The cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament - The Search For ...

EXCURSIS ON CHROXOIOCY.
When we come to examine Biblico-Assyrian chronology
we find ourselves in the strange position of being con-
fronted by two completely developed systems, the Hebrew
chronology of the Books of Kings, and the Assyrian con-
tained in eponym-canons from B. C. 900 to 666 *. This
* For Assyrian chronology before 900 B. C. we incidentally obtain
evidence (1) in a notice contained in Sennacherib's Bavian inscription,
from which we learn that Sennacherib, when he occupied Babylon for
the second time, brought back from thence to Assyria the Assyrian
images which Tiglath-Pileser I had lost after a disastrous battle with
the Babylonian king Marduk-nSdin-ahi. The following is the passage
III Rawl. 14, 48 : Hi a-sib lib-bi-su kata ni§i-ja ik-§u-su-nu-ti-ma
u-§ab-bi-ru-ma sa-ga-Su-nu il-ku-ni. (Ilu Ramman)
(ilu) Sa-la (?) ili 49. sa ir ikalati ia Marduk-nSdin-ahi §ar
m&t Akkadi a-na tar-si Tukul-ti-habal-isarra §ar mat A§sur
il-ku-ma a-na B^b-ilu u-bil-lu 50. i-na IV. C. XVIII san§.ti ul-tu
B4b-ilu u-si-sa-am-ma a-na ir ikalati a-na a§-ri-§u-nu u-tir-§u-
nu-ti i. e. "48. The gods, which dwelt there, the hands of my people
seized and broke them in pieces . . . their treasures they carried off.
RammSn, Sala (?) the gods 49. of the City of Temples which Merodach-
nadin-ahi, king of Akkad, had taken away from Tiglath-Pileser king
of As§ur and had brought away to Babylon, 50. after 418 years I
carried off from Babylon and brought them to the City of Temples to
their place". Now this restoration of the images is connected with
the defeat of Suzub and Nebo-sum-i§kun of Kardunias, the son of
Merodach-Baladan. This event occurred, according to Sennacherib's
Taylor-cylinder, in his 8t'i campaign. But Asurnadinsum sat on the
throne of Babylon until 694— 3. Consequently the above restoration
of the images must not be assigned to a date previous to the 12"^
u
^ss