AN INTERESTING FIND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9675, 14 December 1909, Page 5

AN INTERESTING FIND.

Received December 13, 8.10 a.m. LONDON, December 12. The British Museum has secured ia terra-cotta. containing 720 lines concerning Sennacherib's Oiliciah: campaign; (696- B.C ) .and the fortifying and extending of Nineveh (for a long time the capital of the Assyrian Empire).

Sennacherib, one of the great Assyrian monarchs, born 705 8.C., was first, engaged in many bloody wars against the Babylonian and Elamite nllianc?, headed by Merodachbaladan, , the hereditary foa of Assyrh. These ended witu the capture and destruction of Babylon in 689, a.»d tne defeat of Elam in the memorable battle of Habile in 691 tf.C. Of hi further expeditions, wiiich, according to Greek and other accounts, reached as far as Cilicia, whete he is supposed to have founded the city of tarsus, may be mentionel that against Phenicia and Palestine,, known from the Old, Testament. Cilicia. in ancient geography, was a province, in South-eastern Atia Minor, separatei by 'the Taurus from Lycaonia and Ciipnadoci.) in tne north, and by the Amanus from Syria in the east, and extending towards the s a, It waa repeatedly invaded by the Assyrian kings, and was successively untie? Persian, Macedonian, Syjian and Roman dominion.