第9节
【】ndoftheeighteeurythatthefirst ``inscriptionssoausetheletterswere inwere broughttoeuropebyadanishsurveyor,nadniebuhr. thenittookthirtyyearsbeforeapatientgernschool sterbythenaofgrotefendhaddecipheredthefirstfour letters,thed,thea,therahenaofthepersian kingdarius.andayyearshadtogoby untilabritishofficer,henryraous inscriptioun,gaveusaothenail ingofeasia. paredtotheproblefdecipheringthesenailings, thejoohe egyptiansusedpictures.butthesurians,theearliest inhabitantsofsopotaa,upontheideaof scratgtheirabletsofclay,haddistures entirelyandhadevolvedasystefvshapedfiguresh shotleiouresoutofhey hadbeendeveloped.afeplesi an.inthebeginningastar,hanailinto abricklookedasfollo.}thissignhooo cuersoandafterashorteaningof ``heavenplified inthisadeitevenreofapuzzle. inthesa{illust}into{illust.} andafishgedfroillust.}into{illust.}thesun e{illust.} iferianscripttodayakean {illust.}looklike{illust.}.thissystefingdownour ideaslooksratherpliorethanthirtyturies iteriansandthebabyloniansand theassyriansandthepersiansandallthedifferentraces heirothefertilevalley. thestoryofsopotaaisoneofendlesswarfareand .firstthesurianscafrohenorth.they ountains.they hadbeenaustodtodsoopsof hills.aftertheyhadeheplaiructedartificial littlehillsontopofheybuilttheiraltars.they didnotknoobuildstairsahereforesurrounded theirtohslopinggalleries.ineers haveborroayseeinrailroad stationsonefloortoanother. ayhaveborrothesurians buteriansirelyab sorbedbythoseracesthatehefertilevalleyatalater date.theirtoidsttheruinsof sopotaa.thejeheyintoexile inthelandofbabylonandtheycalledtheowersofbabilli, ortowersofbabel. iietherianshad enteredsopotaa.theyerwardsover poanytribesfrohe desertofarabiandialedwhoare knoites,becauseintheoldendayspeoplebelieved theobethedire,ohe threesonsofnoah.athousandyearslater,theakkadians ittotheruleofthearites,another seticdeserttriberabibuilthielf agnifitpalatheholycityofbabylonandwho gavehispeopleasetoflaadethebabylonianstate thebestadnisteredeireoftheahe hittites,youeetiestant,over railevalleyaroyedevertheyuldnot carryauhefollowers ofthegreatdesertgod,ashur,selvesassyrians ahecityofheterofavast andterribleeireeasiaand egyptandgatheredtaxesfrontlesssubjectratil theendoftheseveurybeforethebirthofchristwhen theitictribe,reestablishedbabylonand dethatportantcapitalofthatday. nebuezzar,thebestkns,enuraged thestudyofsodeknoy aicsisallbasedupoainfirstprinciplesh hechaldeans.intheyear538b.c.a crudetribeofpersianshepherdsihisoldlandand overthrepireofthechaldeans.twohundredyears later,theyintuhrohegreat, eltingpotofsony setietherons andaftertherons,theturks,andsopotaa,thesend treoftheeavastwildeess oundsofearthtoldastoryofaglory. ses thestoryofses,theleaderofthe jewishpeople sotidurihturybeforeourera, asllanduniortanttribeofseticshepherdshadleft itsoldho,outh oftheeuphrates,andhadtriedtofindneureshin thedoinofthekingsofbabylonia.theyhadbeendriven aovedward lookingforalittlepieupiedterritoryhey ghtsetuptheirtents. thistribeofshepherdshehebrewsor,as ,thejeheyhadwanderedfarandwide, andafternyyearsofdrearyperegrinationstheyhadbeen giveeri.forrethauriesthey haddongtheegyptiansandheiradopteduntry hadbeenoverrunbythehyksosraudersasitold youioryofegypttheyhadoketheelves usefultothefninvaderandhadbeeinthe undisturbedpossessionoftheirgrazingfields.butaftera loianshaddriventhe hyksosoutofthevalleyofthehenthejewshad eupoisfortheyhadbeendegradedtotherank ofnslavesandtheyhadbeenforcedtohe royalroadsandonthepyrads.andasthefrontierswere guardedbytheegyptiansoldiersithadbeeniossiblefor thejeoescape. afternyyearsofsufferiheir serablefatebyayoungjeoses,whoforalong tihaddinthedesertandtherehadleaedtoappreciate thesilevirtuesofhisearliestaors, aselves berruptedbytheeaseand ...