THE DYNASTIES OF BABYLON: THE CHRONOLOGICAL SCHEME IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT DISCOVERIES Chronology the skeleton of history--Principal defect in the Babylonian scheme--The Dynasties of Nîsin, Larsa and Babylon--Discovery of a List of the kings of Larsa--Introduction of fresh uncertainty--Relationship of the kings of Babylon and Nîsin--Absence of synchronisms--Evidence of date-formula?.--A fresh and sounder line of research--Double-dates supply the missing link for the chronology--The Nîsin era--Explanation of the double-dates--The problem of Rîm-Sin--Method of reconciling data--Another line of evidence--Archæological research and the Second Dynasty of the Kings' List--Date-formulæ of Hammurabi, Samsu-iluna and Iluma-ilum--Methods of fixing period of First Dynasty--Ammi-zaduga's omens from the planet Venus--Combinations of Venus, sun, and moon--Possibility of fixing period of observations--Alternative dates in their relation to historical results--The time of harvest in farming-out contracts of the period--Probable date for the First Dynasty--Re-examination of chronological notices in later texts--The Dynasties of Berossus and the beginning of his historical period--Effect of recent discoveries on the chronological scheme as a whole--Our new picture of the rise of Babylon CHAPTER IV THE WESTERN SEMITES AND THE FIRST DYNASTY OF BABYLON Original home of the Amurru, or Western Semites--Arabia one of the main breeding-grounds of the human race--The great Semitic migrations and their cause--Evidence of diminution of rainfall in Arabia--The life of the pastoral nomad conditioned by the desert--The change from pastoral to agricultural life--Successive stages of Canaanite civilization--The neolithic inhabitants and the Amorite migration--Canaanites of history and their culture--Eastern Syria and the middle Euphrates--Recent excavations at Carchemish and its neighbourhood--Early Babylonian cylinder-seals on the Sajûr--Trade of Carchemish with Northern Babylonia--West Semitic settlements on the Khâbûr--The kingdom of Khana--The Amorite invasion of Babylonia--The Dynasties of Nîsin and Larsa--Recent discoveries at Ashur--Proto-Mitannians--The Western Semites in Babylon and their conflict with Assyria--Early struggles and methods of expansion--The Elamite conquest of Larsa--The three-cornered contest of Nîsin, Elam and Babylon--The fall of Nîsin and the duel between Babylon and Elam--Hammurabi's defeat of Rîm-Sin and the annexation of Sumer by Babylon--Extent of Hammurabi's empire--Hammurabi the founder of Babylon's greatness--His work as law-giver and administrator CHAPTER V THE AGE OF HAMMURABI AND ITS INFLUENCE ON LATER PERIODS