第9节 (第1/2页)

    【】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

    seticdeserttriberabibuilth