from its ruins were formed the kingdoms of Nineveh, Babylon and Media.

Chaldæa, in the earliest times, was included between the Euphrates and Tigris. It is mentioned in Gen. xi. 28, 31, in connection with Terah and Abram. Terah, the father of Abram resided in Ur of the Chaldees. He was born about 223 years after the deluge, A. M. 1878, or B. C. 2126, and 108 years after the dispersion of mankind. Perhaps Ur had existed before Terah resided there. It is difficult to ascertain whether there was ever a Chaldæan empire distinct from the Babylonian. It is thought by many that Chaldæa in the earliest times, was another name for Babylonia. It is evident, however, that in remote antiquity there were Astrologers in Babylon called Chaldæans. It should be remarked that the terms Chaldæa and Chaldæans ( kasdim), seem to have been derived from Kesedh, a nephew of Abram ( kesedh, vid. Gen. xxii. 22), or which is perhaps more probable, Kesedh was named after the country, as the term Chaldæans is mentioned at an earlier period in connection with Terah the father of Abram. It was customary in those early times to name countries from individuals and vice versa; but the former practice seems to have been more common, and it may have been so with Kesedh. His place of residence may have been designated by another name, though it was doubtless within the limits. of Babylonia. Before he settled there the country may even have received no special designation excepting that it was a part of Babylonia. Kesedh doubtless was accompanied into the country by other persons, and became the leader of a tribe. It is very natural to suppose that

the district which they occupied was named after their leader. Subsequently the term Chaldæans specially designated astrologers, probably from the fact that individuals of the original tribe were addicted to necromantic arts. Balaam is supposed to have been a Chaldæan priest and astrologer, who lived during the closing period of the life of Moses. The latter died about A. M. 2553, or B. C. 1451 (Num. xxii-xxvii. 13). All who were acquainted with the mysterious science of astrology were called Chaldæans. The same term has been applied by Asiatic and European nations to all of the astronomers and astrologers of Babylon. The Chaldæans mentioned by Daniel were of comparatively late origin (Dan. i. 1-7). The later Babylonian empire evidently included Chaldæa. was established by Belesis, called by Isaiah, Baladan, (Isa. xxxix. 1), and by profane historians, Nabonassar. About 627 B. C. that Babylonian monarch conspired with Arbaces the Mede and destroyed the Assyrian empire, then governed by Sardanapalus, and thus the later Babylonian or Chaldæan empire was formed.

It

The three ancient monarchies which we have considered, viz: Babylonia, Assyria, and Chaldæa, were situated either between or very near the Euphrates and Tigris, and near each other, if not at times united into one empire. Those countries seem to have been first settled at about the same period. Their inhabitants were probably descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth, as it was in the land of Shinar or Babylonia that the dispersion took place, and some of the posterity of each of the sons of Noah would be likely to remain in that region. From the languages there prevailing however, we infer that the original inhabitants were mostly descendants of Shem.

They were doubtless acquainted with those arts and sciences which Shem received from his father. Undoubtedly a knowledge of antediluvian music was transmitted through Noah to his posterity, and additions were gradually made to that information.

There is a reference to music in connection with a circumstance in the life of Jacob and Esau (Gen. xxxi. 27), which must have occurred according to the usual computation about 495 years after the dispersion (vid. Gen. xi. 18-26; xxi. 5; xxv. 26; xxvi. 34; xxxi. 27, 41), about A. M. 2250, or B. C. 1754. The Assyrian monarchy was then in a flourishing condition, and as it was situated near Syria, where Laban, to whom reference is made above, and who speaks of musical instruments, resided, it is highly probable that the Assyrians used the same kinds of instruments which are mentioned by him. Indeed parts of Assyria and Syria were, during some periods, at least, identical. The word Syria is supposed by some to be merely a contraction of Assyria, and that both terms indicated, in ancient times, the same district of country; but this opinion is evidently erroneous. Laban was the son of Bethuel, and the latter was the nephew of Abram, and Abram resided during the early part of his life in Ur, near the great capital of the Assyrian empire. It is very natural to suppose that Shem handed down the knowledge of music, which existed before the deluge, to his cotemporary Abram, and the latter to his nephew Bethuel, the Syrian, and Bethuel to his son Laban. The same kinds of musical instruments essentially, which were used before the deluge, and those used by Laban, doubtless continued to be used, with some improvements, by the posterity of Abraham, and of course by the Hebrews.

Both the Babylonian and Chaldæan music must have been received chiefly from Noah and his posterity, and consequently must have been essentially the same in both countries. The old Babylonian monarchy was commenced before the Assyrian and perhaps may have received a knowledge of music first, though the two capitals Nineveh and Babylon were built nearly at the same period, and the inhabitants of each had about the same opportunity to become acquainted with the music of the antediluvian world. It is probable that those cities continued to be inhabited until comparatively modern times by some of the posterity of Shem, who doubtless made improvements in music and handed down their knowledge of the art to future generations. The exact spot on which the proud city of Nineveh stood, has not, until recently been identified. Only four mounds were to be seen where, as was supposed, that city once reared its lofty turrets. One of these mounds was called Jonah, whose tomb it was supposed to contain, (vid, Buckingham's Travels in Mesopotamia, vol. ii. p. 49–50, 60). Numerous inscriptions were found but could not be deciphered. It remained for the nineteenth century to unfold the mys teries contained in Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian inscriptions. The indefatigable Layard and Botta have, done more than any other persons to give us a knowledge of the manners, customs, arts, and sciences of the ancient Assyrians by actually exhuming the palaces of the ancient capital. In describing a war scene, sculptured in bas-relief, on the walls of a chamber exhumed at Nimrond, Layard remarks: "two musicians are playing with a plectrum, on stringed instruments, or harps similar to those on slabs Nos. 19 and 20 of the same

chamber" (vid. Layards Nineveh, P. i. c. x). He remarks again: "it is probable that the Assyrians, like the Egyptians, had various musical instruments; only one kind, however, is represented in the sculptures. It is in the shape of a triangle, is held between the left arm and the side, and appears to have been suspended from the neck. The strings, nine or ten in number, are stretched between a flat board and an upright bar through which they pass. Tassels are appended to the ends of the strings, and the bar itself is generally surmounted by a small hand, probably of metal or ivory. The instrument was struck with a plectrum held in the right hand; the left appears to have been used either to pull the strings, or to produce notes by pressure. Like the Egyptian harp, it had no crosspiece between the upright bar and the flat board or base; it is difficult, therefore, to understand how the strings could have been sufficiently tightened to produce notes" (vid. Layard's Nineveh, P. ii. c. vi). The writer then remarks in a note that this same instrument is represented in the bas-relief of the king standing over the crouching lion, also in many other places. He farther remarks that the god which Mr. Birch supposes to be Baal is represented at Talmis playing on a triangular lyre. The music and instruments there indicated must have been quite ancient, for Nineveh was destroyed about 606 B. C., still the ten-stringed harp is far from being the most ancient form of that instrument.

Immense ruins are found where ancient Babylon stood. Bricks are to be seen, which have been fire-baked and cemented together by zepht or bitumen. Between each layer are oziers. Some of the bricks are large, thick and