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Art. II.—Translation of some Assyrian Inscriptions: No. II.—The Inscription of Michaux

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2011

Extract

This very curious inscription was discovered by the traveller Michaux in the ruins of a palace on the banks of the Tigris, one day's journey below Bagdad, not far from the site of the ancient Ctesipbon. It was brought by him to Paris, where it is now preserved. It was published many years ago in a little work entitled “Notice des Monumens du Cabinet du Roi,” where it occupies two plates. A note (p. 71) informs us that these are taken from Millin's “Monumens inédits,” 2 vols. 4to. Paris, 1802. This copy, though rudely executed, is tolerably exact, and is creditable to the work in which it appeared.

Type
Original Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1861

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References

page 52 note 1 C'est ce que la Bible nomme la confusion dea langues.

page 53 note 1 The name is written ‘Marduk-adan-akhi,’ and so it is transcribed by Bawl in son and Hincks. But I think it likely that it was pronounced Mardukakhi-adan or Marduk-haddon, judging from the analogy of the name of ‘Ashurakhi-adan,’ the Esarhaddon of our English Bibles.

page 56 note 1 Sœph ‘Deus’ ponitur loco ‘deorum.’

page 58 note 1 Scilicet eorun monumenta, vel forsan ossa ipsa.

page 61 note 1 i.e. Whoever shall deliberately affirm that the measurements of the field have been fraudulently set forth in the inscription.

page 62 note 1 Or perhaps, the bones of his fathers.

page 62 note 2 A palace so named, wherein was the image of Ishtar.

page 62 note 3 Ninev was god of war, and could cause enemies to come into the land.

page 62 note 4 These tablets were often doubtless of great value, since they constituted the monumental evidence on which the possession of lands depended.

page 62 note 5 Yem was god of the sky, and answered to Jupiter Tonans of the West.

page 65 note 1 Along with many medical terms, as elixir, &c Scalige's derivation of lozenge from its shape, like a laurel leaf, is bad.

page 71 note 1 Perhaps however this is the rabbinical word Silik ‘the end.’— See Buxtorf, p. 1492.

page 74 note 1 Ce nom n'est pas encore déchiffré.

page 74 note 2 C'est le Diala d'aujourd'hui; en effet la pierre a été tronvée non loin du site de Ctésiphon.

page 74 note 3 “Sir protége.” Le caractère dérivé de la forme ancienne est un signe idéographique qui signifie ‘Dieu’ et ‘étoile.’ C'est de l'image d'une étoile que provient le signe archaïque; ce caractère a, en outre, la valeur syllabique ‘an.’ Mais quand il sert de déterminatif à un nom de dieu qui entre dans un nom propre, il ne se prononce pas.

page 74 note 4 “La Khorsabadienne.”

page 74 note 5 “Propice est l'augure de Mérodach.”

page 74 note 6 “Il ebt assis dans la pyramide.”

page 74 note 7 Ce passage, quoique bien conservé, est très-obscur.

page 75 note 1 La signification n'est pas du tout prouvée.

page 76 note 1 Monogramme encore à expliquer. La forme du précatif à la troisième personne du pluriel, au féminin, nous démontre qu'il s'agit ici de plusieurs déesses. Quant au dieu Hou que lea Grecs expriment Αώ, et qu'ils interpreted par τó φς νοητòν, la lumière intelligible, il est nommé nantar “le gardien,” et il préserve la terre du feu et des eaux. Dans cette qualité, il préside à la construction des canaux.