favourable spot to ascertain something of the

me

original plan of the whole, induced

men

to

They dug

above.

feet square, lined

some earthen

fine brick laid in

in this they

vessels,

fine

white varnish on the out-

On

and a beam of date-tree wood.

day's work, they

bitumen, and

found a brass spike,

(one of Avhich was very thin,

and had the remains of

side,)

made

their

way

the third

into the opening,

and discovered a narrow passage nearly ten

half

filled

with rubbish,

flat

with inscriptions on them, and the

the former,

latter, as usual,

between every row, except

laid with a layer of reeds

in one or

feet high,

on the top, and exhi-

biting both burnt, and unburnt bricks

two courses near the bottom, Avhere they

were cemented with bitumen

countable circumstance.
if it originally

mented

twelve

into a shaft or hollow pier, sixty

with

up with earth

filled

to set

work, to open a passage into the serdauh from

Avith

a curious and unac-

This passage appeared, as

had a lining of

burnt brick, ce-

fine

bitumen, to conceal the unburnt brick,

of Avhich the body of the building Avas principally

Fronting

composed.

it is

another passage (or rather

a continuation of the same to the eastAvard, in Avhicli

direction

it

probably extends

tance, perhaps

even

all

along

considerable

the

dis-

northern front

of the JMujelibe), choked up AAdth earth, in digging

out Avhich, I discovered near the top a Avooden

coffin,

containing a skeleton in high preservation.

Under

the head of the coffin was a round pebble

attached

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

72

to the coffin, on the outside, a brass bird, and inside,

an ornament of the same material, which had, apparently, been suspended to

some part of the skele-

These, could any doubt remain, place the an-

ton.

tiquity of the

beyond

skeleton

being extracted, a
skeleton of a child

little

was found

and

it is

the whole of the passage, whatever

be,

was occupied

in a similar

were found, either here, or

the

bank of the

At
from

probable that

its

manner.

extent

No

may

skulls

in the sepulchral urns at

river.

the foot of the Mujelib^, about seventy yards

on the northern and western

it,

of a very low

mound

sides, are traces

of earth, which

formed an inclosure round the whole.

the north of the river, there are no
ruins

This

dispute.

all

further in the rubbish the

may have
Further to

more

vestiges of

but the heaps, in the direction of the Bagdad

road, shall be

examined more particularly

at a future

opportunity.

now done with

I have

and

the eastern side of the river,

shall next proceed to take a survey of all that

remains of Babylon on the western.

inaccurate accounts of some

modern

Tlie loose and

travellers

have

misled D'Anville and Rennell into the belief of there

being considerable ruins on the western bank of the

river,

corresponding with those I have just described

That

on the eastern.
satisfied

Mujelibe
to

by the view
;

yet

this is

I obtained

not the case, I

was

from the top of the

determined, for greater accuracy,

examine the whole bank minutely.

It

is flat,

and

OF BABYLaN.

73

intersected by canals, the principal of

which are the

Tajeea, or Ali Pasha's Trench, and the canal of Tahmasia.

There are a few small

inclosed

by mud

tion

but there

is

walls,

villages

on the

and surrounded by

river,

cultiva-

not the slightest vestige of ruins,

excepting opposite the mass of Amran, where are

two small mounds of

overgrown with grass,

earth,

forming a right angle with each other, and a

further on, are

two similar

ones.

little

These do not ex-

ceed a hundred yards in extent, and the place

called

To

by the peasants Anana.

country

marshy appearance.

a verdant

lias

But although

there are no ruins in the immediate

by

far the

all

the remains of Babylon

vicinity of the river,

surprising

is

the north the

mass of

most stupendous and

is

S.W.
Arabs Birs Nemroud,*

situated in this desert, about six miles to the

of Hillah.

It is called

by the

by the Jews Nebuchadnezzar

described both by Pere

Prison, and has been

Emanuel and Niebuhr f (who

was prevented from inspecting

the Arabs), but I believe
*

The etymology

subject for those

of the

who

it

it

closely

by

fear of

has not been noticed

word Birs ((jmj) would furnish a curious

are fond of such discussion.

It

appears not to

has no meaning which relates to this subject in

that language, nor can the most learned person here assign any reason
for its being applied to this ruin. K;Tl>i HT'^ in Chaldean signifies
be Arabic, as

it

a palace, and HT'Iin par excellence, the Temple of Jerusalem.

Y"ll in the same language, and
demons, or a sandy desert,
t See Appendix, No. 7.

tation of

pi.

Ar.

mean

the habi-

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

74
by any other

Rennell, on the authority

traveller.

of D'Anville, admits Pere Emanuel's ruin into the

Babylon, but excludes Niebuhr's, which

limits of

he says cannot be supposed

two

or| three

No

one,

miles from the

who had

have been

to

S.W. angle

than

less

of the city.

not actually examined the spot

could ever imagine them in fact to be one aud the

same

ruin.

I visited the

Birs under circumstances peculiarly

favourable to the grandeur of

ing was at
of rain

first

l)ut

as

its effect.

The morn-

stormy, and threatened a severe

we approached

fall

the object of our

journey, the heavy clouds separating discovered the

Birs frowning over

tlie

appearance of a circular

plain,
hill,

and presenting the

crowned by a tower,

with a high ridge extending along the foot of

it.

Its

being entirely concealed from our view, during

the

first

part of our ride, prevented our acquiring

the gradual idea, in general so prejudicial to effect,

and so particularly lamented by those who

Pyramids.
tance,

it

visit

the

Just as Ave were within the proper dis-

burst at once

upon our

sight, in the

midst

of rolling masses of thick black clouds partially obscured by that kind of haze, whose indistinctness

one great cause of sublimity, whilst a

feAV

is

strong

catches of stormy light, thrown upon the desert in

the back-ground, served to give some idea of the

immense extent and dreary

which

solitude of the wastes in

this venerable ruin stands.

OF BABYLON.

The Birs Nemroud

mound

is

75
of an oblong figure,

the total circumference of which

At

and sixty-two yards.

by a deep furrow, and

feet

high

is

not more than

but at the western

figure, to the elevation of

eight

and on

feet,

its

seven hundred

is

the eastern side

one hundred and ninety-

summit

is

a solid pile of brick,

thirty-seven feet high by twenty-eight in

diminishing in thickness to the top, which

and irregular, and rent by a large

through a third of

height.

its

fissure

breadth,
is

on them

it

is

and so admirable

is

broken

extending

It is perforated

The

small square holes disposed in rhomboids.

burnt bricks of which

or sixty

a conical

rises in

it

cloven

it is

fifty

by

fine

built have inscriptions

the cement, which ap-

pears to be lime-mortar, that, though the layers are

so close together, that

substance

is

it is

hill are

what

nearly impossible to

extract one of the bricks whole.

of the summit of this

to discern

it is difficult

between them,

The

other parts

occupied by immense

fragments of brick-Avork, of no determinate figure,

tumbled together and converted into

masses, as

if

solid vitrified

they had undergone the action of the

fiercest fire, or Ijeen

blown up with gunpowder, the

layers of the bricks

being perfectly discernible,

curious fact, and one for which I

pable of accounting.

am

These, incredible as

it

seem, are actually the ruins spoken of by Pere

nuel, who takes no sort of notice of
mound on which they are elevated.*
*

Le P. Emanuel

dit avoir

vu (dans

la

utterly inca-

may

Ema-

the prodigious

partie

occidentale) de

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

76

It is almost needless to observe that the

this

mound

is itself

whole of

a ruin, channelled by the weather,

and strewed with the usual fragments, and with

In

pieces of black stone, sand-stone, and marble.

the eastern part, layers of unburn t brick are plainly

to be seen,

part

but no reeds were discernible in any

possibly the absence of

them

here,

when

they

are so generally seen under similar circumstances,

may be an argument

of the superior antiquity of the

In the north side

ruin.

may

be seen traces of build-

At

ing exactly similar to the brick-pile.

mound

the

a step

may

the foot of

be traced, scarcely elevated

above the plain, exceeding in extent by several feet

each way the true or measured base

and there

is

quadrangular enclosure round the whole, as at the

Mujelibe,

much more
At a trifling

but

dimensions.

and

parallel

with

its

ferior to that of the

longer than

Koubbes
Khalil,

it

is

perfect and

eastern face,

Kasr

is

was thrown

mound

the top of

it

Makam

or oratories, one called

and

not in-

in elevation, but

On

broad.

of greater

distance from the Birs,

much

are two

Ibrahim

where Abraham

said to be the place

by order of Nemroud,

into the fire

surveyed the scene from the Birs

;*

the other,

who

which

grands pans de murs encore debout, d'autres renverses, mais d'une

construction si solide, qu'il n'est presque pas possible de detacher
d'entr'eux les carreaux de brique d'un pied et demi de longueur dont

on

sait

etablis

que
dans

les edifices

de Babylone ctaient construits.

le pays, appellent ces restes

Nabuchadnasser ;

il

conviendrait

de

mieux de

biitisse

Les

Juifs,

La Prison de

dire le palais.

D'Anville

sur I'Euphrate et le Tigre, p. 117.

*

The person here

referred to

is

no other than Abraham, respect-

77

OF BABYLON.
is

in ruins, is called

ing

whom

the

one relating

Makam

Saheb Zeman

Mahometans have numerous fabulous

to his

being thrown into the

fire is

;*

but to

histories

the

:~they
that he was born

as follows

him to have been a subject of Nimrod's

and hid by his mother in a cave until he was fifteen, to preserve him
from falling into the hands of Nimrod, who would have put him to
death, on account of a dream which his astrologers interpreted to
relate to a child who should be born at that time, and become a great
prince, and very formidable to Nimrod,
During this time of the seclusion of Abraham, he saw no one but
his [mother.
She was surprised, whenever she went to see him, to
find him sucking his fingers, out of which proceeded milk and
honey but her surprise was changed into joy, when she understood
that it was God, who had thus undertaken to supply her son with
believe

nourishment.

He is described afterwards as being taken out of the cave, and

brought by his parents into Babylon, which is called Nimrod's
capital.
On his way, everything he sees astonishes him, and he is
represented as inquiring who is the Creator of all things, and consequently who is his Lord. At first sight of the stars, the moon, and
the sun, he

inclined to worship

is

them

as the Creator, until he sees

them going down.

His

father

courtiers

presents

him

to

Nimrod, surrounded with

all

his

and, upon hearing from his father that this personage

the Lord of

all

the people standing around him, and that they

is

all

acknowledge him as their God, Abraham looks at Nimrod, and,

observing that he was very ugly, asks his father

how it could happen

he called his God should have made creatures so much
more beautiful than himself; that a Creator must necessarily be
more perfect than his creation. This was the first occasion taken by
Abraham, says the Mahometan account, to deliver his father from
idolatry, and to preach to him that unity of God, the Creator of all
things, which had been revealed to him during his meditations the
night before. So great was his zeal upon this subject, that it drew
down upon him the anger of his father, and brought him into great
that he

whom

difficulties

with Nimrod's courtiers,

truth he set before them.

who

A report of

refused to acquiesce in the

these discussions reached the

ears of Nimrod,

and this proud and cruel king ordered Abraham to

be thrown into a heated furnace, out of which, however, he was taken
uninjured: the fire not having been permitted to touch him. The
title given by the Mahometans to Abraham is Khalil UUah, or the
friend of God.
*

This

is

the same person as

is

sometimes called Mehdy,

He was

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

78

what part of Mehdy's

In the oratories

mentioned by Niebuhr

tions

merits no attention
its

position,

mound

mound, which

itself is curious,

have occasion to remark.

the Birs are traces of ruins to a consider-

able extent.
plies

but the

and correspondence with others, as

I shall in the sequel

Round

ignorant.

near that of Ibrahim

Klialil is a small excavation into the

from

am

life it relates, I

searched in vain for the inscrip-

To

the north

is

the canal which sup-

Mesjid Ali with water, which Avas dug

expense of the

Nuwaub

at the

Shujali ed doulah, and called

We

after his country Hindia.

were informed that

from the summit of the Birs, in a clear morning, the

gilt

dome of Mesjid Ali might be seen.

this account of the ruins, which

To

are supposed

to have stood in the enceinte of the city

itself, it

may

be useful to subjoin a notice of some remarkable

places in the vicinity of Hillah, which bear
lation to the ruins of

Babylon.

tomb of the prophet Job,

is

some

re-

Nebbi Eyoub, or the

Koubbe

or oratory situ-

ated near the Euphrates, three leagues to the south-

ward of

Hillali

and just below

it is

a large canal

called Jazeria {&ijj^), said to be of great antiquity

close to

which are two large mounds or masses of

the last of the twelve

Imams

of the family of Ali.

He

was born

at

Samara in the year 255 of the Hegira; and we are told by the
Mahometans that he is still alive that he was shut up at the age of
nine years by his mother, who still watches over him carefully, until
the time of his appearance at the end of the world, with the Lord
Jesus Christ, to fight against Antichrist, and to unite Christians and
Mahometans in one.
;

OF BABYLON.

79

named El Mokhatat (lak^^) and El Adouar

Four leagues below Hillah, on the same

ruins

(j\^Si\).

on the bank,

is

(<Ucjj^), near which

is

side of the Euphrates, but not

village called Jerbouiya

considerable collection of ruins similar to those of

Babylon, and called by the natives Boursa

(<u^jj),

probably the Borosippa of Strabo, and Barsita of

Ptolemy.*
a

mound

five

The governor

me

of Hillah informed

of

as large as the Mujelib^, situated thirty-

hours to the southward of Hillah

and that a few

years ago, a cap or diadem of pure gold, and some

other articles of the same metal, were found there,

which the Khezail Arabs refused

the top of the Mujelibe,

Towereij (^j
to the

built

this village

From

of Babylon.

southerly direction,

mounds

is,

works

whose names

lU in Chaldean,

air

leisure to search the

for

detain this

said, are

some

the top of the Mujelibe in a

according to the Talmuds, the

near the Tower, whose

had

is

it

must occupy part of the

two large

am

unac-

Five or six miles to the east of Hillah

^l^Dlil quasi '^^^li}

sippa,

two leagues

at a great distance,

are visible, with

quainted.

desert,

from

called

the village of Tahmasia,

is

by Shah Tahmas, where,

mounds

to the

W.

mound

a large

is

In the same

ja).

west of Hillah,

trifling
site

up

to give

In the western desert, bearing N.

Pasha.

renders a

name

man

Talmud and

of the place in Babel

forgetful.

other

memoir (which has already been

some hopes of being

any longer
able to

for

make

it

have not yet

Hebrew and Chaldean

the traditions concerning Babylon, and

pectedly retarded)

is

whence the Greek Boro-

so

am

unwilling to

much and

such information: but

so unexI

have

the subject of a future communi-

80

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

Al Hheimar

(-4J.^1),

which

a curious ruin, as

is

bearing, on a smaller scale, some resemblance to the

The

Birs Nemroud.
the

top

of which

base

a heap of rubbish, on

is

a mass

is

between each layer of which

stance,

not

which pulverises on the

yet visited

brick-work,

of red

a curious white sub-

is

least touch.

have

Al Hheimar, but those who have

conjecture, from the grain of the white substance or

powder, seemingly lying in filaments, that

have originally been layers of reeds.

must

it

have seen a

specimen adhering to a piece of brick, but not

preserved to enable

ciently well

decisive
reeds,
to

judgment

but

me

cannot

to

suffi-

form any

how

imagine

under any circumstances, could be brought

assume such an appearance

and

besides, they

are never found in buildings composed, as this

is,

of

burnt brick.*

To

these ruins I add one, which, though not in

the same direction, bears such strong characteristics

of a Babylonian origin, that

to omit a description of

Akerkouf

it

(uJjJyLc), or, as

Nimrod's Tower,

would be improper

it

mean

more generally

called,

in this

it is

place

for the inhabitants of these parts

are as fond of attributing every vestige of antiquity

to

Nimrod,

as those of

Egypt

situated ten miles to the

N.

are to Pharaoh.

W.

of Bagdad, and

It is
is

thick mass of unburnt brick-work of an irregular

shape, rising out of a base of rubbish; there

is

layer of reeds between every fifth or sixth (for the

*

See Appendix, No.

9.

OF BABYLON.

number

81

not regulated) layer of bricks.

is

It is per-

forated with small square holes, as the brick-work at

Nemroud, and about half way up on the

an aperture like a window the layers of

the Birs
east side

is

cement are very thin, which, considerinoj

mud,

is

of the whole

cumference of the

hundred

three

feet

cir-

brick-work above the

foot of the

tower contain one hundred

Vide

height

one hundred and twenty-six feet

is

diameter of the largest part, one hundred feet

rubbish,

mere

it is

The

an extraordinary circumstance.

the remains of the

thousand

To

Ives's Travels, p. 298.*

cubic feet.

the east of

dependent mound, resembling those

it is

Birs and

at the

Al Hheimar.

now

I shall

inquire which of the public works,

that conspired with

celebrated
left

among

its

render Babylon so

size to

the ancients, was likely to have

the most considerable traces at the present day

and

how

far the vestiges,

which

it

may

be imagined

would have remained, correspond with what we now

find.

Of

all

Babylon,
minute.

the ancient writers

Herodotus and

Much

who have

described

Diodorus are the most

weight must certainly be placed on

the accounts of the former of these historians,

was an eye-witness of what he

ing the exaggeration and credulity, which

some instances be

who

relates, notwithstand-

laid to his charge.

The

may

in

accounts

of later writers are of comparatively small value.

*

See Appendix, No.

10.

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

82

done nothing more than

Pliny, in particular, has

copy Herodotus.
personal

accuracy and

general

Strabo's

experience indeed, render his description

of great interest, as far as

goes

it

but he could

when

only have seen Babylon at a period,

its

public

buildings had already become heaps of rubbish, and

consequently must have depended upon more ancient

authorities for particular accounts of most of

The

circumference

greatest

ascribed to the city walls,

stadia

Strabo,
as

them.*

ancients

the

have

four hundred and eight

is

the most moderate, three hundred and sixty.

who

is

excellent authority in this particular,

he must have seen the walls in a

fect state to

form

his

dred and eighty-five

sufficiently per-

judgment, allows three hunbut the smallest computation

supposes an area for the

city,

of which

we can now

Whatever may have been

scarcely form an idea.

the size of Babylon, I imagine that

its

bore no proportion to

would convey

to a

it

and that

it

modern the idea of an enclosed

than that of a regular city

population

district, rather

the streets, which are

said to have led from gate to gate across the area,

being no more than roads through cultivated land,

over which buildings were distributed in groups or
patches.

Quintus Curtius says positively that there

was pasture and arable land

cient to support the

a long siege and

;

in the enclosure, suffi-

whole of the population during

Xenophon reports, that when Cyrus

took Babylon (which event happened at night), the

*

See Appendix, No.

11.

OF BABYLON.

83

inhabitants of the opposite quarter of the town were

not aware of

the third part of the day,

it till

hours after sunrise

e.

i.

three

which was very possibly owing

to the great distance of

one cluster of houses from

another, since, had they been connected with each

regular streets, the noise and confusion

other in

would,

I think,

event with

have spread the information of the

much

greater rapidity.

All accounts agree in the height of the walls,

which was

fifty cubits,

having been reduced to these

dimensions from the prodigious height of three hun-

dred and

by Darius Hystaspes,

fifty feet,

rebellion of the town, in order to render

I have not been fortunate

fensible.

after the

it

less de-

enough

to dis-

cover the least trace of them, in any part of the ruins

at

Hillah

which

is

rather an unaccountable circum-

stance, considering that they survived the final ruin

of the town, long after which they served as an enclosure for a park
state, St.

Nor can

time.

in

which comparatively perfect

Jerome informs

us,

they remained in his

com-

the depredations subsequently

mitted on them in the building of Hillah, and other

similar small places, satisfactorily account for their

having

totally disappeared

they would have been the

attention of those

when

who

for,

first

though

it is

evident

object to attract the

searched after bricks

yet,

they had been thoroughly dilapidated, the mass

of rubbish, which most probably formed the heart or

substance of them, together with the very deep ditch,

g2

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

84

would alone have

tlie

left traces

sufficiently manifest at

present day.

Similar in solidity and construction to the city

was the

walls,

with

artificial

embankment

of the river,

breast-work, the former of which Diodorus

its

informs us was one hundred stadia in length.

traces of these are entirely obliterated

The

though

for

on a cursory view, the mound which now forms the

eastern

bank of the

river,

(and which for perspicuity's

sake I have called the embankment,) would be likely

to deceive observers, yet the alteration in the course

of the river at that place, the form of the southern

part of the

mound, and, above

found built up in

sufficient proofs that

all,

the sepulchral urns

close to the water's edge, are

it,

it

cannot be the remains of the

ancient embankment.

The most

extraordinary building within the city

was the tower, pyramid, or sepulchre of Belus, the

base of which Strabo says was a square of a stadium

each

side,

and

it

was

a stadium in height.

It

has

been generally considered that Herodotus has given

an extravagant account of

its

dimensions

that the first platfo/m, or largest

eight towers of which

y.(x\

TO

fXTinos

nou

it

TO suqos,

he says

and lowest of the

was composed, was

aroc^iov

which has been rendered

" a stadium in height and breadth

:"

which, sup-

posing the seven other towers to have borne some

proportion to
surdity

but

it,

may be

(J^riKos

clearly

pronounced an ab-

also signifies length, space, pro-

OF BABYLON.
in this signification

lixity

upos,

as length

and breadth

it

is

85

combines better with

more usual phrase,

than height and breadth, and the passage then would

mean no more, than

that the base was a square of a

stadium.
If a sentence can be interpreted in two different

ways,

it is

the worst

surely not fair to charge the author with

and

it

possible that,

is

on a

critical ex-

amination of the venerable father of history,

much

of the blame arising from his reputed inaccuracies

would be divided between his transcribers and trans-

The tower

lators.*

stood in a quadrangle of

two

miles and a half, which contained the temple, in

which divine honours were paid

to the tutelar deity

of Babylon, and probably also cells for the numerous

establishment of priests attached to

An additional

it.

interest attaches itself to the sepul-

chre of Belus, from the probability of

its

identity

with the tower which the descendants of Noah, with

Belus

at

head, constructed in the

their

plain

of

Shinaar, the completion of which was prevented in

so

memorable a manner.
from the sense

differ
*

The

only passage

which the word f^wo;

in

my memory

may

am

strongly inclined to

which Gen.

immediately supplies

also be understood in the

the 155th line of the 7th book of the Iliad,

victory over the giant Ereuthalion

after

the plain, he exclaims, " Tov

V/i iwjjx/itthv

him of viewing

ra^m^os

as
'ivSa,

he lay
xa)

'ivBa.

easily produced.

way

Nestor

is

is

me

com-

with, in

I propose, is

relating his

having stretched him on

dently with the idea present to

covered

xi. 4.

xai xap-ntrrov xravav av^a'"

evi-

the space of ground he

for he immediately adds, noXXo; yd^ rt; 'Uuro

But,

doubt

iiot,

better authorities

might be

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

86

monly understood, and

much importance
may reach untohea-

think too

has been attached to the words

''

ven," which are not in the original, whose words are

i^NII " mid

D-'DI^i

phor

common

to the

its top

to all ages

skies" by a meta-

and languages,

very elevated and conspicuous summit.

tainly a

more

i.

with a

e.

This

cer-

is

rational interpretation than supposing

a people in their senses, even at that early period,

would undertake

to

building of their

own

scale

heaven by means of a

construction.

The

intention

in raising this structure might have been displeasing

Almighty on many other accounts

to the

such for

instance as the paying of divine honours to other

beings, or the counteracting of the destined dispersion of mankind. For, notwithstanding the testimony

of Josephus' Sibyl,

we have no good

reason for sup-

posing that the work suffered any damage, and,

lowing

it

to

al-

have been in any considerable degree of

forwardness,

it

could have undergone no material

change, at the period the building of Babel was re-

commenced.

It is therefore

most probable, that

appearance, and the tradition concerning

those

its

gave

it,

who undertook the continuation of the labour

monument in honour of Belus and the

the idea of a

same motives which made them

to the

spot,

persist in adhering

on which such a miracle had been

WTOught, would naturally enough induce them to select its principal structure for that purpose.

as

it

may, the ruins of a

dred feet must,

if

Be

solid building of five

any traces of the

this

hun-

city remain,

be

OF BABYLON.
the most remarkable object

among

87
tliem.

Pliny,

seventy years after Strabo, mentions " the temple of

Jupiter Belus, the inventor of astronomy," as

standing

and

jamin of Tudela, who

first

still

Ben-

travellers since the time of

all

revived the remembrance

of the ruins, whenever they fancied themselves near

the

of Babylon, universally fixed upon the most

site

conspicuous eminence to

saw

others,
fully

it

among

it

tlie

and,

words of Scripture,

take

by every species of venomous repRawulf 's account,* indeed, he must

16th century have seen Babylon, nearly as

perfect as

kind of

it

was

first

in

difficulty in

sions of the city.

this

tower of

infested

we

If

in the

the

the

the ruins of old Felugiah

bent upon verifying

fancied
tile.

represent

Benjamin of Tudela, Rawulf, and some

Belus.

who

Strabo's time, and he has no

pointing out the minutest divi-

I believe Pietro della Valle

was

selected the Mujelibe as the remains of

celebrated structure.

Pere Emanuel and Nie-

buhr are the only writers who have noticed the Birs

Nemroud

and the former, from the account he has

given, or the clearness of the idea he appears to have

formed, might, with equal advantage to the world

and himself, have never seen

it.

Notwithstanding the apparent ease, with which

this

important point in the topography of Babylon

has been determined, a careful examiner will find

as great a difficulty in discovering the remains of the

Tower

of Belus, as in identifying any other part of

*

Appendix, No.

12.


MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

88

Taking

the ruins.

Babylon

for granted the site of

to be in the vicinity of Hilhih, his choice will be di-

vided between two objects,

Mujelibe, and the

tlie

Birs Nemroud.

I shall briefly notice

the arguments

in favour of each,

with the

and objections

which may be advanced,

difficulties
first

giving a comparative

statement of their dimensions

original tower

with those of the

English

sum

Total circumference or

four sides of the Birs

Ditto of the Mujelibe

Ditto of the
five

By

this

it

2286

.2111

Tower of Belus, taking

hundred

dium,

feet.

of the

at

feet for the

sta-

a rough calculation

2000

appears, that the measurement both of

the Birs and the Mujelibe agrees as nearly as possible

with that of the tower of Belus, considering our

ignorance of the exact proportion of the stadium,

and the enlargement which the base must have un-

The

dergone, by the crumbling of the materials.

variations in the form of the Mujelibe,

square,

are not

will account for;

from

my

more than

the

and the reader

description,

from a perfect

accidents of time
will best

judge,

whether the summit and ex-

ternal appearance of this ruin

correspond in any

way with the accounts of the tower. That there

may have been some superstructure on it, appears
probable, from the irregularity of the summit, and

the quantity of burnt brick found there

but

it

is

OF BABYLON.

89

impossible to decide on the form or extent of this

superstructure, and

it

may

be thought that there

does not remain in the irregularities on the top a

sufficient quantity of

rubbish to account for an eleva-

tion equal to that of the tower, the

now

whole height

being only one hundred and forty

those who, from the traces of an enclosure

resembling a ditch with a

glacis,

feet.

To

somewhat

and the appear-

ances of lanterns or turrets at one or two of the

would conjecture

corners,

a castle,

it

this

must be objected,

we know surrounded
such traces

arid

to be the

ruins of

that the enclosure

which

the tower might leave just

we observe perfectly similar

we know never could have
for instance, at the Birs, Al

indeed

ones in ruins, which

been

castellated,

as

Hiieimar, and Akerkouf; that the corners of the

may have been rounded

base of the tower

ornament or
and

use,

solidity of the ruin

having been a

argue completely against

to believe, that there never

except

the fortified
call

its

We have besides every reason

castle.

few Turks, who

off for

and that the interior appearance

palace
it

was a
;

castle at

Babylon,

and the opinion of a

the Kalaa, or citadel,

is

not

worth noticing.

Of the grand

enclosure of two miles and a half,

which surrounded the temple and tower, and was

probably the

boundary of the sanctuary or holy

ground, there are no traces here

and indeed such

an inclosure would be incompatible with the boundary-line

(A)

The passage

filled

with skeletons, in

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

90
tlie

Mujelibe,

a circumstance that will embarrass

is

who may he of opinion it was a castle,

who judge it to hav^e been the tower of

equally those,

and those,
Belus

though, probably,

would be more favour-

it

able to the theory of the latter, than that of the

We gain nothing in this instance

former.

Major Rennell considers

ing position.

answering

sufficiently

Belus

he does

by study-

this ruin as

the site of the tower of

to

not, however, establish its position

from that of the other ruins, but assumes

datum
rest of

The

to ascertain the situation,

it,

as a

and extent of the

Babylon.
only building which can dispute the palm

with the Mujelibe

to visiting

which,

possibility of its
its situation,

supposition

the Birs

Nemroud, previous

had not the

slightest idea of the

is

being the tower of Belus

indeed

was a strong argument against such a

but the

moment

could not help exclaiming, "

had examined

Had

this

it,

been on the

other side of the river, and nearer the great mass of

ruins,

no one could doubt of

As

the tower."

this,

its

being the remains of

therefore,

is

objection that can be brought against

proper to consider
I believe

it

is

the

principal

it, it

will

be

it first,

nowhere

positively asserted that

the tower of Belus stood in the eastern quarter of

Babylon,

Herodotus, Strabo, Pliny, and Quintus

Curtius, do not affirm this,

generally-received opinion

" It

may be

but

it

is

certainly the

and Major Rennell says,

pretty clearly collected from Diodorus,

OF BABYLON.

91

that the temple stood on the east side, and the palace

A presumptive

on the west.

proof of the supposed

position of the temple, should the words of Diodorus

be regarded as ambiguous,

named

that the gate of the city

is,

and which we must conclude

Belidian,

to

be

denominated from the temple, appears pretty clearly

to

have

been situated on ^the east

When

side.

Darius Hystaspes besieged Babylon, the Belidian

and Cissian gates

w^ere

and the Babylonians

as we may
The Cissian

opened

to

fled to the

him by Zopyrus

temple of Belus,

suppose, the nearest

place of refuge.

or Susian gate must surely have been in

the eastern part of the city, as Susa lay to the east

and by circumstances the Belidian gate was near

Geog. of Herod.,*

pp. 355-357.

Now

it."

I do not

think these premises altogether warrant the conclusion

in

these

countries,

not from, which they lead

instances of this

as

has before been re-

names of the places

marked,']' gates take the

to,

and

the gates of Babylon are

and the very gate next the Beli-

dian was called Susian, from the town to which the

road

it

opened upon led

really derived

so that if the Belidian gate

appellation from the

its

would have been a singular

Babylon, but in the whole East

It is consequently

much

have been a town,

place without

temple,

at

any period.

easier to suppose there

village,

or

other

may

remarkable

the city, the tradition of which

*Appendix.

it

instance, not merely in

t Vide also Reunell.

is

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

92

HOW

which gave

lost/

its

name

to the gate, than that

As

such an irreguhirity existed.

to the inhabitants

in their distress taking refuge within the precincts

of the temple^
not from

its

it is

probable they were induced to

it,

proximity to the point of attack, but as

the grand sanctuary, and, from

celebrity, the

its

holiness

and great

one most likely to be respected by the

enemy.
Tlie difficuly

is,

however, by no means vanquished,

by allowing the temple and tower of Belus

stood on the east side

be brought against the Birs

tance of

its

the eastern

have

to

may

a very strong objection

Nemroud,

in the dis-

position from the extensive remains on

bank of the Euphrates, which,

for its ac-

commodation within the area of Babylon, would

measurement of each

side of

miles, or adopt a plan

which

oblige us to extend the

the square to nine

would
above

totally
it,

exclude the

Mujelibe,

and most of those below

case the Mujelibe and the Birs

all

even

the ruins

in the

would be

former

at opposite

extremities of the town, close to the wall, while

have every reason

to believe that the

occupied a central situation.

we

tower of Belus

Whether

stood within or without the walls, if

it

ing distinct from the tower of Belus,

it

the

was a

Birs
build-

appears very

surprising

how

been in

perfect state, never attracted the attention

of

its

those

so stupendous a pile, as

who have enumerated

the

it

nmst have

wonders of

Babylon.

The

plan of the Birs varies more from a perfect

OF BABYLON.

93

square than that of the Mujelibe, which

accounted

on the supposition of

for,

in a state of ruin for a

from

its

longer period.

think

general appearance there are some reasons

conclude

to

much

may be

having been

its

it

was

built in several stages, gradually

The annexed

diminishing to the summit.

sketch, in

four different views,* will convey a clearer idea of

it

than any description would, and enable in some

measure the reader

to judge for himself, f

In forming a conjecture on the original destina-

tion of the Birs, the

mound

situated parallel to its

eastern face, which must have been a building of

great

dimensions, must not be overlooked.

The

temple attached to the tower of Belus must have

been a very spacious

and formed part of

edifice,

quadrangular enclosure, of which

did not occupy

more than one

it

is

probable

side, the three

its
it

remain-

ing ones being composed of accommodations for the

priests

and attendants, of course inferior in propor-

tions to the temple

allowing some degree of resem-

blance in other respects, between the Birs and the

tower, the elevation observable round the former will
represent the priests' apartments, and the

mentioned mound, the temple

itself.

same kind of mound, and precisely

tion, attached to other ruins

The

original engravings of

Babylon were
ing them,

it

We

in the

abovefind the

same

situa-

which have a strong

Mr. Rich's sketches of the ruins of

so badly executed at

Vienna, that instead of re-publishhas been judged more advisable to give one view of each

more perfectly executed, from Mr. Rich's original drawings.

t See the accompanying Plate.

ruin,

re-

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

94

semblance in themselves to the Birs

therefore,

and we may,

reasonably conclude that they were in-

tended for the same design, either the honour of the

dead, the observation of the celestial bodies, religious

worship, or perhaps some of these motives combined.

In like manner

we

find in

Egypt the

original idea

of the pyramids exactly copied at different

on a smaller

times

and each pyramid having

scale,

dependant temple.

I leave to the learned

its

the de-

and the determining what de-

cision of this point,

gree of resemblance, in form and purpose, exists be-

tween the pyramids of Memphis and the tower of

Belus.
I

have dwelt the longer on

of the Babylonian
to offer

on the

edifices,

The

rest.

this

most interesting

as I shall have but little

citadel or palace (for

it

served both these purposes, and w^as the only fortress

within the walls) was

surrounded by an exterior

wall of sixty stadia in circumference

was another of forty

was ornamented with painting,

as

the Persians at the present day

this last Avas a third,

ing.

same

On

inside

stadia, the interior face of

is

which
which

the custom of

and again, within

adorned with designs of hunt-

the opposite side of the river, and on the

side with the

tower of Belus, was situated the

old palace, the outer wall of

which was no larger

than the inner one of the new.

palace or citadel

Above

the

new

were the hanging gardens, which,

according to Strabo, formed a square of four plethra

each

face,

and were

fifty

cubits in height.

When

OF BABYLON.
consider
at

dimensions

tlie

95

the

of

maining in the East, I see no

difficulty in

the account of the Babylonian palace in

The

tent.

palace

Sefivieli

and other similar buildings yet

Isfahaun,

ex-

full

its

how

antiquarian will consider

re-

admitting

far the

measurement of the ruins enclosed between the

river

and the boundary on the east corresponds with those

of the palace

answer

in

some respects the Mujelibe would

sufficiently well

hanging gardens, were

there,

may

it

with the accounts of the

not for the skeletons found

which must embarrass almost any theory that

be formed on this extraordinary

pile.

There was a tunnel under the Euphrates, of which

no trace can reasonably be expected

at this time.

Semiramis, according to Diodorus, erected a stone

obelisk of a hundred and twenty-five feet high
five feet square,

which was cut on purpose

Armenian mountains. As we do not trace

nument in any of the neighbouring towns
destruction of Babylon,
vestige of

it

may

it is

by

in the

this

mo-

after the

not impossible that

some

yet be discovered.

I have already expressed

my

belief that the

num-

ber of buildings in Babylon bore no proportion to

the space enclosed

by the wall

besides this,

most probable that the houses were

and even the assertion of Herodotus, that

in houses of

two and three

stories,

majority consisted of only one.

mate of

this district

all

it

abounded

argues that the

The

peculiar cli-

must have caused a

habits and accommodation in

it is

in general small

ages

similarity of

and

if

upon

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

96
this principle

we

take the present fashion of build-

ing as some example of the mode heretofore practised

in Babylon, the houses that

had more than one story

must have consisted of the ground-floor or hassecour, occupied by stables, magazines, and serdaubs

or cellars, sunk a

below the ground,

little

comfort of the inha])itants during the heats

this a gallery with the lodging

and over

all

the

for

rooms opening

the

above

into

it,

terrace for the people to sleep on

flat

during the summer.

From what
the

remains of Babylon, and even from

most favourable account handed down to

us,

every reason to believe that the public edi-

there

is

fices

which adorned

were remarkable more for

it

vastness of dimensions than elegance of design, and

than beauty of execution.

solidity of fabric rather

The tower

of Bel us appears merely to have been

astonishing from

It

its size.

was

inferior in

some

respects to the pyramids, and did not surpass either

them

great temple of INIexico in

or probably the

external appearance

Xerxes despoiled

it,

and the ornaments of which

convey an idea of barbaric

richness, rather than taste

are found

among

all

the sculptures

the ruins, though

which

some of them are

executed with the greatest apparent care, speak a

barbarous

people.

Indeed with a much greater

degree of refinement than the Babylonians seem to

have been in possession

make any

of, it

would be

difficult to

thing of such unpropitious materials as

brick and bitumen.

Notwithstanding the assertion

OF BABYLON.
of

M.

97

Dutens, there are the strongest grounds for

supposing that the Babylonians were entirely unacquainted with the arch, of which I could not find the

any part of the ruins where

slightest trace in

posely

made

the strictest search

I pur-

particularly in the

subterranean at the Kasr, and the passages in the

The

Mujelibe.

column too appears

place of the

have been supplied by thick

pilasters

then and

still

cannot with

On

buttresses,

for to the posts of date- wood,

is

made

to

and

which was

great use of in the architec-

name

ture of this country, the

"

piers,

propriety

be

of pillar certainly

Strabo says,

applied.

account of the scarcity of proper timber, the

wood-w^ork of the houses

made of

is

the date-tree

round the posts they twist reeds, on which they apply

a coat of paint."*

What Xenophon

and Strabo say

bitumen,

of the doors being smeared over with

understand to be meant of the naphtha

which they

oil,

at present varnish all their painted

wit

work

the reasons for covering a door with bitumen not

being so obvious.

* It

is

p. 511, of

When

curious to compare

tlie

any considerable degree

account

Strabo gives,

time, with the practice of the present day.

He

plied the blacksmiths with charcoal

food for cattle.

The peasantry now

pressed into cakes

still

or,

the stones sup-

being macerated, aflPorded

principally

they prepare molasses (dibs),

subsist

make

on dates

vinegar, and

Anak from them but of the two

mentioned by Strabo they are ignorant. Oil of sesame is

a spirituous liquor called

latter uses

xvi.

says, the date fur-

nished them with bread, honey, wine, and vinegar

distil

lib.

the uses to which the Babylonians applied the date in his

the only sort used, either for eating or burning, as in the time

of Strabo.

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

98

way of building was

common brick or rubbish,

of tliickness was required, the

form an interior of

to

cased with a revetement of fine brick

traces in the ruins
in this

tus

which

there are

justify this opinion

and

manner the tower of Belus (which HerodoTtvgyov GTz^Eoi)^

calls

the

city

of that description,

buildings

and other

walls,

seem

to

have been

constructed.

We find two
burned in a

kinds of brick in Babylon, the one

simply dried in the sun.

kiln, the other

I cannot refrain in this place

marks on Gen.
of Babel

it is

n'nb

said

from offering a few

re-

where concerning the building

xi. 3,

nnb^

nirr ^n^i^T^Ni

npj^^.i

u;'ii:

Our translation is " And they said one to another, Go

us make brick and burn them thoroughly and
:

to, let

they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mor-

This

tar."
:?''tfb

is

incorrect.

mn

lin"?

According

KiD^m

The Chaldee

to Buxtorff,

mm

i^nipi^

and indeed the sense

it still

these parts, "^^n

bears in

paraphrast has

K^nj^"? Kn^^n'? lin"?

means cement, and

"I^H

bitumen so that the Vulgate is correct in saying

" Dixitque alter ad proximum suum, Venite, facia;

mus

lateres et

coquamus eos

teres pro saxis, et

igni

habueruntque

bitumen pro cemento."

not a Polyglot to consult, and therefore

am

la-

have

not able

to trace the error in

our version higher than to Lu-

German

It is true Castell translates "lOri

ther's

one.

Ihnus, lutum, in Gen. xi. 3, and bitumen in Exod.

This

is

extraordinary

for,

ii.

3.

of the two, the context of

;
:

OF BABYLON.

99

the latter passage would appear rather to justify the

former reading, to avoid the seeming tautology be-

tween

1?5'7

and

common

the

must have taken

I conclude he

-HS)

translation of the Bible as sufficient au-

without further examination

thority,

the Chaldee

word

for he allows

(Targ. Gen.

i^'^^V

3) to sig-

xi.

nify bitumen, in direct opposition to his definition

of the corresponding

Hebrew word,

brick, of course the burnt sort

nil?

from

signifies

root

its

and

much

both Golius and Castell, perhaps relying too

on the Hebrew derivation, translate the Arabic word

burnt brick also.

sively applied

Nevertheless

by the Arabs

it

now

is

to the brick

exclu-

merely dried

in the sun.

The

general size of the kiln-burnt brick

teen inches square, by three thick

of half these

They

white, approaching
like

our

cast

different

such as rounding

less to

fire

a yellowish cast,

brick,

which

red, like our ordinary brick,

the coarsest sort;

thir-

are of several different colours

more or

Stourbridge or

finest sort;

is

there are some

and a few of

dimensions,

shapes for particular purposes,

corners, &c.

is

the

which

is

and some which have a blackish

and are very hard.

The

sun-dried brick

siderably larger than that baked in

in general looks like a thick

is

con-

the kiln,

and

clumsy clod of earth, in

which are seen small broken reeds,

or

chopped

them
Bagdad

straw, used for the obvious purpose of binding

in like

manner the

flat roofs

of the houses at

are covered with a composition of earth and mortar

h2

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

100

At

mixed up with chopped straw.

the Birs Nein-

roud I found some fire-burnt bricks, which appeared

to

have had the same materials in their composition.

The

best

sun-dried bricks

which compose the ruin

are those

saw,

ever

called Akerkouf.

There are three kinds of cement discoverable

the ruins of
I

am

Babylon

inclined to think the former could never have

been of such very general use as

gined

in

bitumen, mortar, and clay.

we now

only find

it

is

commonly ima-

few situations (not

in a

always such as indicate the reason

for Avhich

it

on the surface of the mounds.

Though

tains at

it

was

which are found

used), except the small pieces of

the foun-

Heet are inexhaustible, the Babylonians had

nearer at hand a

much

better cement, the discovery

of which Avas a very obvious one

of the ruins in nitre

is

and the richness

that lime-cement

some proof

was the one most generally employed.

paration necessary for the bitumen

is

The premuch more

expensive and troublesome one than that requisite for

lime, for the

commoner

sort of

which a simple burn-

ing with the brambles, which abound in the Desert,

while the bitumen, to deprive

is sufficient

brittleness,

and render

it

it

of

its

capable of being applied to

the brick, must be boiled with a certain proportion

of oil; and after

all,

the

tenacity of the bitumen

bears no comparison with that of the mortar.

The

bricks which Niebuhr mentions as being so easily

separated,

found that

were

all laid in

when

this

bitumen

was the

and

I invariably

case, as above the sub-

OF BABYLON.
terranean passage

mound

in the

lOl
of the Kasr, the

bricks could be picked out with a small pickaxe, or

even trowel, with the utmost

facility

but where the

best mortar has been used, as at the Birs,

art could detach the bricks without

no force or

breaking them in

pieces.

There are two places

where bitumen

in the pashalick of

Bagdad

near Kerkouk,

is

found

and too remote

to

come under present consideration

the next

Heet, the Is of Herodotus*, whence

at

is

the Babylonians

drew

the

first is

their supplies.

Heet

is

town

situated on the Euphrates, about thirty leagues to the

west of Bagdad, inhabited by Arabs and Karaite

Jews.

and

is

The

principal bitumen-pit has

two sources,

divided by a wall in the centre, on one side of

which the bitumen bubbles up, and on the

of naphtha

for these

other, oil

two productions are always

found in the same situation.

That kind of petro-

leum, called by the Orientals

Mumia,

is

also

found

here, but of a quality greatly inferior to that brought

from Persia.

Strabo,

bitumen, says

its

water,

and

who

calls the

relates

cruel

experiment made

Alexander, to prove the truth of

which, however,

naphtha liquid

flame cannot be extinguished by

is

this, the result

in direct contradiction of

it.

by
of
I

* "

Eight days' journey from Babylon is a city named Is, near which
runs a small river of the same name, discharging itself into the
Euphrates this river brings down with its waters clots of bitumen
:

From this source was derived the

cementing the walls of Babylon." Isaac Taylor's
Trans, of Herodotus, Book 1st, sec. 12, p. 85.

(asphaltum) in large quantities.

bitumen used

in

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS

102
believe

it is

out

flows

Diodorus alone

who

positively says

it

generally, that

bitumen

asserts that

Herodotus

of the ground at Babylon.

was brought from Heet, and Strabo,

is

it

produced in Babylonia.

unable to discover any traces of

who

Hillah, except on the testimony of a Jew,

me

he believed

is at

might be found

it

was

in the vicinity of

it

told

in the Desert.

It

present used for caulking boats, coating cisterns,

baths,

and other places that are

ruins of Babylon are

somewhat resembling
pearance

in contact

scattered over the

shining, and

black,

brittle,

and ap-

pit-coal in substance

Turks

the

Kier or Geer

remain

to

The fragments of it

with water.

call

and the Arabs,

Zift,

it

{^)-

There are three kinds of calcareous earth found

in

most situations in the western desert between Ba-

bylon, Heet, and

and

is

a white

and Ana.
for the

Ana.

powder

The

first is

particularly

Mixed with ashes

it is

damps.

The second

mixed with indurated

and round pebbles

Heet

used as a coating

also

found in powder,

pieces of the

same substance,

it is

and by the Arabs Jus

Hillah and Felugiah,

is

is

by the Turks Kdrej,

called

very plentiful between

it is

the

common cement

country, and composes the mortar which

ruins of Babylon.

Borak,

at

lower parts of walls, in baths and other places

liable to

the

Noora,

called

abundant

is

The

third

is

of the

found in

species,

called

a substance resembling gypsum, and

is

found in large craggy lumps of an earthy appearance

externally,

but being burnt

it

forms an excellent

103

OF BABYLON.
whitewash or

plaster.

have seen some mortar in

Babylon of a reddish appearance,

been mixed with

it

kind of cement to be spoken

mud,

the use of which

sun-dried brick

and

is

it

is

on.

laid

had

of,

pure clay or

viz.

exclusively confined to the

it is

cement, notwithstanding

which

as if clay

and there yet remains another

indeed a very imperfect

the

At

great

thickness

in

layers of

the Mujelibe,

reeds are found on the top of every layer of mud-ce-

ment, between

and the layer of brick

it

marshes)

is

the use of

common growth

the reeds (which are the

not very obvious, unless

it

of the

be supposed

that they were intended to prevent the bricks sink-

ing unequally and too speedily into the thick layer of

mud;

they are in a surprisingly perfect

handsful of

them

are easily

drawn

out.

state,

and

never saw

any reeds employed where any other kind of cement

was used.

Herodotus asserts that the tops of them

are intermixed with the bitumen, and I have certainly observed

on pieces of bitumen impressions

like short pieces of reed,

though not a fragment of

the reeds themselves (if there ever were any) re-

mains
clined

and from subsequent observations

to

think such

from other causes.

am

in-

appearances might proceed

In the mud-cement of the walls

of Ctesiphon there are layers of reeds as at Babylon,

and

I believe

they are also to be found

ruins of Seleucia, the builders of

among

the

which would natu-

rally have copied the pecuUarities of the

Babylonian

RUINS OF BABYLON.

104
architecture,

and have heen imitated in their turn by

their Parthian neighbours.

my

I have thus given a faithful account of

vations at Babylon, and offer

same spot may enable me

I fear, often

minutely accurate has,

;

but the subject

important one, as

it

may

visits

My

make.

to

obser-

merely as a prelude

which repeated

to further researches,

tediousness

it

to the

wish to be

betrayed

me

into

a curious, perhaps an

is

tend to illustrate several

passages in the sacred and profane writers.

Instead

of being disappointed at the difficulty of ascertain-

ing any part of the original plan of Babylon, from

its

present remains,

we ought

at the

grandeur of that

traces,

when we consider

ruins

rather to be astonished

which has

city

that

it

two thousand years ago

have been built out of

its

appear to be inexhaustible
the Abassides, which

left

such

was nearly a heap of

that

immense

materials,

which

cities
still

and that the capital of

we know

to have been one of

the most extensive and magnificent cities of comparatively

modern

times, has left but a few confused

vestiges,

which

are scarcely elevated above the level

of the Desert, and which in a few years the most

inquiring eye will be unable to discover.

RUINS OF BABYLON.

104
architecture,

and have been imitated

in their turn

by

their Parthian neighbours.

I

my

have thus given a faithful account of

vations at Babylon, and offer

it

to further researches,

which repeated

same spot may

me

enal^le

minutely accurate has,

tediousness

I fear, often

but the subject

important one, as

it

visits

My

make.

to

obser-

merely as a prelude
to the

wish to be

betrayed

me

into

a curious, perhaps an

is

may tend

to illustrate

passages in the sacred and profane writers.

several

Instead

of being disappointed at the difficulty of ascertain-

ing any part of the original plan of Babylon, from

we ought

its

present remains,

at

the grandeur of that city which

traces,

ruins

when we

consider that

rather to be astonished

it

two thousand years ago

have been built out of

its

appear to be inexhaustible
the Abassides, which

has

left

such

was nearly a heap of

that immense cities

materials,

which

still

and that the capital of

we know

to have been one of

the most extensive and magnificent cities of comparatively

modern

times, has left but a few confused

vestiges,

which

are scarcely elevated above the level

of the Desert, and which in a few years the most

inquiring eye will be unable to discover.

ror

TOPOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT BABYLON;

?UGGESTED BY THE

RECENT OBSERVATIONS AND DISCOVERIES OF

CLAUDIUS JAMES RICH, Esq.

MAJOR REN NELL.

COMMUNICATED TO THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES.

Read
"

before

them 14th and 21st December,

Archaeologia," vol. 18;

mission.

1815;

published in the

and reprinted here by

their obliging per-

TOPOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT BABYLON,

&c. &c.

may be

[It

made
Rich

to
;

proper to observe, at the outset, that references are

two distinct plans

the other, a sketch,

the one, of the great central ruins by Mr.

made by

the Author of the Paper.

what

latter includes the entire site of

The former is always referred to,

Sketch. The letter-press referred

taken

is

for

as the Plan
to is

This

Ancient Babylon.
the latter, as the

always that of Mr. Rich's

Memoir.]

The

very interesting

Memoir

of Mr. Claudius Rich,

on the remains of Ancient Babylon, having a tendency, as well from the facts set forth in

ing the present state of the

his reasonings

on them,

site

it,

concern-

of that city, as from

to occasion doubts respect-

ing the established opinions that have been entertained,

on the authority of the ancient historians,

it

appeared to be almost a required duty from myself

to the public, as

having already written on the sub-

ject, to vindicate the consistency

history

(as well

as

that of

which was conformable

to

it ;)

and truth of ancient

my own

statement,

for if all the

remains

of Ancient Babylon are found on one and the same

side of the Euphrates, as

Mr. Rich reports them

to

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

108
be

must have altered

either that river

in

course

its

statements of the

that particular place, or the

ancients must be wrong.

But, independent of this motive, I really wish to

place the very interesting and curious facts brought
to

our notice by Mr. Rich's researches in the clear-

est

and most useful point of view;

deavour by their

so as to en-

develop on the

aid, to

site

itself,

the general extent of this highly-ancient city, and

the distribution of

principal structures,

its

forth by the above-said ancient authorities

Rich appears to have employed

and expense on the occasion

them with much

zeal

them

He

is

faithfully.

prejudice

researches without

and

to
;

much

as set
for

Mr.

time, labour,

have entered on his

to

have prosecuted

finally, to

indeed the

have reported

first

person

who

has given any correct ideas concerning the nature of

the remains, and in what they consist

more

particulars

supposed Tower of

Belus,

Beauchamp; who appear

too

hasty a

detailed

manner,

to

respecting

* It is true that

M.

and has given

of

the

than Delia Valle or

to have

viewed them in

be enabled to furnish a

He

description.*

information,

concerning the remains

gives

also

some new

the general position,

and

de Beauchamp says, " the ruins extend several

leagues to the north of Hillah, and incontestably

mark

the situation

Ancient Babylon ;" but this is so vaguely and indistinctly given,

that the idea has been applied, exclusively, to the Mujelibe, and the
other mounds near it. M. de Beauchamp does not appear to have
of

observed the

mounds between

the Mujelibe and Mohawill.

ANCIENT BABYLON.

109

extent of the remains of Babylon, at large

his account of the

Nimroud

:*

and in

Tower of Nim-

Birs, or

he presents a subject, which, in point of descrip-

rod,
tion,

is

position

perfectly

novel

although

its

name and

had been long known, from the travels of

the celebrated

M. Niebuhr.

But Mr. Rich, having entertained a suspicion

the

Tower

of

Nimrod was

that

the representative of that

of Belus, appears to have given up the advantages of

The

remains will be found in p. 48 and

Mr, Rich.*^
In the line between Mohawill and Hillah, whieh is supposed to pass
through the centre of the area of Ancient Babylon, from north to
*

p. 62,

details concerning those

and

seq. of the

Memoir

of

south,^ traces of buildings are

discovered in

detached mounds of

rubbish, strewed with the fragments of bricks and bitumen, through

a space of about nine miles.

Towards the centre of this space, besides a remarkable ruin, taken

Tower of Belus, mounds of vast magnitude and extent
are seen, formed of the ruins and decomposed materials of buildings
all of which have been dug into, more or less, in search of bricks
and have their surfaces strewed with fragments of brick, bitumen, and
pottery and are deeply furrowed by channels, made by the running
for that of the

off of the rain-water.

One

mounds

be composed of the
by the fineness of thfe
bricks, and the goodness of the lime mortar
and the surface has on
it, in addition to the substances generally found on the other mounds,
of these

remains of buildings,

in particular

appears

to

far superior to all the rest,

:

fragments of alabaster vessels, fine earthenware, marble, and great

quantities of varnished tiles.
And notwithstanding that in latter
times the greatest supplies of bricks have been drawn from this

mound, they appear

still to

It is conceived that the

be abundant.

mound

in question contains the ruins of the

Great Palace described by Herodotus and Diodorus.

'^
The references to Mr. Rich's Memoir, as they were given in the
original pubUcation of Major Rennell's Paper upon it, were made to
the first edition of that Memoir.
In the present republication of both
the references are corrected accordingly. Ed.

See the accompanying Sketch.

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

110

a part of his discoveries, and has thereby

left

principal matter to float in uncertainty.

With a

the

knowledge of the northern and southern extremities

and of the

of the general remains,

position of the

Mujelibe (the Tower of Belus of Delia Valle and

Beauchamp),

much might

centre of them,

in the

have been done towards the progress of develop-

ment of

the general plan and extent.

he adverted

Perhaps, had

to the circumstance of a small

change of

course of the Euphrates, through the ruins, the pro-

minent objects would have appeared

once into their proper places

to

him

to fall at

and with a conviction

of the identity of the Mujelib^ with the

Tower

of

Belus, which might immediately have followed, he

might have been encouraged

from a centre,

to proceed

the exterior walls and ditches

found, even in
question of
It

the

from

it,

as

in order to search after the places of

part

site

only,

and extent

which being once

would

set

the

general

fully at rest.

appears to me, that in the act of considering

site

and

distribution

remains of

of the

this

ancient city, two circumstances arise, that must not

be

lost

sight of: the one,

course of the river

the probable change of

the other, that the

whole of the

remains, visible in the form of mounds, &c. do not

belong exclusively to the ancient

city,

but in part

to a subsequent establishment, not recorded in history,

and perhaps of a date previous

medan Conquest
circular,

for

it

is difficult

to the

Maho-

to reconcile the

and other mounds of earth, with the de-

ANCIENT BABYLON.

Ill

scription of the regular distribution of streets,

in

Ancient Babylon.*

Two

minor points of difference will appear, be-

tween the received accounts of the ancients, and the

facts, as

The

they appear from the report of Mr. Rich.

one, that the

Tower

of Belus and the principal

palace could not have stood opposite to each other,

in respect of the general course of the river

Tower

other, that the base of the

and the

of Belus was not

a square, but a parallelogram.

It

would, no doubt, be begging the question, to

assume, in the

changed

its

that the Euphrates

first instance,

course

and that

had

once ran through the

it

narrow space between the mound of the Kasr,^ and

the mass of ruins situated to the north-eastward of
unless I
to

first

it

brought forward some kind of evidence

show the probability of

it

as that the several

particulars of the remains on the site required only

the presence of the river, in a particular line of course

to

complete the general description, given by the an-

cients

and that such a change of course appears

likely to

have taken place

for instance, that the

Mujelibe really occupies a central position, amongst

the extensive remains,

which may be taken

of Ancient Babylon, as the

Tower

former times, in the existing

*

See the accompanying Plan of the

Babylon, by Mr. Rich

those remains,

city

site

for those

of Belus did, in
;

that the

same

of the principal remains of

as also the Sketch of the general extent of

and of the supposed change in the course of the

Euphrates.
f See again the Plan of Babylon.

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

112

may

Mujelibe

tower

well pass for the

may

appear on the Plan,

two

remains of that

and that two mounds or masses of

by Diodorus

palaces, described

ruins, that

be taken for those of the

only that the

river does not separate them, as the history describes,

mounds now forming

the narrow space between the

a part of the plain

for,

to the plan of the ground,

Mr. Rich, (and which

strictly

as

have

said,

can have

conformable to the truth,)

no doubt are

side

present, the

Nimroud

from the

distant

lay

(for

out

Birs,

Mujelibe).

degree, the ancients,

who

its

have

that

is,

of the question,

which

Euphrates has not changed

the remains

all

are on the same side of the Euphrates

eastern

according

and principal remains, by

the
at

about 8| miles

is

Therefore,

if

the

course, in a small
left

accounts of the

arrangement and distribution of the principal structures in Babylon, have only l)een
fairy tales

shall

lected

amusing us with

now

proceed to state certain

facts,

col-

from Mr. Rich's Memoir and Plan, (in which

they are very fairly set forth,) in order to show the

probability of a change of course of the river

has
side

now
;

left all

which

the principal remains on the eastern

although the principal palace, and the hanging

gardens certainly stood on the opposite side to the

Temple and Tower of Belus.

Mr. Rich

states

Bagdad towards
came

to

(p.

48) that

in

his

way from

Hillah, (in a southerly direction,) he

Mohawill, a Khan, or Caravanserai

" close

;
:

ANCIENT BABYLON.
" to which,
" beyond

is

this,

a large canal with a bridge over

may

" spot
''

The

city.

in fact be said almost to

ruins of Babylon

commence from

the whole country between

eoohibiting,

it

every thing announces an approach to

" the remains of a large

"

113

at intervals,

traces

" which are discoverable burnt

it

this

and Hillah

of building,

and unburnt

in

bricks

" and bitumen : three mounds, in particular, attract

" attention, from their magnitude."
" HiUah is
" nine miles from Mohawill*."
He also says (p. 68) that " at a mile distant from

" the north of the Kasr" (taken for the remains of the
principal palace),

" Hillah,

is

"and

full five

the Mujelibe''

As

miles distant from

this latter is

Hillah,

it

must of course be about four miles

from the former.

(His

detail,

to

from Hillah

five

Mohawill.)
falls

distant

however, referring to

58, and to the Plan, gives rather

p.

known

nearly in the direct line between Mohawill and

lie

4f miles than

leaving of course, 4^ miles to

But taking

it

either way, the Mujelibe

within a quarter, or half a mile, of the middle

point of the space occupied by the heaps of ruins,

and which, as we have seen,

that
*

is,

is

nine miles in length

somewhat within the extent allowed by

This description of traces of buildings, occurring at intervals,

appears to agree with the ancient accounts of Babylon

that

the

ground inclosed by the walls was only partially built on. The heaps,
no doubt, are made up of decomposed bricks, bitumen, and mortar,
the whole bricks having generally disappeared, in places where they
were easily got at and from the nature of the cement used, (that is,
;

bitumen,) easily separated.

I

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

114
Strabo

square of Babylon,

the

to

more than what Diodorus

But

others.

where

all

is

gives,

but somewhat

from Ctesias and

niceties are out of the question here,

from computation and judgment, and

not from actual mensuration.

Mr. Rich has mentioned a large canal

This

is

also

remarked by other

out combining with

mencement of

it

Mohawill.

at

travellers

but with-

the circumstance of the co7n-

Admitting

the ruins near that place.

Mr. Rich concludes, a part of the

these to be, as

remains of Ancient Babylon, what

is

more probable

than that the canal should be the exterior fosse of

that city

The

line of direction of the canal is not

mentioned, but ought to be inquired into

whether there be a mound on that side of

the

site

traces of the wall

also,

all

events, the

commencement of the

Mujelibe, then,
general

But, at

and ditch may probably be looked

for near the place of

such

as

towards

of Babylon; which might be expected, if

the line of direction agreed.

The

it,

may be

position

ruins.

allowed to occupy

amongst these remains

admitted by Mr. Rich, to be those of Ancient Babylon

as the

Tower

of Belus did, in the ancient city

itself.

shall

not

trouble

this

quotations from Delia Valle,

learned

Society

with

Beauchamp, and Rich,

containing descriptions of the Mujelibe, as they are

so easily referred to, and would therefore swell the

paper unnecessarily.

It

may

according to every description,

suffice

to

say,

that

and more particu-

;:

ANCIENT BABYLON.
Mr. Rich

that of

larly to

excellent drawings

much

of

it,

115
including his

himself,

the

ruin

presents

very

the appearance of being the remains of such a

Tower

structure, as the descriptions of the

would lead us

Not

to expect.

of Belus

had we only

that,

viewed the ruin,

and had been ignorant of the

reports concerning

its

guessed

it

to

but that, knowing

cile to his

mind

tlie

that

The

wanting,

principal

it

was described

original form, one

it

may

may

recon-

well be the remains of

That the matter of the upper

such a structure.*
stories is

ancient form, one could have

have been such as

may

with ease be accounted

mass was probably formed of

for.

suit-

dried bricks, with a coating of those baked in the

The

furnace.

latter

have been removed for use

the

former dissolved by rain, or carried away by the winds,

in a pulverised state (being nothing

for this tower

of Alexander's

was

in ruins so

visit,

when

it

more than earth)

long ago as the date

was

said, that

it

would

require the labour of ten thousand men, during two

The deep

months, to remove the rubbish.

made by
which

much
all,

it is
it

channels,

the running off of the rain-water, with

every where deeply furrowed, prove

has been acted on by the rain

on the western

side,

which

to the prevalent rainy winds.

is

how

and most of

the most exposed

And

this surely

tends

* See the drawings of its four fronts, at the end of the Memoir of
Mr. Rich. Rennell. This reference is to the first edition of the
Memoir, published by Messrs. Longman & Co., 1818. See note,
page 89, of the first Memoir in this volume. Ed.
I

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

116

to prove that tlie

mound must

have been

artificial

for the quantity of rain-water that could possibly fall

on so limited a space

as the area of the

would not have worn away a natural

mound,

hill in so great

a degree.*
Little more, therefore, need be said in respect of

of

probability

the

Tower of Belus

venerable

this

ruin being

the

may remount

of a date possibly that

almost to the earliest period of post-diluvian history.

But although Mr. Rich's

conviction, our curiosity

description

affords

by no means yet

full

satisfied.

possible that a part of the remains of

It is very

walling

external

the

is

now

seen

may

be of a date

long subsequent to that of the erection of the Tower.

The

semicircular

mound

of earth, described by Mr.

Rich (page 58), and which embraces the principal

remains, within a diameter of about 2i miles, appears
to

have been the rampart of a new Babylon, of

reduced dimensions, but of whose history

nothing.

may

It

clearly be seen by the

we know
Plan and

description (p. 17), that the termination of this rampart, northward, points d'rectly

towards the south-

eastern angle of the Mujelibe, (and appears to have

actually joined

making

thus
* It

must

from

it

must have been

by the rain
is still

the other parts

concerning

according to Mr. Rich's account,)

serve the purpose of a Bastion, Place

ground adby the matter washed down

certainly be taken into the account, that the

jacent to this ruin

east angle

it,

it

it.

particularly

more than 140

we

are not told.

raised

on the west
feet

Yet the southThe height o^

required to be known
side.

above the plain.

Much more

is

ANCIENT BABYLON.

117

of Arms, or Citadel ; and it was by no means a bad

The rampart Avas doubtless extended to the

design.

river bank, wheresoever

might have been

it

at that

Now,

time, as on the opposite side of the circle.

have an

when

idea, that

the Turks call the Mujelibe

the Kalaa, or Citadel, they allude to the use that had

latterly

been made of the ruin,

in the state

was, and which had been handed

And

down by

may have been some

hence, there

introduced, in order to adapt

alterations

the better to

it

then

it

tradition-

its

new

character.

from the dimensions of

It appears pretty certain

the ruins, that the

Tower

(admitting the Mujelibe to

be such) could never have been raised on an equilateral base

since accident cannot

be supposed to

have occasioned such a difference between the length

of the sides that face the north and south, and those
that face the east

and west, and which have,

mean, a difference of about one-fourth

the ruin
east

is

at a

So

part.

that

a parallelogram, whose longest sides

and west.

This

pected, and serves to

granted that

it

was

is

lie

a circumstance quite unex-

show

that Herodotus took for

equilateral

as he did, that the

Great Palace and Tower of Belus stood directly

opposite to each other, across the river
latter mistake,

offered.*

however, some excuse

As the

may

circumference of the

for

Tower appears

to have been nearly about four stadia, (that

*

That

is, if

is,

in its

saw it, deviated from its

had not originally been made so.

the river had, at the time he

straight course through the city, or

which

possibly be

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

118

present ruined

state,

it

is

2111

by Mr. Rich's

feet,

account, page 88,) perhaps Herodotus

and others

contented themselves with that result, and concluded

that the sides

With

were equal.*

respect to the coffins and skeletons found in

the kind of gallery that runs along

northern face,

its

I confess I have no opinion to offer.

that the coffins

may

that the gallery or passage of the

converted into a place of sepulture.

moir, pages

The two
to

It is possible

not be of a very early date, but

Tower had been

(See the Me-

70 and 71.)
mounds of earth running

straight

parallel

each other, towards the middle part of the circular

inclosure, are also, no doubt, of a later date than that

of Ancient Babylon.

Their use

discover, unless they

were dams

tions of the river, if ever

The

direction.

it

it

may

be

difficult to

to prevent inunda-

took

its

course in that

termination of one of them in a vast

heap, of a curious red colour, will be spoken of after-

wards.
I shall

next consider the position of the remains,

which may be taken

stating

for those of the

what has been

said on the

palaces

first

subject by the

ancients.

Herodotus describes only one palace; Diodorus,

*

See the Memoir of Mr. Rich, pages 68 and 88. The hase must
now than in its original state, and yet it is no

confessedly be larger

more

in

circumference than 2111 English feet: consequently, in

present state,
stade

it

would give no more than 528 English

and probably, in

of Strabo

was about 530.

its

perfect state, less than 500.

its

feet to the

The

stade

119

ANCIENT BABYLON.
two

that

the principal one, on one side of the

is,

and the

river,

on the other

lesser one,

side

the two

communicating with each other by a bridge above,

and by a tunnel under the

Probably,

river's bed.

the palace mentioned by Herodotus

may be

same

the

with the principal one spoken of by Diodorus;

whence the

latter

should have been on the same side

Temple and Tower of Belus,

of the river with the

and which

have formerly ventured to suppose, in

common with M. D'Anville and

situated

on the east side

for

it

others, to have

appeared to

me

been
be

to

strongly implied in Diodorus, and yet stronger in

Herodotus, where the Belidian gate is evidently placed

And

in the eastern side of Babylon.

do not perceive a more plausible reason

than that of

although

ture,

name

it

confess I

name,

being opposite to so famous a struc-

be more

common

in all countries to

the gates of a city or fortress from the distant

places to

But

its

for the

which they

lead,

than to any object within.

gates have also proper names, without any re-

ference to communications.

Herodotus assigns

to the

Temple of Belus and

the palace the central part of each of the

sions of Babylon

phrates

two

to

divi-

made by the passage of the Eu-

or rather, they might be said to have occu-

pied a central position in that quarter of each division situated towards the river.

temple in the centre, but

sitions of the palaces

was

is

Diodorus places the

silent respecting the po-

only saying that the bridge

built over the narrowest part of the river,

and

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

120

As we

the palaces at each end of the bridge.

can-

not but admit the existence of two palaces after the

circumstantial details respecting them, a doubt arises

whether the temple or the

centre

In this uncertainty,

palaces
it

may

occupied

perhaps be

the
al-

lowable to place the temple and tower in the centre,

since Herodotus and Diodorus are agreed in that
point

and accordingly regard the Mujelibe as that

centre, although

it

be of no particular import, in the

present deficient state of our information, which of

the two

is

adopted.

According to the Plan and description of Mr.

Rich, in which
of the river

all

the remains are on the same side

with the

Mujelibe,

course, be any ruins opposite to

principal palace

has altered

it,

there cannot, of
to

answer to the

but, on a supposition that the river

course, such remains are to be found,

its

though not in front of the Mujelibe,

as

Herodotus

reports of the temple and tower.

Four mounds (besides the Mujelibe), constituting

the principal remains of Ancient Babylon, appear on

Mr. Rich's Plan,

described in his

named from
cipal yA^Lce)

the
is

of

which

Memoir;
Kasr or Palace (meaning

supposed by him, very

is

only he has

and of these, the one

opinion, to answer

This opinion

three

the prin-

justly, in

my

to the remains of that structure.

grounded on the vast extent of the

ground-plan, the solidity of the Avails, and the superior quality of the materials

and workmanship, toge-

ther with various articles and fragments of utensils

ANCIENT BABYLON.
that

12l

have been found there, indicating the residence

of persons of a superior class.

pages 65 and 66) .*

(See the Memoir,

This, however,

stood to relate to the

mound

itself,

to be under-

is

and not

rum named Kasr, concerning which more

to the

will be

said in the sequel.

Now

this

mound

is

situated at a full mile to the

southward of the Mujelibe

and although the general

course of the river in this quarter

is

between the

S.S.E. and S.E. by S.f (in which direction one

may

conclude

it

was conducted through the

cut said to have been

the

mound

artificial

made by Semiramis),

in question could not

have been

yet
less

still

than

three-fourths of a mile below the point opposite to

the Mujelibe, the supposed

Tower

of Belus.

Conse-

quently, there being no other remains whatsoever in

that quarter, the statement of Herodotus, respecting

the relative positions of the temple and palace, must

be erroneous
exact,
centre,

and that of Diodorus, probably more

when he

places the temple

and tower

and the palaces in some other

M. de Beauchamp

says,

"Black

stones,

graved on them, are also met with" there.

jasper, so well polished

and

possession of Sir

Hugh

in the

where

with inscriptions enof these, a species of

so distinctly engraved, that

home by

a copper-plate, was sent

One

situation,

Sir Harford Jones.

it

printed like

It is in the

Inglis.

The present course of the Euphrates through the ruins is southwardly. It is not known whether Mr. Rich allowed the variation of
f

the magnetic needle in his Plan.

westerly in that quarter.

So that

the Plan must be reckoned N. 9^

This
if it

W.

may be about

9 or 10 degrees

be not allowed, the north of

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

122

they were of course opposite to each other, being

joined together by the bridge.

But

in order to

admit

this

mound

Kasr

of the

to

be the remains of the great palace, a change of

course of the Euphrates must necessarily be admitted

And

also.

more probable than

surely

this is

that

the ancient authors should have been so greatly mistaken, especially

on the

objects

when

site

is

the disposition of the several

such as that

it

only requires

the presence of the river to complete the description.

A change of five or six times the breadth of the river

is all

that

is

contended for

and even now there

be traced on the Plan an ancient bed of the

which

it

probably

filled

on

its

departure from

supposed line of course between the mounds

which bed
the one

it

it

may
river,

its

and

appears to have afterwards deserted for

now

occupies, the river continuing to this

time to verge to the westward in that place

and for

we have the testimony of Mr. Rich (page 59)

To those accustomed to study on the spot the

this

wandering courses of

rivers,

and the

effects often

produced on their banks in alluvial

soils,

more

especially

familiar than such changes

as in the present case, they are obstructed

nothing

is

when,

by the ruins

of a bridge, and subject to be in part choaked

up by

the falling in of ruins from their banks, and by the

continual washing
bish.

down

In the course of

that no cause operates

of the finer parts of the rub-

my

observations, I have found

more powerfully

in diverting

ANCIENT BABYLON.

123

More

will

ancient river-bed in

the

the courses of streams than fallen ruins *

be

said

respecting

this

sequel.

Admitting, then, so probable a change, I shall

beg leave to consider the mound that

Kasr

ly to the north-east of the

lesser palace,

lies

as the

immediate-

remains of the

which was separated from the other

The

only by the river and bridge.

tween the two mounds

is

space indeed be-

at present not

much more

than two-thirds of the breadth of the Euphrates (as

given by Mr. Rich at 150 yards, page 53), but

may

have been reduced by the just mentioned accidents.f

The

direction of the opening

is

also favourable to the

either not yet

examined or has not

supposition of a change.

Mr, Rich has

prepared any account of this north-eastern mound.

To judge from

the Plan,

it

seems as

if it

were

flatter

or less prominent than the others, as if the materials

were more decomposed from time. The only circumstance given, that applies to any part of

line with,

and

the two long

at the northern termination of,

the

in

one of

mounds before mentioned, and which

Mr. Rich appears

calls it

it, is

which respects a vast mass lying

following,

to regard as a portion of

it

He

" a high heap of rubbish of a

(page 60)

" curious red colour, nearly 300 yards long and 100
* Signor Balbi, in his navigation

found the navigation very

fallen into the river above

He

down the Euphrates in 1759,

much impeded by the ruins of buildings

Annah.

says that the breadth of the river varies in

the ruins.

On

the Plan

it is

commonly 200

yards.

its

course through

OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

124

" broad, terminating on the top in a ridge.*

" been dug into, in various parts

" whole bricks have been found in

It has

but few or no fine

This, one can

it."

only regard as a vast mass of decomposed red bricks

and

the decomposition be the effect of time,

if

would imply

may

it

that the lesser palace (if of such this

be taken for a part)

is

of

much

higher antiquity

than the other.

From

the

given

scanty notices

southern mound, or Mound of

to form an opinion

whether

it

respecting

Am ran,

it is

the

difficult

did or did not originally

constitute one mass with that of the Kasr, and that

the low space, between them

" covered with rank

grass, and crossed by a line of ruins of very

'

" elevation

course through

little

page 62), has not been reduced to

by the action of the Euphrates

that state
its

''f

(see

at different periods

in

varying

from one side of it to the other,

it,

or at least that those

mounds

approximated towards each other more than at present

for doubtless the southern

looks in the Plan as

if it

mound

of the

Kasr

had been worn away by the

stream, as the western side evidently does, as having

formed one of the banks of the deserted bed of the

same
of

river.

Amran

stream.
*

Again, the northern

side of the

Mound

appears also to have been acted on by the

conclude that these operations took place

As Mr. Rich had no opportunity of correcting the press, it is posnumbers may be wrong. They evidently appear to be

sible that the

so in

some parts of the Memoir.

part perhaps of too great solidity for the stream to dissolve or

to remove.

ANCIENT BABYLON.

125

previous to the formation of the circular rampart,

and that the long mound on the west, which connects

this

Mound

made

at the

Amran

of

Avith that of the

same time with the

Kasr, was

circular one, whether

as a part of the military defences alone, or as a

to prevent inundations

dam

as the river at that period

passed, as I conceive (from the arrangement of ano-

ther part of the mound), through the desertedhedi^o

often mentioned

or

it

might have been

answer

to

both purposes.
I shall close these observations

on the

site

Babylon with some further remarks on

cient

of

An-

this de-

serted bed of the Euphrates, as the existence of

it

not only shows that the river has, in one instance at

least, entirely

changed

in that part, but that

effect

it

its

course through the ruins

has also had some considerable

on the present distribution and

state of these

mounds.

Mr. Rich thus describes

*'

bankment of

the river

is

it

(page 67)

" The em-

separated from the

Mounds

" of Amran and the Kasr by a winding valley or

" ravine 150 yards in breadth, the bottom of which
"

is

white with

nitre,

and apparently never had any

" buildings in

it,

'

This, as

centre of

it."

except a small circular heap in the

I

have said before, has every

character of a river-bed, and

is,

moreover, precisely

of the same breadth with the Euphrates

yards, as
rity of

it

that

is,

150

has already been stated from the autho-

Mr. Rich (page 53)

This ancient bed

is

traceable through a course of

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

126

about a mile and a half; and

far

it

commences not very

below the point from whence the

river

may be

supposed to have departed from the general course

which

held through the

it

and through the narrow

mounds, taken
progress,

mound

it

for the

site

of the ancient

between the

pass,

remains of the palaces.

city,

two
In

its

has evidently sapped the great southern

(or that of

above mentioned,

Amran)
is

and the circular heap

no doubt a portion of that

mound, which was perhaps a mass of masonry too

well consolidated to be dissolved or removed.*

And

named by Mr. Rich (page

accordingly the mound,

58) the embankment, has been cut off from that of

Amran. f

It is probable, too, that the river in its

away a

present course has taken

of the

mound

in a state of dilapidation

the stream on

Few
and

considerable portion

of the emhankment, which

it.

is

at present

from the encroachment of

(See page 67.)

persons, conversant with the nature of rivers

their changes, will for

moment

hesitate to

receive the internal evidence, contained in the Plan

and description,

in

proof of

this

valley or ravine

being a deserted bed of the Euphrates

the tendency of that river, in
that pass

through

and proving
all others

alluvial soils, to vary their courses,

unless art be employed to prevent

* 1 have seen in the

common with

Ganges,

it.

far out in the strongest part of the

stream, a building which had stood there for a great

number

of years,

and may perhaps be still there.

t See also the Plan of Mr. Rich.
$ In a series of Maps of the Rhine, by Mr. Wiebeking of Darm-

;
;

ANCIENT BABYLON.

127

appears not improbable, that had Mr.

It

been aware of

this

Rich

circumstance, he might have

been prepared to beUeve that the river might also

have varied in other places, and thence have been

induced to examine the ground betvi^een the great

lend of the

river, opposite to the

Mujelibe, and the

opening between the two mounds before spoken of

and, had he been so fortunate as to have discovered

the traces of

its

possibly have

and

ancient course in that line,

given

occasion to

it

might

other discoveries,

have made him, in a great degree, master

to

of the plan and extent of the area of the ancient

city.

To

prevent an interruption of the main subject, I

forbore to speak of the ruin

of

subterraneous

the

named the Kasr ; and

passage under the

spoken of both by Mr. Rich and M.

de

ravine

Beau-

champ.
cannot but suspect that the ruin now standing,

named
ture,

the Kasr,

is

but one of

by no means a Babylonish struc-

much

later date

possibly coeval

with the circular and other mounds of earth before

spoken

of.

In the

first place^ it

appears to be seated

on a mound of ruins or rubbish of ancient Babylon,

and does not seem to be at

For

it is

all identified

with them.

said (page 65) to be " surprisingly fresh in

stadt, 1796, these

the Rhine has so

changes are admirably illustrated.

much

varied

its

time, that patches of ground,

now

known to have been

its

islands in

far

bed.

It

appears that

no great length of
removed from its banks, were

course, within

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

128
appearance;"
ruins

which

not the usual character of

is

more than 2000 years

old.

Nor does

there

appear in the description any thing characteristic

of a building of Babylonish construction, although
it

is,

no doubt, built with bricks extracted from

such.
It

to

would appear

this

to

owe

its

remaining in existence

time to the extreme tenacity of the Ibne

Not but

cement used

in the construction.

cement was

in use with the Babylonians, although

they used bitumen generally.

that lime

cannot, however,

agree with Mr. Rich (page 100) that " lime cement
" was the one most generally employed."
the fact

is

that the

Probably

works cemented with bitumen

have chiefly disappeared, whilst those cemented with

lime-mortar remain.

By

the specimens which have

been exhibited here of the Babylonish bricks that

had been

laid in bitumen,

and with the

we

stance adhering to them,

small degree of tenacity which

is

agreed, on

all

to separate in a

been

laid in

hands, that

whole

it

it

possesses.

is

extremely

state the bricks

lime-mortar

in

Babylon.

Mr. Rich's account, page 100).

were

laid in

now found

latter sub-

are fully aware of the

The

But

it

difficult

that have

(See also
bricks

which

bitumen are probably those which are

in a whole state in the construction of

Baghdad, Hillah, and other

places.

With respect to the subterraneous passage under

the mound on which the ruin of the K.asr stands, it
is difficult to make a right judgment of its intention

ANCIENT BABYLON.
and use, unless

were

river,

in respect of the plain

its level,

Mr. Rich has

known.

better

129

(pages 63, 64) that this passage

is

at the

and

stated

bottom of

a ravine which has been hollowed out in digging for

bricks

and which ravine he judged

He

to fifty feet in depth.

mound above
to

be

fifty

the plain

embankment

Amran

whence

being

which,

I believe, are

of

depth of rubbish than

less

should be concluded that

it

below the

little

level of the

never laid low in alluvial

growing more and more

The

passage

may

ordinary level of the river

palace at large

loose,

soils,

as

we

therefore be about the

and

serve as an aqueduct from

it

its

use, possibly, to

for the supply of the

the water being

drawn up through

apertures in the nature of wells.*

might be regulated by a

course,

Amran

mound of the
the Kasr cannot

immediately under the foundations,

plain,

descend.

but states that of

The mound

forty.

the passage can be but

the ground

be from forty

or sixty feet, and of the

be supposed to contain a
that of

to

omits the height of the

The

sluice,

influx, of

and accom-

modated

to the

One can

hardly suppose that the tunnel, spoken of

periodical

by Diodorus, originated so
for the part seen

swellings of the river.

far within the river

yards within the border of the

Mr. Rich found

height

An

bank,

by Mr. Rich was from 200 to 300

mound.

this passage about seven feet in

but was told that further on

it

was high

ancient aqueduct of this kind occurs on the Arabian Desert.

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

130
enough

horseman

for

breadth

to

pass

The

upright.

implied by the length of the sand-stones

is

which form the

roof,

and which are

veral yards long (page 64 )*.

M.

said to be se-

de

Beauchamp

says six or seven feet in length, by three in breadth.

It

remains that

Nimroud

Birs, or

I should say a

Tower

west side of the Euphrates

I confess

f-

does not appear to

it

character of an

masonry on

word respecting the

of Nimrod, situated on the

its

artificial

summit

me

have been

is

described

but rather like a building, which

crowned the summit of a conical

hill

and the cone

be formed of sun-dried bricks. J

does the mound appear to be furrowed by the

itself too

Nor

have the

that of one of the stages of

such a structure as the Tower of Belus

to

to

work, nor the very curious

solid to

of rain-water, like the Mujelibe.

But

running

off

may be

prejudiced; and every one must judge for

himself.

Certainly the description of the matter of

position
bricks,

It

is

wanting.

The

its

com-

places of the sun-dried

and of the traces of building exactly similar

has been already remarked that Mr. Rich had no opportunity

of correcting the press.

t See the drawings of its four fronts at the end of Mr. Rich's book.*
traveller through the Desert remarked a conical hill with a
%

building on

it,

situated at about forty-three British miles to the south

and is probably one of the two

is named Al Athy
mounts seen by Mr. Rich from the top of the Mujelibe at a great distance (page 79). The other is perhaps the hill of red gravel seen by
the same traveller.
" See Note, page 89.
Ed.

of Hillah.

It

ANCIENT BABYLON.

131

to the brick pile, should have been particularised.

knowledge of the former

to enable us to

be

hill

is

more

particularly

wanted

judge whether the body of the conical

artificial

or otherwise.

But, notwithstanding, Mr. Rich has, by his draw-

ing and description, put the public in possession of

what

in

is,

covery

for

nature and description, a

its

M. Niebuhr's

even

us to suppose

to have

it

account of

new
it

dis-

leaves

been no more than a large

ruined tower, rising out of a mass of rubbish.

But whatsoever may be

the nature of the

Birs, whether natural or artificial,

it is

from the centre of the remains, taken

Ancient Babylon

at large, that

it

out of the question in respect of

of Belus, which

is

centre, whilst the

Birs

Nimroud

so far distant
for those of

may be regarded as
its being the Tower

described to have occupied the

is

seven miles and a half from

the Kasr, eight and a half from the Mujelibe

that

it

Babylon, according to the above

tions

so

facts

and descrip-

found in Mr. Rich's Memoir.*

On

could not even be included within the area of

the sketch I have placed the Birs accorduig to

bearing from Hillah

which

M. Niebuhr's

Mr.
Rich reckons it south-west in which case it would be no less than
9;^ miles from the Mujelibe.
Mr. Rich has made an observation respecting an appendage to
;

is

west, 27^ degrees southerly.

the

Nimroud

Birs,

the same quarter.

which

He

is

common

says, p. 76,

also to

"at a

two other structures

trifling distance

in

from the

and parallel with its eastern face, is a mound not inferior to the
Kasr in elevation, but much longer than it is broad." Al Heimar,
which bears, on a smaller scale, some resemblance to the Birs and
Akerkouf, a ruin in the quarter of Bagdad, have similar dependent
mounds (p, 79, 80, 81 j. None is mentioned at the Mujelibe.
Birs,

K 2

ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF

132

Mr

Rich has expressed a wish

in his

Memoir

to

learn the opinions of other persons respecting the objects

Certain of the re-

of his future researches.

marks

may be

in the foregoing pages

If

plicable to this purpose.

it

conceived ap-

be possible to trace

and of the

certain

portions of the exterior ditch

mounds

of rubbish, which the remains of the walls

cannot but have

left

most

in

places, this object ap-

pears to be of the most importance, as a knowledge

of the exterior must infalliby lead to that of the central positions.

Accordingly, taking the MujeUhe or

Kasr

supposed centre (merely as a point to

the

for a

reckon from

the traces of the

in the first instance),

rubbish of the walls, and of the hollows

ditches,

may be sought

left

by the

in the direction of the four

cardinal points, generally, within the limits assigned

to the extent of the site
five miles

that

from the centre

is,

from about four to

for

Herodotus, at 120 stadia for each

side,

appears ex-

Wheresoever the mound

cessive and improbable.

and ditch may be

the statement of

fallen upon,

it

should of course be

pursued with a view of finding the angle or return

of the adjoining side, and so forward.

But

if

the canal of Mohawill

lies

in the probable

direction of the city wall (a circumstance that

be

knowm

to

Mr. Rich),

most certain clue

that

to the whole.

ruins are dispersed through

all

is

must

likely to afford the

And

if the

heaps of

the different quarters,

as they are in the line described by

Mr. Rich,

be-

tween Mohawill and Hillah, these ought to mark

ANCIENT BABYLON.
extent

the

of

the

133

generally, towards each

area,

quarter.

If the artificial canal by which the Euphrates was

of Babylon

was

really

expected to have

left

traces

conducted through the

straight,

enough

it

may

be

site

In

to detect its general line of direction.

the course of traversing the soil for the before-mentioned purposes,

might be well

it

to note all the dif-

ferent hollows that have at any time contained the

waters of the Euphrates, with a view not only to this

purpose, but for the sake of general information.

Such

most

traces are

tance from the great

centre.

the

likely to be

mounds

that

found
lie

Since the general course of the river

that

it

that general direction,

The ground

is

in this

may be

parallel to

in

Mujelibe

and that the plan of the

prein

city

it.

and about the great mounds south

should be

partly with a view to find

river

it

was conducted through Babylon

was constructed

at

of the inundation.

quarter to the S.S.E. and S.E. by S.,

of the

dis-

Probably they will be most conspicuous

commencement

sumed

at a

towards the

particularly

examined,

the ancient bed of the

between them, and partly

to ascertain the pre-

cise limits as well as the altitudes of the

mounds and

the level of the subterraneous passage.

The mound

lying between the

libe

should also be examined.

dug

into for bricks,

Kasr and
It has

the

Muje-

probably been

and some information may be

lected from a view of the excavations.

col-

TOPOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT BABYLON.

134
It

has not yet been distinctly shown by any person

of what quality the materials of the substratum of the

Mujelibe

Much may

are.

be collected from a know-

ledge of this circumstance, as

it is

possible that

have been a natural eminence reduced

it

to that

may

form

such a one being said to occur at Musseib, a place at

the side of the Euphrates, higher up on the same
side (of

Mesopotamia).

As Mr. Rich
ruins (see his

projected other excursions to these

Memoir, page 45), we may soon ex-

pect some further information, and that probably of

an interesting kind.
very

much time

examining the
so

It

is

obvious, however, that

will be required for the purpose of

different objects generally, they

numerous and

so widely extended.

being

SECOND

MEMOIR ON BABYLON
CONTAINING

AN INQUIRY
INTO THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE ANCIENT
DESCRIPTIONS OF BABYLON AND THE REMAINS STILL
VISIBLE

ON THE

SUGGESTED BY THE

"

SITE.

REMARKS" OF MAJOR RENNELL PUBLISHED

THE ARCHiEOLOGIA.

IN

CLAUDIUS JAMES RICH,

Esq.

ADVERTISEMENT.
My
in

Memoir made

very imperfect

first

an oriental literary Journal, published

called the

Mines de V Orient.

So

its

appearance

in Vienna,

typographical errors of that edition, that

my

many

by myself.

friends

places scarcely recognisable even

were of opinion that

England

and an

edition of

it
it

ought

and

numerous were the

to

Essay was

in

My

be republished

in

was printed from the Mifies

de V Orient, which was received with indulgence by the

Public, notwithstanding the

must have been

retained.

many
I

English Edition, and therefore

beg

inaccuracies which I fear

have not seen a copy of the

in the

following

Memoir

to be understood as referring entirely to the original

German

one.

SECOND MEMOIR

THE RUINS OF BABYLON.

On my

first visit

who had
peared to

Babylon

to

want of accuracy

was struck by the

in the accounts

of

visited that celebrated spot.

me

delineation

to merit a very

all

travellers

The

ruins ap-

minute description and

but such a work

it

was evident would

occupy much more time, and require more extensive

information, than I

was then

in possession of;

deferred the accomplishment of

able conjuncture.
to give

an

to a

In the mean time

some notion of the

therefore

it

and

more favour-

was anxious

real state of the ruins

drew up a short account, accompanied by

illustrative sketch,

which

ventured to offer to the

public, principally with a view to excite the attention of the learned,

me

my

and induce them

to transmit to

me

to accomplish

such remarks as might enable

design in a more perfect manner than I could

hope to do by
part of

my

my own

unassisted efforts.

It

was no

object at that stage of the inquiry to

bring forward

my own

speculations,

had

then been

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

140

qualified to do so

and

purposely abstained from

any remarks which did not tend to throw light on

my

account of the ruins, and stimulate the attention

without misleading the judgment of those

who

ap-

plied themselves to the subject.

But, having hitherto

sufficiently separated observation

from opinion,

now

venture to lay before the public the result of better

information and more matured

opinions.

have

been more particularly induced to enter into a

dis-

cussion on the correspondence between the accounts

of the ancient historians and the ruins I visited, by

a paper written by

Major Rennell,* professedly

" to

vindicate the truth and consistency of ancient history, as well as his OAvn account of

Geography of Herodotus,"

as

Babylon

in the

he " conceives

my

former statements to be at variance with commonly

received opinions."

my

Diffident as 1

am

upon

to state that I cannot coincide with

nell,

either

in

his

interpretation

writers, or in his deductions

ance of the ruins.

marks the
appear to

of

Major Renthe

ancient

from the actual appear-

I shall therefore

make

his

Re-

basis of the present dissertation, as they

me

to contain all that

of the old theory, with

and also because

*

opposing

in

ideas to such an authority, I feel myself called

Remarks on

this

many

method

can be said in favour

additional particulars
will affi^rd

me

an op-

the Topography of Ancient Babylon, suggested by

the recent obsei-vations and discoveries of Claudius James Rich,

Esq., communicated to the Society of Antiquaries by Major Rennell

from

the Archaologia, London, 1816, pp. 22.

RUINS OF BABYLON.

141

portunity of supplying some of the deficiencies of

my

former Memoir, and possibly of throwing some new

light on the subject.

The sum of Major Rennell's argument is as folThe Euphrates divided Babylon into two
equal parts one palace, with the Tower of Bekis,

lows

stood on the east of

opposite

it,

and the other immediately

on the west

it,

each

occupying central

situations in their respective divisions

ruins

or rather, the

by the
it

is

river.

Now,

my

in

therefore the

account of the

river

must formerly

me on

the

into

two

mounds

laid

have run through the ruins described by

eastern side, so as to have divided

equal portions.

down

in

my

But

plan,

river could not have

them

there are certain

which render

it

evident that the

These

run in that direction.

mounds must consequently be

more recent

central

no remains on the

said that there are

western bank

the

and were separated from each

point of the city,

other

and temple together formed

palaces

construction, of

referred to a

town of

whose existence Major

Rennell himself acknowledges

we have no

other

evidence.
I shall

now

state in general

object to this theory.

which

side of the river the

The circumstance
in

None

Babylon

is

terms what

have to

of the ancients say on

Tower

of Belus stood.

of there having been two palaces

extremely questionable.

There are

no traces whatever on the spot of any such change

in the river as

Major Rennell imagines.

The

sup-

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

142

of the existence of a more recent town,

position

merely

purpose of getting rid of the

for the

diffi-

culty, cannot be allowed in tlie absence of all histori-

and traditional evidence, when the appearance

cal

of the ruins themselves

is

finally, the descriptions

of the ancient historians

with

be reconciled

decidedly against

present remains,

the

having recourse to any such conjectures.

it.

And,

may

without

When

person ventures to disagree with such a writer as

Major Rennell,

behoves him to state his reasons

it

I shall therefore

very particularly.

proceed to deve-

lop the opinions wdiicli I have just stated.

Before

we

enter on any topographical inquiry in

which we have

if

we

to reconcile observation with history,

consider

how

different are the talents re-

quired for narrative and description,

are the sources of error, and

how

how numerous

devoid the ancients

were of that minute accuracy and patient research

which are required

in this critical age,

so far

from

taking their accounts of places and positions in the

strictest

and most

susceptible,

sense of which they are

literal

we might

allow them a very consider-

able latitude, wdthout calling their general veracity

in

question.

however,

Instead

writers

have

of

making

too

this

frequently

allowance,

seemed

to

expect a precision from the old historians in their

accounts of very remote places, which could only

be reasonably looked for in the treatises of professed

and

to

have tried the very scanty

we have

of

many

topographers;
accounts

ancient

places by a

RUINS OF BABYLON.
standard

stricter

would

we

of what
seize

We

bear.

than

143

many modern descriptions

make the most

naturally wish to

and

possess in the smallest quantity,

with avidity on a single word which

may

to

help

us through the obscurity of antiquity, or enable us

The testimony

to establish a favourite hypothesis.

of the ancients

who have been on

course be placed far above those

who merely copy

whose statements, however high

others,

must of

the spot

rank

their

may be, must be received with much

and when their descriptions in either case
accord with what we now see, it is much

in literature

caution

do not

safer to say that they

were mistaken than

forcing a resemblance.

memoir

to prosecute this subject to the extent

would be necessary

to

even of professed travellers, and prove

we have rendered
much more than they

often
for

I the

more

present, as
it

it is

so far.

authorities

the

ever dreamt of themselves.

not necessary to

have thought

of the

it

my

an inquiry

at

subject to carry

requisite to state

ancients

my

topographical

as

but, in reconciling the present remains

of Babylon to their accounts,

I shall

sion to contend for the latitude

monly be allowed
that I

how

ancients accountable

readily refrain from such

general opinion

show

which

show the various causes of

examples of the mistakes and inaccura-

error, give

cies

to attempt

would require a separate

It

am

to them.

not have occa-

which may com-

I shall

willing to adhere

on the contrary

much

the only one of them whose authority

closer to
is

of any

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

144

value in this case than Major Rennell seems to be

aware

of.

Those who have investigated the antiquities of

Babylon

liave laid

much

stress

on the authority of

Diodorus, probably adverting more to the quantity

than

He

quality of

the

the

never was on the spot

information
:

as he himself tells us, its area

he has therefore recourse

owned

that the

he supplies.

he lived in an age when,

was ploughed over

to Ctesias

and

want of discrimination

must be

it

in the an-

and the credulity of Diodorus himself, were

cients,

never more strongly exemplified than in his choice

of a writer
Tigris,

ment

and

to her

specifies

Mount

who
tells

confounds the Euphrates with the

us that Semiramis erected a

must have been of superior elevation

Vesuvius, and nearly equal to

know

not to

what the term can be

an author can in so

many

When

instances be clearly con-

tainly not justified in altering

it

certainly

applied.

victed of ignorance and exaggeration,

our eyes to suit

to

Mount Hecla.

If these are not " fairy tales,"

(A)

monu-

husband, which from the dimensions he

what

to his description.

is

we

are cer-

already before

We

have only

the very questionable authority of Ctesias

for

the

second palace and the wonderful tunnel under the

river

but even he does not say whether the

of Belus stood on the east or Avest side.

Tower

Herodotus,

Avho will ever appear to greater advantage the more

he

is

who

examined and understood,

visited

Babylon

in

person

is
;

the only historian

and he

is

in every

RUINS OF BABYLON.
respect the best authority for

145

its state

in his time.

The circumference he assigns to it has been genebut, after all, we cannot

rally deemed exaggerated
;

prove

be

to

it

He

so.

says nothing to determine

the situation of the Palace

one) and Temple

he has no mention of east or

west, or of proximity to the river.

been attempted

speaks but of

(for lie

Temple was exactly

halves into which the
which, by the way,

was divided by the

city

if clearly

made

out,

agree with Major Rennell's position of

banks

river's

from
are,

^s

v rcb riBv

Se

rcb

on the

it

rra

Iripco,

Ajoj
p.

^riXov

ts

/xsyaXw ts

which

ixiau,

ev

>tai

y^ackyLQTtvXov,

Ipov

in

85),

Inrilyjaro

Tiokios

fiaaiXri'ix, itspiQo'Kcj}

(Herod. Wessel.

Herodotus's words

centre.

t^^'yos,

lnocTB^co

(^dpas'i

rtz.

river

would not

but the error appears to have arisen

translating:
sv

the

of one of the

centre

the

in

has

it

from him, that

establish

to

It is true,

'lU'/jupco'

k,

r.

X.

do not see the

necessity of adopting so mathematical a signification.

Strabo, as might be expected, contains

(B)

much fewer

particulars than

other Grecian and

are

Roman

consequently of

inquiry.

It

little

appears,

east

or

use in

therefore,

ancients say whether the

the

Herodotus

historians

the west

still

that

and the

less

they

topographical

none of the

Tower of Belus was on

of the Euphrates

that

-its

position in the centre of the city, or even of one of

its

divisions,

is

by no means clearly made out

and

that while the description of the best ancient author

involves

no

difficulties,

the only particulars which

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

146

embarrass us are supported by the sole testimony of

the worst.

appears to

It

may

me

that

Major Rennell's error

from his having fixed upon the Mujelibe

sent the

more
I

(if I

be allowed to use such an expression) proceeds

Tower of Belus

I consider the

am

other

(an

to repre-

opinion which the

appearance of that ruin the

less

inclined to agree with), and reducing every

part

of

Babylon

that

to

Having

centre.

settled this point, adopting the system of Diodorus,

he refers the remaining ruins to the old and

palaces

he

new

but in order to justify this arrangement,

obliged to resort to the supposition of a change

is

"

in the course of the river.

of the remains on the

The

several particulars

required only the presence

site

of the river in a particular line of course to complete

the

general description given

by the ancients."*

The supposed change would therefore

the Gordian knot, if we believe the
east to be the only remains of

certainly cut

ruins on the

Babylon

but there

are no traces whatever on the ground in support of

such an assumption.

whole of the

ground

carefully

between

examined the
and

Hillah

the

Mujelibe, with a view to ascertain the possibility

of a change

but I was totally unable to discover

the smallest vestiges

indicative of

it.

The same

examination was made by others, during

there,

and since that time, with the same

* " Remarks,'' p. ill.

my

result.

stay
I

RUINS OF BABYLON.
have long been accustomed

to observe the

on the banks of one subject

so variable

its

the lowness of

them

to

The Euphrates

remarkable degree.

changes

from having lived ten years

in the courses of rivers,

is

most

in a

by no means

banks affording a

its

discharging the superabundance of

for its

facility

147

waters by the means of canals and inundations,

renders

it

not liable to a complete alteration of

The

course.

embankment

strong

its

by the

built

Babylonian monarchs was intended to prevent the

overflow, not to secure

its

running

river has

This

is

expended

one channel

in

and ever since the embankment

was ruined the

itself in periodical inundations.

many

the case in

parts of

its

progress

instance, at Felugiah, the inundation from

for

whence

covers the whole face of the country as far as the

walls of
best of

Bagdad

my

place in the

At

and the river

same channel, without any

it,

when

of the western

insinuates itself into

it

rises

all

it

numerous canals

many

overflows

east

them

into lakes

This will sufficiently account for

who had

The Khezail

it

the hollows and more level

appearances in those ruins which might

those

at that

variation.

and on the

desert;

parts of the ruins, converting

morasses.

itself has, to the

constantly flowed

notwithstanding the

Hillah,

drawn from
parts

information,

and

many

surprise

not adverted to the circumstance.

district at

completely inundated

such times

and

still

is

in

many

parts

further down, since

a dyke which used to be kept up at a considerable

l2

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

148

expense has been broken, the river flows over the

But

country as far as Bussora.

Euphrates have
of

its

having altered

which

the Tigris,

to discover traces

On

course.

its

no part of the

in

been able

I ever

the other hand,

much more

is

rapid than the

Euphrates, has none of these regulating valves to

draw

off its superfluous water,

breaks

down

during

its

own

its

which consequently
This

banks.

parts of the Pashalik, Avhere

it is

or drawn

by canals

oflP

where

Beni

Lam

many

drains,

places

the

it is

it

case

middle

confined between

high banks, and cannot be expended

tricts,

is

course through the upper and

in inundations,

but in the southern dis-

runs through the lowest part of the

country, the banks are level, there are

and

it

overflows readily.

In those

not subject to the variations of channel

which characterise

it

during the earlier part of

its

course.

shown

Having

Rennell's theory

ground,

have

that

is

at

first

to state the reasons

equally to disagree Avith

ture.

the

part

of

Major

contradicted by a survey of the

him

which induce

me

in his second conjec-

This part of the subject requires to be treated

some length.

now

seen would obstruct

the course of the Euphrates,

supposed by Major

As some

of the ruins

Rennell, he removes this difficulty by referring them

to another town.
in

"

The whole

of the remains visible

the form of mounds, &c. do not belong exclu-

sively to the ancient city, but in part to a subsequent

RUINS OF BABYLON.

149

establishment, not recorded in history, and perhaps

of a date previous

To

110.)

(p.

this

The mounds

1.

Rennell

differ in

Mahometan Conquest."

the

to

assumption

I object.

ruins

or

rejected

by Major

no respect from those he admits

they appear to form a part of the plan which they

help to explain

they are connected with, or de-

pendent on, the primitive mounds

and no

sort of

evidence can be drawn from their appearance or

composition to

question their being of equal

call in

antiquity.
2.

granted by

It is

are

part of

mounds of

that the

all,

Kasr and Amran, with some

the

among them,

others

It appears very

ancient Babylon.

improbable that any one should attempt to build on

such masses of decayed
state,

when

subsided
period

edifices,

even in their present

they have doubtless

into

much

greater

Major R. assigns

than

it

at

If ever a

to his city.

existed in this neighbourhood,

and

diminished,

solidity

certainly

the

town

would

among or upon these heaps of rubbish.

mound which could have undergone a

not have been

The only

revolution of this nature

whatever

it

may have

striking resemblance
like the castles of

Mujelibe,

which,

now

bears a

to

fortified

artificial

mounts,

Kerkook, Arbil, and many other

places in these countries

restored to

its

opinion,

I think

as

the

is

been, certainly

it

might even now be

castellated state.

every

am

one must be

visited the spot, that either the

clearly

who

of
has

whole of the eastern

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

150

ruins are Babylon, or they

must be referred entirely

to another establishment,

and Babylon

the question.

The Mujelibe,

it

necessary, as

before

as

might possibly be excepted from

left

out of

observed,

this decision,

were

appears to be, like the ruin at

it

Nineveh,* rather an

mount than

artificial

a mass of

decayed building.
3.

One

reason

assigned by Major Rennell

more recent town

supposing a

is,

"that

for

it is diflGicult

and other mounds of earth

to reconcile the circular

with the description of the regular distribution of

Babylon"

streets in ancient

Geography

110)

(p.

of Herodotus, he

though, in the

Avilling to allow that

is

there existed in each quarter of Babylon a circular

space surrounded by a wall.f

this

regular distribution

Rennell receives

and Palaces.

of

admit for a moment

But Major
Tower

streets.

the eastern ruins as the

Now

it

clear that the regular dis-

is

tribution of streets could never have been observed

in or

near these buildings

and

cluding the boundary wall on

falling in with

arrangement
been reason

it,

far

so

from ex-

account of

its

not

had any symptoms of such an

been observed
to

sufficient

here,

it

would have

pronounce at once that

the eastern ruins could neither represent the Palaces

nor the Tower.

After

all,

find

a difficulty in

believing that the whole area of Babylon

was

di-

vided into regular compartments by the intersection

See Note A.

t Geography of Herod, p. 337.

RUINS OF BABYLON.

151

of lines of houses at right angles, like the surface of

This savours strongly of an ima-

a chess-board.

ginary arrangement.
true of

some

nowhere vouch

for its

area of Babylon,

might have been nearly

It

or

divisions

yet

quarters,

we have

at all times very far

on

a very considerable proportion of

pied by cultivation

was

river

brazen

fortified

gates,

The

every reason to believe,

was
;

would

mathematical accuracy.

from being thickly built

was occu-

it

and the care with which the

with

guarding

an embattled

wall

and

each bank through the

whole extent of the town, seems indicative of the

scantiness of the houses, even on the river

seems further

illustrated

Cyrus turned the

entered by

its

river,

unknown

was guarded on the water

lonians suspected what he

Major Rennell
(p.

127)

says,

to tlie inhabitants,

by which

lonian structure.
later date,

side, before the

was

He

''

Remarks"

persuade himself that

named

Kasr

the

believes

it

to

be

is

a Baby-

"one of a

possibly coeval with the circular

and other mounds of earth before mentioned

subsequent
Islam.
fresh,

;"

i.

e.

Babylon, but before the time of

His principal objection

" which," he observes, "

of ruins

the

to old

Baby-

about.

in another part of the

he cannot

the parts of a building

much

which

dry channel, and lodged his army

safely in the town, within the fortifications

it

by the ease with which

more than 2000 years

that

is,

is

it

looks too

not the character

old."

character of buildings of the

Neither

is it

age which he

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

152

assigns to his supposed town.,

duction of Ishim

preserved

be no

and

if

e.

prior to the intro-

be

allowed to have

i.

it

freshness so long, there can certainly

its

difficulty in

of years.

granting

it

dence than

being fresh and unworn

its

is

to dispute the antiquity of a ruin which has

may

be

its

till

very

appearance, the difficulties which oppose

from the ruins of Babylon are very

rejection

its

required

Whatever

remained entirely covered up.

lately

number

the additional

In this pure and dry climate, other evi-

independent of the improbability of such a

great,

building having been erected on a heap of rubbish.

But

Ionian

mound which

does not stand on the

it

named

after
;

it is

covered by

it,

and which

have

allowed to be Baby-

is

enclosed within the mass, and has been

The

it.

off its top part

and

rubbish has only been cleared

its

though not per-

side walls,

down

fectly laid open, yet are seen to reach

very far

my

below the general surface of the mound, as

drawing shows.

This building

indisputably con-

is

nected with walls and fragments similar to

it,

to

be

seen in various parts of the same mound, quite in

its

heart, and at a great depth,

and which have been

discovered in piercing and hollowing out the heaps

to find bricks

on a

some of these walls

level A\'ith the plain itself.

are,

believe,

cannot therefore

doubt that the walls are coeval with the mound

itself

by which they have been covered

erected
the

before

the buildings whose

mound had crumbled

into rubbish

or at least

ruins
(for

formed
it is

not

RUINS OF BABYLON.

153

pretended to refer every ruin Avhich remains of

ancient Babylon to the age of Nebuchadnezzar)

and

if

they are condemned, the

sequently, and

all

mound

itself,

mounds or heaps attached

the

conto

cannot be admitted to be a part of ancient Baby-

it,

lon.

I shall in the sequel

have occasion to return to

this subject.

As Major Rennell

appears generally inclined to

receive so literally the statements of the ancients,

even of Diodorus,
adverted

not

to

it is

writer to the palaces

far

surprising that he has

little

the dimensions
:

assigned

by that

he would have seen, that so

from warranting the belief of the eastern ruins

comprising the remains of

Babylon

new

the

(viz.,

the public edifices of

all

palace of 60 stades in cir-

cumference, the old one of 30 stades, and the Temple

of Belus of 8 stades),

answer
true,

to the

new

it is

Diodorus places

may

its

Acropolis.

his largest palace

who confounds

but an author

Euphrates

evident that they will only

palace, with

the

Tigris with the

without injustice be suspected of a

topographical inaccuracy of this nature.

deed, whether

It is

on the west;

we do

(C)

In-

or do not admit the authority of

Diodorus, the best conclusion to be drawn from the

appearance and plan of these ruins

is,

that they re-

present the whole of the royal precincts, including

the hanging gardens.*

*

We

The

ruins of the palace of

should form a very incorrect notion of the residence of an

eastern monarch,

if

we imagined

it

was one building which in its

Such esta-

decay would leave a single mound, or mass of ruins.

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

154

Babylon might well resemble

we

see on the eastern

mound,

New

in every respect those

bank of the Euphrates

the

by Major Rennell " the rampart of

called

Babylon," will answer perfectly to the outer

wall of the palace, for which

means

too great

and thus

its

extent

all difficulties

by no

is

immediately

vanish, without the necessity of turning the river or

new town.

building a
striking

This could hardly have

Major Rennell

also,

had he not

failed

set out

by

assuming the IMujelibe to be the Tower of Belus

which,

if

the supposition of the palace having been

situated here be just,

a different direction
within

its

own

must

certainly be looked for in

each being

In

fact, there is

not the slightest reason to believe that the

situated on or near the river,
infer that such a stream

be seated

said to

division of the city.

Tower was

though we may

safely

must have been taken ad-

vantage of in placing the palace.

Had

the Palace

and Tower been so very near each other,

it

would

probably have been remarked by Herodotus, whose

authority

Major Rennell

this particular.

is

From what

willing
I

to

abandon

have before

said,

in
it

may be seen that I cannot receive the Mujelibe

as the Tower of Belus, even independent of its position.

Having

said so

much

of the general state of the

eastern ruins, I have but a few words to add conblishments always consist of a fortified inclosure, the area of which
is occupied by many buildings of various kinds, without symmetry
or general design, and with large vacant spaces between them.

RUINS OF BABYLON.

155

cerning the particular parts of them, about which

Major Rennell seems

explicit

ficiently

fearful of

in

to think I have not been suf-

my

former Memoir.

was

becoming tedious by expatiating on mis-

shapen heaps of rubbish, which are much better understood by a drawing, except

mound

like the

the

Kasr

ral

mass some peculiarity worthy of remark.

on

of

they happen to contain within their gene-

this account,

and not because

them, that I passed the

little

It is

had not examined

heaps which

lie

be-

tween the Kasr and the Mujelibe without particular

mention, after having satisfied myself that they con-

They

tained nothing which required one.

are in

nothing more than low heaps, or traces of build-

fact

ing extending in that direction, of no elevation or

determined form, precisely as

in

my Plan.

sider

He

them

calls

of the

them the " north-east mounds,"

site

them down

laid

to con-

as requisite to the formation of his theory.

in the sketch

of Ancient Babylon (drawn chiefly from

the information contained in

my Memoir) which

has prefixed to his " Remarks

place, form,

means

have

Major Kennell seems, however,

and magnitude

entitled,*

to

;"

he

has assigned them a

which they are by no

and conjectures them

to

be the ruins

of the least and oldest of the palaces mentioned by

Diodorus.
I observe

which are

some other

Vide the Sketch prefixed

from

alterations

not wholly immaterial

to his

my

plan,

especially

" Remarks," &c. (D.)

an

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

156

opening between the south-west angle of the mound

called the Kasr,

nect
I

it

and the arm which ought

suppose

moir, as

who

have to attribute these to the person

engraved the plan for the English edition of

my Me-

Major Rennell would doubtless have noticed

the alterations, had they

there

to con-

with the north-west angle of that of Amran.

is

come from

another error, which

my own want

But

himself.

have to attribute to

The mounds

of precision.

the right and left of the

placed to

Mohawill road by Major

Rennell should be by no means so frequent, or of

such magnitude
looseness of

my

he was probably deceived by the

expression, that " the whole country

between Mohawill and Hillah exhibits

But

traces of building."

at intervals

should have been

there

at all south of Jumjuma, or between the ruins

down in my plan and the town of Hillah.
Of the mound of Amran I was not aware that it

none
laid

was

possible

described
offers

its

to say

no peculiarity meriting attention.

posed, like the

rest,

the decomposition

The

anything more,

after

having

form and general appearance, as

of earth, or rubbish formed by

of bricks

canal of Mohawill,

clined to think,

and other materials.

Major Rennell seems

may have been

I confess this is a probability

which did not

strike

doubt

ever having been different from what

at present,

was on the spot

in-

the ditch of Babylon.

me when
its

it

com-

It is

and

saw no reason
it

to
is

a canal cut from the Euphrates to water

some government lands which are

let

out for an

RUINS OF BABYLON.
annual rent.

and

arch,

157

crossed by a bridge of one small

It is

no respect from the multitude

differs in

of other canals which traverse this country.

In

what indeed appears

have

to be

taken

now

have myself no doubt of the fact

Rennell has hinted a

but as Major

possibility of there

another town here, I think

it

having been

but fair to state

all that

The

can be urged in favour of such a supposition.

which run along the southern

canals

Mujelibe are called

which

it

is

New

latter of

This

fact be-

find

name of a place
we have of this place

Al Neel mentioned

in history as the

or district

notices

are

Al Neel,

He

in A.D, 1028.

patriarch's

Al

is

was one of the suffragans

other.'f'

mentions Al Neel in his

dad

for

Naamania,

Koche

from

to infer that those places

The Turkish geographer

of the districts of Bag-

list

and in the particular description says no more

than " Nil

in the

the " Life of St.

was but one bishop

some reason

were near each

I find

Nilus, in Babylonia mentioned

Neel, and Badraya, a village near

which there

a place

is

In Assemani

own province. Amrus, in

Elias," says there

but the

very few and

" Abulfeda,"* says Al Neel, "

between Bagdad and Coufah."

a bishop of

of the

side

and Old Neel, the

said to be very ancient.

comes interesting when we

meagre.

for

the general

the ruins at Hillah are those of Babylon.

belief, that

remarks

foregoing

the

granted,

is

a district containing several villages, with

Takweem

ul Boldan.

t Assemani,

vol.

i;i.

p.

766.

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

158

much

cultivation

not say where

and many gardens

it is

a Christian Arabian poet, surnamed

map

D'Anville marks on his

608.

;"* but

he does

D'Herbelot mentions

situated.

Al Neele, a.h.

of the Euphrates

and Tigris a place named Nil, or Nilus, on the west

bank of the Euphrates, below Hillah,

of the canal of Coufah.f

am

at the

mouth

ignorant of the

authority on which he has introduced this place into

Memoir and map

his

but as he places Kasr Ibn

Hobeira on the same canal,

he

is

mistaken as to

to be inferred that

is

it

Seif ud

its position.

Doulah

said to have succeeded, in a.h. 479, to his

is

father's

Al Neel, &c.J
Al Neel further back

possessions, the districts of Hillah,

I

am

not able to trace

1000 of

history than

These,

it

in

Christ.

must be confessed,

will at first sight ap-

pear but very scanty materials to form any decisive

judgment on
sider

them

may be

so important a point.

attentively,

is

importance.

The

obscurity in which

in itself a presumptive proof of

The name
This

the canal.

latter

to infer that there

but that

con-

inferred from them, of considerable use in

the present question.

involved

When we

however, several particulars

is

evidently derived from

circumstance might lead us

was no town

ing several villages, as indeed

*

is

name,

district contain-

expressly stated by

Jehan Numa, p. 462.

L'Euphrate et le Tigre, p. 126.
Modern Universal History, vol. iv. p. 372.

t D'Anville,
I

at all of this

was merely a canal and

it

it is

its little

RUINS OF BABYLON.

Such

the Turkish geographer.

tricts

159

modern

are the

dis-

of this country, which take their names from

which waters

the canal

it;

town which would leave the

years after

but none contain any

few

slightest traces a

As

destruction.

its

instances,

may

mention Dujjeil and Khalis, neither of which

dis-

The

ex-

any place with these names.

tricts contains

pression of Abulfeda

is

which occur too often

one of those equivocal words

in the

Oriental languages.

may mean either a district or town and a pernow commonly says he is going to Khalis, or he
lived at Dujjeil
by which he may mean any of
;

^jJl,

son
has

the villages contained within that district

having been a bishopric,

its

size

whole

either a

cant village

is

in the East

district

may have enjoyed

united with two others.

Al Neel was always,

district,

in

and that

which belief

tion obligingly

and we
Al Neel was

honour

have myself no doubt

it is

now, the name of a

further justified

communicated

to

consider

it

by the informa-

me by H.

Pasha, from the register-ofiice of Bagdad.

some people may

its

contained no remarkable place

it

am

as

and

or a very insignifi-

this

see that at one period the bishopric of

that

no proof of

H., the

But

possibly differ with me, I

as

shall

also under a different point of view,

and

endeavour to anticipate every objection.

I think

it

will readily

supposing
could
it

the canal
nitude

or, to

to

be conceded that Al Neel

have been a town named after

not have been a place of any

speak more precisely, there

is

mag-

not the


SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

160

reason to believe

slightest

We

large as Hillah.

any high antiquity

placing

at the

it

nor

could have been as

it

have no records which give

it

there any necessity for

is

mouth of the

We

canal.

have

in-

deed examples of the contrary in Nahrouan, Naher

Malcha, and

many

town of Neel

thus

Whatever

we have no

left,

much

larger and

at

may

positive reason

supposing them to occupy the spot

even

come

ruins the

ever such a place existed

if

be believed to have
for

We

other places.

some important conclusions.

and a place

more important than Hillah

could not leave remains in any degree resembling,

either in magnitude or composition, those

see on the eastern

bank of the Euphrates.

we now

Were

it

necessary, innumerable instances might be adduced

from the ruins of well-known places

bourhood

in support of this assertion

that the eastern ruins

more than

tiges of

and

neigh-

to

show

must be wholly the remains of

public buildings, the large

Seleucia will suffice

in this
:

cities

of Ctesiphon and

neither of them has left ves-

their walls

Tank Kesra), and indeed

(if

we except

the

those of Seleucia have

almost totally disappeared.

I will

should

go further, and

it

state

my

opinion that, even

be imagined by any one that there was a

town on the north

side of the canal

and

of the Mujelibe (the only spot where

been

situated),

and that

it

it

at the base

could have

was considerable enough

to have had a castle the size of that curious ruin,

this

supposition

makes no

difference whatever

in

RUINS OF BABYLON.
the opinion I have expressed.

161

will take for

an

example the modern town of Arbil, which has an

mount

artificial

the Mujelibe,

at least as large as

and much higher.

This mount, which

of the

is

highest antiquity, and probably existed in the days

of Alexander, has been crowned by a succession of

The

castles in different ages.

others doubtless did)

town

would,

is

(as

the

the remainder

situated at the foot of the mount,

and

abandoned, in a few years leave not a

if

Precisely the same observa-

tion holds good of the

castle of

more considerable

still

Kerkook.

We

sume, safely decide, that

in

may

Avhatever that place

may

city

therefore, I pre-

no case

is

reason to confound the ruins of

slightest

a Turkish

a portion of the town, con-

single vestige behind.

and

is

walls

its

two mahallas or parishes

sisting of

of the

present

and contains within

building,

there the

Al Neel,

have been, with the re-

mains on the eastern side of the Euphrates, and

which
I

have ventured to

am

call the

aware that some people

conceive a

Palace of Babylon.

may

at first possibly

Al Neel is the town

was supposed by Major Rennell, in

hasty idea that

whose existence

order to remove the obstacles to his theory of the

change in the course of the

part of this INIemoir I have

of buildings

being

river.

In the former

shown the

placed in

themselves decayed buildings.

impossibility

mounds which

the question to suppose that a town of a size

cient

to

require

an

inclosure

are

It is, besides, out of

like

that

sufii-

which


SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

162

believe to have been the

shonld have been inserted, as

hollows
reason

of the palace,

wall

it

were, in the different

and vacant spaces of the

ruins,

with no

world to choose so awkward and

the

in

and

"the rampart of new Babylon,"

Major Rennell,

inconvenient a situation

and any villages which

may have been placed within the inclosure (like the

one we now find there) are obviously of no account*
The only situation, as I have already remarked,
where a town could have been placed,

is

either at

Hillah or to the north of the Neel.

Before the foundation, or rather augmentation, of

Hillah by Seif ud Doulah,
a

place

named
The name

there,

]\Iosques.*
after its

a.h. 495, there was

Jamaein,

Hillah, which

having been enlarged and

or

The two

was given

fortified,

is

it

de-

rived from an Arabic root, signifying to rest, or take

up

one's abode.
I therefore

my

repeat

belief,

formed from the

inspection of the ruins about Hillah, that they are

of one character, and nmst be received altogether

as

a part of Babylon, or wholly rejected without

reserve.
to

And

must here

state

what seems

to

me

be the best evidence for their antiquity, inde-

pendent of their appearance, dimensions, and cor-

respondence with the descriptions of the ancients.

The burnt

bricks of which the ruins are principally

composed, and which have inscriptions on them in

Abulteda.

RUINS OF BABYLON.
the cuneiform

character,

and Persepolis, are

all

163

found in

only

Babylon

invariably placed in a similar

manner,

viz.,

wards.

This argues some design in placing them,

with their faces or written sides down-

though what that might have been

sible to say.

It,

now impos-

it is

however, proves sufficiently that

the buildings must have been erected

when

the bricks

were made, and the very ancient and peculiar form

When

of characters on them in use.

are found in

more modern

these bricks

constructions, as in

and Hillah, they are of course placed

Bagdad

indifferently,

without regard to the writing on them.

In the

greatest depth in the excavations at the Kasr, at the

subterraneous passage or canal, I have myself found

small pieces of baked clay covered with cuneiform

sometimes with

writing, and

Babylonian
to

figures

these shall be described

Had

speak of the Babylonian antiques.

been more recent than

scriptions

is

indisputably

when

come

the ruins

here presumed, these in-

would not have been found

and manner, and we should in

all

in this order

probability have

found others in the character or language then in

Thus, had the town been Mahometan or Chris-

use.
tian,

we might

reasonably expect to meet with frag-

ments of Coufic or Stranghelo.

There

is

another

equally remarkable circumstance in these ruins, and

which
tiquity.

is

almost conclusive with respect to their an-

In the very heart of the mound called the

Kasr, and also in the ruins on the bank of the river,

which have been crumbled and shivered by the ac-

m2

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

164

of the water, I saw earthen urns

tion

ashes, with

and in the northern face of the Mujelibe

a gallery

filled

this

discovered

and that of the

which has never been practised

burial,

country since the introduction of Islam, and

more by a curious brass ornament which

one of the

to reconcile

too, are highly

and though

it is

certainly

them with any theory of these

The two

separate

modes of
There

worthy of attention.

no reason

burned their dead

did.

found in

themselves they sufficiently establish

ruins, yet in

their antiquity.

lieve,

in

still

These discoveries are of the

coffins.

most interesting nature

difficult

',

ascertained, both from the

sufficiently

is

mode of

with

them

antiquity of the sepulchral urns

no one will for an instant doubt

skeletons

in

with skeletons inclosed in wooden

Of the high

coffins.

filled

some small fragments of bones

to
;

burial,

is,

I be-

suppose that the Babylonians

the old Persians

we know never
may in-

It is not impossible that the difference

dicate the

several usages of the

Greeks, and that the urns

may

Babylonians and

contain the ashes of

the soldiers of Alexander and of his successors.

I

have

now done with the eastern

me as the first who

Rennell considers

fact of there being

the river; but

ruins.

no ruins on the western banks of

Beauchamp

states the

same

the clearest and most positive manner.

are,

" Je

dont

la

me

suis

Major

established the

fact

in

His words

soigneusement informe des Arabes

profession est d'enlever les bricques de ces

ruines pour construire les edifices de Hella,

si

en

RUINS OF BABYLON.

165

creusant la terre de I'autre cote du fleuve c'est a

dire,

de la rive occidentale du fleuve, on y trouvait

des bricques

ils

And

m'ont repondu non* "

he

goes so far as to express an opinion that Babylon

" Je ne suis

never occupied both sides of the river

M.

pas tout-a-fait du sentiment de

d'Anville, qui

(Mem.

partage Babylone de deux cotes du fleuve."

de VA-caderme des Inscriptions,

M.

de

S*^

It noAV

me

remains for

the Birs

left

to notice the

all

Nemroud.

supposed to have
tainly the

to

If any

human

force

interest-

building

considerable traces,

Pyramid or Tower of Bel us

was well calculated

most

the Babylonian remains,

form, dimensions, and the solidity of

and, if

Notes

Croix's Dissertation on Babylon.) (E)

ing and remarkable of

viz.,

v. xlviii.

its

it

may
is

be

cer-

which by

its

construction,

to resist the ravages of time

had not been employed, would

in all probability have remained to the present day,

in nearly as perfect a state as the pyramids of Egypt.

Even under

the dilapidation which

we know

it

to

have undergone at a very early period, we might

reasonably look for traces of

it

after every other ves-

tige of

Babylon had vanished from the face of the

earth.

When,

therefore,

we

see within a short dis-

tance from the spot fixed on, both by geographers

and antiquarians, and the tradition of the country, to

be the
* It

site

of ancient Babylon, a stupendous pile.

is true, indeed, that Beaucharap speaks only from informawhich he received from others, and which applies rather to subterranean remains than to ruins on the surface of the earth.

tion

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

166

appears to have been built in receding stages,

vvliich

which bears the most indisputable traces both of the

violence of

man and

the lapse of ages, and yet con-

tinues to tower over the desert, the

cessive generations,

correspondence with

fect

wonder of

suc-

impossible that their per-

is

it

all

the

accounts of the

Tower of Belus should not strike the most careless

observer, and induce him to attempt clearing away
the difficulties which have been suggested by Major
Rennell against

Babylon.

nature to

fix

reception within the

its

am

limits of

of opinion that this ruin

is

of a

of itself the locality of Babylon, even to

the exclusion of those on the eastern side of the river

and

if

Tower

to the
1)6

the ancients had actually assigned a position

irreconcileable with the Birs,

more reasonable

to suppose that

it

would

some error had

crept into their accounts, than to reject this most re-

markable of

all

But

the ruins.

From

for either supposition.

there

is

no necessity

the view of the ancient

historians I have taken in the foregoing part of this

Memoir,

stood

it

fixed

tively
;

and

will

appear that none of them has posi-

the
if

spot

we

where the Tower of Belus

receive the dimensions of

Babylon

assigned by the best of the ancient historians

self

an eye-witness

ruins will fairly

both

him-

the Birs and the eastern

come within

its limits.

Against

re-

ceiving his testimony

we have only our own notions

We

have reduced the dimensions

of probability.

merely because they do not accord with our ideas of

the size of a city

but

we know Babylon

to

have

RUINS OF BABYLON.
been rather an inclosed

district

167

than a city

and

there can of course be no hesitation in abandoning:

evidence, and receiving the statement

less accurate

of Herodotus,
justify

if

there be any traces on the spot to

it.

The whole

of the Birs

height

Nemroud above

the plain to the summit of the brick wall

hundred and

thirty-five feet (235).

The

two

is

brick wall

which stands on the edge of the summit, and

itself

was undoubtedly the

face of another stage,

below the summit

is

of another

wall,

brick

is

thirty-

In the side of the pile a

seven (37) feet high.

very clearly
precisely

to

little

be seen part

resembling

fragment which crowns the summit, but which

encases and supports

its

part of the mound.

the
still

This

is

clearly indicative of another stage of greater extent.

The masonry

is

any thing of

infinitely superior to

the kind I have ever seen

and leaving out of the

question any conjecture relative to the original destination of this ruin, the impression
of

it

is,

that

interior of

bish

it

was a

solid pile,

made by

a sight

composed

in the

unburnt brick, and perhaps earth or rub-

that

it

was constructed

in receding

and faced with

fine

on them, laid

in a very thin layer of lime

and that
ruinous

it

was reduced by violence

condition.

forcibly broken

The upper

down, and

fire

say precisely

how

or why.

cement

to its present

stories

have

been

has been employed

as an instrument of destruction, though

to

stages,

burnt bricks, having inscriptions

The

it is

not easy

facing of fine

SECOND BIEMOIR ON THE

168

bricks has partly been removed, and partly covered

by the

down

falling

of the mass which

and kept together.

dence of the different stages of

own

supported

it

speak with the greater confi-

my

from

this pile,

having been recently confirmed

observations

and extended by an

intelligent traveller*, Avho

is

of

opinion that the traces of four stages are clearly

As

discernible.

I believe it is his intention

unwilling to forestall any of his observations

must not omit

out of them.

to lay

am

before the world, I

the account of his travels

but I

to notice a

remarkable result arising

The Tower

of Belus was a stadium

we suppose

the eight towers

in height

or stages

which composed the Pyramid of Belus

therefore, if

have been of equal

height,

Rennell's idea, which

Count de Caylus
xxxi.),

we ought

the fragment
feet

and

to

is

preferable to

Mem.

to find traces of four of

them
is

in

235

number which Mr.

This re-

believes he has discovered.

more worthy

to

Major

that of the

which remains, whose elevation

attention, as

it

did not occur

Mr. B. himself.

The Birs Nemroud

is

apparently the

Belus of Benjamin of Tudela, who says

stroyed by
it

to

de rAcademie, vol.

this is precisely the

Buckingham
sult is the

(see

according

fire

from heaven

vitrified'

M. Beauchamp speaks
*

of

was de-

a curious remark^ as

proves he must have observed the

on the summit.

Tower
it

Mr. Buckingham.

of

it

masses

under

RUINS OP BABYLON.
the appellation of Brouss (F)

himself;

indeed the

169

he never visited

undertaking

The

practicable without a strong escort.

it

not always

is

excellent

Niebuhr, whose intelligence, industry, and accuracy

cannot be too often praised, suspects the Birs to

He

have been the Tower of Belus.

gives a very

even from the hasty view which

circumstances would allow of his taking " Au sud-

good account of

it

ouest de Helle a

de

I'Euphrate,

1J

mille, et par consequent a I'ouest

on trouve encore d'autres

de I'ancienne Babylone

ici il

de ces belles pierres de murailles dont

au dessus

et

il

restes

y a toute une colline

j'ai

parle

y a une tour qui a ce qui parait est

interieurement aussi toute remplie de ces pierres

de murailles cuites
sait

mais

les pierres

de dehors (qui

combien de pieds d'epaisseur) sont perdues par

tems dans cette epaisse muraille, ou plutot dans

le

ces grands tas de pierres

trous qui percent d'un

y a

il

ici et la

de petits

cote jusqu'a I'autre

sans

doute pour y donner un libre passage a Fair, et pour

empecher au dedans I'humidite, qui auroit pu nuire

au batiment."

{Voyage,

description the Birs

vol.

may be

ii.

p.

236.)

In

this

recognised, even through

the obscurity of a job translation.

After

this, I

was certainly surprised

Major Rennell not only excludes

Babylon, but even doubts the

So

indisputably evident

being from top

to

is

bottom

it

to find that

from the limits of

mound being

artificial.

the fact of the whole mass

artificial,

that I should as

soon have thought of writing a dissertation to prove

that the Pyramids are the

work of human hands,

as

SECOND MEMOIR ON THE

170

of dwelling on this point.

Indeed, were there any

thing equivocal in the appearance of the

itself,

forbid the supposition of there

hill

mound

the principles of physical geography utterly

being an isolated

of natural formation in ground formed by the

depositions of a river

and therefore,

fancied he saw a natural

hill at

other place in that direction, he

if

any traveller

Musseib, or any

was most unques-

tionably mistaken.

The same

reasons prove that there could never

have been bitumen springs in Babylon.

(See Geog.

Diodorus, indeed, does not say,

of Herod, p. 369.)
as

Major Rennell supposes,

in

Babylon, but in Babylonia,

that l)itumen

which

is

was found
a very dif-

ferent thing.

The Birs Nemroud

is

in all likelihood at present

pretty nearly in the state in which Alexander

saw

we give any credit to the report that ten

thousand men could only remove the rubbish, prepait

if

ratory to repairing

two months.

indeed,

it

required one half of that number to disencumber

it,

it,

in

If,

the state of dilapidation must have been complete.

The immense masses

seen on the top of the

of vitrified brick which are

mount appear

to

have marked

The
much greater
quantities, the weather having dissipated much of
and,
it in the course of so many revolving ages
its

summit

since the time of

rubbish about

its

its

destruction.

base was probably in

possibly, portions of the exterior facing of fine brick

may have

disappeared at different periods.

In the foregoing observations

have endeavoured to

RUINS OF BABYLON.

Babylon

171

show

that the ruins of

may

be perfectly reconciled with the best descrip-

in their present state

tions of the Grecian writers, without doing violence

to either.
is

I feel

persuaded that the more the subject

investigated, the stronger will the conformity be

found

but

it is

one in which the

would be peculiarly misplaced and

:

being bigoted to

my own

spirit
I

am

of system

so far from

opinions, that should I, in

the course of my researches, happen to discover particulars

which may reasonably appear

against them, I will be the

lirst

to lay

to

militate

them before

the public.

Bagdad, July, 1817.

P.S. Since writing the above,

extract from the

Supplement

have received an

to the fifth edition of

the Encyclopcedia Britannica,

containing a sum-

mary of my former accounts of Babylon, with the

It is peculiarly
author's own ideas on the subject.
gratifying to

me

to find that

confirmation of such a writer.

my

opinions have the

NOTES.
Page

(A.)

measurements of

If, rejecting the

that there

was

among

think the remains of

be admitted

it

this very ancient

are

it

still

traces which yet exist of that city.

Mousul

the town of

Ctesias,

Nineveh a monument of

at

and durable form^

seen

144.

to be

Opposite

an inclosure of a rectangular form,

is

corresponding with the cardinal points of the compass ; the

eastern and western sides being the longest, the latter facing
the river.

The

area,

vestiges of building,

larger than

Mousul

which
is

is

now

but

the palace of Nineveh.

fectly traced all round,

in

its line, at

The

sohdity.

on

it is

it

may be supposed

posed

to

and

and has attached

mounds

much

the one which

by the boundary wall

Its

form

is

with regular steep sides and a

latter

It

is

may be

the

sup-

situated near
is

joined

natives call

it

that of a truncated pyramid,

flat

top

it is

composed, as

some excavations of stones and

predominating

de-

revered by the Mahometans.

all, is

the centre of the western face of the inclosure, and

ascertained, from

it,

where they show the tomb

as Nurica),

largest of

Koyunjuk Tepe.

to

Nebbi Yunus (described and

be the monument of Ninus.

like the others

to

and

by Niebuhr

next,

answer

of these forms the south-west angle;

of the prophet Jonas,

The

to

and

built the village of

lineated

no

offers

of greater size

several places,

first

and

The boundary, which may be pernow looks like an embankment of

earth or rubbish, of small elevation

and

cultivated

too small to have contained a town

sufficiently

to

earth, the

admit of the summit

174

NOTES ON SECOND MEMOIR

being cultivated by the inhabitants of the village of Koyunjuk, which

is

only means

on

bnilt

had

it

dimensions was by a cord which

This gave 178

The

at the north-east extremity.

at the time I visited

I

it

of ascertaining

the greatest height, 1850 feet the

feet for

length of the summit east and west, and 1147 feet for

breadth north and south.

I

have

less

straight line
side

is in

mark

its

In the measurement of the length

confidence than in

was not very

the

others, as I fear the

correctly preserved

less perfect condition

mounds on

its

procured from Mousul.

and the east

The

than the others.

other

the boundary wall offer nothing worthy of re-

Out

in this place.

of one in the north face of the

boundary was dug, a short time ago, an immense block of

stone,

men and

on which were sculptured the figures of

So remarkable was

animals.

that even Turkish apathy

this

fragment of antiquity,

was roused, and the Pasha and

most of the principal people of Mousul came out

One

of the spectators particularly recollected,

man on

sculptures of this stone, the figure of a

with a long lance

The

others on foot.

stone

it.

the

horseback

by a great many

his hand, followed

in

to see

among

was soon afterwards

cut

into

small pieces for repairing the buildings of Mousul, and this

inestimable specimen of the arts and manners of the earliest

ages irrecoverably

and some other

have never

Cylinders like those of Babylon,

lost.

antiques, are occasionally found here

seen

assurances given

heard of

or

me

inscriptions.

by the Pasha of Mousul,

great hopes that any

city,

as

Major Rennell

ground.

Mousul,

It

is

justly observes,

into in

is

but I
the

entertain
hereafter

ruined

a quarry above

very likely that a considerable part of

at least of the public

works, was constructed with

the materials found at Nineveh.

dug

monument which may be

discovered will be rescued from destruction.

From

some places

Koyunjuk Tepe has been

in search of

them

and

to this

day

ON THE RUINS OF BABYLON.

175

dimensions, which sufficiently attest

stones of very large

their high antiquity, are

found in or at the foot of the

mound

These the Turks break

which forms the boimdary.

into

small fragments, to employ in the construction of their

The permanent

edifices.

built

by a

late

Mousul was

part of the bridge of

Pasha wholly with stones found

Yunus, and which

considerable of

the least

is

in the part

Koyunjuk with Nebbi

of the boundary which connects the

The

all.

small river Khausar traverses the area above described from

east to west,

and divides

nearly into two equal parts

it

makes a sweep round the

east

Tepe, and then discharges

bridge of Mousul.

mount
I

of

hope

It is

itself into

sides of

wholly

is

make Nineveh

the Tigris above the

artificial.

the subject of a future Memoir*.

Larissa of Xenophon, with

It is possible that the

it

Koyunjuk

almost superfluous to add that the

Koyunjuk Tepe
to

and south

its

pyra-

mid, whose base was one plethron, and height two, was no
other than Nineveh with the sepulchre of Ninus (see
basis,

lib. iii).

Ana-

cannot quit this subject without remark-

ing a curious coincidence.

At

Messila, a

Median town

six

parasangs above Larissa, Xenophon saw the base of a wall

built

hewn shelly

of

stone,

which

is

^e

ri

xqinTrls

XlQou ^tcrov

have seen pieces of

a complete conglomeration of small

(B.)

When

Hv

stone,

At Mousul

yLoyXuXixrov, k. r. X.

remarked

in

my

Page

this

shells.

145.

former

Memoir

that the

words

Tower

of Herodotus, stating the basement story of the

of

Belus to be ara.'^iov Kcti to fjivjuos xal to euqos, should be translated " of a stadium in length and breadth," and not
" height and breadth,"

Herodotus

I find

by which

had not seen Wesseling's

edition of

that the reading which

See Rich's Koordistan,

vol.

ii.

p.

30

65.

Ed.

makes

NOTES ON SECOND MEMOIR

176

Herodotus guilty of an absurdity that would reduce him

a level with Ctesias, originated

to

an error which had long

(Vide Herod. Wess.

ago been exploded.

p.

85, note.)

Page 153.

(C.)

Some

in

observations occur here respecting the palace or

palaces, which ought not to be omitted.

of Herodotus, p. 355,
lesser palace

some

contains

on the

is

Lest

of Belus.

is

it

east,

In the Geography

said (from Diodorus) that the

where

also the brazen statue

is

should be conceived that this statement

it

allusion to the

Temple

of Belus,

and con-

sequently be used to establish the position of that building,

it is

proper to give the whole passage from Diodorus

place of the

fictile

ment the walls

" In

earthen images of beasts (which orna-

of the large palace) are here (in the smaller

palace) the brazen statues of Ninus and Semiramis, of the

and

prefects,

also of Jupiter,

(Diod.

lonians, Belus."

In the same work

(p.

lib.

who

ii.

is

named by

the

Baby-

c. 8.)

337) Major Rennell,

in giving

an

account of Babylon according to the notions of Herodotus,

says, " In the centre of each division of the city

space, surrounded

space

which

palace,

royal

the

yet in the "

fills

Temple of

in

being circular.

Neither
as

a large and

is

And

objects to the inclosure which

little

is

the description

I
its

he has given

quoted above, reconcileable with what

further on, on the authority of Diodorus,

354.)

But the truth

Herodotus mention the

There

a circular

strongly defended

that the palace was a square of Ig mile.

Herod., p.

is

one of these stands the

have contained the palace, on account of

from Herodotus,
he says a

Jupiter occupies the other."

Remarks" he

may

suppose

by a wall

circle,

is,

(See Geog. of

that

neither does

nor Diodorus the square.

certainly no reason to believe that the palace

of the latter form.

was

ON THE RUINS OF BABYLON.

Page 155.

(D.)
I

must here remark

Sassanian kings,

is

been supposed

and

177

that

Tauk Kesra,

the palace of the

not built of Babylonian bricks, as has

that the

masonry

is

strikingly inferior

to that of Babylon.

Page 165.

(E.)

The same

and learned Memoir of M.

note to the curious

de Sainte Croix contains a discussion concerning the latitude and longitude of Hillah, and its distance from Bag-

M. Beauchamp.

dad, by

Niebuhr gives the latitude of

Hillah 32 28', which would

amount

to

make

21| leagues of 25

to

from an observation of the

sun, on the 5th

its

distance from

transit

Bagdad

M. Beauchamp,

a degree.

Mercury over the

of

November, 1789, makes

it

5 degrees

to the

west of Bagdad, which he calls being very nearly under the

same meridian

He

is

" sous

m^me

le

of opinion that the

observation (22 leagues)

is

18 leagues are reckoned

meridien a tres peu pres."

distance given

in

little

too

performing the journey, the

whole of the way being over a desert as

says that in two journeys he

by Niebuhrs

much, because only

flat

to

he counted 16^ hours ordinary pace of a caravan,

German

supposes 13 to 14

He

as a table.

made from Badgad

miles, 13^ of which

Hillah

Niebuhr

would be just

From this distance, which

M. Beauchamp concludes that Niebuhr's
small his own observation gave 32 40'

22J leagues of 25

to the degree.

appears overrated,
latitude

is

too

but he deducts
error he did
not say why.

5' for

the error of his instrument, which

not ascertain, but only supposed

better with the reckoned distance.

will then, according to him,

even

if

he

does

This, he says, will be found to correspond

be 32

The
37'.

latitude of

He

Babylon

observes that

the rate of going of a horseman at a walk

be

NOTES ON SECOND MEMOIR

178

reckoned at one league of 20 to a degree (and which

beheve will generally be found to come near the truth),

it

will bring the latitude of Hillah to 32 32'

and Babylon

to

32 34', which comes nearer his observation than that of

Niebuhr.
p. 31.)

correctly

Mhn. de VAcad.

(See
I

my

hope on

its

next

des Inscr., vol.

to

visit

Babylon

xlviii.

to ascertain

longitude and latitude, both by astronomical

observations and measurement.

variation was not allowed

it is

In
at

my

sketch the magnetic

Bagdad

8 44' west,

and

at Bussora, 9.

Page

(F.)

169.

appears on examination that the Brouss or Broussa of

It

M. Beauchamp*
Major Rennell

The

Birs).

is

no other than the Birs Nemroud (which

throughout the "Remarks" Nimrod

calls

situation

two leagues south-east of Hillah, and

the name, which seems to be only a corrupt pronunciation

of Birs or Burs, all sufficiently point out the correspondence

between the Birs

champ
river;

says

it

Nemroud and

is

Brouss.

It is

true.

Beau-

only one league from the banks of the

and Major Rennell,

in his Sketch,

makes

more than two; but Beauchamp was never at

self; and he must either speak from mere

it

rather

the Birs himconjecture, or

from the careless report of some person of the country.

Major Rennell says

that the Broussa of

called Boursa by the Arabs,

Beauchamp

and he concludes

Barsita of Ptolemy, or Borsippa of Strabo.

it

It

to

is

be the

would ap-

pear that he has some other authority for Boursa, which

Boursa

he does not mention.

in

Arabic means a sandy

desert, or the dwelling-places of evil spirits, either being very

remote from the appellation of Celestial, which d'Anville

gives

it

in

fixing

it

Geog. of Herod.,

at

p.

Samawa, much lower down

370.

Mem. de VAcad.,

vol. xlviii.

the

ON THE RUINS OF BABYLON.

In

Euphrates.

Boursa near the

my

first

Memoir

179

speak of the ruins of

village of Jerbouiya,

which

about four

is

leagues below Hillah, and about half an hour from the

river.

the

name

only met with one

of

governor.

man

It is

Geography of Herodotus

relating to

may

it.

This

be thought of the name,

who had

described by several persons

any one be tempted

to

ruins of the Birs

Tower

for

am

aware

is

imagine,

Nemroud

have heard

visited

them.

Should

from the similarity of

are

is

Borsippa, that

those of the sacred

of the Chaldeans, I can only appeal to the appear-

ance of the Birs

To suppose

itself.

and not Babylon, would be

isted a temple

and tower

that the Birs

proportions

hand

must not

accuracies of

in

form and

of Borsippa has resisted

which has obliterated that of Babylon.

finish this

my

Memoir without

former one.

correcting two in-

Tahmasia was,

by Shah Tahmas, and not by Nadir Shah, as

curately informed at Hillah

tween Bagdad and Hillah

is

I find, built

was inac-

and the Khan half-way benot called

Khan

Bir Yunus,

or Jonas's Well, but Bir-un-nous (incorrectly for nisf ),

The Well

Bor-

at the former place perfectly re-

and that the Temple

of time,

is

to believe that there ex-

sembling the gigantic monument of Belus, both

the

asked

have no doubt

which

names, and the conjecture that Boursa

the

me by

just read the passage in the

concerning the ruins at Jerbouiya,

sippa,

of inquiry which sometimes in the East leads to error

but whatever

the

for

necessary here to explain that

Boursa by name, from having

mode

Hillah who recognised

at

Boursa ; and he was found out

of the Half-way.

n2

i.

e.

APPENDIX.

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

Having
it

given an account of the ruins of Babylon,

will perhaps

the

be expected that

monuments of the

past ages

arts,

should describe

manners, and religion of

which are found among them, and which

are as yet but imperfectly

known

to the public.

But

would require an atam not now capable, and time

to enter fully into this subject

which

tention of

which

have

therefore

at

it

not in

offering specimens of

of these fragments

hope that

who

my power

present content

may

to bestow.

must

myself with merely

some of the most interesting

and

I console

myself with the

thus supply some materials to those

are infinitely

more capable of using them than

can ever expect to be.

Hillah

is

throughout

the general depot for antiques found

country, especially on the banks

all this

of the Euphrates, from

Raka

to

Samawa.*

The

most interesting of these antiques are the Sassanian

and Babylonian.
*

coins,

It is of the latter only

of which I

have even been offered at Hillah English and Russian copper

common European

seals of false

Frederick the Great in blue glass

carnelian,

and a head of

;
;

182

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

now

[APP-

Most of them contain

propose to speak.

spe-

cimens of the very curious and primitive system of

ivriting

found only in the Babylonian monuments

and those of Persia of the age of

cuneiform, or, as

it

its

history.*

The

has sometimes been called, the

arrow-headed, character baffled the ingenuity of the

decipherer,

till

terred by the

ill

Dr. Grotefend of Frankfort, undesuccess of his predecessors, applied

himself to the task with a judgment and resolution

which secured

success.

The

result, so creditable to

his industry

and learning, and the process by which

he obtained

it,

which he very ingenuously submits

to the public, are to be found partly in Prof. Heeren's

work on the

Politics, Intercourse,

and Commerce of

the principal Nations of Antiquity,! and partly in

the fourth and

but

*
its

it is

In the

to

first

sovereigns

fifth

volumes of the Mines de V Orient

be hoped that he will soon be prevailed

period of the history of Persia I include the whole of

down

to the extinction of the native race

by the Mace-

donian conquest, without any reference to the fanciful divisions of Ferdusi in his string of romances, which has by some unaccountably
been entitled an epic poem, and by others, a history. It probably
bears the

same

relation to

the

ancient history of Persia

as the

romances of Brute and the acts of Arthur's worthies do to that of

Britain.
Dr. Grotefend's first efl'orts have already done something
towards maintaining the veracity of the venerable historians of Greece
and much
against the fictions of Mohammedan Persian literature
more may be expected, provided we can obtain a more intimate
acquaintance with the Zend and other ancient languages of Persia,
which is an object highly worthy the attention of our learned country;

men

in India.

t Ideen iiber die Politik, den Verkehr und den Handel der
vornehmsten Volker der alten Welt, by Prof. A. H. L. Heeren, 3rd
edition, Gottingen, 1S15, a very interesting work, which ought to be
translated into English.

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

APP.]

Upon

communicate

to

to the

183

world his valuable

la-

bours in a separate and more perfect form.

Dr. Grotefend, who professes to be rather the

decipherer than the translator of the cuneiform inscriptions,

to those

and who engages merely

whose

attention has been

open the way

to

much

devoted to

the study of the ancient languages of Persia, has

however succeeded in translating some of the

scriptions

in-

on the ruins of Persepolis, and one from

He

those of Pasargadse.

three varieties

observes that there are

of those inscriptions distinguished

from each other by the greater complication of the

characters formed

by the

wedge
Each inscription is respecies. The first or simplest
radical signs of a

(or arrow) and an angle.

peated in

all the

three

by Dr. Grotefend

species deciphered

the language of Ecbatana

for believing that the

is

in

Zend,

and there are grounds

remaining ones are translations

into the languages of the other capitals of the Per-

sian empire,

Susa and Babylon.

This conjecture

acquires force from the fact of one of the species

of cuneiform writing discovered at Babylon corre-

sponding, or nearly

so,

with one of the Persepolitan

species.

The cuneiform

the most ancient character of

is

which we have any knowledge.

say in

what country

was common
Median,

It is difficult to

was invented

but

its

use

to the great nations of antiquity, the

Persian,

Heeren very

it

and Assyrian

justly observes,

it

is

and,

as

Prof.

in all likelihood

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

184

[aPP,

the Assyrian writing of Herodotus, and that which

Darius Hystaspes engraved on the

set

pillars

tions deciphered

standinoj the obscurity

fell

that

it is

in

which

Notwith-

history

its

is

in-

not difficult to fix the period in which

into disuse.
it

inscrip-

by Dr. Grotefend are of the times

of Cyrus, Darius Hystaspes, and Xerxes.

volved,

which he

The

up on the banks of the Bosphorus.

From

its

peculiar form

must have been confined,

like the sacred cha-

racter of the Egyptians, to inscriptions on stone

other hard substances

it

evident

it is

and

and there must consequently

have been another mode of writing better calculated

for

ordinary

Zend

which probably resembled the

use,

The

character of Anquetil-Duperron.

must have

or lapidary character

fallen

sacred

into disuse

upon Alexander's conquest, when neither the Persians nor Babylonians

or

events

to

record.

had any monuments

The

native

to erect

princes

who

wrested the throne of Persia from his feeble successors adopted

the

Greek language and character

in their coins and inscriptions;

and

all recollection

of the cuneiform writing must have perished during

the long period in which they held the sceptre of
Iran.

The

Sassanians, the professed restorers of

the ancient rites and usages of Persia, could not

therefore have had

of this obsolete

we

find the

it

in their

power

mode of writing

monuments and

to recall the use

and accordingly

coins of that dynasty

inscribed with a character having an analogy with

the

Hebrew, Phenician, or Palmyrene, which has

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

APP.]

been deciphered by the

whose

or country, in

185

orientalist of

first

excellent work, "

any age

Mimoires sur

dtverses Antiquites de laPerse," the fullest information on the Sassanian antiquities

The foregoing

With

litan inscriptions.
Ion,

be found.

respect to those of

Baby-

Dr. Grotefend, from the scarcity of specimens,

yet only acquainted with

is

may

observations relate to the Persepo-

two kinds

and he has

not attempted to decipher them, though he has fur-

nished some useful tables of comparison for those

who may be
his

inclined to attempt the task.*

of classification, I

principles

Adopting

shall divide

the

Babylonian inscriptions into three species, in the

order of their complication.

have attempted to

account for the co-existence of three different writinp-s

o
and languages in the Persepolitan inscriptions. For
the reason of there being three species of Babylonian
writing, of which one only corresponds with those

of Persepolis, I cannot offer any probable conjecture.

They

are never found together, or in the same an-

tiques, as in Persia

but the supposition of different

ages will not solve the difl&culty.

rison of the different kinds will

strict

compa-

show whether or no

they express different languages.

See Mines de

t In the

I'

Orient, vol.

moment

iv.

and

v.

of sending off this

Memoir

saw a

letter

from

Dr. Grotefend, by which it appears that that learned and ingenious

person, from a close examination of some specimens which have recently been communicated to him,

is

of opinion that the three species

of Babylonian writing here spoken of are only varieties of different

modes of writing the same

characters,

and that there

is in fact

but

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

186

No,

[apP.

a black stone of an irregular shape (in

1 is

and defaced), about one

part broken

and 7| inches

The

in breadth.

foot in length

on

figures

it,

a and

h,

have been supposed to represent the zodiac of the

Babylonians

that

c is all

is

now

legible of the in-

scription Avhich once covered the lower part of the

and

stone,

is

the

in

cuneiform writing.

species

first

of Babylonian

saw an antique

perfectly

resembling this in the Royal Library at Paris, and

to

me by

Mr. Millin and

has been described by

I believe it

This stone was brought

noticed by Dr. Grotefend.

a peasant while I was examining the ruins

of Babylon.

No. 2

a stone two feet in length, nineteen in

is

breadth, and nine inches in thickness

at the bottom.

On

the front

is

it

is

the sculpture

broken
a,

and

on the right side the inscription h belonging to the

first

species.

No. 3

is

a head of red granite, a

is

somewhat defaced, but which

of the

first

species.

ment which

The

larger than

is

of comparison with

coffin

which

also appears to

antique c

found in a

the Mujelibe, and

is

be

a brass orna-

with a skeleton in

introduced here for the purpose

a.

destined for the same use

or shank by

little

It contains the inscription h,

the drawing.

Both appear
;

and

to have

been

in place of the ring

which the brass ornament was

one real kind of Babylonian cuneiform writing.

sus-

Those who consider

the importance of the undertaking will rejoice to learn that Dr. Grote-

fend

is

prosecuting his inquiries with unremitting ardour.

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES,

APP.]

pended, there

of b

is

a hole drilled through

sufficiently

is

appearance

evident from

and that of a

its

may be

antiquity of the skeleton

me

at

Bagdad from

The age

a.

character and

placed beyond

is

doubt by the cuneiform inscription

brought to

187

all

from both, the

a was

inferred,

Hillah, but I have

not been able to discover in vt^hat part of the ruins

was found.

The

first

it

species of Babylonian cunei-

form writing agrees with the third Persepolitan.

No. 4
baked

is

an inscription copied from a piece of

clay, in

shape like a barrel, being thicker in

the centre than at the ends.

and 1^

The

It is

4-|^

inches long

inscription is perfect,

and

the lacunae which are seen in the copy are not

ille-

in diameter.

gible places, but exist in the original.

racter

is

The

cha-

in the second species of cuneiform writing,

of which no specimen has hitherto been published.

This species

also occurs

on small pieces of baked

clay of a darker and finer quality than the bricks

they are generally covered with writing, and have

also
I

sometimes figures on the edges in slight

relief.

found some of these pieces of clay in the sewer or

subterranean canal at the foundations of the Kasr,

the antiquity of which
established.

To

is

thus

ascertain in

the ruins each antique

is

in

what

found,

important subject of investigation

the

little

some measure

particular part of
is
;

a curious and

but one which

reliance that can be placed on the

words of

the natives, and the extraordinary

manner

they sometimes deceive

the slightest ap-

without

in

which

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

188

parent motive, render very

ever, never lose sight of

No. 5

is

difficult.

[aPP.
I

a small piece of clay of this

contains an inscription only on one side.

ing

which

size,

The

writ-

of the second species, and the letters slope a

is

little,

how-

shall,

it.

which

frequently the case in inscriptions of

is

this kind.
I

have lately received a small piece of brick of a

very fine quality, with a varnished surface, from

Mousul.

was found among

It

and contains an
minute and

difficult to

able to determine to

The

third

the ruins of Nineveh,

inscription in cuneiform letters so

read that I have not yet been

what

class

it is

is

that

The Babylonian

found on the bricks and cyhnders.

bricks

to be assigned.

of Babylonian writing

class

have been described in other places, and

some specimens of them are already before the

The antiquary

public.

is

aware that the custom

of stamping letters on bricks was not peculiar to

Babylon, and that examples of

Among

of Greece.

on the Tigris
pressions on

materials

never

been

occur in the ruins

found numbers of bricks with im-

them

and

it

the scanty remains of Seleucia

but from the coarseness of the

inferiority of

able

to

workmanship

discover any

writing.

have

The

stamps with which the bricks of Babylon are impressed are, on the contrary, cut very neatly and applied with care
to

and even some precaution appears

have been taken to preserve the writing, for they

are

all

placed with their faces or written part down-

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

APP.]

wards

what

and,

very remarkable,

is

bitumen, that cement

face^

though

The

brick.

it

is

189

when

laid in

never found adhering to the

always sticks to the back of the

people employed in the ruins of Baby-

lon to procure bricks told

me

that this'was effected

by strewing some powdered lime over the bitumen

but
when the brick was laid on its face in it
I know not what authority they have for this opinion.
In my first Memoir I doubted that reeds had
:

ever been employed where bitumen

was used

have since seen some bricks with bitumen adhering

to them,

on which the impression of a reed mat was

so strongly

marked

as to induce

me

to

change

my

opinion.

The number and variety of the stamps bear no

number of the bricks. I have

proportion to the

some

as yet only seen four kinds, with

varieties of

each.

No. 6

is

an inscription of seven

which

lines, of

Dr. Grotefend has only seen an imperfect copy.

Septilinear inscription

is

the most

out of nineteen bricks taken

were of

this

sort.

this kind, differing

at

common

of

all

random, fourteen

There are several

varieties of

from each other only in a cha-

racter or two.

No. 7

men

is

an inscription of six

here given

is

lines.

places from the other

speci-

many

kind of brick inscriptions,

especially in the omission of almost the

of characters which form the

linear inscriptions.

The

remarkable by deviating in

whole

series

fifth line in the septi-

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

190
No. 8

is

an inscription of three

[aPP.

One

lines.

of this

kind has been seen by Dr. Grotefend, from which

this

specimen

No. 9

is

differs a little.

an inscription

rarest kind of all, and

in four lines,

which

no specimen of

it

the

is

has ever

been published.

The Babylonian

cylinders are

among

the most re-

markable and interesting of the antiques.

from one

to three inches in length

They

some are of

are

stone,

and others apparently of paste or composition of

Sculptures from several of these

various kinds.

cylinders have been published in different works

and Nos. 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are specimens of my

own

Some

collection.

of

them have cuneiform

writing on them (as in Nos. 12 and 13) which

the third species
that

it

reversed, or written

is

is

of

but has the remarkable peculiarity

from right to

left,

every other kind of cuneiform writing being incontestably to be read from left to

right.

This can

only be accounted for by supposing they were in-

tended to

roll off impressions.

was found

in the site of

mentioning in

The

Nineveh.

this place, that a

was not long ago found

cylinder No. 11
I

must not omit

Babylonian cylinder

in digging in the field of

now in the possession of Mr.

The cylinders are said to be
Fauvel of Athens.
The people
chiefly found in the ruins at Jerbouiya.
Marathon, and

is

of this country are fond of using

them

and the Persian pilgrims who come

AU

as amulets,

to the shrines of

and Hossein frequently carry back with them

some of these

curiosities.

BABYLONIAN ANTIQUES.

APP.]

191

Small figures of brass or copper are

at

Babylon.

No

also found

Babylonian coins have as yet been

discovered, nor have I ever seen any Darics brought

from Hillah.

The

true Babylonian antiques are ge-

nerally finished with the utmost care and delicacy,

whilst the Sassanian (which

subject

of a

further

design and execution.

may

Memoir)

possibly form the

are

of the

rudest

4^^

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nrr

TTTT

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to i

H.

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A nj
Mi
~tm

tl4
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l2^

i:

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A:

./<-%

JOURNEY
FROM

BUSSORA TO BUSHIRE, SHIRAUZ, PERSEPOLIS,

IN

THE YEAR

1821;

TO WHICH ARK ADDED

COPIES OF SEVERAL HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED

CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS AT PERSEPOLIS,

BY

CLAUDIUS JAMES RICH,

Esq.

&c.,

JOURNEY
BUSSORA TO BUSHIRE, SHIRAUZ, PERSEPOLIS,

On

the

13tli

of June, 1821,

Bushire, in the Volunteer,

1 P.M.

we

left

&c.

Bussora for

Captain Waterman, at

Calms rendered our passage rather a tedious

one, and the heat of

the

weather was very un-

The hospitality of Captain Waterman,

however^ made ample amends for all these inconand on the 17th, at 4 p.m., we ranged
veniences
pleasant.

along the island of Karrack,

northward of the low

flat

18th, in the morning,

we came

and passed

island of Congo.
to

to

the

On

the

an anchor in the

inner roads of Bushire, a pilot having previously

come

off to

conduct us across the spit of sand

which separates the outer from the inner roads. The

ship lay about a mile and a half or two miles from

the town

spit of sand,

uncovered at low water,

runs out in a circular sweep, and separates the inner

roads from the basin or harbour, which would be a
very convenient one for shipping, provided the bar

could be rendered practicable, which I think might

be accomplished.

o2

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

196

more properly

Busliire, or

Abu

Shelier*,

situ-

is

ated on a peninsula Ibrnied by the basin or harbour

on one

side, in

inundations

The

other.

which direction the sea makes great

and the sea on the

spring-tides,

in

coast

shallow and dangerous, and

is

approach

ships' boats cannot

without great

it

diffi-

culty.

The new

where

factory,

w^e

were lodged,

is

situ-

ated at the southern extremity of the town, quite

open

and

to the sea,

most airy and agreeable

in the

spot in the place.

I
this

was greatly struck with the

difference between

place and Bussora, and as yet decidedly give

Bushire the preference

calm weather

in

but they say, during the

July and August, the heat

is

quite

intolerable; not from the height of the thermometer,

which rarely

rises

above 100, but from the weight

and humidity of the atmosphere.

The

nights are said to be dreadful, and indeed I

can believe

it,

from a specimen

former passage down

my

had of one on

to India.

The common water

of

place

the

is

brackish,

At

nauseous, and of a strong purgative quality.

the factory

never

we drank

rain-water,

which

is

and

soft

cool.

When
* I find

there

is

no wind

mention of Abu Sheher

at

night the

in the relation of a

dew

falls

voyage by a

deputy of the Prince of Selan, or Ceylon, to the Mameluke sovereign

Vide Quatremere's Memoirs, &c., vol. 2, p. 284,
of Egypt, A.H. 682.

where are the names of several other places on the shores of the

gulf.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
with prodigious copiousness

197

no bad

effects,

how-

follow from sleeping perfectly exposed to

ever,

which doubtless proceeds from

from the sea

it,

being exhalations

its

and not corrupted by any

ir erely,

vegetable matter.

All around Bushire

a dismal burnt

is

brown

flat,

except at the distance of about four miles to the

S.

and E., where there

The summer

here

is

is

a line of date-trees.
not unhealthy, but in the

spring intermittent fevers are said to prevail,

The

surf at night,

when

and

common.

further inland they are very

there

is

a calm,

makes a

beautiful appearance, breaking in lines of phosphoric

light along the shore.

gale from the

at

season,

this

before

N.W.

this,

had any of

We

now

have

a continued

W., which is rather a rarity

the Shemaul* generally finishing
to

but hitherto this year they have scarcely

this

wind.

On the 26th the Volunteer sailed for Bombay.

As my stay here was uncertain, I was anxious to
get Mrs.

Rich into a

better climate, as the fever she

had been attacked with

her

at

Bagdad

still

hung about

and her being surprised by the heats here

might have been attended with very bad consequences to her health.

The Volunteer, from

the

goodness of the ship, and the kindness of Captain

and Mrs. Waterman, afforded an occasion that was

* Or'^N.

W.

for forty days,

wind, which generally blows

from the beginning of June

down

to the

the Persian Gulf

end of July.

Ed.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

198

and

not to be neglected under these circumstances

we

therefore consented to a separation, necessary,

Dr. Bell had the

but extremely painful to us both.

goodness to accompany her.

At

night on the 26th the weather was rather

My

calm, and I remarked a curious phenomenon.

bed stood on an open terrace, and lay nearly east

and west.
wetted with

The
dew

side of

north
to

was completely

it

about half the breadth of the

bed, as if water had been poured on

while the

it,

There were two pillows,

southern side remained dry.

the one on the north side was quite wet, that on the

south was dry.

Bussora,

July

\st.

which

A
In

dour here.

is

much wish to

town announced the

do.

this

feast of the

much

not celebrated with

game

mercury

barometrical ob-

from a vessel belonging to

my walk

boys playing at a

of the

make any

I should very

salute

the governor of the

Beiram, which

barometer from

quantity

escaped, so that I cannot

servations here,

my

In bringing

a considerable

splen-

evening I observed the

exactly resembling one I had

seen played by boys in England.

The thermometer was

was S.W., and

the day

To-day the thermometer

call

stiff

pleasant.

the

They

It is a

Bagdad.

is

96, with

but

wind

the

what the

wind, and the air

say the

thermometer,

agreeable.
as at

N.W.

yesterday 93,

was prodigiously oppressive.

N.W. wind
renders

the

is

sailors

light

and

always raises
climate

more

drying wind, but not so heated

During calms

or southerly airs the

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
atmosphere

199

charged with damp, and

is

ingly heavy and enervating.

is

exceed-

People observe that

the winds in the gulf have altered considerably of

Last year they had steady gales from the

late.

S.W., from which quarter formerly never any thing-

more than a
July 4th.

squall

was known

For the

last four

to blow.

days

we have had

very heavy gale blowing without intermission from

the

N.W., and

the

has been charged with a

air

quantity of very fine dust,

which seems of a sharp

and blindness are very common here

more

Sore eyes

and greatly torments the eyes.

quality,

much
You

think

so than in any place I have yet visited.

meet a person who has not some defect in

scarcely

Many

his eyes.

of the Bushire people are

tall,

but

they are not in general either muscular or goodlooking.

July lOth.

This

morning the Conde

and the Malabar came

in

del

Pardo

the former from Bombay,

the latter from Bahrein, having lost a great

men by
the

many

a fever caught at that place, supposed to be

many places on both

The Governor of Bushire is taking

plague, which rages at

sides the coast.

precautions to prevent
will allow of

Malabar

its

The crew

the captain in
is

reaching this place.

He

no communication to be held with the

vain attempted

said to be very sickly,

and

to

land.

in great

want of everything.
July llth.

Dr.

Dow

and Messrs. Taylor and

Sturmey went astern of the Malabar to-day, by per-

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

200

mission of the governor of the town, to see what

could be done for her.

Dow

Dr.

reports the sick-

ness to be the cholera morbus, and not the plague.

She has

lost sixteen

of her crew, but the complaint

among

does not seem to exist at present

the sur-

vivors.

July \2th. The Malabar sailed for Bussora.

The governor here now says he will allow of no

communication

to take place

between his town and

Bussora, because of the indiscriminate intercourse

there allowed.

July

\^tli.

breeze

it

in

S.W.,

the

first

at

It then dies

part of the night

dawn

On

at sunset S.

three in the morning

the

morning

the

comes round gradually

o'clock

it

when there is a
at N.W., and
noon it is W., by four

have observed that

begins

it is

away, and

About two

calm.

is

S.E., varying to E.

grows calm again

till

timing a number of guns

anchor in the inner roads,

or

with

about nine a.m.

fired

find

by ships

at

that the sound

reaches us at the factory in fifteen seconds after the

gun

is

fired.

The sound comes

before the wind.

This will give 2770*9 fathoms for the distance of the

ship

or,

allowing three fathoms a second for the

wind, 2816.

The

ship, the

Rahmania,

is

lying just

within the entrance of the inner road, and bears

28

W.

N.

from the new factory*.

have timed this more than twenty times, and find it always gives
same (15") under every circumstance of calm, or wind perpen-

* I

the

dicular to the course, so that no allowance for the

wmd

is

necessary.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
July Ylth.

Imaum

The Salekh,

of Muscat,

came

201

a ship belonging to the

in last

The go-

night.

vernor will not allow her to enter the inner roads.

They
at

have, or at least have had, the cholera morbus

Muscat.

The weather
real heat

is

now

Bagdad, yet there

at
air

quite intolerable

though the

nothing compared with what I have seen

is

exactly

is

a steam and heaviness in the

a Turkish

like

makes

which

bath,

breathing a labour, and keeps the body in a profuse

covering

perspiration,

My

Though

greatly distressed.

than

was, yet the heat

it

with the most dreadful

it

prickly heat I ever saw.

poor Bagdadees are

the thermometer

lower

is

more oppressive

is

in pro-

portion to the humidity contained in the atmosphere.

Tlius

it is

likewise that the heat of Bussora

more oppressive and

in degree, but

that

of

Bagdad

and

Bushire than Bussora.

new

expert swimmer,
in

tells

by the same rule that of

The

me he

The

it.

and unrefreshing

sea

is

warmer than

finds great difficulty in

sea-breeze

though

it

is

heavy, moist,

afflicted at this season of the year.

than the

better

is

dreadful calms with which the gulf

is

commonly

The thermometer

continues the same from nine at night

till

the morning, and from one P.M.

range

is

Juli/

morning

less

and so relaxing, that Dr. Wilson, an

milk,

swimming

is

relaxing, than

till

six

three in

the whole

never more than 10.

2\st.
at

^The

temperature of

dawn was 90

the

sea

of the air at the

this

same

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

202

The famous Shirauz

time 88.

cats

when brought

Bushire soon lose the long furry coat which

The

fish

but

to

the

and become like common

characteristic of their breed,

cats.

is

natives say this proceeds from their eating

however, that

I think,

rather the effect

it is

of the heat.

July 22nd.

factory at

had a

ninety years old,

who

visit

to-day from a

man

of

says he recollects the English

He

Gombroon, Nadir Shah, &c.

enjoys a

small pension from the Company, procured him by

Gen. Malcolm,

The

to take care of the British flag.

population of Bushire
souls.

are mere

mat and reed

hovels, no better than those

Mohammed

of the Albu

be about ten

said to

is

A considerable portion of the houses

thousand

Arabs*.

In the

summer

the richer inhabitants build Tchardaks, or booths, to

live in,

on the roofs of their houses,

The kind
a Trankey,

for coohiess.

of boat or coasting-vessel called in India

is

here called a Bateel, wliich in

all

likelihood comes from the Portuguese.

Jidi/ 23rd.

and

I find I

The

heat

become

has

must quit Bushire, where

intolerable,

have indeed

already remained longer than in prudence I ought

to*

have done, for

health.

Shirauz,

I find

myself again declining

Accordingly, I have resolved on a

visit

in
to

and Dr. Tod and Mr. Sturmey propose

accompanying me.

We

were

to

have started to-day,

but the Company's cruiser, the Teignmouth, arrived

*

very poor tribe of Arabs,

who

live

among

the low brush-wood

on the banks of the Tigris, between Bagdad and Bussora.

Ed.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
this afternoon,

detain

me

July

203

with important dispatches, which will

for this night.

'^\tli.

Bushire.

At

we

nine o'clock at night

I felt very poorly, but

it

was

left

essential to

get out of the heat as quickly as possible.

After

crossing a morassy tract of ground, which at springtides is partly covered

by the

sea,

now

but was

moist in some places, with large patches of

only

salt,

at

we halted for an hour to take coffee.

As day broke we found ourselves steering towards
half-past twelve

the

high mountains, over a sandy

level

country,

sprinkled with caper bushes and tamarisks, with here

and there scanty traces of

patches of date-trees.

cultivation,

and some

After crossing the dry bed of

a torrent, at half-past five in the morning of the 25th

we reached Tchahkoota, a pretty large

mud huts, with a mud enclosure at one

village of

end, dig-

nified with the appellation of the Castle,

under the

gateway of which we were lodged, quite

in public.

Some
about.

may be

date

orchards

and gardens were scattered

The people looked

like

July 25th.

The

if I

true burning saum, or hot wind,

* See Residence in Koordistan, vol.

Gooran^ Arabs,

allowed the expression.

1. p.

80.

intense heat of the wind at Tchahkoota

is

remarkable, as

showing how small a space of hot country is sufficient to dry and heat
the wind. The wind was W., consequently came directly from the sea,
from which we could not be further distant than eight or ten miles
yet it had acquired every quality of a true saum. The thermometer

was 110

in the coolest place

we

could find, yet I found this less

oppressive than the moist heat of Bushire.


204

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

which seemed quite

my

to invigorate

Tchahkoota, which means shallow

out upon

can turn

The

800 musketeers.

ahout

necessity

Bagdadees.

Avell,

people are Sunnis, of the Maleki and Shafei sects.

We

Tchahkoota

left

at

half-past

eight

in

the

evening, and proceeded in a northerly direction, over

broken ground, Avhich wa^

sometimes rocky, and

sometimes deep sand, and over which were sprinkled

many large

bushes, affording,

The

hares and antelopes.

and the ground seemed

we were

told, shelter to

night was extremely hot,

send up quite a reflection

to

of heat.

We
and

at

stopped about

two o'clock

minutes for refreshments,

fifty

in

Burauzgoon, passing

the

morning we arrived

tions of date-trees, tobacco, &c.,for about

We

went

to the

new

the

heat

luxury of

two
is

miles.

not yet

accommodation under

was much flagged and exhausted by

and

of the weather,
a

which

caravanserai,

finished, but aflbrds tolerable

the gateway.

at

along gardens and planta-

first

stumbling

marches very much

mule.

had besides the

I

dislike

night-

they completely reverse

all

one's habits.

July 26th.

SeJim Aga,

the governor of Burauz-

goon, sent us a present of a very fine mountain goat,

the chord of Avhose horns measured about two feet
the

colour Avas like

flesh tasted

more

that of the antelope, but the

like beef

than antelope.

We

were

attended here by a Gebr, or fire-worshipper, whose

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

205

Bu-

brother has turned Armenian, and resides at

The Armenians seem

shire.

have hopes of the

to

conversion of this brother also.

The
is

proper name of Burauzgoon

Barazjan.

is

It

a very considerable place, though built chiefly of

mud, with a bazar resembling that of Sulimania.

There are 32
the place are

more

Jews

families of

difficult to

the

Burauzgoon

is

is

little

to look at

about three miles from

The neighbourhood

which look very bare.

hills,

of the town

of

understand than that of Bushire.

In the afternoon I sauntered out a

the country.

The people

here.

Shiyyahs, and speak a dialect even

all

very naked and stony, sprinkled over

with bushes, among which was a very large kind of

milk-wort

The

hares and

antelopes

abound.

likewise

before us are celebrated for a profusion of

hills

medicinal

herbs,

well

as

partridges

as

and wild

goats.

The governor
to take a

vicinity of

moment.
evening,

insisted

few riflemen

Daulekee happens

We

marched

half

man

to be unsafe at this

hills

indented

to a Rahdari,

in

the

very gradually

and worn with

than we had hitherto met with.

way we came

with us

on the road, as the

at half-past seven

and approached the

over a more stony road,

torrents,

on sending a

at a post

At

about

or guard-house,

round which was a considerable village, and here we

took out our guard,

As we
we were

who had

approached the

hills

only matchlocks.

our noses informed us

in the vicinity of sulphur

and naphtha.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

206

Our guard

here took leave of us, cracking off their

matchlocks, and shortly after Ave

stream near the

into

hills,

passed the

little

which several sources of

naphtha discharge themselves. The sulphureous and

We then rounded

bituminous smell was intolerable.

a promontory in the

and

hills,

over the naphtha water, we arrived

We

o'clock.

We

half.

was a very

at

Daulekee

had halted half an hour

house, so that our whole

and a

having passed

after

march was about four hours

but so

building,

have the sun on

The

of the day.
fatiguing, and

one

put up at the caravanserai, which

tolerable

situated as to

at

at the guard-

singularly

of

all parts

it

most

night was dreadfully close and

by the time we reached Daulekee

was quite exhausted.

The

air

which rendered

there were a few clouds,

was very calm, and

much

it

closer.

July 21th.
reflection

terrible

burning day

from the sandstone

hills

greatly increased our suffering.

were brought
to those of

to us, but they

and the

behind the town

Some

were very

fresh dates
far inferior

Bagdad.

There was an earthquake

last

year at Daulekee,

which destroyed most of the houses, and part of the

caravanserai, and killed five or six people.

At

half-past six

very extensive

we

from the town to the

the

W.

ing

all

is

left

wood of

Daulekee.

date-trees

hills,

and

at

There

is

which reaches
a distance on

a prodigious mass of date-trees, extend-

along the horizon, looking quite like a

forest.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
I

do not think

I ever

except perhaps the

the gardens of

saw such a

207

collection of them,

Among

Bagdad.

these trees

the naphtha water meandering to find its

Shapour

we had

place

the

first

means

After travelling about a mile along

river.

the foot of the

hills,

we

entered them, and at this

We

a fine view of Daulekee.

crossed

by a pretty good road, which was by no

line

precipitous in any part of

reached the Shapour

a narrow

among
we saw
way to the

general view of them

first

defile.

river,

We

it

and we

then

winding through

after

continued along the banks of

among

the river, which roared

some

the rocks, for

time along a road which, being on the side of the

was occasionally precipitous on one hand, but

hills,

At

by no means bad.

half-past nine

we

bridge over the Shapour river, which

arches, and in very fine order.
it,

we

reached the

is

of thirteen

After having passed

halted to take our cup of coffee, and to allow

the baggage to get well on before us,

to

embarrass us in the pass

The Shapour

river

water in

much

in

it.

Its bridge

The water

very bare

of the river

and in the

at

close defiles

it

not above two

bush

is

to be seen.

saltish, nitrous,

was very

halt of three quarters of an hour

hot.

me
The

Khanakeen.

scarcely a

was

is

and murmuring put

mind of the Elwand

hills are all

to.

must sometimes be a very formid-

able river, though at present there

feet

so as not

we were coming

and

soft,

After a

we mounted

again,

and wound through the narrow passes, having the

river

on our right hand.

At one

place there

was a

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

208

bad precipice, but not of long continuance, nor Avas

it obliged me to dismount

the road very narrow, but

for a

The

few minutes.

we advanced

]arg:e

hills

grew more ruinous

as

masses of stone almost blocked

up the narrow winding passes. The people said it

was the effect of earthquakes, but the whole range
of hills seem to be in a state of decomposition.

We

soon after lost sight of the river and began to ascend

the Kutal

IMeloo,

which

face of the rock, being

ments of rock and

bad

fallen stones,

had been taught

as I

whole of the road would

deemed very

At

and zigzags up the

steep,

is

much encumbered with

to expect.

in

frag-

but by no means so

Indeed the

Koordistan have been

tolerable.

the top of the pass

was a guard-house, through

the gate of Avhich the road passes.

asked us for a

manner, and by no means as a

mits of mountains

The commandant

but in a very humble

bakshish,

right.

Some sum-

appeared higher than the top

of the pass, but I do not believe any part of this

range

is

above 1000

above 800

feet

high

should say not

feet*.

We now immediately entered on the plain of

Konar Takhta, and in about three miles' march from
the top of the pass, along a fine level road, we
reached the village and caravanserai of Konar
The latter was not so large as the one at
Takhta.
Daulekee, but possessed the advantage of a Balak-

They appear

to

me

like the

Rabbaii

Hormuzd

hills.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
honeh or balcony, a place over the

209
and a Zeer

gate,

Zemeen

or cellar under ground, for the hot weather.

We

a very agreeable difference in the air here,

felt

which was

and

light

cool,

and

arrived at half-past

march having occupied about

one, the

July 2^th.

^The Plain of Konar,

Khisht, seems about

district of

and nine or ten long from

by

had a comfortable

We

sleep in the balakhoneh.

hills,

five or six

N.W.

On the N.W.

is

The

considerable.

appears a

still

to the

W.

is

very

is

a miserable place.

we found some

travelling tinkers,

village itself

In the caravanserai

in the

a large plantation of

and the jungle round

date-trees,

is

miles over,

to S.E., enclosed

behind which on the E.

higher range.

six hours.

which

repairing and furbishing old

arms,

and mending

stocks of matchlocks.

We

mounted

passed a

little

at half-past six in the evening,

group of huts, belonging

the tribe of Kureiees, a branch of the

One

Koords.

hour's

which bound the

We

march brought us

river,

half-past eight

bank.

reached the valley of the

it

flowed

we halted at
we were on its left
same river we passed

N.W.

This cannot be the

some

part of

But

have no doubt this

from

its

who

said

its

position
it

to the hills

on the banks of which

beloAv at the bridge, unless

Mamasenni

plain of Khisht to the eastward.

crossed them, and

Shapour

and

to Eliauts, of

it

course, and
is

flows under ground at

we have gone

over

it.

the Shapour river, both

and the information of the guides,

came from Shapour and Nakshi Rustam,

P

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

210
the

name by which

valley

narrow and rocky, and

is

tasted the Avater,

flower,

We

odour.

the river rapid.

which was good, though warm, and

There were many rhodo-

unlike that at the bridge.

dendrons in

The

known.

the sculptures are

which gave forth a pleasant

soon lost the Shapour river on our

left,

and turned right, into a rocky glen, hollowed out by

a small rivulet, which had, however, caused mighty

havoc, and was to give us great trouble

was brackish, and

think napthous, and

its

water

it

leaves

patches of nitre on the banks.

As we advanced

grew wider

the glen

the

strata

of sandstone in several places dipped west, and had

been washed quite bare

two or three

gether sticking up above the

soil like

layers to-

gigantic walls

fragments of stones encumbered

half overthrown;
the glen,

which gradually became almost a ravine

and huge

cliffs

sides

the

doubt,

seemed

to

wildness of the scene w^as, I have no

much

increased

by night.

these roads, unlike those of

keep
sible

to the
;

the

overhang the path on both

that

observe

Turkey and Koordistan,

bottom of the ravine as much as posglen

wound among

the

which

cliffs,

almost shut out the sky, and, gradually ascending,

we
It

at least

reached the foot of the Kutal

began well, but we soon found the

had cut down the

leaving a frig-htful
cliff,

side

of

it

Kemarij.
stream

on our right hand,

chasm between

which seemed perpendicular;

precipices, however,

little

it

and the next

the very bad

were not of long duration

the

:;

211

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
worst

is

fearful

The

Azar Khani, where we

glimpse of the dark gulf, which

more formidable by the uncertain

possibly looked
light.

Kemer*

called the

had certainly a

was not

ascent

separated from the

by a

cliff

reaches across the road to

fragment will one day

its

fall

After reaching the summit,

to the Caravanserai of

among some low

plain,

indeed

it

to

rent,

and the crack

outer edge
in

actually

is

the whole

tremendous ruin.

we descended

hills at

the entrance of a small

It

was

deserted,

be seldom the resort of travellers

could never have been a good one.

theless the night

had comfortable
eleven, the

was

We

rest.

We

arrived

Never-

we

half-past

at

four hours.

were obliged

about half an hour

and

now

so delightfully cool that

march being

July 2^th.

little

Kemarij, which stands alone

surrounded by rocks.

appeared

Meloo

so steep as the

near the top the ledge of the road

off,

to send to a village

for our supplies,

and our

muleteers procured us a load of snow, which was

coming from Kauzeroon.

good fresh

We

figs,

We

got also some pretty

and some indifferent melons.

mounted

at

six,

and proceeded

at

round pace through the valley of Kemarij.

a good
I ob-

served a path along the rocks on our right hand,

which leads

to

difficult cut,

only used in troublesome times, or by

Kauzeroon by a shorter but more

foot messengers.

As we
*

proceeded through the valley I remarked

Keraer means a narrow ledge over a precipice.

p2

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

212

caper-bushes in great

broom on

quantities,

the

the large milk-wort before mentioned, and

rocks,

some small

trees.

At

tered the defile of Tenj

the end of an hour

i

Turkoon

we

en-

at the entrance is

a neat square tower with a small guard, the pass

being occasionally rendered dangerous by the incursions of the

Mamasenni Koords.

families of

them transporting

We

met some few

their effects on cows,

The

which

is

pass

a narrow winding ravine encumbered by loose

is

almost a characteristic of Koords.

ruinous-looking stones.

and the rocks and earth

It is

rise

only a few yards wide,

from each

side,

among which

studded with a few bushes,

and are

I noticed

In Koordistan the ravine would have

the broom.

been the bed of a

little

stream instead of the road,

which would have led along one of the sides of the

cliff,

but the scarcity of water in

them

avoid

to

precipitous

about an hour, mostly on the

to widen,

left.

At twenty minutes
we

a guard-house, where

The guards were

to

know

I
:

descent,

and we had the Shapour

began

as usual.

Persia enables

After winding

roads.

very

we

past eight
alighted

civil,

pass

the

river

on our

arrived at

to take

coffee.

but terrible beggars

have ascertained a point

much wished

the river of the bridge near Daulekee

is

not the Shapour river, but comes from Pamar, seven

farsakhs from Kauzeroon.

one

we saw

throughout

The Shapour

near Khisht, and

its

course.

guard-house here, which

We
is

is

river

drank some

close

is

the

excellent water

by the

at

the

river,

and

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
found

it

very good.

obtained this

213

prosing,

generally from two

scrap of

little

information after enduring a horrible

quantity of

or three Persians at

once.

We

mounted again

at nine,

and descended by a

gentle slope into the valley of Kauzeroon, leaving

the Shapour river on the

Shapour

left.

is

one

far-

sakh from the guard-house, but over a very bad

The

road.

valley or plain of

Kauzeroon

wide as that of Sulimania, but

between two parallel long

like

is,

The

hills.

not so

is

enclosed

it,

plain has

formerly been well cultivated, and there are remains

of

many

water-courses, some of which have left very

ugly holes in the very centre of the road, which

must be very dangerous

in

One hour

dark nights.

from the guard-house we passed the ruined village

of Dirriz, at which place the road from Kauzeroon
to

Shapour branches

off,

which

about two farsakhs

is

off.

I propose, however, to defer

place

till

we have

At twenty minutes
Kauzeroon, or rather
posed to lodge, near

past

at the

it.

twelve

Although

the usual scene

town^ where

it

all

we

arrived

at

all this

had been

we found on our

awaiting

talking and no one listening, and

baggage had been

that

visit to

garden where we pro-

long ago previously arranged,

arrival

my

cooler weather.

us,

of every one

we found

that the

taken to the Khan's house in

was proposed

to lodge us

and

all

remonstrances only produced increased noise

one seemed inclined to take any steps about

it.

our

no

At

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

214

when

last,

they fourxd

we were

resolute in keeping

our station at the garden, they condescended after

incessant talking to go after our baggage, part of

which was brought

we

morning, when

to us

about two o'clock in the

The Persians

got to bed.

are

the most noisy, immoveable, and dilatory people I

ever met with.

Kauzeroon

is

under the east

been a large town, but

has

of

line

is

now

hills,

and

ruinous and

desolate, and, with the exception of the governor's

house,

a very dismal-looking place.

is

were destroyed by Jaafer

parts

The ram-

Khan Zend,

governor of Shirauz, on account of rebellion.

population

is

July ^Oth.

we

said to be about

It

10,000

the

The

souls.

was nine o'clock this morning before

could procure the remainder of our baggage from

the town, and

and

night before

We

we

experienced the same dilatoriness

terrible talking

we

we had been

subjected to last

could obtain any of our supplies.

here lose the turban, and the black cap com-

mences.

We

have

binger of heat.

still

the

date-tree,

Kauzeroon pays

20,000 tomauns annually.

The

to

that

har-

government

staple produce is

tobacco, and the so-much-esteemed Shirauz tobacco

The inhabitants are reckoned

They speak a very curious
dialect, which contains many words of old Persian.
There is a famous Zor Khaneh or wrestling-house
grows

in this district.

hospitable to strangers.

here,

and most of the inhabitants of the town are

Pehlivans, or wrestlers.

This

is

the burial place

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
of the Shahzadeh

who was

Hamza, the son

215

Imaum Mousa,*

of

defeated and killed here in an insurrection

against the Caliph.

Our

and, what was

ordinary, they wanted to

However,

staying.

my

suited

we

Kauzeroon men, were

muleteers, being all

very loth to start

more extra-

still

make me pay

neither

staying

for

nor

their

paying

views, and so with a great deal of trouble

got them off at seven.

We

skirted the ruins of

Kauzeroon, which are very considerable, and kept

near the

hills,

passing

many water-channels and

We

ex-

had an alarm of

tensive

ruins of villages.

thieves,

and one of our guides saw the light of a

matchlock

in the distance,

the baggage for

march brought us

its

which made us keep near

protection.

to a

Two

hour's slow

causeway of about 400 yards,

over a very wet morass, which was full of shrubs,

and seemed

where

it

to extend far

on the right and in

terminated in a lake.

causeway the

cliffs

the

front,

end of the

formed a sharp, high,

retiring

rocky promontory and

At

bay,

the

area of which

ascends gradually over a stony road, to the foot of

the so-much-talked-of Kutal
the Dokhtar.

Aushanek,

^also called

Arrived at the foot of the rock, the

road seemed to terminate

the black

before appeared not so formidable,

clif,

which had

now hung

per-

pendicularly beetling over our heads, and seemed to

bar

all

further progress.

Dante's rock of Purgatory

The seventh Imaum of the family of Ali, supposed to have been

CaUph Haroun Al Rashid in the year 183 of the

poisoned by the
Hejira.

Ed.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

216
came

my

forcibly to

The

recollection.

however, to ascend the face of this

road begins,

cliff,

which

is

diversified

with projecting fragments of rock and

trees often

overshadowing the road.

to the place where the road

built

up with

buttresses,

for three or four

We

wholly

is

soon came

being

artificial,

and paved and broad enough

mules or a carriage, the

levels

and

turns being as well managed as they could possibly

be, considering the perpendicular

they are allowed.

It is

alarm to the most timid

so

and narrow space

managed
I

traveller.

as to give no

never saw such

This Simplon of

a work in any part of the East.*

Persia seemed to afford some fine views, and

pose to myself

much

my

daylight, on

pleasure from inspecting

At

return from Shirauz.

purit

by

the top

we

crossed over to the east face of the ridge, along

which we proceeded, among bushes and dwarf oaktrees, to a plateau, from whence we descended a few
hundred paces

to

a guard-house.

We

arrived at

half-past eleven, and stopped here about an hour to

refresh om-selves

and our animals

Avhen,

again

mounting, we continued to descend by an excellent

road into the valley of Desht

Ber, which, as well as

could judge by the light of night, seemed well

wooded,
as

is all

it

Zengoon.
at a

said to be

much

infested with lions,

Khoneh

After having passed through the valley

good round pace, we began to ascend again

This

Kelb

is

the country hereabouts as far as

fine road of the

AH Khan,

Dokhtar has been thoroughly repaired by

the present Governor of Kauzeroon, and looks quite

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

217

another ridge by a very stony road, whicli was car-

up the slope of the mountain without much

ried

winding or any precipices.

We

met a caravan of Arab pilgrims from the

East or Shiyyah Coast of the Persian Gulf, returning

from Meshid.*

The mountains were wooded with dwarf oaks and

to twelve feet high.
The
night air was so sharp as to make us long anxiously
to be housed.
However, we no sooner reached the
with broom from ten

top of the ascent than another

it.

At

last,

summit

rose beyond

we

reached the

continuing to ascend,

caravanserai at three in the morning.

It is situated

under a high summit, and

is

soldier.

found an oak

in the centre

room

fire

burning

or divan, where

we

kept by a

We

of the open

took up our quarters.

On

entering the caravanserai an old mule was produced,

and the guard

and
give

it is

it

" This

said,

is

dedicated to Kerbela,

a suab, or a holy deed, for every muleteer to

This caravanserai

a handful of barley."

* Meshid,

which

in

Arabic means the place where a martyr

is

is

tomb of Imaum
Reza, who was the eighth Imaum of the family of Ali, and was named
Reza, or him in whom God delights, by Al Mamoun, the Caliph of
Bagdad, who declared him his successor, in hopes by that means of

buried,

is

a place of pilgrimage in Khorassan to the

putting an end to the disturbances in the provinces caused by the

friends of the family of Ali.

The Caliph

was, however, not only dis.

appointed in his hopes, but had to encounter resistance in his own

family

and, had not

Mamoun was
Imaum Reza

in
is

Imaum Reza

died,

it is

suspected by poison, Al

danger of being driven from the throne himself

supposed

body of mystics called

to

have been among the founders of that

in Persia the Sooffees.

the Hejira 203, of the Christian era 818. Ed.

He

died in the year of

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

218
called Peer
i

Zen, and the pass before us Kutal Peri

Zen, many parts of

that the sea

We

are fine

Avhicli

and they say

discoverable from the summits above us.

is

had fortunately brought our supplies with us

from Kauzeroon,

for

nothing whatever was to be had

here.

July

Z\st.

The weather

is

We

delightfully cool.

peak from which the sea

find that the

to

is

be seen

not the one behind the caravanserai, but one

higher,

which

is

yet

some way

We

off.

much

marched

at

ten minutes past six, continuing the ascent without

interruption,

which now became steeper but not

pitous, nor did the road

some

fine

At

across the road.

summit, and had a

spring of

eight

hours, and

is

Zen from
prettily

little

above

water running

we were

nearly at the

we had

The whole

ascent

the bottom occupies three

wooded.

summits appeared around

of the road, which

preci-

There were

view of the country

fine

and of the Lake Perishoon.

of the Peri

left

much.

hawthorn and oak-trees, and a

the caravanserai a fine

left

\vind

is,

Many much

us, especially
I believe,

We

higher

one to the

the same from

now

continued

pretty level for a short time between the

two sum-

which the sea may be

mits,

among woods

seen.

of very large hawthorn-trees, and

oaks of the small-leaved

kind.

noticed in

place that a kind of wall of rock had been

pletely cut

down

into a

dently by a torrent.

narrow gap or passage,

There had most

likely

one

comevi-

been a

lake between these two summits, which had in this

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
manner emptied

itself

down

219

the precipice that the

wall of rock had defended.

We now

began

to descend

by a pretty steep road,

rendered troublesome by loose stones, but

still

among

woods, which gave out a most fragrant odour

pleasant brook
the plain of

numerous
plain

murmured on our

Desht

Arjoon was rendered cheerful by

One end

of the Eliauts.

fires

and before us

left,

of this

was occupied by a lake and a very extensive

morass, famous for wild hogs, one of which trotted

and we heard a
we were told profrighten away the hogs.

very deliberately across our path

great shouting

all

around, which

ceeded from the Eliauts to

Francolins are said to abound hereabouts, and there

are

many

lions,

which the natives maintain are quite

The

harmless, through the blessing of Ali.

at the

Eliauts

morassy end of the plain are Arabs of the

Maddeni tribe

and the Persians

them Gameshi,

call

from their principal wealth consisting

in buffaloes, of

which they have prodigious numbers.

We halted

The

nine to take coffee.

at

so intense as to be very disagreeable, yet

much

troubled with

large

cold

was

we were

venomous musquitoes.

After resting about half an hour,

we proceeded

at

rapid pace along a fine level road over a verdant

country, with the hills close on our
at the village of

Desht

Arjoon

left,

at eleven

march having been four hours and

though the stage
fore

coming

is

to the

we

the actual

fifteen minutes,

called three farsakhs.

village

and arrived

Just be-

crossed some pretty

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

220
brooks

among

trees,

We

morrow.

which spot

were lodged

propose to

visit to-

in a private house,

and

found a Avarm room very agreeable.

August

\f>t.

We walked

The

plain

saw

are about a quarter of a mile

verdant.

beautifully

is

to the springs Ave

off.

last night,

One

which

fine spring

bursts from the rock, and at once becomes a considerable stream,

by some subordinate ones

assisted

which spring from the ground and rocks

and even from the root of a
covers the principal spring.

tree.

close by,

wild fig-tree

The water

is

like liquid

and flows through a beautiful grove of

crystal,

plane and willow-trees.

dedicated to Ali.

It

fine

a lovely spot, and

is

They show a

slab

is

on which four

made by the feet of All's

who was brought here by a miracle, and killed
The temperature of the spring was 58
a lion.
holes are said to have been

horse,

that of the air at the

past ten A.M.,

The

cliffs

was

same time, in the shade,

above have partly been shaped by

and some caves hollowed

In one of these caves

was a mat, and a lamp burning, as

There were two

holy place.

Cufic and the other in Persian

This spot

is

art,

out, Avhere the rock is seen

to be very fine white marble.

obliterated.

at half-

73.

it

was reckoned a

inscriptions, one

in

but they were almost

a favourite resort of the Ali

Ullahees,* especially the Nanakeli Koords, of Avhom

*

The same

sect as is

known

in Tui'key by the

name

of Tchiragh

Sonderens, or extinguishers of the light; of whose opinions httle or

nothing

is

known.

Ed.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

many

there are

hereabouts,

who

are principally of

Desht Arjoon, or more properly Desht

that sect.

Arjen, or the Plain of the Birch,

to the Eliauts, but

We

221

is

principally

left

might be very highly cultivated.

saw large droves of very

fine cattle

scattered

about, and procured some delicious butter at the village,

which

turn, Dr.

and found

We

is

Tod
it

On

the only one in the plain.

our re-

tried the temperature of boiling water,

to

be 197^.

mounted

at half-past

the afternoon,

five in

and proceeded diagonally across the head of the

plain,

having the

on our

hills

hand.

left

which

We

close

it

now began

on the north
again a very

gentle ascent^ and had a fine view of the plain,

has

On

which

the appearance of having been once a lake.

all

the hills above us

we

observed

many

fine-looking

We continued winding among

vineyards.

which were covered with

the

hills,

trees

and bushes, wild

cherry-trees, pears, hawthorn, and

many others which

I did

not recognise: the ride

was quite

Flocks of red-legged partridges crossed

beautiful.

our road,

and scarcely deranged themselves on our approach.

We

saw one hare, and the people

told

us that

neighbourhood.

My

mule was very startlish the whole evening.

descended by a long, but good road, into the

We

there were

many

lions

in this

valley

of the Karaghatch, a stream which comes from the

north and runs towards Firouzabad, as our guide

told us.

It

must occasionally be a very considerable

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

2*22

In every glen we perceived the

torrent.

fires

of the

Eliauts.

The
above
a

planet

beautiful in the

of the west, and the

shone with a peculiar silvery

it

little after

civil

Venus looked most

pearly sky

clear,

light.

moon

just

We halted

seven, and received a visit from

two very

and intelligent men from one of the neighbour-

They

ing encampments.

told us they

Koords of the Lak Nation

of their
for the

tribe, of

summer

were Nanakeli

that the principal part

about 1000 tents, was encamped

in these valleys

and that their chief

resided at the court of the Prince of Shirauz.

the winter they go towards a

warmer

country.

In
It is

only two years since the bulk of the tribe came from
Telieraun, where

it

formerly was, and the change

They

not agreeable to them.

is

say the pasturage does

not agree with their sheep, which die very fast here.

They were acquainted with our Koordistan, and

said

some of

their tribe

were

there.

different

from that of the Bebbehs.

to their tents,

could under-

was a little
They invited us

stand their Koordish perfectly, though

it

and promised us an excellent supper of

stuffed lamb.

We

mounted again

at

and, after proceeding a

Karaghatch,

we

forded

twenty minutes past eight,

little
it

way

in the valley of the

at a place

where

it

divides

into three streams.

We
an

now ascended

easterly

into a little higher ground, in

direction,

and continued

still

among

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

223

woods along an excellent road, going as

mules could amble

we

and

at ten

We

on entering which

we

the

Khoneh Zen-

arrived at the miserable village

goon

fast as

minutes before ten

crossed another stream.

put up in the caravanserai, which was a very

dirty

one,

but rendered less disagreeable by the

sharpness of the night

air.

The march had been

three

hours and thirty minutes, called three farsakhs.

August 2nd.
here,

At

We

had some milk and

which were nearly equal

ten minutes past five

to those of

we mounted,

butter

England.

and, keeping

the Karaghatch river close on our right, proceeded

over a country consisting of open downs covered with

bushes only

wood having now disappeared),

(the

affording excellent cover for game, which

digious abundance

is

in pro-

the partridges crossed our road

The country was diversified into hill and

we were very visibly on the descent during
the greater part of the way.
At ten minutes past
eight we halted to wait for the baggage, which the
in flocks.
dale,

but

rapidity of our progress

and

at twenty-five

had thrown

minutes to ten

the rear

far in

we

again mounted,

and descended over a worse road than that we had

hitherto pursued.

After crossing a

little

stream

soon came to a more considerable one, which

forded at the ruins of a bridge.
that all the waters hereabouts

ably decreased.

our

left,

We

we
we

The guide remarked

had of

late

consider-

kept the valley of the stream on

the road being rather rocky and precipitous

and in half an hour's march we came

to the

Rahdar

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

224

Tchinar, a bridge over the

narrow by the
escape

it

and the

hills

and through

We

five

The

pass

river, so that

nothing can

whence it is distant about

Rahdar at twenty-

arrived at the

minutes past eleven, and halted

midnight,

till

again, and proceeded with great

we mounted

Avhen

is

rendered

is

this pass is the entrance into

the plain of Shirauz, from

eight miles.

where there

river,

guard, or rather custom-house.

rapidity along a fine level road

till

we reached

the

neighbourhood of Shirauz, and, passing by some gar-

we

dens,

arrived at the one destined for our recep-

tion at ten minutes before

was

called the

two in the morning.

Jehan Numa.

old acquaintance

We

IMajor Litchfield,

found here

who

It

my

received us

most hospitably.

Our
first
it

last

halted

march
;

two

called four farsakhs to

Rahdar, and two

nearly thirty miles.

is

forty minutes

that

is

to the

doing

The Jehan Numa

most

at

Akbar.

it,

were

where we
Shirauz

six hours

and

going generally very rapidly

hard as the mules could amble.

as

is,

We

to

is

close to the Hafizia,

the entrance of the pass

It is a

of Tenj

and

al-

Allah

square enclosure of about two hun-

dred yards each side, the area being laid out in two
cross alleys,
trees;

and

or four walks, bordered with cypress-

in the centre is a

Koola Frenghi, or small

building like a polygonal tower, in the middle of

which

is

a cross hall and fountain, the upper corners

being formed by small rooms.

small canal of

water, occasionally set in motion, trickles

down

the

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
centre of the principal alley, and

225
received by a

is

tank or reservoir at the gate, over which

honeh or elevated open

a

hall

but

all is

is

now

a balakin rather

Advantage has been

tattered, tarnished condition.

taken of the declivity of the ground to form a subordinate garden in front of the great one, sunk below
it

about twelve

Between them

feet.

were

it

finished with a balustrade.

The garden

of the Hafizia

about one hundred

is

yards from the terrace of the Jehan

left

hand, looking to Shirauz.

into

two enclosures, one a

Numa, on

It is small,

little

open on both

upper division
is

is

consists of a

and some small rooms.

sides,

the

and divided

lower than the other,

by the building or summer-house, which

hall

a fine ter-

is

which would look very well

race, in the Italian taste,

The

a burying-ground, and in the centre

the tomb of Hafiz covered with a fine slab of

Tabreez marble, as
poet's cut

on

it,

is

called,

is

The lower

Kerim Khan.
Shirauz

it

with an ode of the

which was executed by command of

a pretty

little

cypresses and poplars in

which

division,

faces

wild garden, with a few

The Hafizia had been

accommo-

it.

assigned by the Prince of Shirauz for our

Koola Frenghi

dation

field's

garden was vacant,

but, as the

we

in

Major Litch-

preferred accepting his

kind invitation and remaining with him.

Almost
was once

all

the cypress-trees, for which Shirauz

so celebrated,

The Jehan Numa

them

though

has

seem

still

its

to

have disappeared.

walks bordered with

do not think they are such

fine trees

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

226

as those at Constantinople,

and there are a few

tered about in different places

may be

ceptions, they

They

scat-

but, with these ex-

said to have been destroyed.

are frequently cut up for

common

carpentry,

door and window- frames, as one of the Persian attendants told me.

Indeed the

little

wood there

is

in

they say is fast disappearing.

Persia

The Prince of Shirauz

now

is

repairing his gar-

den-house adjoining to the Jehan Numa, and for

wood-work he has cut down some very

trees planted

which

is

by Kerim Khan

in the city.

in the

fine plane-

Bagh

Vakeel,

informant, though a ser-

INIy

vant of the Prince's, spoke of this with evident regret, as also of the destruction of

Kerim Khan's Hall

of Audience, for the sake of the stones, porphyry

pillars,

like

&c.

The Kajars have

It is surprising
is

not built anything

it.

how

the

memory

revered at Shirauz.

still

have been something

in the

Kerim Khan

of

There

man who

certainly

must

could so long

secure the grateful recollection even of Persians.

Provisions in abundance were brought to us, consisting of very fine mutton,

tables of different kinds

and badinjans

excellent bread, vege-

and among

them

nolecole

some of the best nectarines

I ever

tasted out of England ; pears, apples, and indifferent

plums

and

almonds,

large

black

mulberries.

Peaches are just coming

in,

Grapes are not yet

nor are the pistachios and

walnuts yet

ripe.

in,

The

and promise to be good-

best grapes are called Rish

2^7

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
Baba, and are
luscious, but

understand,

August

white,

are

said

and

small,
to

want

oblong,

flavour,

6th.

garden

the general fault of the grapes here.

is

Walked

in the evening to the gar-

den of the Haft Ten, or seven bodies, which

to the

very

which,

we

is

close

inhabit, adjoining the mountain, or

We passed on our way the

rather, bare rOck.

small

garden and convent of dervishes of the Tchehal Ten,

The

or forty bodies, which adjoins the Haft Ten.

latter is so called

from containing the bodies of seven

whom

holy men, about

could
liarly

venerated by the

other

graves were

garden,

the guardian of the place

us nothing more than that they were pecu-

tell

which

cypress-trees,

old fir-tree.

is

small,

is

The

thickly

among which we
I

Many

Nanakeli Koords.

about theirs.

set

court

with

or
old

noticed one very fine

have seen several others of the same

kind, though of inferior size, in the neighbouring

gardens, which proves that they succeed here.

The apartments
by two

fine stone

had the bad

flower-pieces.

consist of an open hall, supported

pillars in front,

taste to

which they have

daub over with paintings of

There are

also

some small side-rooms;

but these quarters, though sometimes assigned to

travellers,

cannot be agreeable, from their closeness,

and the funereal appearance of the

was blowing through the

The wind

court.

cypress-trees,

and made a

melancholy murmuring, like the distant noise of the

sea on a sandy beach.

The

walls of the talar or open hall were bedaubed

q2

228

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
and

in fresco,

end was a portrait of Hafiz

at each

and Sadi, very coarsely done.

ever, has
trait

my

of him in

and white

fine por-

possession, but the beard

They

was informed by our guide, who

said they were painted in

August 1th.

Went

den adjoining ours.

contains

smaller rooms

long

is

that of Sadi has only whiskers.

are not ancient, as I

and

That of Hafiz, how-

something of the character of the

Kerim Khan's

time.

to see the Prince's

This

three kiosks,

new

favourite

his

is

gar-

retreat,

each accompanied

by

one ordinary one at the gate, a finer

one in the centre, and the

of

all

at the top of

the garden, which slopes downwards.

Before the

upper hall

which

is

finest

a tolerable large reservoir of water,

is

conducted down the centre of the garden in

a narrow stream studded with

little

jets-d'eau,

and

bordered with young plane and poplar-trees.

The

paintings in the kiosks are in bad taste and

exe-

ill

cuted, and the gilding and ornaments are coarse and

glaring.

There

is

one ridiculous representation of

the king in full court receiving an English ambassador,

who

is

represented in a suppHant posture.

The

drawing and the costume are both quite ludicrous.

Those kind of sand-spouts,

or whirlwinds,

are called in India, Devils, are very

common

which
in the

plain of Shirauz, and often present a very curious ap-

pearance,
at

when

ten or twelve of

them may be seen

once in different places, rising into the air like

huge columns.

They

are generally seen

commenc-

ing by rising out of the earth with violence, like a

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

229

burst of smoke from a volcano, and gradually ex-

The

tending themselves upwards.

people here say

that they are not formed at night, or in the early

morning, or evening.

August

Wtli.

At

have just pitched a

the end of our terrace they

little

tent and planted a flag as a

rendezvous for those who wish to go on a pilgrimage

Meshid

in

Khorassan, for which place a caravan

sets out in a

day or two, and intends going and re-

to

turning in two months.

August

I2th.

By

an

made

experiment

this

morning the walls of Shirauz are exactly an hour's

ride round, at a moderate pace
possible, three

that

is,

as nearly as

The

and a half English miles.

walls

are built of unburnt brick, except the towers at the

which are of burnt brick

gates,

but, being neatly

built

and kept in good order, they have not a bad

effect

from a distance.

They

are only intended for

musketry, and have loop-holes near the top, besides

the battlements, with places meant to

upon the enemy when

ditch

is slight,

vated.
full

The

and

in

fire

down from

at the foot of the wall.

many

area of the city

places
is

new

it

The

is culti-

of an irregular form,

of houses built very close together, so that the

population must be considerable for

its size.

August I5th. ^The fine climate of Shirauz had

so much invigorated me and my people, and the
weather had now become so much cooler, that I determined to avail myself of the bright moon which
Avas shining, since

we must

still

travel

by night, to

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

230

my

on

set out

intended

visit to

the ruins of Persepolis

and Nakshi Rustum.

We

accordingly

left

Jehan

the

Allah Akbar, about half a mile

which

an opening in the

is

Numa

at half- past

and proceeded to the pass of Tenj

six in the evening,

closed by a gateway,

range of

hills, is

which was now under

in a very

and indeed rebuilt

This pass,

distant.

first

good

repair,

at the ex-

style

pense of Zeki Khan, the present Vizir of Shirauz.

very large copy of the Koran, called the Haft-

mun,

is

kept here

which

is

in the handwriting of

Sultan Ibrahim, the son of Sharokh,

the son of

to be deposited in a

room above

Tamerlane.
the

It

is

new gateway,

have the

felicity

of Shirauz

from

is

that all comers

of passing under

may

and goers

it.

The

best view

this spot.

After passing through a ravine closed by a ruined

we

aqueduct
range of

hills

ing much.

turned

north,

on our right
little

keeping the principal

our road, however, wind-

above, the waters of the Rukneh,

or Ruknabad, were brought from the

little

left

in

some

channels contrived for irrigation, which were

generally conducted along the sides of the hills that

bounded our road on

either hand.

Having, in the progress of our

though gradual ascent,

intricate,

reached the

pass,

winding,

we

de-

scended by a long and steep road to a guard-house

called the

Rahdar

and halted
bright,

for

Bajgah, where

half an

hour.

we arrived at nine,
The moon shone

and the night was quite delightful.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

We now crossed a

231

two miles

valley about

each side of which were high mountains

over, on

and, after

passing over a lower part of the mountains,

scended again between

hills,

we

de-

and reached the plain

of Zergoon, which was well cultivated with cotton

and the

We

castor-oil plant*.

about half-past twelve, which

town, defended by a

mud

is

arrived at Zergoon

a long but narrow

wall on the west side, and

situated at the foot of a line of bare

running

rock

north-west

nearly

and covering the town on the

all built

mud

of

east.

and shattered

and

south-east,

The

houses were

but among them there seemed some

good ones covered with a neat, thick reed-thatch,

August

\^th.

We were

Persian musician.

number of
of them

flat

and terraced with a coating of mud.

at the top,

fine voices

trill

their voices

entertained to-day by a

have been struck with the

among

the Persians.

Several

surprisingly well, at the full stretch of

but they are so fond of this

appear while

they are

trill

as to

singing constantly in an

ague-fit.

We

left

Zergoon

at a quarter past

five

in the

afternoon, and proceeded for about half a mile in a

north-westerly direction, keeping the rocks at the

back of Zergoon on our

east, into a very

right.

We then turned north-

singular-looking plain, a& level as

the sea, except where in different parts ridges of rock

rise

from

it

and run along, generally in a north-

Called in Persian, Kenatoo, or Beedingeer.

232

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

westerly direction, often terminating as they began.

These rocks of marble,

with

and weather

oocide

stains, frequently perpendicular, especially the

and shivered so as

part,

upper

to look prismatic or columnar,

produced a most singular

One

effect.

of the lines

of these rocks looked remarkably like an inhospitable

This was the plain of Persepolis.

rocky shore.

We

proceeded at a rapid pace, and, as

we saw down some of

made by the lines of

along,
plain,

we

passed

the ramifications of the

rocks above mentioned,

numerous encampments of Eliauts, who hereabouts,

I

was informed, are of the Turkish

At

half-past six

we came

race.

to the river Araxes,

which we crossed by a bridge of two very high arches

and three smaller ones.

It is

dangerous torrent, and even

sometimes a deep and

now

the

considerable, though confined in a

It is

body of water

is

narrow channel.

sometimes called the Merdesht, and sometimes

the Col var- water, which are the names of the districts

through which
year

it

is

passes,

it

drawn

and

off for the

at this

season of the

cultivation of rice

and

cotton.

Just at the west end of the bridge commences a

line of rocks,

which runs up towards the north-west

three or four miles and then terminates.

met some

Eliauts,

who

had no appearance of
until eight,

Here we

called themselves Arabs, but

it.

We

when we mounted

halted at the bridge

again, and proceeded

very rapidly along the fine level plain of Merdesht

the latter part of which was intersected by water-

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
and

courses

and

cotton-fields;

233
some

observed

barley which had just been reaped.

We

now approaching

were

which had almost from

my

of

my

the

spot,

to

visit

childhood been the object

Gradually the pointed summit under

wishes.

which Persepolis stands began

the line of the mountains.

to detach itself

friend

who was

from

riding

by me, and who was well acquainted with these

teresting ruins, pointed and said, " Under that
;"

the ruins

and

at that

moment

the

moon

inlie

rose with

uncommon beauty from behind it.

At ten we arrived at a garden constructed by
Sheikh Ali Khan, a brother of Kerim Khan, all
now in ruins but there was a very good dAvellingplace over the gate, and here we took up our abode
for the night.
The line of the platform was discern;

ible,

and

I sat till

August
the

first

us,

and

many

17th.

midnight contemplating the

I arose before the sun,

spot.

and enjoyed

view of the ruins, which lay due east from

at

about the distance of a mile.

villages scattered about,

in ruins

camped

in

I observed

some of which were

and Eliauts of the Bazirri clans were envarious directions.

The

was Kinara, from whence came

largest village

several musicians

and entertained us with the favourite ballad of Kior

Oglou, which they performed very well.

The

people

of this village are of the Turkish race, and speak

that language.

the

asked one of them of what race

Bazirri clan was, and he answered that they

were Persian Eliauts, and spoke Taujik

(" Tau-

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

234
jik

Turkee bilmezler")

danisheiler

say by this that

Bellino

We

how

left

thought of thee at

on our

Naksh

little

after

five

Some

the rest

and

are

to

The

front and

retain a beautiful

still

of the heads are manifestly Arsacian,

all

Sassanian.

truly

Greek and two Sassanian

The

we came

Regib, in a nook which one might pass a

sides are sculptured,

polish.

five,

to the prolongation of the

thousand times without perceiving.

two

moment *

which we afterwards skirted along

hills,

right f.
i

this

to

Poor

the garden at twenty minutes to

and directed our course

Persepolis

meaning

was Persian they spoke.

it

There are one

inscriptions.

rocks in which these sculptures are

found

soon terminate, forming the side of a pass or valley

on the opposite

side of whichlies

Naksh.

Rustum,

under crags and mountains.

We pursued
ley,

our way up the right side of the val-

and soon came

to the

remains of a

a square castle, composed of elevated

ditch

was very

towers

all

city, or

rather

mounds

the

perceptible, as well as the traces of

round.

It is very evident that the river

which runs through the

valley

must

at

one period

have been divided into two branches, in order to

the ditch.

At

present

it

fill

runs only round the north

* Mr. Bellino (Mr. Rich's secretary), who had not long been
dead (see Rich's Residence in Koordistan, vol. ii. p. 126), was much
devoted to the study of Eastern languages, and this remark of the

peasant tended to confirm some of his theories. Ed.

+ I noticed a curious formation of bent strata of marble, as

if

centre had been elevated before the mass had become quite solid.

the

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
end of

this

235

ruined town, near the centre of which I

observed portals of very large stones, one column

still

standing, and remains of others scattered all about

which

besides

remarked that there were ruins on

the outside of the ditch

ground,

it is difficult

man

Turkish

and, from the nature of the

to say

where they terminate.

who was of the

me that this was

with us, named Sari Bey,

tribe called

Nefer, told

Istakhar, once the capital of the province of Fars.

He

said also that his tribesmen find quantities of

copper arrow-heads

Under the
village of

We

hills

all

about

among

the

hills.

town lay the

opposite this ruined

Hagiabad.

journeyed through the valley in a diagonal

direction towards the east*, crossed the little river,

and, about twenty minutes after seven,

refresh,

and

to allow the

quarter past eight

from the

baggage

we mounted

we

again

the

and rather warm, the night,

east,

rather cloudy.

halted to

At

to get on.

After continuing for a

wind was
too,

little

being

way

in

an easterly direction, we rounded the end of the

Nakshi Rustum range of

hills,

and turned up

to

the north-west, and into a valley which runs into

the larger one

we had

been a road over the

village of

just quitted.

Hagiabad, the distance would have been

abridged by perhaps more than

We

If there had

mountain from above the

now

half.

crossed the river, which

The

was

valley runs south east.

in this place

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

236
a

much more

accounted

many
our

for

considerable stream

from

its

we

off

below into

Keeping the

canals for irrigation.

left,

which may be

being drawn

river

on

proceeded up the rocky valley, which

sometimes grows narrower and sometimes forms bays,

now and

with

Some

then insulated rocks.

rocky and wild scenery was

fine, lighted

up

by the moon, which made the high, rocky

of the

as

it

hills

was

above

Nakshi Rustum appear even sublime.

At

ten

we ascended

a rock, or promontory, to

on the rock and

the village of Siwend, situated

under perpendicular

cliffs,

which must render

very disagreeable abode in summer.

found the village abandoned,

at their

summer

banks of the

To

quarters

river, at a place

this, therefore,

we

is

it

we

inhabitants being

in the valley

they

call the

on the

Baugh.

In

side.

the vicinity of

found abundance of red-legged partridges,

and wild

deer,

effect,

proceeded, descending the pro-

montory on the other

Siwend

all its

down

In

goats.

We arrived at the

Baugh, which

is

a very large

enclosed vineyard interspersed with poplar and fruittrees, at

about a quarter after eleven.

part of the stage

we had been

In the latter

detained nearly half

an hour by the stupidity and chattering of the Persians.

Our whole march, making allowances

stoppages,
I

was about four hours and

pitched

my

for

forty minutes.

tent under the walls of a garden,

and under the shade of a very

fine willow.

The people hereabouts complain much

of a fever

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLTS.
which
say

and which they attribute to the

prevails,

grapes, as

when

always appears at this season

it

happens, the sickness

is

hut they

same time, which sometimes

rains at the

it

belongs to

237

This village

always greater.

Aga Baba Khan

who speak
complain much

of Shirauz

and the

peasantry,

Persian,

of grievous extortions

they attribute

August

it all

I'&th.

to the

We

very

dialect
;

of

but

Kajar government.
the

left

and forded the

after four,

curious

Baugh

at a quarter

which we kept

river,

for

some time on our right. A promontory advancing

from the right of the valley seems as if it closed it

we found

up, but

there

that the valley rounded

south-easterly course

usual

its

was a great tendency

in very rocky places

the

river

there

and

to

again.

wood

it

and took

observed

hereabouts, even

in the level places near

were some

fine

trees

of willow,

mountain ash, &c.

We

again forded the

river,

which was here much

deeper, and very full of high bulrushes*.

The

village of

Siwend

originally stood hereabouts,

but was ruined by the Afghans.

The

valley or pass

Killalek,

or

Kilmun,

now expanded
on the

left

into the vale of

side

were high and precipitous rocks of a black

the foot of which gushed a

little

of which
colour, at

stream of very fine

water.

There

is

a road on the other bank which goes direct to Mor-

ghaub, distant about seven farsakhs.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

238

We

had with us a very curious fellow as a guide

a perfect original

he was,

however, very

intelli-

He

gent, and better behaved than most Persians.

told

me

Divs*,

He

number of anmsing

Mader

beyond Mader

me

rises at

it
i

concerning the

Suleiman, Jemshid's Defter, &c.

likewise informed

Pervar, that

stories

that this river

is

called the

Khoneh Kirgoon, one

stage

Suleiman, flows by Morghaub, and

Siwend or Baugh, by Nakshi Rustum, through the

and

plain of Merdesht,

This latter

and

in Loristan,

off in cultivation

rises at

is

entirely

at others, the surplus

or salt pool, from which salt

He

had seen himself

the

Khosrooi Shireen,

some seasons

at

the Bendameer.

falls into

he added,

river,

Sir,"

people.

" can't speak Persian, but speak Lori,

believe
is

They

it ?

call a

which he

had likewise been among

"These

Baktiyaris.

collected,

is

drawn

forms a lake

man

Mird,

said

he,

would you

and

to say he

gone, they say Ruee."

At ten minutes
ruins of a

before seven

on an

little fort,

centre of the plain,

originally stood,

we

artificial

where the

halted near the

mount, about the

village of

Kilmun

which was likewise ruined by the

Afghans.
In

many

parts of the plain I observed very consi-

derable collections of barley, which was being trod

The Mahometans

believe that before the creation of

world was inhabited by creatures

devils, called

by them Div

vellous histories.

Ed.

who were

Adam,

this

neither men, angels, nor

concerning whom they relate many mar-


JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
About

out.

at

half-past seven

we marched

twenty minutes past nine we arrived

were several well-looking gardens.

ants

at

made some

first

modating

difficulty

The

many gardens

and remains of Kareezes

it,

merly have been a large

we

There

Killalek at four.

left

about

or water-courses, by which seemingly

the village

inhabit-

about accom-

us.

August 19^A.We
are

again, and

at the miser-

Killalek or Kilmun, round which

village of

able

239

Soon

place.

it

must

for-

after leaving

entered a narrow rocky defile, through

which we wound

for

flock of partridges,

We

some time.

and soon

put up a large

emerged into a

after

undulating country, or plain interspersed with

fine

hills.

on the

was N. 20 W. As we
we saw the afternoon sun shining
Mesjid Mader i Suleiman.
I could perceive

on the

left

The

direction of our road

descended a slope

some ruins and

This was what

Not

was

pillars

under a

from us was a great encampment of Eliauts

far

they were Arabs

seemed

to

of the

Mezidi tribe

and camels.

observed where

it

We forded

stantly

at the

left,

Mesjid

Suleiman.

very venerable appearance of this ruin in-

awed me.

conception of
steps,

they

the river, and

goes off into a defile on the

and about half-past seven arrived

i

and

be very wealthy in immense droves of

sheep, cattle,

Mader
The

little hill.

so anxiously in search of.

it.

found that

sat

contemplating

it

had had no right

for near an

until the

moon

hour on the
rose

on

it,

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

240
and

tomb

began

to

think that this in reality must be the

of the best, the most illustrious, and the most

interesting of oriental sovereigns.

Mesjid

my

I pitched

Mader

Suleiman.

tent at a ruined caravanserai,

at

about two hundred yards N. 30 E. of the ruin*.

December 20th.

My eyes opened with the dawn

on the celebrated ruin

Before

which

breakfast I
lie

went

had come

so far to see.

to visit the furthest ruins,

about N. 70 E. of the caravanserai.

One

was standing

erect,

column, which was not

fluted,

but without

there were three pilasters,

or

immense

them were

its

capital

pieces of stone hollowed out,

inscriptions.

* The village
Morghaub about

on two of

Further south was another

of Kalai Bulverdi

N. 10 W.,

distant three miles.

E., not visible from the caravanserai, said to be

near two farsakhs distant.

241

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
and lower

pilaster,

seemingly unconnected with the

upon which was the beautiful and curious

others,

figure so very accurately

on

its

drawn by Sir Robert Ker

It is a mythological figure

Porter.

head

with six wings

cones like cypress-trees, above which

four times repeated.*

tion that is

a pair of ram's horns supporting three

is

is

an inscrip-

There are the

remains here of two lines of pilasters like a portico,

The

of white marble.

all

great extent of rubbish

about proves, I think, that there must have been

all

a town here.

think

can trace four different

sets

of buildings, and the taste does not in any part seem

Persepolitan.
I

ascended the

Takht

the

little hill

above these ruins, called

Suleiman, built into a platform with

large rough stones, faced with

enormous blocks of

white marble, cramped together with iron or lead, to

search for which they have everywhere broken large
holes at considerable trouble.

The

facing blocks are

cut rustically, with raised centres, and smooth lower

frames round them.

measured one, and found

it

to

be fourteen feet two inches long, by three broad, but

they are of different

sizes.

It is altogether a

very

grand work, and such as the natives believe could

only have been accomplished by Divs.
I
rest

next went to a ruin a

:

tions.

it

consisted of
I

huge

little to

the north of the

stones, without

any inscrip-

then returned to the caravanserai, which was

* See Plate 12.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

242

according to an inscription on

built,

700

it,

ruddeen

and the building of

among

great havoc

in the year

Khojah Bed-

of the Hejira, I believe by a

must have caused

it

the antiquities,

as

has been

it

Some men,

paved with large stones from the

ruins.

women, and camels passed us

of the Shahseven*

Turkish

They

tribe

said they

of the

went

Mesjid

(the

to the
i

his

fist.

falconers.

most interesting

Maderi

Suleiman).'}'

a perfect sarcophagus, placed on a pyramid,

It

is

all

of white marble.

The

There

on a cornice.
the marks

are

hawk on

were the Shahzadeh's

After breakfast
ruins

man had

each

of

is

top
little

is

arched, + resting

which

door, above

very correct taste,

a tablet in

which may have contained the celebrated inscrip-

The whole

tion.

cramped

man

is

of enormous blocks of stone,

just

together,

and they have in

Takht

like

the

like

manner bored

Sulei-

holes

The building is aligned N.

The little door is at the
55 E.

to get at the metal.

55

W.

by

S.

northern end,

and

easily conceive

how

is

the only

this building

be one piece formerly.

to

The

aperture.

inside

blackened with the smoke of lamps.

Or

can

may have appeared

is

small and

The Mahom-

King-loving.

f See Rich's Residence in Koordistan, vol. ii. p. 219.

It is quite evident that the roof has been arched, and

clear how, by the two side pieces

of the roof.

remains.

The

which remain above the

it is

even

first

layer

side pieces of the top are gone, only the centre

one

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
medans have been

243

at the trouble of cutting

an orna-

mented niche with an Arabic inscription

The

south-west face.

Glory of Stone-cutters.

made by

scriptions

entitles

artist

the

in

himself the

There are many Arabic

in-

One

above the steps.

visitors

person has cut a buttress, pincher, hammer, and

horse

another, a figure with a gun.

The pavement

of the

inside

is

two

pieces

marble, and

it

marble

pavement seems worn away as

water

the

is

if

by

holes are broken into the walls to get at the

cramps, of which two, nevertheless, are

suffered

more by

many

votive

follow

violence than

inside of the sarcophagus

feet

time.

they

observed

The dimensions

offerings.

Length, 10

left

This building has

are of iron, fastened with lead.

The

of

covered also with two pieces of

are

as

10 inches.

Breadth, 6 feet 10^ inches.

Height, 6 feet 10 J inches.

outside of the sarcophagus

The

Length, 20

feet

5 inches.

Breadth, 17 feet 2 inches.

Height, to the bottom of the cornice,

There are four

feet

layers of stone

1 1

feet.

the lowest

3 inches, the next smaller, the others

is

still

smaller.

The pyramid
are 1 foot 1

4 inches

the

has 6 layers

inches each
fifth

feet

the three upper ones

the fourth layer

is

3 inches, the sixth 5

r2

feet

feet


JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

244
inches.

This

last

one

composed of two

is

which do not project beyond each

one than

all

is

layers,

A lower

other.

The dimensions taken

still visible.

round the sixth layer, not counting the lowest, of

which the surface alone

follow

Length, 43

feet.

Breadth, 39
I

above the earth, are as

is

feet.

observed some broken small steps in front, but

question if they belonged originally to the building,

round which

is

square

inclosure,

and

shafts of

columns at regular intervals, I believe in their original places.

They were

effect of the

whole

is

plain and Doric

indeed the

At

very Grecian.

the south

corner was a burying- ground, and a well, which

now

On

dry.

ing out of the steps, and

This building, which

by Divs,

built

is

the south-west side was a bush grow-

hung with

said to be the

is

votive offerings.

believed to

is

have been

tomb of Beebee

Hanana, the wife of king David, and mother of

Solomon, called Um-un-Nebi.
have been conveyed into

might come near

We

left

half-past

saw

that

is

said to

no

man

it.

the Mesjid

ter past four,

Her body

the roof,

Mader i Suleiman at a quarat Kilmun or Killalek at

and arrived

seven.

in the pass

The

quantities

were prodigious.

flock of fifteen or twenty

of partridges

We

also

we

saw a

mountain goats, scaling the

rocks with surprising agility.

August

2\st.

Off

at a quarter after four,

on our

245

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
For

return to Persepolis.

shorter,

variety's sake, I resolved

by another road, which was said

to return

to be

though much worse, than the one by which we

had come

we crossed the plain to the hills on the

Kilmun or Killalek, distant about
and a half. The plain hereabouts was

so

opposite side to

three miles

and covered with the liquorice

quite uncultivated,

At

plant.

the foot of the pass over the hills

We passed

tumulus.

artificial

hawthorn, broom,

mountain ash,

&c.,

the

and a tree very

berries

was an

a good deal of wood,

which

of

the

like

are

eaten.

Quantities of partridges were to be seen and heard

in

Having crossed

every direction.

this hill,

we

entered into a chasm or gap in the mountains, where

no one would ever have thought of looking for a

road.

two perpendicular

lay between

It

cliffs

of

marble of very great height, was very winding,

and

rough,
single

difficult,

The

file.

clifi"s

and just broad enough for

were often curiously weather-

worn, and tinged with the

In

effects of oxidation.

one part I observed red ochre.

This pass, which

is

a mere rent or fissure, and in

which we continued near an hour,

i

Paroo.

It

opened

properly Farough,

called the

Tenj

at the village of Paroo, or

more

and

into the very fine valley

the Nakshi

turned a

We

Rustum

little

at seven

which

Pass,

is

is

o'clock

we came

the continuation of

and out of which we

higher up, on our

way

to

Siwend.

halted here until ten minutes to eight, and

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

246

then marched again close along the east boundary

As we

among

got

cultivated grounds

frequently to inquire our way,

we

did not arrive at our

halt for the night, at the village of Seidoon,

minutes to ten, though

hills.

and stopped

till

ten

properly only one hour's

it is

march from Farough.

Seidoon

a fine village, close under the east

is

hills,

with very extensive and excellent gardens, producing,

I

was

very fine fruit around

told,

We

it.

were

lodged in the mosque, which had the recommendof being

ation

warn

very clean.

travellers against

would

particularly

some very dangerous

pits in

the neighbourhood of this village, which need particularly to be guarded against in night marches.

August 22nd.
came

to

the

We

river

mounted

at four,

which we

Pervar,

and soon

forded.

It

comes down the valley of Siwend, and, crossing our

makes a sweep

road,

to the left,

then crosses our

road back again, and flows near Nakshi Rustum.

After fording

it

again

we came

to our ancient city,

which our present guide called Salkh or Istakhar,

passing this time between

We

came

first to

it

and the

hills

on the

left.

the remains of a gateway, com-

posed of enormous stones

hence, rounding the point

and passing by Nakshi Regib, we arrived about

half-past

by the

staircase.

before

six at Persepolis,

and

I pitched

my

tent

side of the first portal, at the top of the fine

it

took a hasty walk round the

became

quite dark,

ruins

and afterwards when

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
the

moon

rose I again

The

effect

of the moonlight was very

upon the

247

wandered out among them.

fine, especially

portals.

August 2Srd.

In the morning

to visit the tombs.

In the

went

early I

first

were two sarcophagi

first

cut out of the rock, 9 feet 4 inches long, by 3 feet 10

The tomb

inches broad.
1 1 feet

mud

inch broad

itself

and

the platform by another.

cramps

to join

feet

filled

There was a

brought in by the rains.

closure round the whole,

was 21

was mostly

it

it

long by

up with

mud

in-

was separated from

I observed

marks of

iron

a piece of the rock, exactly as at

Cyrus's tomb.

The
priest

frontispiece

was very

fine

the figure of the

was rather squat and over-headed, but the exe-

cution of the whole was very beautiful.

tomb was

rally of the

same design

hand,

different

The

The second

a more ruinous condition, and gene-

in

as the first one, but

and / believe

priest is better sketched

in

is

more

it is

by

ancient.

the inside were

three alcoves, but no sarcophagi.

The

general view of the ruins

was grand

colonnade, in which fifteen columns were

ing, very fine

still

the

execution of the whole

portals at the landing-place

all

the

doors

what

the principal building rather

the French call ecrase, stuffed and very heavy

were conspicuous

modern

oriental buildings.

beautiful.

but

The

were much too narrow

were narrow:

defects

was

the

stand-

in

in

short,

these

as

The whole

the

same

prevail
ruin,

in

how-

248

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

ever,

of such of Sir R.

me

I recollect struck

was out

The

ruins.
first

The beauty and

extremely interesting.

is

fidelity

all

K.

Porter's drawings as

forcibly.

morning wandering about the

the

inscriptions

round the windows

in the

building going through the colonnade are

In

the same.*

many

parts of the ruins

it

all

may

be

seen that the enormous blocks of stone have been

hollowed out, to make them more transportable, as

at

Mesjid

The

Mader

plain in

Suleiman.

which these celebrated ruins stand

seems very favourable

age of a hundred

me

as having attained the

and there are many who

member Nadir Shah. These are

the appellation of Dour i Naderi.
August 24:th. I began copying
tions

More than one

to longevity.

person was mentioned to

re-

distinguished by

the three inscrip-

on the high

pilaster of a single stone in the

south-west corner of the ecrase building,f which

marked

in

incorrect copy has been published

I set a party to

the platform on

work

by Le Brun.

to clear out tlie south face of

which the above-mentioned building

stands, as there are three inscriptions on

row of
*

is

Niebuhr's plan,J of which a most

it,

and a

figures^ very perfectly preserved, from their

They pretend

that a Mullah, of the

name

of Karkhi,

made

out

the inscriptions.

t See Plates
$ Voyage

p. Ill, tab. 26.

13, 14, 15.

d' Arable, &c.,

par Niebuhr,

torn.

2nd,

p.

98, tab. 18,

Quarto.

They had on

fluted

Query

kaouks and quivers.

figures represent the troops called the immortals

do

these

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
having been under the rubbish.

249

There

nothing

is

Babylonian in the Persepolitan costume, which consists

of a loose dress, long and wide, tucked up on

one side into the

belt,

very loose wide sleeves, almost

as wide at the arm-hole as the waist

were thrown up

in action, leaving the

hung down

of the body bare, and

is

25th.

On

building G, whence

the

side

in folds behind.

See the figures of the man stabbing the

August

which

long,

arm and

pilaster*

lion,

in

&c.

Niebuhr's

copied the three inscriptions,

was a Persian Ghazel, subscribed by Sultan Ibrahim,

son of Sharokh, son of Tamerlane
Also a long one
!

Hebrew by some Jew.

in

Every

inscription in Persepolis, even the bits

the robes of the figures, are in the three kinds

line of each of the

two

lines of the

or in longer ones there

first,

last of

on
one

which expresses two

is

a line

of the second, and one less than that of the

less

third

or, if the

number

of lines

is

the same, those of

the second and third are shorter, and the letters wider.

The wedges

in the

third cross

those of the other

two never

or stop in the

is

third

.f

first

When

or Avindow, the

on the
*

The

left

first

each other, which

The

do.

in the second

an inscription
species

is

is

on the

separation
f

in the

round a door

top, the second

hand, running up, the third on the right,

opposite pilaster has disappeared.

+ In the third the

also

forms a component part of a

which the stops in the others do

second species.

not,

and

is

letter,

also part of a letter in the

250

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

running down.

speak as looking at the door.

was much struck with Grotefend's* sagacity.

There are no inscriptions on any of the buiklings
in the east quarter, or lowest part of the platform.

was much surprised

at the strange

spoken by some Arabs

dialect

was, however, intelligible.

called the Kishikjees,

but

met

corrupted

here,

They were

which

of a tribe

which encamps hereabouts

should never have distinguished them from the

other Eliauts.

They had much of

the deep guttural.

understand they are connected with or belong to

the

two

tribes here of the

Beni Jebbar and Beni

Sheiban.t

August

2^th.

On

the face of the platform

which Niebuhr's building

tions,J

which

G stands

I laid open,

on

are three inscrip-

and copied.

They

are

German, who applied himself to the deciphering of the arrow-

headed characters of Babylon and Persepolis. Ed.

f A book was brought me transcribed in a.h. 670, by a man who
entitles himself El Shebani El Facri, which proves the establishment
of the Sheibani Arabs in Fars at that period.
% See Plates 20,21, 22.
Niebuhr says, respecting
" L'edifice

this

building and the inscriptions,

G est du

moins de huit pieds plus haut que les colonnades.

II semble a proportion de sa grandeur avec celles des autres batimens
que celui-ci est fait le plus fort, et les murailles, ou plutot les fenetres
Comme le
et les fausses fenetres, sont aussi encore les mieux polies.
vent n'a point ici un passage aussi libre qu'auprcs des colonnades, 11 y
a beaucoup de poussiere dans cette edifice et autour, que le vent y a
ce qui fait aussi, que le fondement au cote meridional de
portee

l'edifice

n'a que deux et demi pieds de hauteur sur la terre.

voit encore

ici

les

poussiere, trois inscriptions, et divers ornemens.

moi

les

On

bonnets des figures, qui d'ailleurs sont couvertes de

Voyages de Chardin

et de la

Bruyn,

et

Si j 'avals eu avec
que j'eusse su ainsi

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
between a

Kacmklees,

line of

inscription,

Zend.

in

who

251

face to the centre

vacant and lower space

then occurs, after which a platform facing the north,

which apparently

had three

also

only the centre one

but

inscriptions,

the upper half of which

is left,

is

almost entirely defaced and disfigured with lichens

and weather stains; the lower half

was below ground

till

I laid it

standing building on this

is

open.*

perfect.

There

platform, which

It

no

is

is

the

southernmost.

Adjoining, on the

He

east,

is

Niebuhr's building

has copied the inscription of four lines, which

above the figure on the north portal, and

I.

is

I therefore

copied the one over that on the east portal. t

I also

collected the fragments of the robes, at least three of

them, the fourth in the western portal being too

In

destroyed. I

this building

pilasters facing each other

the other to the west,

building

so perfect

state

pilaster I copied

but

still

the one was to the east,

like

the one in Niebuhr's

and also with three

a

tablets,

the inscriptions on

much

were two high stone

but not in
the

west

the ones on the east are the same,

; <

more defaced.

In the eastern part of

this building is also a very

ruinous staircase, with figures, and the remains of

que mes predecesseurs ne
entr autres

ici la

cela est reserve a

p. 111.

les avaient pas dessinees, j'aurais fait oter

poussiere, et j'aurais tout dessine.

mes

successeurs."

Voyage

Actuellement
en Arabie, torn. 2d,

(Quarto Edition.)
*

See Plate

23.

% See Plate

19.

|
^

See Plate

18.

See Plates

16, 17, 18.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

252
three

but

inscriptions,

mutilated a state that

in

and

very shattered

so

was not worth while

it

to

copy them.

The

round the door-cases

inscriptions

building are

all

the same, and

in

this

the one given as a

is

translated specimen by Grotefend, at the bottom of

Zend cuneiform

his

also with those

An

G.

the blacking

visible, is

it

still

on the portal of

tions

I observe that the

eminent place.
the

the

other,

tablet

if

if side

by

if

same

has been

he put on

to be seen.*

The

it,

are all the same.

Zend always

occupies the pre-

Zend one

is

always

round a door or window,

side over a figure,
;

it

is

on his robes,

if

on the face of a platform,

in

it is

the upper

on the top

it is

it is

on the front

in the centre,

right hand, the

Zend

and consequently the

last
all

The

their order

is,

when

tablet is

order of the letters of

right.

it.

the course of the letters would seem to

prescribe otherwise, that

to

the one over the

with the figures on each side facing towards

Even when

to

inscrip-

If the inscriptions are one under

head of the king

fold

are the

inscription from the portal of

given by Niebuhr
render

They

alphabet.

round the windows of the building

the king

still

is

on the

over his head,

of the tablets, though the

the inscriptions

is

from

left

other two species always preserve

the third in the place

of least con-

sideration.

The

top of the inscription on the great sculptured

*

Niebuhr

visited Perscpolis in the year 1765.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
staircase is

gone

253

only tAventy-four lines of it remain,

and the upper ones of these are much defaced.

The

corresponding two tablets have been prepared for the

inscriptions, but

none have ever been engraved on

The Zend

them.

inscription, the only

one

left,

con-

In taking a ride yesterday evening, Mr. Tod

dis-

trary to the usual plan,

is at

the right hand.

covered in the rocks, at a short distance to the south

The

of the ruins, an unfinished royal sepulchre.

upper compartment, an altar and a figure, were

but no cave had yet been hollowed out.

finished,

The

stones had

been carefully cut away in large

On

blocks, as if intended to be used in building.

left

side

were two figures sketched and

hewn, but not terminated. To the north of the

towards Nakshi Regib, are some very small

All along the

caves.

and even close

hill,

ruins, are blocks of stone

some hewn

The

hewn
to the

some not

in a shattered state.

stones at Persepolis have evidently all been

cramped with
disappeared.
block,

down, but

ruins,

There are two

yet perfectly detached from the rock.

figures also lying

out,

the

roughly

it

iron, as

at

When there

Morghaub, but
has been a

has been carefully cramped

split

it

has

all

on a large

and where the

stone has had a flaw, or has not been of a due form

for the sculpture, a piece has

been added and neatly

fastened with iron.

The northernmost
is

its

of the eastern buildings, which

the largest and most magnificent, has had

northern face a colonnade or

portico,

at

with a

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

254
sphinx at
king, with

The

each end.
all his

here

sculpture

'is

guards drawn out, giving audience

an ambassador.*

to

The

people brought us some wild figs

about the

The

hills

fruit is

small,

many

but

grow

they

and among the walls of the

ruins.

of them were

well

tasted.

August

21th.

the inscriptions at

went

in

the morning to copy

The

Nakshi Regib.t

Seyid

finished copying the three tablets of the north wall

of the eastern portal, over the colossal sphinxes.

]|]

Those on the opposite or south wall of the same

The

are exactly similar.

inscriptions

on the west or

entrance portal are different from those of the east

portal,

and

The

but the same also on both the walls.

scriptions of the west portal

I fear I shall

to

me

portals, but

in order to

as,

in-

be copied;

go away without effecting

would gladly have copied both

will not allow

remain

still

this.

my head

accomplish

it,

However, the Seyid was

must mount on a ladder.

accustomed to hear much from Bellino about cunei-

form inscriptions, and

my own

have exercised him, under

eye, to help me.

In Mr. Rich's Journal this sentence is preceded by an N.B. so

it does not appear certain whether it is connected with the preceding one or not, or whether the sculptures here described are meant
;

that

to refer to the building just before mentioned, or to

merely inserted here by way of memorandum.

cided by some traveller

t See Plate
I

when on the

spot.

En.

some

other,

and

This can only be de-

$ See Plates 24, 25, 26.

copied the high inscriptions by means of a telescope fastened

staff.

12.

to

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
have

now

copied

that I can

all

there remains

of future antiquarians the three

for the diligence

tablets over the first sphinxes

case,

255

on the top of the

stair-

and the Sassanian and cuneiform inscriptions

Nakshi Rustum.

at

The

platform

of a very irregular figure, with

is

This

numberless juttings out.

from

arises

the

builders having accommodoted themselves entirely to

the natural

which greatly injures the

hill,

Indeed the whole system of building

broken into parts

have ever been

to

whole, though some parts

cially the

colonnade

'

too

is

effect.

much

grand as a

may have been

so

espe-

but in'others the proportions are

both small and heavy, proceeding from the disproportionate application of vast materials,

which

is

after

The natural hill has in some

been hewn down, as may be seen at the south

a foolish ambition.*

all

places

face of the upper platform

descends from

hewn

it

out of the natural

staircase,
is

which

likewise

hill.

had a troublesome and roundNakshi Rustum, on account of the

In the afternoon
about ride to

and the

to the great platform,

number of canals and water-courses, derived from

river Pavar, in the valley

very disagreeable,

muddy

The mountains on
defile of the

the

and some of which were

fords.

the northern boundary of the

Pavar river form a wing of stupendous

perpendicular
* Nevertheless
little

cliffs,

we ought

which gradually slope

to

be grateful to them for

or nothing of these ruins would have been

left,

have had no specimen of the ante-Alexandx-ian age.

it,

off to a

as otherwise

and we should

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

256
point

and on

this point,

extremity of the

which

is

The most remarkable

Rustum.

the westernmost

defile, are the sculptures

of Nakshi

objects are four

tombs of kings of the ante-Alexandrian dynasty.

On

the third from the point are two long tables of cunei-

form inscriptions

upper compartment

in the

each side of the priest and altar, and

They

lower, one on each side of the door.

longest of
seen.

In

all

one on

two on the
are the

the cuneiform inscriptions I have ever

fact there is a prodigious quantity of writ-

ing on them, but so small, and so high up, and so

much worn, that I should think it impossible to copy

The two tables on the top, I conclude, contain the original Zend and the other two, which are
them.

rather larger, the two translations, or copies, in the

All these sepulchres have

second and third species.

been violated

and from a

little

distance the sarco-

may be

seen

through the apertures broken in the doorways.

The

phagi, or at least three of the tombs,

and are very

Sassanian tablets are under these,

Nevertheless the one

coarse and heavy productions.

which represents a woman suppliant has a considerable effect from a

little

distance

and one could not

help being somewhat afflicted to see the majesty of

Rome, even the Rome of Valerian,

fore a barbarian.*

There

is

Sassanian inscription, which

The emperor Valerian was

it

would be now almost

defeated in battle and taken prisoner

See " Gibbon's
a.d., 260.

near Edessa by Sapor, the king of Persia,

Decline and Fall of the

Quarto

edition.

humbled be-

so

a very long and minute

Roman

Empire,"' vol.

i.

ch. 10.

p.

274.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

257

impossible to copy, from the roughness of the face of

the rock^ but which I have no doubt would prove

Further on are four more inscrip-

very interesting.

on the figures disputing the diadem

tions

two

in

Sassanian, and one in Greek, are on the breast of

horse; and one,

Artaxerxes'
sanian,

consisting

of two

Arsacidan

breast of the

it

defaced, in Sas-

which

king's

would be very interesting

not get at

much

lines,

have

to

it

could

without ascending a ladder; besides

which there seemed but small hopes of

to

This

but

on the

is

horse.

my

make anything out of it.

The rock is coarser grained than

being able

Nakshi

at

The

Regib, and apparently has never been polished.

figures look roughly

hewn, and are

in nowise

to

be compared with those of Nakshi Regib, of which

The

Porter's drawings are admirable.

ever, are all preserved at

respects

the

costume

is

faces,

Nakshi Rustum
nearly the

Arsacidan king has always a

fillet

how-

in other

same.

round

his

The
head

with an open crown, his hair being gathered up

through the top

in curls

his shoulders in carrots

The
on

below the crown

his

beard also

is

it falls

on

in carrots.

Sassanian king has always the curious balloon

his head,

and

in a preposterous

On

on each

his hair sticking out

bush of

the point over the last sculptures

of a column, about five feet high,

the remains of a staircase

have been a

fire-altar.

side

curls.

up

to

it.

still

is

the shaft

standing, and

I believe this to

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

258

The

fire-temple,

rubbish

which stands

in a square

heap of

(as of ruins), is a neat, well-finished,

very solid building, and surprisingly fresh.

and

Indeed

everything here looks very fresh.

In returning home

noticed a square solid plat-

form of large stones before the mouth of the

near the south

Takht

of the

This the natives say

side.

Jemsheed, which

which Persepolis

is

now known

is

is

defile,

a part

the only

name by

my

observa-

and

tion of these ruins confirms their report.*

Hereabouts

remarked numerous Eliauts (mostly

of the Sanjarlee tireh) of the Nefer tribe,

The Nefer

Turks.-\

is

a large tribe, of

who

are

which there

are seven tirehs or branches, such as the Sanjarlee,

Heiderlu,

The peasantry were

&c.

everyAvhere

treading out the corn.

had been long dark when we returned home.

It

Mr. Tod, though

up

at

midnight

me, whilst

tired,

to

had the complaisance to get

count at

chronometer for

the

took circum-meridian altitudes of Fo-

malhaut.

August 2Sth.

This

morning about a hundred

families of Eliauts passed on their

of

place

encampment.

They

way

to a fresh

themselves

called

where sculptures and inscriptions

The
are to be seen, which have never been visited by Europeans
one is called Ukted, a mountain south-west of, and forty farsakhs
the other is Kelaut, at one hour and a half from
from, Shirauz
and at Nahathe former. At Fasa likewise are some sculptures
* I

was

told of two other places

vend

and

in Loristan.

t I observe the

Taujiki.

Turkish EHauts always

call the

Persian language

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

259

mergers or goldsmiths, and said they were a tireh or

branch of the Shah-seven

tribe.

among themselves

Turkish, but

With

which they called Zergeri, of which

few specimens.*

By some

us they spoke

a curious dialect
I collected a

of their words, and some

of their habits, they would seem to be gipsies.

are very expert coiners and

falsifiers,

famous catchers and trainers of hawks

all,

and
;

They

also are

and, above

they are celebrated thieves, especially renowned

as sheep-stealers.

The

tribe of the Shah-sevens in

Kazveen speak exactly the

and bear the same character.

the neighbourhood of

same

dialect,

We bade

adieu to Persepolist at a quarter before

four o'clock in the afternoon, and set out on

return to

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Shirauz

by

different

route,

our
far

To come.
ane' Come.
J Go (imp.).
Keni
Where are you going
Kari ktchira' Where are you going?
YeUbish'
down.

Yena'

Ave' or

'

a'

jeta'

Sit

Get up.

Iktitchast'

'

Su gherdan' What have you done?

Dizi'

'

Sudmanki' Let us go and walk about.

Kalyoon tchak kur, tchi dow' Fill a kalioon, that

'

as

A plain.

Yagh' Fire.

'

Panee' Water.

may smoke,

t Sights with the compass from the centre of the great staircase,

Nakshi Rustem, about N. 12 W.

centre of the garden-house, N. 88^ W. (One
Centre of Kinara, S. 40 W. (Two miles.)
The bridge of the Araxes (Pool Khan), S. 56 W.
Bendameer, S. 15 W.

The

s2

mile.)

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS

260

Zergoon, for the purpose of visiting the Ben-:

as

dameer.

At twenty minutes
or rather

little

town, of Kinara

we came

five

a respectable-looking

cultivation around

and with considerable

At

passed the village,

as almost all the villages in Persia

place, walled,
are,

we

after four

to the village of

which was walled, with towers

at the angles,

and a

The

place

deep but narrow dry ditch around

seems formerly to have been

We

at present.

Eliauts,

The

much

it.

larger than

was green,

To

liquorice.

it is

passed some families of the Basirri

and saw a prodigious number of

plain

it.

Reshmigoon,

jerboas..

uncultivated, and overrun with

the south-west

we

could not see the

termination of the plain.

After passing at some miles' distance the village of

Doulatava,

which

is

arrived at the village of Bendameer,

we

which takes

its

name from

of brick-work, to

down with an
streams that

let

the

with arches

all

along,

out the water, which, rushing

agreeable

unite just

through the Colvar

Above

the dyke on the Araxes,

built of small stones,

noise,

forms three

little

below the Bend, and run

district.

Bend many streams

are

drawn

off to

turn mills, of which there are a great number here.

The banks

of the river are fringed with willows and

rhododendrons.

The

village

is

built

the Bend, and the principal house

situation

is

is

on both sides of
even on

it.

The

at the southern termination, or rather be-

ginning, of a line of rocky

cliffs

which run up north-

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
and appear

west,

to terminate

261

about two miles west

of the commencement of the similar line

which begin

Pool

at the

markable circumstance
this line of rocks,

that

it

Khan.

of

cliffs

is

a re-

be observed concerning

to

which

There

considerable,

is

and that

is,

begins at once and terminates in the plain.

Our head muleteer Aga Mohammed Taki, a

curious humorous sort of fellow,
it

in his

own mind

that

Bendameer

night at

he pushed on before us

Bend

came

to

night.

it

seems had settled

we were to remain for the

for when we came near it

to secure quarters

was met by the chief of the

meet me, and

to invite

me

had intended going on

and

in the

village,

who

to stay there that

to

Zergoon, but

allowed the muleteer to

have his own way,

agreed to his arrangement

and

being further enticed by

the inviting appearance of a clean kioshk or balak-

honeh

at the

pared for

top of the house on the Bend, pre-

me by

the chief,

and the rushing sound

of the waters, which promised an agreeable night's

repose.

August

2^th.

teen arches,

is

The Bend, which

three hundred and

eighteen feet broad, but

tion.

is

fifty feet

long and

in a very ruinous condi-

ascertained on the spot that

Emeer Adhad ud Doulah, one of

tans

consists of thir-

it

was

built

by

the Dilemite sul-

and further, that the river does form a

salt

lake about twelve farsakhs distant from hence, at the

end of the Colvar

valley.

From

the

number of ways

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

262
in

which

be

now

We
the

have verified this point,

consider

had

at dinner a dish of delicious

At

Araxes.

four

marched along the

fish

inquiring

foot of the eastern side of the

why we

which appeared

from

we mounted, and

o'clock

Upon

ridge of rocks which commences at the Bend.

my

to

it

satisfactorily proved.

did not go by the west side,

be the more direct course, I was

to

informed that a line of

extended across from

hills

the back of the Zergoon hills to the ridge of rocks,

and closed up that part of the

wards found
hills for

to be the case.*

about

miles

five

we

plain,

which

I after-

After following the

crossed into the plain of

Zergoon, and our road was then west to the point of

the Zergoon

hills,

and arrived

at

down which we turned

Zergoon

little

mosque covered

domes, and was told that

the

it

over with two

contains the remains of

famous poet Nescemi, whose works

many good

six

Just outside the town

o'clock in the evening.

observed a

south-east^

twenty minutes after

at

passages in the Hafizian

contain

By-the-

style.

bye, I have remarked that all the Sufy poets are

canonised.

We

were entertained here

at night, or

perhaps I ought more truly to say annoyed, with Persian musicians,

who sang

us

many

songs; their loud

and powerful voices being accompanied by the unnmsical and noisy zoornaf and dombelek.l
*

Our

course was

first

N. W., and afterwards, N. 80

kind of horn or trumpet.

W.

small hard-sounding drum.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
August

30th.

light.

We

Zergoon

left

was anxious

fore three, as I

to reach

263

at a quarter be-

Shirauz by day-

We pursued our course* first across the

plain

of Zergoon, then along the slope of some

hills,

a continuation of the plain winding on our

left

afterwards

we ascended

the

On

Bajgali.

summit of

boundary of

the

left

the ridge

hand of the

ascent,

and

which

into the oval plain in

stands the caravanserai and guard-house called

dar

with

Rah-

and on

which forms the eastern

this oval plain,

is

a very remarkable

standing up, which forms rather a

piece of rock,

striking object from

many points, especially from Zer-

goon, where some of the inhabitants pretended that

it

was a building

it

is

but I have since ascertained that

quite natural.

In the valley of Zergoon

we saw many

families of

Eliauts of the Bulverdi tribe encamped

were

told that a robbery

and we

had been committed on

this

road yesterday evening.

a young

troop of Lootees with

bear and a

hideous baboon waylaid us, and insisted upon entertaining us for a few minutes

after

which we pro-

ceeded, arriving at the caravanserai situated at the

western extremity of the oval plain at

we

five.

Thence

immediately mounted a steep ascent, and de-

scended into the winding pass which continues

way to Shirauz. f One of

Ruknabad now kept us company
the

N. 60 W.

all

the streams of the

the rest of the way.

Course

S. 50

W.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

264
It

was beautiful limpid and cold water, very

we had

superior to any

brought

A
mud

in

we came

Thence our course was

encamping

far

it

is

Akberabad, a

to

little

southerly, but very winding.

several parties of

in the

now

ice-house,

narrow

Zengeneh Koords

We

valleys.

keep the sun

off

just

passed an

There

apparently quite out of repair.

was a high mud wall

At

or palanka and farm, recently constructed.

There were

to

trip

channel to Shirauz.

artificial

after six

little

fort,

an

on our

tasted

on the south side of

built

it

and the south wind.

a quarter past seven

we

found ourselves in

The whole

Numa.

our old quarters at the Jehan

time of our march to-day was four hours and a half,

we

of which

September

Vst.

and go

osities,

commonly

it

is

rode into town to see the curi^

The bazar

to the bath.

fine building, built of brick,

of a cross,

think

only lost a quarter of an hour by stop-

This was very good going.

pages.

with

finer

very

high

probably from

the

though good, are not

roof.

to

be

is

not so showily

being larger

The

caravanserais,

compared with the

of Constantinople, or indeed of some other

The mosque

towns in Turkey.

handsome, but

it

imposing entrance
the

vaulted

shops

and more commodious within.

Khans

an un-

than anything of the kind in Con-

stantinople, but the merchandise

arranged,

is

in the form

is
;

defective in

nor

is

it

of the Vekeel
the

to be

is

want of an

compared with

mosques of Constantinople, Cairo, Amasia, Da-

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
Indeed the bazar

&c.

mascus,

265

the only thing

is

well worth seeing.*

I

must say

think the people of Shirauz

prisingly insolent.
*

The

following are

of Shirauz

Much

some of the

sur-

as I have travelled, both

principal articles of the

commerce

Imports from Bushire.

Cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, pepper, China-root, sugar-candy,
cassia, sal-ammoniac, tin, ebony, ivory, sandal-wood, cochineal, indigo,

porcelaine, glass-ware, steel, cocoa-nuts,

broken glass

for the glass-

houses here, incense, aloe-wood, iron, lead, cotton (sometimes), camphor, chalk, quicksilver, stuifs,
chiefs, silk

and

kinkobs of

all sorts,

cotton,

Aghabani muslins,

Bengal chintz, Lucknow

dimity, handker-

long cloths,
palampores, tcharshaffs or sheets, kaitan (a kind of thin linen),

China

satins,

China crapes,

ditto,

tea,

Muscat

limes,

Bussora abas.

European Goods.
kinds of cloth, casimeer, shalloon, velvet, velveteen, plush,
'

16

blankets, chintzes from

all

parts of Europe, printed muslins, long

cloth, Irish linen, muslins, jaconot,

guns,

gun-locks of

pistols,

kinds, powder, shot, flints, door-locks, knives

and

all

scissars, coarse

paper, razors, prints and engravings, glass, paintings,

silk,

wax

candles, otter of roses imported from Constantinople through Bussora.

Exports
Wine,a rose-water,

to

Bushire.

otter of roses in

small quantities for India,

assafcBtida, dried fruits, silk, goats' hair, saffron,

sehkhisht (a kind of

manna

for medicine),

caramanian wool,

almonds, nuts, spices,

horses, orpiment, madder, tobacco.b

The goods brought from Bushire to Shirauz are sent to Ispahan,

Teheraun, Casbin, Tabreez, Hamadan, Erivan, Resht, Mazenderaun,
Yezd, Kerraan, Meshed, Khorassan. There are 2500 mules conThe revenues of
stantly employed between Shirauz and Bushire.
Shirauz
800,000 tomans annually are the clear revenue, out of
which there is generally paid to the king 30,000.
From the lake 3000 ass-loads of salt are brought annually, and

more might be
piastre ain,

collected if necessary.

Each load sells for half a

The lake belongs to

each being SJ Bagdad batmans.

Aga Baba Khan.

^
360,000 quarts of wine are annually made at Shirauz, of which
40,000 go to India, 1 0,000 to Bagdad, Bussora, Bushire, &c. All the
rest is used at Shirauz.
The best come from
b 120,000 batmans are annually produced.
Kazwin and Jaroon, all from the Ghermaseer. There are 350 estates
or farms of tobacco cultivated.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

266
as a

unknown

private

individual,

and as a public

servant of the British Government, I was never in

a place in any part of the East, where the protection of an officer of the local

government

is

so

much

required.

September

Srcl.

Hafizia, to lay a

went

I purchased here,

on

his

to

tomb, and thus enhance

ideal value as a curiosity.

also

morning

this

the

copy of the works of Hafiz, which

Its real value will

its

be

greatly increased by a very careful collation

which

my

Persian secretary, Seyid

Mohammed Aga,

has undertaken conjointly with the dervish who has

charge of the tomb, with the copy deposited there,

which

is

a large well-written one, transcribed for

the express purpose by order of

Kerim Khan, and

reckoned very authentic*

muck worn, how-

It is

Seyid, besides a complete collation of

The

preserved at the Hafizia, has

of all the

Odes contained

letter are as follow

\

(_j

15
6

z
J

167

made

a Defter, or

in the latter.

my

Hafiz, with that

list

of the first lines

The numbers under each

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

267

by people constantly having recourse

ever,

or omens.

fals,

to

for

it

took one to comply with the

custom of the place, which came out with a singular

coincidence.

The dervish is a very polite and well-informed

man he knows the poems of Hafiz by heart. The
;

old marble of the

tomb of Hafiz was taken away by

Kerim Khan, and

part of

it

now

adorns the Haouz*

of the Koolee Frenghi, in the garden of the Jehan

am

Numa, where

breez marble,

which Kerim

The

living.

stone called

Khan

Ta-

substituted^

is

nine feet ten inches long, and three feet seven and a
half inches broad, and one foot three inches thick.

Near Hafiz

who

buried Abdulla Pasha, of Zehav,t

lies

died here forty-five years ago, on a mission, I

believe, to

Kerim Khan.

It surely

To my

was a

foolish vanity, or very

Kerim Khan,

zeal, in

great surprise the last

^liU-

misguided

remove the old monuments

to

Ode under

i^ in this collection is

^^

^1) sS'i'^ ij^, which was published in one of the first numbers of the Asiatic Miscellany, and was,
I believed, always deemed by connoisseurs to be authentic.
I had

CifJsA-s

never seen

who
I

had.

it

-<2J5

in

jt> j*jJj

any edition of Hafiz, nor did I meet with any one

The rhyming word

is,

I believe,

(for

it is

many

years since

have seen the book,) printed in the Asiatic Miscellany

which
truth.

is

erroneous, though the translation of

The word

gently, cautiously

Miscellany "
*

A basin

is

ixjJC^ Sengeneh

Ashte Ashte.

Softly,"'

literally,

The ode

is

(.j^JjXxu.

pretty near the

heavily

but also

called in the Asiatic

an ode from Hafiz.

in the court of either houses or gardens, for holding

water.
t

it is

pashalik of southern Koordistan,

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

268

of Hafiz and Saadi, and replace tliem with modern

The

ones of his own.

quite

well remembers
to be

removed.

tomb of Hafiz was

assured me, who

when Kerim Khan ordered it

it,

dervish

was carved in the

cypress-tree

The garden

centre of the slab.

much more

original

the

as

perfect,

was

too, I

was

told,

extensive then, and the building larger.

Just outside the Hafizia, at the door of a

building attaclied to the garden-Avall,

is

little

tomb of

the

Abdulla, the author of the celebrated Vessaf.

September \2th.
to

Zeki

Khan

This evening

(the Vizir)

a party

came out

They

bouring garden of the Haft-Ten.

belonging

to the neigh-

consisted

of his two sons, two nephews, and several officers of

They were

his household.

all,

with the exception

of one son (a child), and one of his nephews, quite

drunk,

and took no pains

something

in favour of the

to hide

Yet

it.

it

is

temper and character of

the Persians that they are not given to quarrelling

and violence

in these

scenes

of intoxication

most dreadful excesses would

Turks

under

such

be

circumstances.

against their good-humour,

it

committed

As

the

by

a set-off

must be remarked,

in

estimating the national character, that the Persians

are unthinking, perpetually joking, and deficient in
solidity,

in

sympathy, and kindness

feeling

and sentiment.

below the Turks, among

attachment, in

spite

they are deficient

In this they are

whom

there

is

much

often great

of their religion and govern-

ment, especially between master and servant.

With

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
the Persians this

very rare.

is

269

Persian master

good-humoured, but not in general kind

and

passionate,

servants

the

consequently,

are,

In short, a Persian

scarcely ever attached.

indifferent to everything

is

or com-

too

is

not from apathy, but from

Nothing can

a kind of trifling vivacity.

fix

or im-

press him.

September Vlth.

tomb

which goes by
to

This

morning

of Saadi, situated a

Kerman

garden,

The Saadia

lays.

to the

the

pass

a small square in-

is

containing a flower-

Avail,

where, par parenihese,

The

went

name, and through which the road

his

closure with a high brick

pinks.

way up

little

north-east side

is

gathered some

occupied by a build-

ing, consisting of an arched divan at each end and a

couple of small rooms in the centre, for the accom-

modation of benighted
short,

travellers, dervishes, and,

any who may not know where

for a lodging:

in fact a caravanserai.

it is

in

to address himself

In the south-

ern divan stands the tomb of Saadi, a small stone

sarcophagus Avithout the cover, which Avas of carved

wood, and has long since been destroyed.

beneath the

lies

The tomb

is

floor,

me.

covered with inscriptions, carved in re-

on the stone, and

lief

His dust

as the old custos assured

is

the original one

Khan, when he pulled doAvn the

;*

as

Kerim

old building (which

Avas

an octagonal medrisseh), in order to replace

Avith

one of his

The guardian

OAvn,
told

me

had
it

in this case the

good

was now 345 years since the death

Saadi, which would bring his death to a.d. 1276.

it

taste to
of

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

270

respect the old tomb.

be wished he had

It is to

been similarly actuated at the Hafizia

but Hafiz

is

considered as a more holy personage than Saadi, and

this

may

have induced Kerim Khan, through a mis-

taken zeal, to be at the trouble of replacing the old

tomb by one of Tabreez marble.

Saadia passes the Keraut, or

Close outside the

subterranean aqueduct, which conveys water to the

Dilgousha.

It is enlarged into a little basin,

which an octagonal
ground.

This

mains on

it

is

of the age of Saadi, and has the re-

descend the

Baun by

and there

a ledge all round

a flight of stairs under ground

it,

and recesses

and enjoy the coolness, which

The water
and

full

of

You

of inscriptions of his composition.

is

that flows through

as clear as crystal,
to Saadi,

and no one would think of catching them.

spot,

though now ruinous and neglected,

very agreeable.

the

Dilgousha,

to the fish,

which

is

at

garden, though
is

still

and then went

the

entrance

the pass from the plain of Shirauz, and

traction

The
is

amused myself some time with

throwing crumbs of bread

to

to sit

very agreeable.

is

it is

which are deemed sacred

fish,

from

shaft opens to the surface of the

deficient in

shade.

is

of

a pretty

Its chief at-

the fine stream of Avater from the canal

of Saadi, which runs along the middle of the garden,

and

is

made

to

other courses.

down little
The l)ottom of

rush

descents, and to

the canal

is

full

fill

of

water-cresses.

This garden was originally planted by Nazer Ali

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

271

Khan, who enjoyed the dignity of Shah for about a

It now belongs to
in the Zend dynasty.

month

Hussein Kouli Mirza, the eldest

Prince of Shirauz,

who

vson

of the present

has lately purchased

from

it

Keloonter Mirza Ali Akber (son of the famous, or

infamous, Haji Ibrahim) for 300 tomans, which

of course far below

structing a few
sort of the

rooms

Persians,

its

in

value: the Prince

is

con-

It is the favourite re-

it.

who

is

are fond of coming out

here in the afternoon, and getting drunk by the side

of the stream.
constitute a

Wine, running water, and

tobacco,

The water

in this

Persian paradise.

some medicinal

garden

is

and

be excellent for washing out stains from

to

&c.

cloth,

said to have

It is also highly

common

is

a manufactory of

paper.

I have forgotten to
at the
hills

in request as a cold

Adjoining the garden

bath.

properties,

mention that there

is

a village

Saadia called by the name of the poet.

south side, just above the Dilgousha,

The

On

on each side of the pass are calcareous.

there

the

is

steep rock crowned with the remains of an old tower,

of very ordinary workmanship, said to be

left

built

of a castle

commanding

that

is

was

by a Sassanian king, and called Kalai Bender.

There

is

a very deep well at the ruined tower.

not the curiosity to climb up to

Mr. Tod has

cholera

The

all

the pass, which

is

just been into town.

really here,

people call

it

had

visit it.

It

seems the

though as yet but

slightly.

Taoun, or phigue, and confound

it

272

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

with the Turkish phigue.

fectious,

who

Thinking

to be

it

in-

some have the inhumanity to thrust those

are attacked immediately out of the house into

To show

the street.

the force of imagination

these cases, one of the Prince's wives

or supposed to be

so,

in

was attacked,

yesterday (very likely from over-

eating herself with sweet and greasy messes at the

nuptial-feast);

whereupon the Prince's

into a violent passion with her,

say, frightened

away the

September \^th.

festivities

The

are dismally put a stop to.

:

in-law,
horse,

of the wedding*

she had only been brought to

harem have

who was going

Five or six of the

also died.

to the

His brother-

palace,

and expired before he reached the

morning the disease

flew

Prince's wife died

bed of a daughter three days ago.

slave-girls of the

sister

actually, as they

disease.

The

yesterday morning

and

is

off his

fell

gate.

This

said to be very active and

The people are flying in all directions.

The Prince himself has run away to the gardens

fatal.

There

situated in a neighbouring valley.

is

scarcely

even the form of a government or any authority

Nothing

left.

may.

prevails but consternation

and

dis-

People are seen flying across the plain in

groups and singly, not knowing whither they are

going.

man

has just fallen

ofl"

his horse while escap-

ing through the pass close by this place, and

See Rich's Koordistan,

vol.

ii.

p.

226.

in-

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

Some dead

stantly expired.

273

bodies were lying on

the road near the gate, abandoned by their friends.

A great many people

More

particulars.

doubtless die from fright.

The

Prince's mother quitted

the palace in great haste yesterday evening for the

Takht

ill

at the

Takht, her son, the Prince,

immediately cried out like a child

do

what

is

to

become of me

mother, but only of himself.

some time

for

When

Kajar, with her son and daughter.

was taken

she

at last

" What

?" not

He

shall I

thinking of his

ran about distracted

he and

his sister

mounted

and rode away, followed by two or

their horses

three servants, as fast as they could scramble

their

as

horses,

if

they

were

enemy, leaving their mother to

pired soon after.
to

herself,

The Prince and

Dokuek, about three farsakhs

rest,

Zeki

The Prince

Khan

has

left all his

wives,

dren behind him, and, in short,

is

ex-

went

whither they

off,

the Vizir, and

who

his party

were shortly followed by some others

the

on

by an

pursued

and,

among

Aga Baba Khan.

women, and

chil-

in too great terror

to think of or give orders about anything.

The

old

lady's funeral took place about an hour before noon.

The

body, in a takht-revan^ was preceded by the

banner of the
blems

lion and sun of Persia, and other emby twelve muezzins chanting, several children

bearing covered trays, and by music

lowed by about
the present

is

forty men-servants.

deposited at the

outside the walls,

till it

and was

fol-

Her body

for

mosque of Hamza

can be taken to NejefF.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

274

September \Wi.

The

disease

is

unabated

still

but I think the general consternation

somewhat

is

diminished, except with the Shahzadeh and some of

The former

the principal people.

does not think

himself safe at Dokuek, but has this morning issued

orders to proceed to Nasek, a place towards Ispahaun,

where
is

it is

The town

said to be very cold.

of Shirauz

Several per-

literally left to take care of itself.

sons in office died to-day, and indeed the disorder

The

seems to attack principally those about court.

Shirauzees say, "

if it

of kajars, there

no great harm done." The parish

is

which the palace

in

there

is

not a soul

There

desertions.

takes off so great a proportion

situated

is

left
is

in

it,

is

quite a desert;

between deaths and

one parish in the town in

which there has not been a single death

yet.

Yes-

terday the deaths, as nearly as I can possibly ascertain

by a variety of information, amounted to about

two hundred.

Aga Baba Khan

He

says that, if all

country will
therefore,

fall

latter

men

of rank leave

it,

the whole

into dreadful confusion.

resolved to stay, to

quences of the

The

has again returned to the town.

prevent the

Shahzadeh's defection

He

is,

conse-

if possible.

has not yet issued any orders respecting

He

the provisional government.

has this

evening

resolved to go to Ardekou, a place on the Beibahoon

road in an elevated situation.

We hear that the disorder

in the direction of Ispahaun.

is

making rapid progress

275

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
September ^Oth.
ill

Several persons who were taken

yesterday after Asser, or afternoon prayer, have

recovered, and the deaths are said greatly to have

diminished since that time.

the

during the night that

tality

has

disease

attained

Moullahs ordered
poured out
ing

past.

God

Please

To-day the

crisis.

its

the wine in the town to be

they have even seized the wine belong-

Armenians, and broken

the

to

They have

all

hear of no great moris

the jars.

all

and singers out of

also turned the dancers

the town.
"

When the devil was sick, the devil a monk would be

When the devil grew well, the devil a monk was he."

As some

of Major Litchfield's people were going

the town

into

streets,

to-day, they

met nine

funerals in the

which are quite abandoned.

September 2\st.

The

disorder

is still

said not to

be quite so bad as on the 18th and 19th.

were four or

five

that I have been able to ascertain of

There may have been some others

One man was taken ill yesterday
gered through the night
This

is

the

There

deaths in the night, which

longest

is

all

people.

of ordinary people.

and

at Asser,

he expired

period

known

that

has yet

between a - person being attacked and

lin-

morning.

this

his

elapsed
death.

Yesterday afternoon a Seyid died in the court of

the Vekil's

mosque.

He was

seemingly had no friends here.

lying

No

in the place

a native of Yezd, and

His body was

where he expired

this

still

morning.

one had had the charity to have him buried.

t2

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

276
There

is

to-day a guard stationed at the gates of

the city to prevent any more people from running

away.

This

is

rather ungracious,

when

himself has set them the example.

the Prince

who now

All

present themselves at the gate to go out are driven

back with

sticks.

After mid-day
creased

again.

day before

is

the

disorder

The

mortality

now

The

disease

is

in-

and the

to

upwards

principal line of the

through the centre of the town lengthwise

on each side of

zone

this

is

it

Jew

curious, not a single

attack children, and

is

is

is

still

the eighth day from

Eighteen

persons

Mirza Ali Akber's parish

died

alone.

its

is

not

It does

particularly fatal to

September 22nd. The cholera

they reckon this

and, what

yet dead.

One

not so bad.

parish has hitherto escaped altogether

ment.

have

to

said

yesterday

amounted

said to have

of a hundred each day.

is

women.
very bad

commence-

in

the

He

says fully

night,

in

two

hundred died yesterday.

This morning
left it

all

the people remaining in the town

en masse to pray for a cessation of this ter-

rible visitation.

mense crowds

Men, women, and children

visited

all

the

Shirauz, shouting out " Allah

something very
of such an
ing to

fine

holy

Allah

places
!"

and very affecting

immense and

in

im-

about

There was
in the voices

suffering multitude ascend-

heaven in earnest supplications.

September 2Srd.

They say

rather better to-day

The most

that the disorder

God knows with what

is

truth.

correct estimates of the mortality since the

277

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
commencement of the

disease

make

amount

it

to

1800 persons.*
September 2ith.
tion,

Another day

of public supplica-

much degenerated from

but the effects of it had

more the ap-

the ceremony of the other day, and had

pearance of a crowd of

There was

idlers.

in

one

place a temporary pulpit erected for a field-preach-

Great crowds of women were strolling about.

ing.

I observe in the gardens here a jesamine,

now in flower, of
meen i Kebood.
anywhere

One

of

they

have never seen

which

call

this

it

is

Yus-

species

taken

ill

with the cholera

seems to be of a mild kind, as he

is

and Mr. Tod even entertains hopes of him.

The poor

my

fellow died about

calioon-bearer,

September 25th.

is

Seyid

Another groom taken

a

colour

my grooms was
It

alive,

Ibrahim,

lilac

else.

last night.
still

Poor Seyid

noon.

now

taken

Ibrahim

is

ill.

recovered.

yesterday afternoon, and

ill

woman was brought here

at night

from the neigh-

bouring garden of the Tchehil Ten, affected with

cholera.

She

recovered,

Avas far

gone

in

the groom.

did

as

pregnancy, but she

There

is

now

police-order cried about the town, desiring no one to

use the verjuice,

when

lime-juice, or any kind of acid,

they are attacked, as

deleterious.

They

still,

it

has been found to be

however, adhere to their

* Shirauz contains 5000 houses, which, estimating the population

at seven to a house,

which I have always found a good average, gives

Mirza All Akber, however, a very intelligent

a total of 35,000 souls,

and well-informed young man, allows ten

to a house.

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

278

man

equally fatal plan of plunging a

ears into cold water as soon as he

more

the preceding days.

September

2Qth.

The

mortality

very

considerable.

whom

he had

fatal to

^The

left

women

is

night was

quite

cold.
still

the Shahzadeh's,

of

wife

said

than on any of

be decreasing, but

to

said

is

which,

To-day the disease

doubtless, kills many.

to he milder, hut

over head and

affected,

is

Our meh-

behind, died to-day.

mandar, a very good-natured kind of man, told me,

with incredible coolness, that a dear friend of his

had died

morning, and that another had died

this

He

yesterday.

spoke with the air of a

nouncing the death of his

The

He

is

perpetually shifting his quarters in

now

Sejitember 21th.

brought to-day

The cholera

to

Dr. Tod.

continues not-

still

Several cases were

There

is

a song sing-

about the streets in ridicule of the Shahzadeh

and Zeki

Khan

for

September 28th.

Baba Kooy,

running away.

This morning

half-way up the

there like a

went

to see

a sheikh, or place of pilgrimage, about

hill,

a quarter of a mile north of

the pass of Allah Akber.

Mar INlattee*

with a pretty
is

conse-

pretends to be hunting.

withstanding the cold nights.

It

an-

sickness has reached the Shahzadeh's camp.

quence, and

ing-

man

cat.

little

There

is

little

in miniature, but

flower-garden

a pleasant spot, and from

it

terrace

ornamented

and some

bird's-eye view of the city and plain of Shirauz.

*

See Rich's Koorcli&tan,

vol.

li.

trees.

you enjoy a

p. 74.

fine

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

Kooy was

Baba

279

Shah

a chief of dervishes in

This tekia was once a favourite spot

Akber's time.

come

for people to

who wished

to

to obtain holy

abstraction of mind, but these devout times exist no

There

longer.

one

is

residing there

dervish

at

present.

September 2^th. My friend, the Persian painter,

was with me yesterday evening. He says he can
reckon up 1340 people whom he knows personally,

knows

or

of,

ment of the

who have

number exceed 2000

September
it

30^/i.

died since the commence-

This would make the

disorder.

total

considerably.

The

mortality

continues

still

appears to be yet about thirty a-day.

Aga Baba Khan

his

he seems

order,

and

of people.

among

it.

He

occasion,

and indeed

distributes

the poor,

money and

active in preserving

is

going about comforting

in

men

the people, though

to

classes

when

all

ran away has of itself delighted

it

has rather surprised them, for

reputed to be a very timid

seems

all

Indeed, his remaining in town

the other great

is

gaining great popularity by

present

to deserve

provisions

he

is

conduct on the

have roused himself on

man

however, he

this occasion.

The

Prince has become exceedingly unpopular from his

desertion of the

town

every one talks of

him openly

with ridicule and contempt.

I rode this

morning

to the

Takht

the finest garden about Shirauz.

Kajar, by far

The

architect has

availed himself of a promontory of the hill Avhich

at

the

back of the garden

to

erect his

is

building,

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.

"280

which

is

handsome and commodious, and seems

The

culated for defence.

from

it,

a fine

cal-

elevation gives the view

over the garden and as far as the town,

effect.

The garden

is

planted with tchenars,

or plane-trees, in the usual Oriental

walks crammed

full

way, with narrow

of trees, which are obliged to be

clipped into brooms, instead of having a few trees,

and allowing them to expand

From
all

the old

to their natural growth.

woman who showed the house

heard

the particulars of the death of the Shahzadeh's

mother, and the inhuman flight of her son.

October

\st.

The

mortality yesterday

little

recurrence of heat, with southerly winds and

calms, which

may be

October 2nd.
this

morning.

the occasion of

Aga
A

it.

Baba Khan

mates the

total mortality

holy Seyid,
to

me

on

called

very pleasant man, and less over-

powering than the Persians usually

charms

was very

There has been

considerable, amounting to eighty.

up

to this

are.

He

esti-

day at 5600.

who came from Beibahoon

to

write

the cholera,

prevent the people taking

and who has made a considerable sum of money by

this

traffic

within the last

few days,

disease himself yesterday, and died of

* See Rich's Koordistan, vol.

ii.

it

caught the

this

p. 236.

morning.*

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GENERAL APPENDIX,
THE EDITOR.

APPENDIX.

No.
(Referred to iu

"

The

The
to

p.

55 of Mr. Rich's

1.

"Memoir on

first

siege of this important place

walls of

it

the Ruins of Babylon")

was no easy

enterprise.

were of a prodigious height, and appeared

be inaccessible, without mentioning the immense number

of people within

them

for their defence.

Besides, the city

was stored with

all sorts

of provisions for twenty years.

However, these

difficulties

did not discourage Cyrus from

pursuing his design.

But, despairing to take the place by

storm or assault, he

made them

to reduce

it

To

by famine.

of circumvallation to be

and deep ditch

large

The

drawn quite round the

its

army

month

of their ramparts

from the top of

and

city with

for

into twelve bodies,

all

their walls,

and

guarding the trenches.

besieged, thinking themselves out of all danger,

reason

was

and, that his troops might not be

over-fatigued, he divided his

assigned each of them

believe his design

which end he caused a line

by

and magazines, insulted Cyrus

and laughed

at all his attempts,

the trouble he gave himself, as so

much

unprofit-

able labour.

" As soon as Cyrus saw the ditch, which they had long

worked upon, was

finished,

upon the execution of

communicated
with as

fit

desire.

He

he began to think seriously

his vast design,

to nobody.

an opportunity

which as yet he had

Providence soon furnished him

for this

was informed that

purpose as he could

in the city,

on such a day.

284

APPENDIX.
was

[no.

I.

a great

festival

lonians,

on occasion of that solemnity, were accustomed to

to be celebrated

and that the Baby-

pass the whole night in drinking and debauchery.

" Cyrus, in the

fusion that

mean

time,

well informed of the con-

was generally occasioned by

in the palace

and the

city,

on that side where the river entered the

part on that side where

them
the

it

this festival,

had posted a part of

went out

both

his troops

and another

city,

and had commanded

to enter the city that very night,

by marching along

channel of the river as soon as ever they found

Having given

fordable.

all

by representing

his officers to follow him,

marched under the conduct

made them open

them

that he

and below, that the water might

run into them.

By

emptied, and

channel became dry.

its

to

of the gods, in the evening he

the great receptacles, or ditches, on both

the city, above

sides

it

necessary orders, and exhorted

this

means the Euphrates was quickly

Then

the two fore-

mentioned bodies of troops, according to their orders, went

into the channel,

the

one commanded by Gobryas, and

by Gadatias, and advanced towards each other

the other

without meeting with any obstacle.

who had promised

to

open

The

invisible guide,

the gates to Cyrus,

all

made

the

general negligence and disorder of that riotous night subservient to his design,

which were made

and which

the river,

by leaving open the gates of

to shut

brass,

up the descents from the quays

alone,

if

they had not been

have defeated

the

whole

left

to

open,

were

sufficient

Thus

did these two bodies of troops penetrate into the very

to

enterprise.

heart of the city without any opposition, and, meeting to-

gether at the royal palace, according to their agreement,

surprised the guards and cut

company
hear

what

rushed

them

to pieces.

Some

of the

that were within the palace, opening the doors to

in,

noise

it

was they heard without, the

and quickly made themselves masters of

soldiers
it;

and.

NO.

APPENDIX.

II.]

meeting the king,

who came up

28^

to them, sword-in-hand, at

the head of those that were in the

way

they killed him, and put

attended him to the

The

sword.
to

first

thank the gods

king.

all those that

to succour

him,

thing the conquerors did afterwards was

for

having at

last

punished that impious

These words are Xenophon's, and are very worthy

of attention, as they so perfectly agree with what the Scriptures have recorded of the impious Belshazzar.

" In the time of Alexander the Great the river had quitted
its

ordinary channel, by reason of the outlets and canals

which Cyrus had made, and of which we have already

given an account.

These

being badly stopped up,

outlets,

had occasioned a great inundation

ander, designing to

back of the Euphrates

bringing

projected the

natural and former channel, and

to

work.

ling of

in the country.

Alex-

the seat of his empire at Babylon,

fix

had

into

actually set his

But the Almighty, who watched over the

its

men
fulfil-

His prophecy, and who had declared he would

destroy even to the verj' remains and footsteps of Babylon

('I will cut off from Babylon the

defeated this enterprise

happened soon

name and remnant'

by the death

),

after."

Rolun's Ancient

No.

(Alexander)

had,

Babylon, as Aristobulus

History, vol.

ii.

2.

(Referred to in p. 55 of the

"He

of Alexander, which

first

moreover,

tells us,

Memoir.)

a navy

of ships

at

which were partly brought

from the Persian Sea by the river Euphrates, and partly

* Isaiah xiv. 22.

286

APPENDIX.

II.

Those which arrived from Phoenicia were

from Phoenicia.

two quinqueremes,

and

[no.

three

quadriremes,

river Euphrates, where,

joined, they were carried

down

same author

us that

also

triremes,

and thence conveyed overland

to pieces in Phoenicia,

Thapsacus, upon the

twelve

These were taken

thirty galleys of thirty oars apiece.

tells

to

being again

the river to Babylon.

The

Alexander had ordered

cypress-trees to be cut in that provhice for building several

other ships, they growing there in great plenty :* but foras-

much

as other naval stores were wanting, which these parts

afforded not, he was supplied with

and other

fishers,

and the

sea-faring

He

coast thereabouts.

them by the purple-

men, belonging
then

to Phoenicia

dug a deep and

ca-

pacious basin for a haven at Babylon, capable of containing

a thousand

manner

sail

of long galleys,

and

built houses for all

of naval stores adjoining thereto."

Arrian's

mean

" In the

of A/exander^s Expedition, (Rooke's Trans,')

Vul.ii. Book 7, chap. 1<J, p. 164.

Hist,

time, while they were busied in prepar-

ing triremes and digging the basin at Babylon, Alexander

sailed

which

down
is

the Euphrates to the canal called Pallacopas,

Babylon about eight hundred

distant from

fur-

longs.

"

Now

Pallacopas

is

no river arising from fovmtains, but

a canal drawn from the Euphrates.

ing

its rise

among

whole winter season

its

For that

river,

hav-

the mountains of Armenia, during the

is

easily confined in its

own

channel,

waters being then low because the rains turn to snow

but in the spring, and especially about the

stice,

the snows melt, and

and, overflowinor

None

all its

it

summer

sol-

swells to a prodigious height,

banks, waters the Assyrian

are found there in the present day.-- Ed.

fields

on

NO.

APPENDIX.

II.]

each side
unless

it

287

and would certainly drown the whole country

discharged a vast quantity of

waters through

its

Pallacopas into the lakes and marshes, and thence along

the confines of Arabia into a fenny country

sundry secret and subterraneous passages,

the

When

sea.

whence, through
it

finds a

way

to

snows are melted and the stock of

the

water thence arising

exhausted, which usually

happens

about the setting of the Pleiades, the Euphrates begins to

contract itself; yet, nevertheless,

the greatest part of

still

the stream runs through Pallacopas into the

and thence

tries,

dammed

of this canal called Pallacopas were

stream of the river diverted into

phrates would be so exhausted of

enough

to

overflow

mouth

up, and the

proper channel, Eu-

its

its

waters as not to afford

Assyrian

the

marshy coun-

Unless, therefore, the

into the sea.

on each

fields

side.

Wherefore the governor of Babylon had at a vast expense,

and with immense

river

obstructed that outlet of the

labour,

which was the more

ground thereabouts was

difficult to

light

perform, because the

and oozy, and afforded the

water an easy passage through, insomuch that ten thousand

men were employed

finish
this,

the work.

was resolved

Assyrians;

huge

there whole

to

do something

for the benefit of the

whereupon he determined

flux of water, out of

much more

months before they could

Alexander, coming to the knowledge of

effectual

dam up

to

that

Euphrates into Pallacopas, in a

manner than they had already done;

and when he had gone about

thirty furlongs

from the mouth

of the canal, he found the earth rocky, which,

ceeded to cut through, and continued

it

to

if

he pro-

the ancient

channel of Pallacopas, the firmness of the earth would not

only hinder the water from soaking through and wasting,

but also

its

outlet at the time of the overflow

would be ren-

much more easy and commodious. On this accoun.

Alexander sailed down the river Euphrates to the mouth
dered

288

APPENDIX.

[no.

II.

of Pallacopas, and, by that canal, into the Arabian territories."

Arrian's

Hist, of Alexander's Expedition.

Vol.

"

He

(Alexander)

then,

ii.

(Rooke's Trans.)

Book 7,chap.

despising the

21, p. 169.

the

of

advice

Chaldeans, because no mischief had befallen him in that

city as their oracles predicted (for

he had continued in

Babylon some time, and gone out again, and no accident

happened), being

and determined
the city on his

And when some

hand.

left

way among

their

of his galleys,

commanders, had

he sent them

skilful

placed

monuments of the kings

among

lost

river in
to

direct

Many

of the

pilots

them, and bring the whole navy together.

ancient

hazards,

numerous windings of the

the

those fenny places,

all

back through the marshes, having

by reason of the ignorance of

their

run

full of himself, resolved to

to sail

of Assyria are said to be

those marshes."
Jb.,

Book

7,

chap. 22,

p.

70.

Arrian,* in a description of the course of some of the

most famous
loses itself

rivers in Asia, says of the

among

the marshes.

lowing note by Rooke

Euphrates that

Upon which

is

the

it

fol-

" This must undoubtedly be meant of that mighty royal

drain or canal called Pallacopas, which was cut to carry
off the surperflous water of the river Euphrates, for fear

should overflow

each

side.

its

banks and drown the

It either

loses its waters in

flat

it

countries on

the marshes of

Arabia, or enters the Arabian Gulf by some secret subter-

raneous passage.

But

as to the

main stream, Nearchus with

* Arrian, vol.

ii.

his

Euphrates
whole

fleet

chap. 5 (note), p. 11.

itself,

or the

entered the

NO.

APPENDIX.

II.]

mouth

when he

thereof

up

sailed

289
Babylon

to

to

meet Alex-

ander."
See Arrian,

lib. vii.

cap. 19.

" Then he (Alexander) committed the best part of his

them

forces to Hephaestion's care, to conduct

Gulf, while he, going on board his

Agema, and some

Susa, with his targeteers and

down

auxiliarj'^ horse, sailed

to the Persian

which lay ready at

fleet,

part of his

the river Eulseus to the sea;

and when he was now not far from the mouth

thereof, leaving

there those ships which were shattered and out of order,

he, with the best of them, sailed out to the ocean,

and then

entered the mouth of the river Tigris, the rest of the

fleet

passing through a canal drawn from thence to the Tigris

for,

of the two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates, which enclose

Assyria and give

it

of the Tigris, lying

by many

latter

into

name

much

of Mesopotamia, the channel

lower, receives the water of the

trenches, and, several streams also falling

own bosom,

its

the

it

into the Persian Gulf,

passable by a ford

becomes a great
insomuch that

for

it

river before

it

is

it

glides

everywhere im-

spreads not out in breadth, so as

to diminish its depth, the lands

higher than the water; and

it is

on both

sides

being

much

not dispersed through other

them

channels, nor conveyed into other rivers, but takes

into itself.

" But the Euphrates glides along a

and

in

is

each

side,

many

much higher channel,

places of equal height with the lands on

so that several streams are cut from

it

(some

constant ones), which supply the inhabitants with water;

others only occasional,

happen
fall in

at all

to

these parts)
its

when

the

neighbouring countries

be parched up with drought

;

whence

it

(for rains

seldom

happens that the Euphrates

entrances into the ocean

is

but a small

river,

easily fordable.

and

290

APPENDIX.

" Alexander sailed

sea,

down the

III.

river Enlseus

to the

and thence along the Persian Gulf and up the

Tigris,

his

to

[no.

first

camp, where Hephsestion with the forces under

command

Thence

waited his arrival.

on that

to Opis, a city

he commanded

river,

and other impediments which he met with

and the channels

to

the wears

all

be pulled up,

These wears were put

be cleared.

to

his

steering his course

who were

down by

the

affairs, to

render the navigation of that river so difficult as

Persians,

unskilled in maritime

to hinder any enemy's fleet from invading

upon them

However, Alexander looked

ance of cowards; and, as they were

them

that way.

as the

little

contriv-

hinderance to

him, knowing they would be of no use, he ordered them to

be entirely cleared away, and the

Rooke's Translation of Arrian's

river laid open."

Hist,

of Alexander's Expedilion,

Vol.

No.

"

Ce pays

(la

first

les

7,

chap.

]37.

Memoir.)

le

On

remonte

le

Tigre, qui passent

plus grands de FAsie Meridionale

de rinde.

7, p.

Babylonie) est arrose par plusieurs fleuves

plus considerables sont I'Euphrate et

pour

book

3.

(Referred to in page 57 of the

les

ii.

apres ceux

Tigre jusqu'a Opis (bourgade

qui sert de marche pour les cantons environnans) et jusqu'a

la ville de

Seleucie

quant a I'Euphrate, on

jusqu'a Babylone a plus de

3000 stades de

Perses, dans la crainte des invasions

le

la

remonte

mer.

Les^

du dehors, avaient a

dessein empfeche qu'on ne pent remonter ces fleuves, en

em-

barrassant leur cours par des cataracts factices. Alexandre,

a son arrivee, detruisit

toutes celles

qu'il

put

faire

dis-

APPENDIX.

NO. III.]

291

du Tigre depuis

paraitre, et principalement (celles

mer)

la

jiisqu'a Opis.

"

a partir

du printems, des que

montagnes de I'Armenie

les

I'ete

il

amas

En

s'occupa aussi des canaux.

II

grossit,

se deborde.

II

et,

formerait necessairement de vastes

d'eaux, et submergerait les

champs

cultives,

c'est ce qui

comme

les plaines,

a rendu

les

canaux

exige beaucoup de travail,

celles

du Nil en Egypte
Leur

necessaires.

parceque

saignees

qu"'elles se

et

lit

Ton ne

si

moyen de

de canaux, lorsqu'elles sortent de leur

repandent dans

dans

commencement de

vers le

detournait ses eaux trop abondantes, au

et

I'Euphrate

efFet

les neiges fondent

entretien

terre (vegetale)

la

profonde et molle cede facilement et est entrain^e par

campagnes

courant, qui en depouille les

elle

remplit le

le
lit

des canaux et encombre promptement leurs embouchures

il

en resulte que I'excedant des eaux se repand de nouveau

sur les plaines voisines de la mer, y forme des lacs, des

etangs, des marais convert de roseaux et de joncs, que Ton
tresse

pour en

faire toute

sorte

de vases

d'asphalte, susceptible de contenir Teau

servir sans autre preparation

on en

qui resemblent a des nattes ou a des

"

II n'est

les

uns enduit

pouvant

les autres

fait

encore des voiles

claies.

sans doute au pouvoir de personne de s'opposer

entierement

une

inondation

telle

mais

bons ad-

les

ministrateurs doivent y remedier autant que possible, en

formant les ouvertures des canaux pour arreter la majeure

partie des eaux qui s'epancheraient sur les plaines
faisant curer;
qu'ils

en degageant leurs embouchures,

ne s'encombrent pas

des canaux

est,

le

le

sol,

il

faut le secours de

etant

mou

facilement, ne soutient pas les terres rapportees

les

entraine avec

lui,

et

les

mais, pour ^tre en etat

d'en boucher (a propos) les ouverteurs,

beaucoup de bras, parceque

en

Le enrage

depot du limon.

a la verite, facile

afin d'eviter

et
il

rend I'entree du canal

u 2

cedant

s'eboule,
difficile

292

APPENDIX.
Or

bien fermer.
car

ment pour que

les

canaux soient fermes assez rapide-

I'eau n'ait

pas

manquent

lorsqu'ils

efFet,

epuisent le fleuve

par

Du

le soleil.

il le

une
faut,

du

cheresse.

en est de

ou sur

II

ete,

I'ete,

sol soient

trop bas,

aux canaux

d'irriga-

dans un pays brule

et

il

est a

peu pres egal que

submerges ou perissent de

m^me de

se-

la navigation sur les fleuves

une grande

entravee par chacime de ces deux causes

moyend'en corriger

ils

fois qu'il est

les canaux, qui ofFrent continuellement

utilite; elle est

En

s'en ecouler.

pendant

Teau

la secheresse et I'abondance des-

reste,

les produits

les

tems de

Teau necessaire, surtout en

eaux sont egalement nuisibles

seul

le

de

fleuve,

et le

ne peut plus fournir, quand

tion

Ill,

la promptitude en ce cas est necessaire

importe que

il

[no.

les effets c'est d'ouvrir et

et le

de fermer

embouchures des canaux avec une egale promptitude,

afin

de maintenir

niveau de leurs eaux a une elevation

le

moyenne, de maniere

abon-

qu'elles ne puissent etre trop

dantes ni venir a manquer.

" Aristobule

dit

qu Alexandre, monte sur une barque

qu'il

gouvernait lui-raeme, examina avec attention les canaux,

et

les

nettoyer

fit

d'hommes dont

il

en employant

s'etoit

fait

ment fermer

certaines embouchures, et

d'autres.

remarqua un canal qui

ment
et

II

grande multitude

la

accompagner.
il

If

fit

egale-

ordonna d'en ouvrir

se derigeait principale-

vers les lacs et les marais situes en avant de I'Arabie,

dont I'embouchure, se refusant aux operations conven-

ables,

ne pouvait facilement etre fermee, a raison de la mol-

lesse et

de la legerete des terres

il

ouvrit

un nouveaucanal a

environ 30 stades, dans un terrain pierreux, et

il

detourna les

eaux de ce cote."
Geographic de Stkabon.

Traduite du
^Tome

primerie Royale, 1819.

Grec en Frangais.

v. livre 16, chapitre

i.

Paris, de

pp. 171

4.

Urn-

APPENDIX.

NO. IV.]

No.

4.

(Referred to in p. 58 of the

"

When

Cyrus got

round the
his

city,

first

Memoir.)

Babylon he posted

to

then rode round

his

whole army

himself, together

it

and with such of

friends,

293

his

with

he thought

as

allies

proper.

When

"

they were encamped, Cyrus

the proper persons and said,

'

taken a view of the city round, and

discover

how

it is

summoned

Friends and

posssible for one,

do not

by any

oneself master of walls that are so strong

men
so much

the greater the numbers of

venture not out to fight),

they

may be

'

Does not

this river, that

it is

and

so high

but

my

the sooner, in

opinion,

men must
Then Chrysantas

to propose, I say that these

through the midst of the

Gobrias; "^and

make

in the city are (since they

be besieged and taken in that manner.'

said,

can

find that I

attack, to

Therefore, unless you have

taken by famine.

some other method

him

to

we have

allies,

above two stades over, run

is

city

'

Yes, by Jove

!
'

said

of so great a depth that two men, one

standing upon the other, would not reach above the water,
so that the city

is

yet stronger

Then Cyrus

walls.'

said,

by the

these things that are above our force.

as soon as possible, to dig as broad

we
by

can, each part of us

than by

river

its

let

us lay aside

It is

our business,

'Chrysantas,

and deep a ditch as

measuring out his proportion, that

means we may want the fewer men to keep watch.'

"So, measuring out the ground around the wall and
this

from the side of the

turrets,

ditch,

the

river,

leaving a space

suflficient for

large

he dug round the wall on every side a very great

and they threw up the earth towards themselves. In

place, he built the turrets upon the river, laying

first

their foundation

upon palm-trees that were not

less

than a

294

APPENDIX.

hundred

length

feet in

grow even

[no. IV.
those of

for there are

a yet greater length than that

to

them that

and palm-trees

that are pressed bend up under the weight, as asses do that

He

are used to the pack-saddle.

these for this reason, that

it

placed the turrets upon

might carry the stronger ap-

pearance of his preparing to block up the

the river

made

intended that,

if

might not carry

off the turrets.

many

its

He

city,

way

might have as many places as were proper

These people were thus employed

as if

he
it

raised likewise a great

upon the rampart of

other turrets

and

into the ditch,

that were

but they

that he

earth,

for his watches.

within the walls laughed at this blockade, as being them-

above twenty years.

selves provided with necessaries for

Cyrus, hearing

this, divided his

army

into twelve parts, as if

he intended that each part should serve upon the watch

one month

When

in the year.

the Babylonians heard

they laughed yet more than before,

by the Phrygians,

that they were to be watched

selves

Lycians, Arabians, and Cappadocians,

them than they were

affected to

now finished.
" Cyrus, when he heard

this,

thinking with them-

men

to the

that were better

Persians.

The

ditches were

ival in

Babylon,

revelled the

number
river.

of

in

men

When

foot

the Babylonians drank and

was done, the water ran

this

When
and

drawn up two

it

grew dark took a

with him, and opened the ditches into the

river

off

by the

to the

managed,

Persian commanders of thousands,

horse, to attend him, each with his thousand

in front,

and the

rest of the allies to follow in

They came

the rear, ranged as they used to be before.

accordingly.

ditches,

through the city became

the affair of the river was thus

Cyrus gave orders

both

all

whole night, as soon as

and the passage of the

passable.

that they were celebrating a fes-

which

He

person, both foot

then,

and

making those

horse, to

go down

that

attended his

into the

dry part of

295

APPENDIX.

NO. IV.]

them

the river, ordered

whether the channel of the

to try

When

was passable.

river

they brought him word that

it

was passable, he called together the commanders, both of

and horse, and spoke

foot

"

'

The

river,

them

in this

manner

has yielded us a passage into

considering that these people that

against are the

their allies attending

armed, and in order

that

to

friends,

Let us boldly enter, and not fear anything

the city.
within,

march

my

many

them

now

are

while they were

awake, sober,

asleep,

many

drunk, and

all of

they will then, by means of their consternation, be yet

unfit for service

city) that,

But

than they are now.

to the tops of their houses, they dis-

more

still

at ease

they mount to the tops of their houses, we have then

their porches

made

are easily set fire to; their doors are

of the palm-

and anointed over with a bituminous matter which

will nourish the flame.

will presently take fire.

We have torches in abundance that

We have plenty of pitch and tow

that will immediately raise a mighty flame

must of necessity

fly

mediately be burnt.

to Gobrias

Come

way

on, then

and,

to the palace.'

'

so that they

take your arms, and,

lead you on.

I'll

and Gadatus,

acquainted with them

readiest

from their houses immediately, or im-

with the help of the gods,

he

is

mounting

the god Vulcan for our fellow -combatant

tree,

any one

said to be terrible to those that enter

charge down upon us on every side, be

for, if

in case

in,

more

is

apprehensive (what

them

and when they discover that we are got

to

but now we march to them at a time

them are

of

in confusion

we

same that we defeated while they had

Do

show us the ways,

when we
'

It

you,' said

for

you are

are got in, lead us the

may

be no wonder, per-

haps,' said they that were with Gobrias,

'

if

the doors of the

palace are open, for the city seems to-night to be in a

general revel ; but
for there is

we

shall

always one

meet with a guard

set there.'

We must
*

at the gates,
not, then, be

296

APPENDIX.

remiss/ said Cyrus,

much unprepared
"

When

this

'

set

may

but march, that we

take

them

as

as possible.'

was

marched

said, they

they met with, some they

and some

[no. IV.

fell

They

up a clamour.

and of those that

upon and

if

they were revellers

way that they

They that at-

themselves; and, marching on the shortest

about the palace.

tended Gadatus and Gobrias

found the

military order

in

fled,

that were with Gobrias

joined in the clamour with them, as

could, they got round

some

killed,

door of the palace shut; and they that were posted opposite

to the

guards

fell

in

upon them as they were drinking,

them im-

with a great deal of light around them, and used

As soon

mediately in a hospitable manner.

as the noise of

a clamour began, they that were within, perceiving the disturbance,

and the king commanding them

to

examine what the

They

matter was, ran out, throwing open the gates.

were with Gadatus, as soon as they saw the gates

broke

in

pressing forward upon the runaways,

ing their blows amongst them, they

and found him now

They

many

number, mastered him.

that were with

with him were killed

and

deal-

to the king,

a standing posture, with his sword

in

drawn.
in

came up

that

loose,

Gadatus and Gobrias, very

They

likewise that were

one holding up something before

him, another flying, and another defending himself with

anything that he could meet with.

Cyrus sent a body of

up and down through the streets, bidding them kill

and ordering some who unthose that they found abroad
horse

derstood the Syrian language, to proclaim

it

to those that

were in the houses to remain within, and that

found abroad they should be

ingly.

killed.

if

any were

These men did accord-

Gadatus and Gobrias then came up, and, having

paid their adoration to the gods

for

the revenge they had

their impious king, they kissed the

shedding

many tears in

hands and

the midst of their joy

feet of

and

first

upon

Cyrus,

satisfaction.

"

297

APPENDIX.

NO. IV.]

When

day came, and they that guarded the

castles

perceived that the city was taken and the king dead, they

gave them up.

castles,

He

and

Cyrus immediately took possession of the

commanders with

sent

ordered heralds to

make proclamation

should bring out their arms

that, in

relations,

it

should suffer death.

out their arms,

castles, that

and made

be declared

it

They

all the

accordingly brought

and Cyrus had them deposited

in

the

they might be ready in case he should want

them upon any

When

and

that the Babylonians

whatever house any arms should be found,

people in

"

garrisons into them.

gave up the dead to be buried by their

future occasion.

these things

ing the magies, he

had been done, then

commanded them

to

first

summon-

choose out for

the gods the first-fruits of certain portions of groimd for

sacred use, as out of a city taken by the sword.

After this

he distributed houses and palaces to those that he reckoned

had been sharers with him

performed.

He made

had been determined, the

and

if

in all the actions that

the distributions in the

had been

manner

that

best things to the best deserving

any one thought himself wronged, he ordered him

come and acquaint him with

it.

He

Babylonians to cultivate their land,

and

to

The

Persians,

serve those

that

to

pay

their taxes,

they were severally given

and such as were

to

gave out orders to the

his

fellow-sharers,

to.

and

those of his allies that chose to remain with him, he ordered

to talk as masters of those they

had

received."

Cyropedia; or, the Institution 0/ Cyrus, by Xenophon,

Vol

ii.

book

vii.

pp.

31723.

298

APPENDIX.
No.

[no. V.

5.

(Referred to in page 58 of the

" Nous arrivames

logis dans

un chan ou

Memoir.)

first

d'assez bonne heure

le soir

pour Irouver

hostellerie pres d'un chateau desert

abandonne que Ton appelle Birser Chan;

et

partis

du grand matin

etant

d'oii

de Novembre,

vingt-troisieme

le

nous nous trouvames justement une bonne heure devant

midi sur

les vestiges et les ruines

nous plantames

de I'ancienne Babel, ou
la conimodite de

afin d' avoir

le pavilion,

diner a notre aise, et de nous y arreter autant de terns qu

en faudrait pour bien voir

de ces ruines de tous

le tour

Je

et observer toutes choses.

les cotes

haut je cheminai par tout au dedans

:

il

fis

je niontai au plus

je

fis

une revue

fort

exacte; et enfin vous saurez tout ce que j'y remarquai par

le recit

que

Au

"

je vais vous en faire.

milieu d'une plaine fort vaste et toute unie, environ

a un bon quart de lieue de TEuphrate, qui la traverse en cet

endroit vers le couchant, se voit encore aujourd'hui assez
elevee une masse confuse de batimens ruines qui font un
tas prodigieux

du melange des

divers materiaux, soit que

cela ait ete fait de la sorte des le

c'est

mon

ces ruines,

et les

ait

grosse montagne,
oil

commencement, comme

opinion, soit que le debris ait confondu toutes

pele-mele reduits a la forme d'une

de quoi

ne parait aucunes marques,

il

Ton puisse arreter son jugement.

Elle est de figure

quarree en forme de tour ou de pyramide, avec quatre faces

qui repondent aux quatre parties du monde; mais,

me
il

trompe,

et si ce n'est

peut arriver,

longueur
couchant.

du

il

pas

le

desordre des ruines,

si

je ne

comme

semble qu'elle parait avoir plus de

septentrion

Elle peut

au

avoir de

midi

que

circuit,

du

ainsi

levant

au

que je

I'ai

mesuree tellement quellement environ 1134 pas des miens,

qui font

bien,

mon

avis,

un bon quart de

lieue.

Sa

299

APPENDIX.

NO, v.]
mesure, son assiette,

appararament

doit 6tre

ont du rapport avec cette

et sa forme^

pyramide que Strabon appelle

celle

tombeau de Belus

le

et ce

dont la sainte Ecriture

fait

nommant la tour de Nembrot en Babylone ou

comme ce lieu s'appelle encore aujourd' hui.

mention, la
Babel,
*

'*

II est

a reniarquer que, depuis le pied de

montagne en avant, en ne

cette

voit rien, outre ces ruines

qui puissent servir de marque assuree pour convaincre

I'esprit qu'il

ait

eu la autrefois une aussi grande

Babylone

faraeuse

cette

puisque tout

que

ville

ce qui s'y

pent

decouvrir a cinquante ou soixante pas plus loin que cette

masse,

c'est

seulement

le reste

de quelques fondemens qa

et

au tems passe une juste

lesquels sans doute ont eus

la,

Pour

du

terrain

d'alentour, hors de ces vestiges qui paraissent, c'est

un pays

d'architecture.

elevation

ou

tres plat,

ce

semble impossible

il

batimens notables

car,

qui

qu'il

ait

eu jamais des

certainement apres cette grosse

masse de demolitions, tout ce qui

se rencontre ailleurs est si

que Ton a peine a croire que Ton

uni,

est

ait

eu

le

dessein de

batir en ces lieux cette grande et superbe ville de Babylone,

dont

les

batimens etaient

si

bien fondez,

si forts, et si

consi-

derables.

" *
faite

La

de mines

n'est

hauteur de cette espece de montagne

pas egale partout, mais a du plus et

du moins en

divers endroits ; n^anmoins le plus haut

pignon du palais de Naples a beaucoup moins d'elevation.

Cette masse, consideree de tous ces cotes, ne pent pas

representer a la vue des figures bien regulieres, et ne

qu'un compose difforme;

sortes d'ouvrages

On

ce qui

mines, ou par

le

y voit des endroits plus hauts

raboteux, et inaccessibles

plus facile a monter

causes par les

est

fait

ordinaire a toutes

tems ou par
et plus

bas

les

hommes.

ici

escarpes,

la plus adoucis, et d'une pente

y a aussi de vestiges de torrens

pluies de haut en bas et meme quand on
:

il

300
est

APPENDIX.

dedans

au dessus, en

et

des endroits, les uns plus

voit

creux, les autres plus relev6s;

montagne de
nattre

conlusion.

II

[no. V.

et

enfin

ce

n'est

y a jamais eu de degre pour y monter,

s'il

portes pour y entrer

d'ou

il

qu'une

pas possible de recon-

n'est

est aise

et

quelques

de juger que les

escaliers etaient tout a I'entour sur les dehors de la place

que,

comme

les parties les

miers demolis

moins

et renverses,

et

solides, ils ont ete les pre-

en sorte que Ton n'en apperqoit

pas la moindre marque.

"

Au dedansj quand

on se promene en la partie superieure,

on trouve quelques grottes, mais tellement ruinees, qu'on ne

peut pas discerner ce que
unes,

SI elles

c'a 6te

ont ete faites en

et

m^me

Ton doute du quelques

tems que

fut bati cette

ouvrage,ou creuseedu depuis par les paysans, pour

s'y mettres

a couvert, en quoi je trouve davantage de vraisemblance.

" Cette masse en toutes ces parties

assez que la

fait voir

Nembrot que de grandes

tour ne fut batie par

bricques, ce que je remarquai soigneusement,

et grosses

comme une

chose forte curieuse, en faisant creuser quelques endroits

avec des picques.

II

apparence que ces bricques

n'etaient que de terre creux, sans passer par le feu et sechee

seulement au

soleil,

peut-^tre de la
terre

que

les

qui est tres ardent en ces quartiers

m^me

maniere que

le sont ces

Espagnols appellent Tappies

et

;*

des unes avec les autres,

ni sable,

mais seulement de la terre detremp^e

dans

entremele avec cette

fait

is

et

de chaux, des roseaux

telles

que sont

afin de rendre

evidently the

same

mound.

Ed.

artificial

terre, qui sert

les grosses nattes,

This

et petrie

de plauchers on avait

ou des pailles dures,

means an

faire

comme

les lieux qui servaient

brises,

pour

n'y fut employ^ ni chaux

la liaison

il

la,

mottes de

celles

dont on

Touvrage plus

as the Arabic

fort.

word Tepeh, which

APPENDIX.

NO. VI.]

301

Apres on voit d'espace en espace en divers

il

endroits, surtout

ou

faut de plus forts appuis, plusieurs autres bricques de la

merae grandeur

et grosseur, mais plus solides et cuites au

maqonn^es avec de bonne chaux, ou de bitume
neanmoins il est certain que le nombre est beaucoup plus

fourneau, et

grand de

celles qui sont

seulement sechees au

Voyages de Pietro della Valle.

No.

Tom.

The

following

referred to in

" The

There

on the

top,

ravines.

It

human

found in

first

from

in particular

of an

irregular

of the ruins of

work of Major Rennell,

the

Babylon are very

is

visible

a league north of

an elevation which

it.

Its

it

height

not proved
is

not

is flat

and intersected by

figure,

would never have been suspected

hands, were

50.

Memoir.)

M. Beauchamp's account

Mr. Rich's Memoir

ruins of

Hillah.

of

is

extracted

soleil.''

Lettre xvi. p. 46

6.

(Referred to in page 64 of the

Babylon,

i.

by the

for the

work

layers of bricks

more than 60

yards.

It is

we pass in the road to

it conceals it from the view.
To come at the bricks it is
necessary to dig into the earth. They are baked with fire,
so

little

elevated that the least ruin

and cemented with zepht or bitumen

between each layer

are found osiers.

" Above this mount, on the side of the

river, are those

immense ruins which have served and

still

building of Hillah,

containing ten

an Arabian

twelve thousand souls.

city,

serve for the

Here are found those

thick bricks imprinted with

unknown

large

or

and

characters, specimens

of which I have presented to the

place and the

Mount

of

Arabs Makloube, that

Abbe Barthelemy. This

Babel are commonly called by the

is,

turned topsyturvy.

was

in-

APPENDIX.

.^02

[no

formed by the master mason employed

to dig for bricks

them were

that the places from which he procured

found earthen

vessels,

On

rubbish.

large

has frequently

engraved marbles, and about eight

years ago a statue as large as

the

He

and sometimes chambers.

thick walls,

VI.

life,

which he threw amongst

one wall of a chamber he found the

figures of a cow,

and of the sun and moon, formed of var-

nished bricks.*

Sometimes

human

senting

figures.

idols of clay are

and on others a half-moon

lion,

found repre-

found one brick on which was a

cemented with bitumen, except

preserved, where they are united

white cement, which appears to

The

in relief.

bricks are

one place which

in

by a very

me

to

be

is

well

thin stratum of

made

of lime

and

sand.

"

The

bricks are everywhere of the

foot three lines

same dimensions, one

square by three inches thick.

Occasionally

layers of osiers in bitumen are found as at Babel.

" The master mason led

me

along a valley which he dug

out a long while ago to get at the bricks of a wall that from
the

marks he showed me

thick.

It

guess to have been sixty feet

ran perpendicular to the bed of the

was probably the wall of the

city.

found

in

river,

it

ranean canal, which, instead of being arched over,

and

a subter-

is

covered

with pieces of sandstone six or seven feet long by three

These ruins extend several leagues

wide.

and

Hillah,

incontestibly

mark

to the north of

the situation of ancient

Babylon.
"

employed two men

for three hours in

stone which they supposed to be an idol.

* Diodorus,

lib.

ii.

c.

1,

The

&c.

says that there were drawn in colours on

used in building the wall of the great palace, various

also a representation of a general hunting of wild beasts,

the bricks,

animals

clearing

part which

TJje bricks were painted before they were burnt.


APPENDIX.

NO. VII.]

303

got a view of appeared to be nothing but a shapeless

mass

was

it

block, as

evident, however, that

bore marks of the

it

but

chisel,

it

The

of a black grain

stone

ments of

is
it

many

found in

pretty-

could not find any inscription on

deep holes in

was not a simple

it

and there were

it.

and, from the large frag-

places,

it

appears that there

On

were some monuments of stone built here.

the eastern

side I found a stone nearly two feet square, and six inches
thick, of a beautiful granite, the grain of

and red.

which was white

All these stones must have been brought from

same

some

On

distance, as this part of the desert contains none.

the

was told by the master mason,

side of the city, as I

there were walls of varnished bricks which he supposed to

have been a temple."

Major Rennell's

No.

History of Herodotus, page 367.

7.

(Referred to in p. 73 of the

Niebuhr says

of the

ruins

aucun doute que Babylone

ici
fete

first

Memoir.^

Babylon

les

"

n'y

II

dans la contree

n'ait et6 situde

Car non seulement

de Helle.

aujourd'hui cette contree

of

habitans appellent encore

Ard Babel, mais on

trouve encore

des restes d'une ancienne ville qui ne peut pas en avoir

une autre que Babylone.

mines

il

semble que Helle

en juger

se trouve

meme

par ces

dans I'enceinte de la

muraille de la ville de Babylone, mais quand on parle

d'antiquites Babyloniennes

superbes

en Egypte.

meme

marbre

dans la colline sur laquelle

La

celebre palais etait bati.

pierre a chaux dont les

grandes pyramides dans le voisinage de Kahira sont

se trouve

I'endroit

meme

si

trouve encore en Perse et

Persepolis on trouve le plus beau

tout pres de la ville et

le

ne faut pas s'attendre a de

il

monumens que Ton en

outre cela

faites

on y rencontre

304

APPENDIX.

encore vers le sud, pas

Nil, des

loin, ct

meme

souvent

montagnes de pierre a chaux,

granite tout pres de la riviere

au

Tigre on ne trouve rien de

tout pres

dans

et

meme

raeridionale de I'Egypte on trouve

et le

[no. VII.

des montagnes de

lieu

que sur I'Euphrate

pareil,

mais seulement de

la terre basse, depuis le Golfe Persique, jusqu'a Helle

Bagdad,

et

plus loin encore au nord.

voulu batir avec des pierres

de

les

chercher

c'est la

et

Si les Babyloniens avait

taill6es, ils

auraient ete obliges

et cela leur aurait

fort loin,

du

la partie

trop coute

cause qu'ils batissaient leurs meilleures maisons

avec des bricques, de I'^paisseur a peu pres des notres et

d'un pied en quarree, et

ils

savaient les cuires aussi par-

faitement que je I'aie jamais vu.

avaient

S'ils

fait leurs

murailles de ces bricques avec de la chaux, on trouverait

de

bien plus

de leurs batimens qu'il

restes

Mais

actuellement.

qui n'attache pas

ils

les

fort,

si

et

qui a fait qu'on a

demolis ces anciennes maisons, pour en

maisons dans

les villes voisines,

M6me

I'Euphrate.

n'y

en a

ont mises dans une matiere

un grand

faire

peu a peu

de nouvelles

et les villages situ6s sur

et tres

beau caravanserai a

Helle, ou j'etais loge, n'etait bati que depuis peu d'annees

de ces mines.
"

Quand a

la citadelle et le celebre jardin pendant, qui

d'apres ce qu'en disent Strabon et d'autres auteurs Grecs,

se trouvent

trouve des

tout pres de I'Euphrate,

magne, au nord-nord-ouest de Helle,

oriental

mon

restes, a environ trois quarts

du fleuve;

le

avis,

on en

d'un mille d'AUe-

et tout

pres du riviere

tout ne consiste qu'en de grandes

collines toutes ruin^es.

" Les murailles qui se trouvent au

sont emportees

fondement

s'y

il

y a deja long-tcms

trouvent encore, et

dessus de la terre

mais

les murailles

moi-meme

j'ai

trouv6

de
ici

des gens occupes a tirer de ces pierres pour les transporter

a Helle.

Au

lieu

que dans toute

la contree, depuis

le

Golfe Persique, jusqu'a Kerbela, on ne trouve presque pas

305

APPENDIX.

NO. Vll.]
d'autres arbres, que

des dat.tiers et d'autres

rencontre entre les collines de ces mines

On

arbre, qui paroit etre fort vieux.

toute cette contr6e au

Au

un autre
dans

voit d'ailleurs

petites

morceaux de bricques.

sud-ouest de Helle a 1^ de mille, et par conse-

quent a I'ouest de I'Euphrate, on trouve

de I'ancienne Babylone

restes

on

fruitiers,

et la

deux cotes de I'Euphrate, de

collines ruinees pleine de

"

ici

ici

il

encore d'autres

y a toute une colline de

ces belles pierres de murailles dont j'ai parl6, et au dessus

il

y a une tour qui a ce qui parait

est

interieurement aussi

Mais

toute remplie de ces pierres de murailles cuites.

du dehors (qui

pierres

les

de combien de pieds d'epais-

sait

seur) sont perdues par le terns dans cette epaisse muraille,

ou plutot dans

pour y donner un

y a

d'un cote jusqua Tautre

passage a

libre

qui aurait

Au

etoit

tems que Babylone

et

I'air,

au dedans I'humidite^

la contree des

ces grands tas de pierres.

petits trous qui percent

la

ici et

de

sans doute

pour empecher

pu nuire au batiment.

encore en

que toute

fleur, et

environs etoit remplie de bl.timens

cette

tour doit avoir en une tres belle vue, car au pied de la tour

on

voit

lieues

Meschid
encore

Ali,

d'ici.

Mosquee qui
vu

J'avois

premier voyage a Helle lorsque je

echauguette.

JVimrod, et
ici

un grand

et

rien d'avantage de Birs et

Herodote
paru

rapporter.
dit

le

regardois

huit

mon

dans

tour

pour une

Bits, c'est a dire,

nom,

ce

ici

avoit b^ti

connaissance avec des

Cadi, et celui

du Palais, que

Mais en

du temple de Belus

tres vraisemblable

et c'est

du moins a

magnifique Palais.

" Je n'eus pas occasion de faire

de

le

Mon guide la nommoit

me racontoit, qu'un roi de

savans Mahometans, excepte

viens

est

cette

ci

relisant ensuite
et

de sa

ne savoit

la fable

forte tour,

que j'en avois retrouve

que je

ce
il

que
m'a

la des restes

pourquoi j'espere, qu'un de mes successeurs dans ce

APPENDIX.

306
voyage en fera de

[no. IX.
nous en

recherches, et

plus exactes

donnera la description."
Fuyage en Arable^ par C. Nif.buhr, Tom.

No.
(Referred to in

The

p.

first

who was

234

236.

Memoir.)

following are the descriptions of

R. K. Porte r-f-,

p.

9.

80 of the

by Mr. Buckingham*, who

ii.

first

Al Hheimar, given
this ruin,

visited

many

there not

years

and Sir

after.

" It was a quarter before nine o'clock/' says MrBuckingham, " when we departed from hence (Hillah) to

extend our excursion more easterly, to which we had been

tempted by the sight of the high mounds

as well as

interest there, called

"

We

in that direction,

by the report of there being one of particular

*

Al Hheimar.

We

pursued our way to the eastward.

occasionally long
others crossing

mounds running from N.

them

at right angles

" About eleven o'clock

it,

to S.,

from E. to

we reached a small

with a few date trees near

passed

and saw

W.

sheikh's tomb,

standing in the middle of a

dry and burning waste.

" There were large mounds and a high pyramidal
in sight

beyond

this,

which

still

tempted

me

to

go on.

hill

My

companion, however, being now quite exhausted with the

heat, determined to alight here,

particularly as

* Travels in

we had

and go no further

originally

Mesopotamia.

By

J. S.

come out on

more

this excur-

Buckingham.

t Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, Ancient Babylonia, &c.

By

Sir

Robert Ker Porter.

APPENDIX.

NO. IX.]

mound

sion in search of a

only

be

to

called

Al Hheimar, which

miles to the E.

five

307
is

said

of Hillah, and which,

though we were now more then ten miles from that town,
in the

tomb

the

named, we had not yet discovered.

direction

accordingly

left

to repose in the

sent

have

it

who was

with us, and

at

shade, and pushed on alone,

whom Mr. Rich

being soon after followed by the horseman

had

Mr. Belhno and the Koord horseman

unwilling probably to

thought that he could not brave heat and

thirst

as well as a stranger.

We

"

still

went eastward, passing

way, as before,

in the

several detached heaps covered with burnt brick

pottery,

and

fine

and crossing two or three large and wide ranges

of double

mounds going N. and

S.,

which, from their ap-

Beyond

the last of these

pearance, might either have been canals or streets.

double mounds scattered frag-

ments of burnt brick began to be more abundant than we

had

and marked the former existence of

before seen them,

some great work

along the eastern extremity of the

all

These continued

city.

nected masses, as

the ground as
materials

hour

to

be seen, not in large heaps or con-

usually the case, but lying loosely on

they were merely the refuse of

if

taken

is

away

after quitting the

from

tomb

hence;

of the saint,

Al Hheimar, which

foot of the hill

an

we reached

the

in

had come thus

better

half

until,

far to

examine.
"

We found

it

to

be a high

at the base as not to

difficult to get
side,

was

steep

more

so.

up,

even on

The

and on the eastern

hill

We

foot.

where the ascent was

western
still

mound of loose

rubbish, so steep

be ascended on horseback, and extremely

went up on the

easiest,
it

though there

it

was apparently much

presented at a short distance the ap-

pearance of a pyramidal cone, the outline of which formed

nearly an equilateral triangle, and

its

summit seemed

x2

to be

APPENDIX.

308

[no. IX.
wall, rather like

crowned by a long and low piece of thick

The

a tower.

the battlements of a small fortress than

rubbish below consisted of burnt brick, with scarcely a frag-

ment of pottery

and

added

this circumstance,

ascent on every side, where all that

to its steep

varied from a per-

it

pendicular, seemed to have been caused by some originally

slight slope in the building

itself,

and the

fall

of fragments

from above, with the comparatively perfect and sohd appearance of its summit, induced me at first sight to conclude
that

it

was the remains of a

solid

and extensive

and

wall,

formed no part of any open building."

The heat and the impatience of his companion prevented

Mr. Buckingham staying more than a few minutes at Al
Hheimar; but he adds, "I was enabled on the following
khan

quiet apartment of the

at Hillah, in a

day

at

which

my

lodged, to reduce to writing what was then fresh in

we

recollection.

"

The

base of the

mound

of

appeared
its

to

me

to

Al Hheimar,

be from 300 to 400

feet in

form was rather oval than circular

being apparently from N. to

to

W., so that

its

at this eastern

through the ruins of Babylon,

e.vtremity of our excursion

S.,

its

and

its

circumference
greatest length

from E.

lesser

breadth or thickness through,

Its

the

at

bottom, might have been from eighty to one hundred

feet.

height appeared to be equal to that of the lowest part

of the Mujellibe, or from seventy to eighty

equal

to the

breadth of

its

own

base.

On

feet,

and nearly

ascending to

its

summit, we found there a mass of soUd wall about thirty

feet in

length by twelve or fifteen feet in thickness

dently once of

being in
side.

from

its

The
its

much

yet evi-

greater dimensions each way, the

work

present state broken and incomplete on every

height of the mass was also probably diminished

original standard

judgBj as, whatever

but of this

number

it

was not

of layers of bricks

so easy to

might have

APPENDIX.

NO. IX.]
removed,

been

309

smooth surface remained where the

cement was worn away by time, which

any dilapidation of the

necessarily

is

not the case with

sides or facings of walls,

would be with

their

though

it

summits.

" Nothing was more evident, however, than that this was
a solid mass of wall, and no part of

habited edifice.

Its

it

a chambered or in-

appearance indicated that

it

had been

on an inclined slope from the westward or

built

face, at least that

made

its

interior

being the side on which our ascent was

dimensions being from eighty to one hundred

at the base, twelve to

feet

thick

top,

and seventy

The

bricks were of the usual square form

to eighty

feet

fifteen

in

feet

thick at the

perpendicular height.

and

size,

of a

reddish yellow colour, with slight appearances of chopped

straw having been used in their composition, but not very

decidedly

marked

they had

any instance that

not, in

could perceive, inscriptions, figures, or writing on their

The cement used

surface.

was ex-

to connect the layers

tremely thin, and of the same colour with the bricks themselves, but not of the extraordinary tenacity of that at the

Kasr

nor was the masonry so neat and highly finished,

being perhaps of an earlier date.

"

The

which

greatest peculiarity observed at this pile,

and one

known

ruins of

hitherto, at least,

is

unique

in the

Babylon, was, that at intervening spaces rather wider than

those of the reeds at Akkerkoof,

and recurring

fifteenth or twentieth course of bricks^

an extremely white substance, which was seen

filaments on the bricks, hke
of straw

or,

as

it

struck

me

the

that I separated with

in

crossing of fine

forcibly

texture of the Egyptian papyrus.

bricks,

at

much

every

appeared a layer of

on the

small
pieces

spot, like the

Between two of the

ease from the pile, the

layer of this substance seemed about a quarter of an inch

thick.

The

filaments were clearly discernible, and, when


APPENDIX.

310

[no. IX.

whole substance was of a snowy whiteness, and

fresh, the

had a shining appearance, hke the

like the fibres of the glass feathers

merely touching

came

off in

and on

to take off the layer itself, as

to

piece

of wood,

particles,

and,

at-

a whole,

from the extreme lightness of the

was instantly dispersed

Buckingham's Travels

in the air."

in Assyria.

Quarto

edition, p.

R. K. Porter thus describes Al Hheimar

November 22nd

" Another

gigantic

438

445.

object worthy of

note lay pretty far on the eastern side of the Euphrates

again attended by

my

on the

pieces like the white ashes of a thoroughly-burnt

it fell

Sir

wing

touching a butterfly's

after

tempting with a knife

it

like the substance left

flesh,

On

England.

in

lightly with the finger,

it

white powder on the

fingers

mineral saUs, or

finest

made

my escort, I

set forth this

researches in that quarter.

Al Hymer.

Its distance

The

morning

to

pile in view

and

resume

is

called

from the western suburb of Hillah

cannot be less than eight miles and a half; and from the
eastern

bank of the Euphrates opposite Anana,

line,

may

it

the gardens in the vicinity of Hillah,

N. 30 E.
perfectly

for

full

except

flat,

The

an hour.

in

On

be about seven miles and a half

a direct
clearing

we bent our course

was

country as usual

where interrupted by the endless

traversings of old canal beds

some

of

which are of prodi-

and of an answering depth and steepness^

gious width,

often so abrupt as to be exceedingly troublesome to pass.

Those

of largest dimensions generally run S. E. and N.

and the

lesser,

N. and E.

W.,

" Having ridden an hour, we took a direction due E.,

crossing, at different distances, three other canals in a course

from N.

to S.

the last of the three was very wide, and not

NO. IX.]

APPENDIX.

311

more than a mile from Al Hymer, the whole

tervening space

and

all

When

the other visual relics of Babylonian ruins.

we reached the great mound

which had long been a

itself,

conspicuous object above the horizon, I found

midal,

of which in-

covered with broken bricks, pottery, glass,

is

with numerous

it

to be pyra-

dependent smaller mounds.

Its

base was nearly circular, in circumference 276 yards, and

in height about 60.

One-third of

elevation

its

is

composed

of unburnt brick, the rest of the pile of that which has

passed through the

A large and solid mass of the latter

fire.

surmounts the whole, standing clear from any of the loose rubbish which so abundantly encumbers
bricks on the outside,

and

soft;

by some

should ascribe that

exposure to the external

the slightest force
ing, I

air

its

The fire-baked

base.

become extremely

cause, have

effect to

their

complete

they then break witli ease on

but, on penetrating into the solid build-

found them as hard as any others of Babylonia.

In

broad square surface they exceeded those of the Birs and

the

Kasr nearly three quarters of an inch

ness was not

this

more than
as

inass,

it

but the thick-

The whole

in those of the Birs.

stands on

its

of

rounded ruin-encumbered

foundation presents four straight faces, but unequal and

mutilated, looking towards the cardinal points.

the S. measures 39

Through them
other.

The

from any

seeming

to

all

the

usual

W.

air-channels traverse

to

51.

each

had hitherto remarked, a layer of clay only

though

be their cement;
five,

six,

at the

or seven bricks,

unequal

common bed

Whether
of

it

reeds,

some peculiar operation of the

may

dis-

a bright white

appears in some places an inch thick,

spread between them.

been the

That

the N. 37, the E. 48, and the

courses of the bricks differ in this building

tances of four,

substance

feet,

originally

as

if

have

transformed thus by

air or of the earth that

com-

APPENDIX.

312
posed

the bricks,

to decide,

may

am

[no. IX.

not natural philosopher

enough

state of the exterior bricks

though the softened

authorize the latter supposition, from an idea that the

same

which wrought on the particular clay

action of the air

of the brick, might, from the partial decomposition of the

But

one, thus strangely affect the substance of the other.

I

have brought a specimen of the powder away with me,

which

may

hereafter enable

No

investigate the fact.*

Lime was no where

it.

some European chemist

traceable.

closely

described

The burnt

as forming the solid

very coarsely finished

examined the

and found only

broken fragments of brick-work below,

quantities of bitumen.

bricks

have already

summit of the mound are

but the masses found at

to

cement whatever was mixed with

its

foot in

different places are of fine clay, of the best kiln-baked fabric.

They

differ in size

from any others

had

seen, being four-

teen inches long, twelve and three quarters broad,

two and a half thick

those

had examined

in

and about
the great

piles of the Birs, the Kasr, &c., usually

measuring thirteen

inches square, and three in thickness.

During

nation of Al

Hymer

was so fortunate as

entire brick of this beautiful construction

my

exami-

to obtain

an

and found

its

inscription also varying from those of the preceding piles

hence

lines of

"

may

call

cuneiform

it

an unique specimen.

While standing on the mount

ceived, at

some

little

It

contains ten

an upright column.

letters in

of

Al Hymer, we per-

distance to the eastward, a considerable

group of mounds appearing nearly equal

one we then occupied.

To

* "

these

in height to

we directed our

the

horses'

Subsequent chemical examination of the white powder found at

it to be no calcareous cement, but principally composed of common earthy matter and therefore probably produced by

Al Hymer proves

the causes above suggested."

heads

and found the distance between the one we

those 10 which

we were

going, about 1656 yards

mediate track being divided by

banked old
"

which ran

canal,

Minor

was not

From

less elevation;

a deep and highly-em-

25 E.

*
;

and

N.

the

western ramifications.

Al Hymer, and of the same

base three branches projected,

its

two running

longest, to

and

the highest of the prominent group.

inferior in height to

conical form.

the

S.

left

the inter-

elevations covered the plain on every side

we quickly ascended
It

313

APPENDIX.

NO. IX.]

S.

and

W.

S.

and the

of

third,

from which struck eastern and

This central

mound and its

adjuncts

stood perfectly detached from all others in an open area

nearly surrounded towards, the N. and N.

chain of minor

mounds covered with

E. by a deep

the usual fragments of

scattered ruins.

" In a direction

mound, standing

N. 20 E. we observed another high

quite alone

in altitude nearly

equal to

the last described, but of an oblong shape, or rather like

a compressed

yards.

"
I

On

its

returning,

to

the

E.

Its

length

breadth, equal in every part, 46

W.

stood E. and

It

open

horse-shoe,

was 161 yards, and

by the base

of the great ramified

mound

observed a low, continued ridge, like what might once

have formed a

vale.

It

yards, in a direction S.
ditch.

was distant from the mound 460

30

W.

There were no remains of a

This was the extent of our Babylonian observations

to the E.

and, on proceeding

a course more to the

S.

back

In this

to

Hillah,

direction

took

we passed

through the beds of the same canals we had traversed on

our approach, though in different places, and halted
short time at a

tomb

trees, called that of Ali

" In oin-

prettily situated

among some

for

date-

Abu Hassan.

way we afterwards saw

spots where traces of

; ;

314

APPENDIX.

former habitations were

visible,

[no.

though not so much from

unevenness in the ground as by the strewn fragments of

and

ruin,

than
that

five
is,

its

The tomb is rather more

we reached by sunset

nitrous effects.

miles from Hillah, which

about six minutes past

five

Sir R. K. Pokier's Travels

o'clock."
in Georgia, Persia, 8fc.

Quarto, Vol.

No.
(Referred to in

Ives

We

miles.

"

p. 81 of

It lies

p.

390 397.

10.
the

W.

Memoir.)

first

says of Akerkouf, or, as

Nimrod's Tower,

ii.

commonly

is

it

passed the Tigris by the same bridge of boats

before mentioned, and rode through the old city of

from whence, quite up

either

to the

tower,

still

to

which can be no other than the remains of the

ancient Seleiicia.

The ground began

to rise in

tower, occasioned, as

we imagined, by

the rubbish of the

Whether the tower

old buildings which once stood here.

at first of a square

or round form

determine, though the former

is

a gentle

we reached the

ascent for half a quarter of a mile before

was

Bagdad

ruins of buildings,

wholly above or somewhat imder ground, are

be seen

called,

by N., distant about nine

now

is

difficult to

most probable; because

all

the remaining bricks are placed square, and not in the least
circular.

The

bricks are all twelve inches square,

and four

mud

or slime

mixed with broken

reed,

The cement
as we mix

which slime might

either

have been had from one of the

inches and a half thick.

great rivers, or taken out of one of the

with which the country hereabouts

is

of

hair

with mortar

swamps

very

in the plain,

much

abounds.

APPENDIX.

NO. XI.]

We

swamps

passed one of these

about 100 yards broad, and four

"

The height

largest

of the ruin

and middle

part, about

be solid to the centre

our way, which was

in

feet deep.

126

is

315

feet; the diameter of the

100

We judge

feet.

yet near the top there

it

opening of an oval form, but, as we could not climb up

can determine nothing positive about
ever,

from the present look,

to

it

to

a regular

is

to,

appears, how-

it

The

have been a window.

circumference of that part of the tower which remains, and

is

above the rubbish,

about 300

is

could the foundation be come

at, it

feeet

probably

but,

would be found of

far

greater extent."
Ives's 7>aw/s. Quarto, p. 297, 298.

No.

11.

(Referred to in p. 82 of the

"

Babylone

est

first

Memoir. J

egalement situee dans une plaine

murailles ont 385 stades de

circonference,

les

32 pieds

et

d'epaisseur; leur hauteur est entre les tours de 50 coudees,

et

de 60 coudees en y comprenant

largeur

suffit

celle

des

tours

y courir en sens contraire. Aussi

au nombre des sept merveilles, de
quatre plithres.
qui

que

jardin sus-

le

compose de (plusieurs)

11 est

s'^levent

soutenues sur des gros

les

unes au-dessus

piliers.

Les

piliers

plus grands arbres

chaque terrasse

et les

ces piliers

voutes

ainsi

est

de

terrasses

des

autres,

sont creux et

remplis de terre, de maniere a pouvoir contenir

des

la

ces murailles sont mises

m^me

pendu, qui a la forme d'un carre dont chaque cote

voutees,

pour que deux quadriges puissent facilement

les

que

sont construits

le

en

racines
sol

de

briques

APPENDIX.

316

[no. XI.

On

assemblees avec de I'asphalte.

cuites,

arrive a I'etage

superieur par des escaliers, les long desquels on a dispose

des limaces

sans cesse en

dans

des homines

mouvement

jardin situe pres

le

commis

du

a cet

monter

et font

fleuve

stade coupe la ville par le milieu

6galement

le

le fut, dit-on,

effet, les

mettent

I'eau de I'Euphi'ate

ce fleuve large d'un

sur ses bords s'eleve

tombeavi de Belus maintenant detruit,

par Xerxes.

briques cuites, ayant un stade de hauteur et de cote.

andre avoit en I'intention de

demandait beaucoup de travaux

fallu

ment

retablir

la

et

qui

une pyramide carree de

C'etoit

Alex-

mais I'ouvrage

de temps, puisqu'il eut

et

deux mois pour que 10,000 ouvriers parvinssent seulea deblayer les terres et les decombres

aussi

Alexandre

ne put-il achever ce qu'il avoit enterpris, parcequ'il mourut

presque aussitot de maladie. Apres

de ce monument
(successive)

le reste fut

de cette

ville,

lui

personne ne s'occupa

egalement neglige

et la

ruine

devint I'ouvrage a la fois des

des Macedoniens, dont Tinsouciance

Perses,

du temps,

pour

choses de ce genre augmenta surtout apres que

les

et

Seleucus Nicator eut

fortifie

Seleucie sur le Tigre a environ

300 stades seulement de Babylone.

"

En

eifet,

ce souverain et tous ses successeurs eurent une

grande predeUction pour cette

ville nouvelle, et

y transport-

erent le siege de leur empire; aussi elle est devenue

tenant plus grande que Babylone

celle-ci

en

est

maingrande

partie deserte, en sorte qu'on pent lui appliquer ce qu'un

poete comique disait de Megalopolis en Arcadie

"

"

Vu

piliers

La grande

la rarete

ville n'est

du

plus qu'un grand desert."

bois de charpente les poutres et les

des edifices particuliers sont en bois de palmier; au

tour des piliers, on dispose en spirale des cordelettes de joue

que Ton peint ensuite de divers couleurs

enduite d'asphalte

on

les tient

les portes

sont

hautes ainsi que les maisons

317

APPENDIX.

NO. XII.]

manque de

elles-memes, qui toutes sont voutees a cause du

bois de charpente

de

taillis,

le

pays

est

en grande partie couvert

n'ayant d'autres arbres (de haute futaie) que le

Get arbre qui vient en tres grande quantite dans

palmier.
la

car

Babylonie,

abondamment

trouve

se

dans la

aussi

Susiane, sur la cote de la Perse et dans la Caramanie.

"On
en

meme

Tusage des

n'a point en Babylonie

parceque

tuiles,

chose a lieu pour la Susiane

(Referred to in

"

We
The

Tome

12.

87 of the

Memoir.)

first

Elugo lyeth on the place where formerly

stand.

The harbour

to

lyeth a quarter of a

to go, that intend to travel

whereinto those use

off,

by land

Bagdad, which

the famous trading city of

one day and half distant.

At

this

harbour

where the old town of Babylon did stand

there

not a house to be seen.

is

and barren that

*

v., livie 16.

Felugo or Elugo.

village

Old Babylon did

league

la

arrived at length, on the 24th day of October, at

night, near to
"

p.

et la Sitacene."*

Geographic de Strabon.

No.

reconverts

toits

y sont peu abondantes

les pluies

The

it

cannot be

is

but at this time

This country

tilled,

and

is

the place

so

is

so dry

bare, that

following passage in the above-mentioned author, regarding

the manners of the Assyrians, throws some light on the cylinders and

gems found

in

such profusion among the ruins of Babylon

" lis portent une tunique de

blanche

lin

trainante et

un

surtout de laine

leur chevelure est courte, et leur chaussure ressemble a

une embade.

Chacun

porte

un cachet au

doigt

et

une canne, non

simple et grossiere, mais travaillee d"une maniere remarquable, et

surmontee d'une pomme, d"une

semblable ."

E d

rose,

d'un

lis,

ou de quelque chose de


APPENDIX.

318

[no. XII.

much whether

should have doubted very

and

this potent

powerful city (which once was the most stately and famous

one of the world, situated

known

it

by

situation,

its

and

the pleasant

in

country of Sinar) did stand there,

if

fruitful

should not have

and several ancient and

delicate

antiquities that still are standing hereabouts, in great deso-

by the old bridge which was

First,

lation.

(which

Euphrates

Baruch, in his

and arches
little

first

still

also

laid over the

Sud by the prophet

called

is

some pieces

chapter), whereof there are

remaining, and to be seen this very day a

above where

we

These arches are

landed.

burnt bricks, and so strong that

it is

admirable

along the river from Bir, where the

river is

built of

because

all

a great deal

we saw never a bridge. The river is here at least

and very deep. Near the bridge are
Someheaps of Babylonian pitch, to pitch ships.

smaller,

half a league broad,

several

still

see

castle

did stand,

some ruins

in

half a league in diameter

except in two
of their holes."
"

From

not

winter

which

it is

come near

is

quite de-

pretty near to

This we see

but

it,

is

still,

so ruined
it

it,

and

and

did
it is

full

of

within half a mile,

months, when they come not out

{pege 174.)

this tower,

strong town

hill

may

behind

stand the tower of Babylon.

may

the

of the fortification,

molished and uninhabited

vermin, that one

Elugo,

a plain, whereon you

the village

thing further, just before

whereon the

two leagues distant eastward,

lieth the

Fraxt, which was formerly called Apamea,

mentioned by Pliny (Book

vi.

chap. 20 and 27), between

the Tigris and Euphrates, which two rivers, not far below,
are united.
''

October 2^th.

and asses

Early

in

to carry our goods,

the

we

morning, with camels

set out for

Bagdad.

In

the beginning the ways were very rough with the stones

and ruins; but

after

we passed the

castle

and town of

APPENDIX.

NO. XII.]

319

Daniel, the dry deserts began again, where nothing was to

be seen but thorns

By

tents.

men, nor

neither

way we saw

the

you

find

it

in the

is

very

fine,

and

like

large, ancient,

ruins

lieth close together, as

and

vallies) here

were decayed and lay

many

Arches and turrets standing

high, and stately buildings.

in the sand (which

beasts, nor eaves, nor

in the plain

whereof many

there,

some

look upon were

to

pretty entire, very strong, adorned with artificial works.

Thus they
steeple

inhabited

something
or St.
self,

stand,

solitary

of Daniel, which
like

may

and

only the

save

desolate,

entire, built of black stones,

unto this day.

still

Maurice

you

is

unto our steeple of the Holy Cross Church,

in

Augsburg, on which, as

it

stands by

it-

see all the ruins of the old Babylonian tower,

and the

the castle-hill, together with the stately buildings,

whole situation of the old town, very exactly.

had

and

height and building

It is in

After

we

travelled twelve hours through desolate places, very

hard, so that the camels and asses began to be tired,

we

lodged ourselves near to an ascent.

re-

viewed

this,

considered and

and found that there were two

walls,

one be-

hind the other, distinguished by a ditch, like unto two

parallel walls, and that they

where one might go through

lieve that

were open in some places,

like

gates

wherefore

be-

they were the wall of the old town that went

about there, and ihat the places where they were open have

been anciently the gates (whereof there were 100 iron ones)
of that town

and

this the rather,

because

saw

places under the sand the old wall plainly appear.

in

some

So we

found ourselves to be just lodged in that formerly famous

kingly city."

{j^age 176.)

" Start off again on the night of the 26th, and at two

hours before day arrived at Bagdad."

{page 179.)

Leoniieakt Rauwolvf's Tz-aw/s. From Ray's Collection of Travels.

APPENDIX.

320
The

account

following

of

Eldred, an English merchant,

1583
"

landed

at

our goods

by John

dayes, for lack of camels to carie

The

Babylon.

to

heat at that

such in those parts that

is

camels

men

This Felugia

to travell.

such goods as come downe the river

Not

Arabians.

time of the

are loath to let out

a village of some

is

hundred houses, and a place appointed

to

is

travelled in the year

Felugia the 8th and 20th of June, where

we made our abode seven

their

ruins

these

who

We

yeare

[no XII.

for dischargeing of

the inhabitants are

we were constrained

finding camels here,

unlade our goods, and hired an hundred asses to carie

our English merchandizes onely to

short desert

New

Babylon, over a

whereof we spent eighteen houres,

in crossing

by night and part of the morning,

travelling

to avoid the

great heat.

" In this place, which we crossed over, stood the olde

mightie
easilie to

citie

of Babylon,

many

my

often beheld at

good

ages betweene the new

this desert.

Here

leisure,

citie

mines whereof are

olde

be seene by daylight, which

I,

John Eldred, have

having made three voy

of Babylon and Aleppo, over

also are yet standing the

mines of the

olde tower of Babell, which, being upon a plaine ground,

seeraeth a farre off very great
it,

the lesser

gone thither

and

lesser

to see

it,

it

but the nearer you come

appeereth.

Sundry times

to

have

and found the remnants yet standing,

above a quarter of a mile in compasse, and almost as high

as the stone-worke of Panic's steeple in London,

sheweth

much

bigger.*

The

brickes

but

remaining

it

in this

* " For about seven or eight miles from Bagdad, as men passe
from Felugia, a towne on Euphrates, whereon Old Babylon stood, to
this new citie on Tigris (a work of eighteene houres, and about forty

miles space) there

is

seen a ruinous shape, of a shapelesse heape and

building, in circuit less than a mile,

about the height of the stone-

321

APPENDIX.

NO. XII.]

most ancient monument be halfe a yard thicke and threequarters of a yard long, being dried in the sunne onely

betweene every course of bricks there

made

mattes

of

and

a course of

lieth

which remaine sound and not

canes,

perishe, as

though they had beene layed within one yeere.

The

New Babylon

citie of

where the olde

desert,

joyneth upon the aforesaid small

was, and the river of Tigris

citie

runneth close under the wall, and they may,

open a

sluce,

and

about the towne.

It

same

the water of the

is

if

they

will,

round

river

about two English miles in com-

and the inhabitants generally speake three lan-

passe,

guages; to
"

let

wit, the Persian,

The people

women

Arabian, and Turkish tongue.

and the

are of the Spanyard's complexion

generally weare in one of the grisles of their noses

a ring like a wedding-ring, but somewhat greater, with a

pearl

and a Turkish stone

set therein

and

this

they do

be they never so poore."

Haki.dyt's Collection of Travpls.'UmaW folio.1589,

p.

239.

worke of Paule's steeple in London, the bricks being six inches

thicke, eight broad, and a foot long (as Master Allen measured), with
mats of canes laid betwixt them, yet remaining as sound as if they had

Thus Master Eldred and Master

my friend Master Allen, by teshave reported. But I can scarce think it

beene laid within a yeere's space.

Fitch, Master Cartwright also,

timony of their own eyes,

to be that

and

tower or temple, because authors place

Old Babylon, and neere Euphrates

whereas

it

in the

midst of

this is neerer Tigris."

first after the Floud, Nimrod the Giant founded

Babylon, which Semiramis the Assyrian queene enlarged, and made
the wall with bricke and bitumen.
Purchashis Pilgrimage, chap. ii.

Isidore affirmeth that

p. 50, folio edition, 1626.

The tower here described

is

evidently no other than Akerkouf,

in the neighbourhood of Bagdad, and a verv Babylonian-looking

ruin, but situated not less than between forty and fifty miles distant

from the supposed Babylon of these

at Hillah. Ed.

travellers,

and the

real

Babvlon
^


322

APPENDIX.

[no. xiii.

No. 13.
(Referred to in page 91 of the

The whole

of the passages in the

a part of which

is

referred to

" Herodotus has not said

city the

first

Memoir.)

work of Major Rennell,

by Mr. Rich, are as follow

in

which of the divisions of the

temple and palace respectively stood

but

it

may

be pretty clearly collected from Diodorus that the temple

stood on the east side, and the palace on the west

mains found

at the present

day accord with

Diodorus describes the great palace

the lesser palace on the east

Now

statue of Belns.

to

and the

be on the west

and there

also

re-

For
side,

was the brazen

he makes such a distinction between

the two palaces, as plainly to

was

to

this idea.

show that the one on the west

be regarded as 'The palace;' and, consequently,

was the palace intended by those who place a palace

to

answer, on the one side, to the temple of Belus on the

other.

It is also to

that the palace

'

the royal palace

be collected from Herodotus, Clio, 181,

and the
fills

in the centre of

He

citadel were the same.

says

a large and strongly-defended space

one of the divisions.

" Diodorus says that the temple stood in the centre of

Herodotus, in the centre of that division of the

the city

city in

which

stood

it

as the palace in the centre of

But the description

division.

of

Diodorus

is

its

pointed, with

respect to the fact of the palace being near to the bridge,

and consequently,

to the river-bank

by the descriptions of Strabo and

and he

is

borne out

Curtius, both of

whom

represent the hanging-gardens to be very near the river:

and

all

square

agree that they were within, or adjacent

of

* Sfrabo, p.

the

fortified

j^cilace*

They were

to,

the

supplied

738. He says that the " Euphrates flows through the

raiddie of the city, and the pensile gardens are adjacent to the river

from whence thev were watered."

APPENDIX.

NO. XIII.]
with

drawn up by

watei^

engines,

323
from the Euphrates.

Consequently the palace should have stood nearer

in

the

of

centre

which

it

miles broad

city

stood

to

that of

it

the

the

to

division

was more than four

since the division

and

than

itself,

appears natural enough that the prin-

cess should avail herself of the prospect of a noble river, a

stadium in breadth, flowing near the palace,

and

instead

of

withdrawing two miles from

it

that the temple was

no great distance from the

also

opposite bank of the river

"

at

that

is,

it

appears probable

the eastern bank.*

presumptive proof of the supposed position of the

the words

temple, should

ambiguous,

of Diodorus

that the gate of the city

is,

and which we must conclude

to

be regarded

as

named Belidian

be denominated from the

temple, appears pretty clearly to have been situated on the

east

side.

When

Hystaspes besieged Babylon

Darius

(Thalia, 155, et seq.), the Belidian and Cissian gates were

opened

to

him by Zopyrus, and the Babylonians

refuge to the temple of Belus,

The

nearest place of security.

must surely have been

Susa lay

were

to

it

Cissian or

Sussian gate

by circumstances, the Belidian

as the plan

be stationed opposite

was laid that Persian troops

to these gates

and

bable that matters would be so contrived as to

much

fled for

we may suppose, the

in the eastern front of the city, as

to the east, and,

gate was near

as,

it is

pro-

facilitate as

as possible the junction of the two bodies* of Persian

troops that were

first

to enter the city as a kind of forlorn

hope.

* Here it is proper to remark that there is this specific difference

between the descriptions of Herodotus and of Diodorus: the first

says that the centres of the two divisions were occupied respectively by

the palace and temple

but Diodorus, by two palaces and although

he speaks of the temple also, yet he does not point out its place.

The square

of the temple itself

was two

stadia.

y2

APPENDIX.

324
"

It

feints

and

may

remarked that the gates

also be

at

which the

were made, previous to the opening of the Belidian

were those of Ninus, Chaldea, and Semiramis.

Cissian,

The

[no, XIII.

first,

towards

Nmus

or Nineveh, must have been of

course to the north, and the Chaldean, to the south

perhaps that of Semiramis,

Belidian and Ninian

to the north-east,

were

and Cissian

As

in the eastern division of

gates,

if

is

it

unquestion-

not the Chaldean,

Babylon, since the countries

from whence they are respectively denominated

east of the Euphrates,

was confined

and

as that of Cissia, to the south-east,

between the Belidian and Chaldean.

able that the Ninian

between the

it

may be

lie

to the

collected that the attack

to that division alone

(and what army could

invest a fortress thirty-four miles in circuit ?)

and

if

this

be

admitted, the Belidian gate and temple of Belus must have

stood on the east side of the Euphrates."

Majok Rennell,

Loudon

Printed by

W.

on Heioilolus, p. 3oi

357.

Ci-owiis and Sons, Duke-street, Slamfoid Street.

':M

m
1

fit*