The excavations at Babylon

The tablet was hurriedly transcribed by G. Smith on his journey to Nineveh, from which he was destined never to return, and his account of it remained our only source of information on the subject until V. Scheil discovered the text in private possession. It has now been fully edited by V. Scheil and M. Dieulafoy under the title Esagil ou le temple de Bêl-Marduk à Babylone in the Mémoires de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres (Paris, Picard, 1913). It is obvious that this important document, drawn up in the Seleucid era, is a first-hand authority and must now be taken into account in any fresh attempt to reconcile the data of the excavations with ancient inscriptions. Koldewey cannot be reproached for forming his conclusions from the only data before him, and no one could be more willing to modify his conclusions if necessary. Whether what has been laid bare by the excavator be recognisable as consistent with the temple buildings as they stood in Seleucid times, or must be referred to earlier ages, remains to be seen, and the excavator himself has the first right to be heard on this point.—[C. H. W. Johns.]