Sacrificing to Bel _(Evelyn Paul) Frontispiece_ Assault on a City Basalt Stele engraved with the Text of Khammurabi's Code of Laws Sennacherib receiving Tribute The Death of Sardanapalus (_L. Chalon_) The Library of King Assur-bani-pal at Nineveh (_Fernand L. Quesne_) Daniel interprets the Dream of Nebuchadrezzar (_Evelyn Paul_) Grant of Privileges to Ritti-Marduk by Nebuchadrezzar I Birs Nimrûd, the Tower of Babel The Murder of Setapo (_Evelyn Paul_) The Seven Tablets of Creation "Mighty was he to look upon" (_Evelyn Paul_) Conflict between Merodach and Tiawath Types of En-lil, the Chief God of Nippur, and of his Consort Nin-lil Ishtar, as (1) Mother-goddess, (2) Goddess of War, (3) Goddess of Love The Mother-goddess Ishtar (_Evelyn Paul_) Assyrian Rock Sculpture Assyrian Type of Gilgamesh Ut-Napishtim makes Offering to the Gods (_Allan Stewart_) Nebo Hall in Assyrian Palace (_Sir Henry Layard_) Tiglath-Pileser I directed by Ninib (_Evelyn Paul_) Assur-nazir-pal attended by a Winged Mythological Being Zikkurats of the Anu-Adad at Ashur Stage-tower at Samarra Excavated Ruins of the Temple of E-Sagila Exorcising Demons of Disease Clay Object resembling a Sheep's Liver Eagle-headed Mythological Being Capture of Sarrapanu by Tiglath-Pileser II (_Evelyn Paul_) The Fatal Eclipse (_M. Dovaston, R.B.A._) Shalmaneser I pouring out the Dust of a Conquered City (_Ambrose Dudley_) The Marriage Market (_Edwin Long, R.A_.) A Royal Hunt Elijah prevailing over the Priests of Baal (_Evelyn Paul_) The 'Black Obelisk' of Shalmaneser II Outline of the Mounds at Nimrûd (_Sir Henry Layard_) The Palaces of Nimrûd (_James Ferguson_) Work of the Excavators in Babylon Ruins of Babylon The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (_M. Dovaston, R.B.A._) CHAPTER I: BABYLONIA AND ASSYRIA IN HISTORY AND LEGEND To our fathers until well-nigh a century ago Babylon was no more than a mighty name--a gigantic skeleton whose ribs protruded here and there from the sands of Syria in colossal ruin of tower and temple. But now the grey shroud which hid from view the remains of the glow and glitter of her ancient splendour has to some extent been withdrawn, and through the labours of a band of scholars and explorers whose lives and work must be classed as among the most romantic passages in the history of human effort we are now enabled to view the wondrous panorama of human civilization as it evolved in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates.