Explorations in Bible Lands During the 19th Century Kindle Edition

This volume was published in 1903.Excerpt from the Preface:Nearly ten years ago Messrs. A. J. Holman & Co. ap- proached me with a request to prepare, for the close of the century, a brief historical sketch on the explorations in Bible lands, which would convey to the intelligent English-reading public a clear conception of the gradual resurrection of the principal ancient nations of Western Asia and Egypt. After much hesitation, I consented to become responsible for the execution of their comprehensive plan, provided that I be allowed to solicit the cooperation of other specialists for the treatment of those subjects which did not lie directly within the sphere of my own investigations, as most of the books dealing with this fascinating theme suffer from the one serious defect that their authors are not competent au- thorities in every part of that vast field which they attempt to plough and cultivate for the benefit and instruction of others. Several well-known German specialists, whose names appear on the title-page, were therefore accordingly invited to join the editor in the preparation of the volume, and to present to the reader sketches of their respective branches of science, with the historical development of which they have been prominently connected during pre- vious years. At the close of 1900 the entire MS. was ready to be printed, when the results of a series of exca- vations carried on by the Babylonian Expedition of the University of Pennsylvania began to attract more than ordinary attention on both sides of the Atlantic. In view of the growing demand for a popular and authentic report of these important archaeological researches, the publishers deemed it necessary to modify their former plans by asking the editor to make the exploration of Assyria and Babylonia the characteristic feature of the uncompleted book, and, above all, to incorporate with it the first full account of the American labors at Nufar. Thus it came about that the opening article of this collective volume, intended to give but a brief survey of a subject which at present stands in the centre of general interest, has grown far beyond its original limits. As the results of Koldewey's methodical excavations and topographical researches at the vast ruin fields of the ancient metropolis on the Euphrates, belong chiefly to the twentieth century and, moreover, are not yet fully accessible to other scholars, their omission in these pages will scarcely be re- garded as a serious deficiency, since the object of the present book was to set forth the work of the explorers of the pre- vious century. If, however, the public interest in the mate- rial here submitted should warrant it, they will find their proper treatment in a future edition. It is the hope of both authors and publishers that the present volume may help to fill a serious gap in our modern literature by presenting in a systematic but popular form a fascinating subject, equal in importance to the Bible student, historian, archaeologist, and philologist. The rich material often scattered through old editions of rare books and com- paratively inaccessible journals has been examined anew, sifted, and treated by a number of experts in the light of their latest researches. It was our one aim to bring the history of the gradual exploration of those distant oriental countries, which formed the significant scene and back- ground of God's dealings with Israel as a nation, more vividly before the educated classes of Christendom. May the time and labor devoted to the preparation of this work contribute their small share towards arousing a deeper interest on the part of the public in excavating more of those priceless treasures of the past which have played such a conspicuous role in the interpretation of the Old Testament writings. THE EDITOR. JENA, December 27, 1902. Read more