The Cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament; - The Search For ...

124 TEE CUNEIFOBM INSCRIPTIONS AND TEE 0. T.
inscriptions designates only the citi/, and not the kingdom of
Damaskus as well. The latter is expressed by the Assy-
rians in the name (mat) Imiri-su (as for example in
Salmanassar's obelisk 98. 103), while its capital is ex-
pressly named Damaskus (comp. I Rawl. 35. 16 *) ; or the
kingdom is called (mat) Gar-Imlri-su, which is probably
"Fortress Imirisu" (Layard 50, 10; III Rawl. 9. 50;
comp. Kar-kamis or Gar -g amis, Kar-Dunias,
K a r - S a r r u k i n and other names of places **). Respect-
ing the kings of Damaskus : Benhadad , Hazael , Rezin, see
on 1 Kings XX. 1 ; 2 Kings VIII. 15 ; XIII. 24 ; XV. 37.
139 In the inscriptions are to be read the names of the kings of
Damaskus: Ha dad-' idri or Ramman-'idri, Haza-
' i 1 u , M
a r i ', R a s u n n u ; see notes on above passages.
5. D^DDIDH ~"'0P "count the stars, whether you are able to
count them". Comp. XXII. 1 7 ; XXVI. 4 D:p^n ^5?"iD5
"like the stars of heaven". We meet with the same com-
parison also in Assyrian and, what is more, expressed in
* See further on this subject in Assyr. Babyl. Keilinsch. conclud-
ing essay pp. 323 foil.
** The latter name is evidently the more complete. The omission
of the word gar is like that of bit in m&t Humri alongside of the
fuller form m^t Bit Humri; see on 1 Kings XVI. 23. The possible
reading § a , in the first syllable of the name, in place of g a r , i. e.
Sa-imlri-su, though it is preferred by Delitzsch Parad. p. 280, has in
my opinion but slight probability, until it is supported by documentary
evidence. For, in the first place, the omission of the sign in certain
cases indicates the omission of a word that is not in itself necessary
to the sense,—not the omission of a syllable. This word can be gar,
cannot however be sa. Furthermore, we have up to the present time
in the first syllable evidence only of the sign which is to read also
as gar, but never of the sign for sa which was so commonly employed
by the Assyrians and was so often interchanged with the former. (See
on the former sign my Assyr. Syllabary. Berlin 1880 No. 321, for the
latter ibid. No. 195).—See also for further information Is. X. 9.