Harvard Professors Among the American Orientalists.

The recent meeting of the American Oriental Society in Philadelphia, was one of great interest to orientalists and laymen alike. Harvard professors figured conspicuously in the gathering as well as other representative scholars from many parts of the country.

The chief interest of the meeting was, however, Semitic. Several of the young Assyrian scholars presented papers of more or less value. The novelty of this subject, the vistas which it opens into times until now considered prebistoric, the revelations which it makes of great and long vanished peoples, the important relations to the scientific study of the Old Testament, all make the Assyrian a source of unfailing interest. The Biblical student in particular would be pleased by the paper from Prof. Haupt, of Baltimore, determining the size of the boat in which, according to the Babylonian account, the hero of the deluge escaped destruction.

Professor Toy, of Cambridge, gave a scholarly paper on the Arabian dialect of Cairo, embodying the results of a study made of the subject during a residence in Egypt last winter. A very instructive paper was presented by Professor Frothingham, of Princeton, on Mohammedan education, whose most perfect developement is seen in the eighth, ninth and tenth centuries of our era. This development was largely due to impulses from without. The range of study was comprehensive and instruction was free. Professor Hall, of New York, gave an account of a Syriac manuscript containing a new text of the Traditions of the Apostles, brief sketches of the works and death of the Seventy and of the Twelve.

One of the most important features in connection with the recent meeting was a reception tendered by Dr. Pepper, provost of the University of Pennsylvania. The first part of the evening was devoted to discussing the subject of Semitic study in America. Among the speakers were Professors Toy and Lyon of Cambridge, Professor Green, of Princeton, and Professor Harper, of Yale. It is understood that the addresses are to be published in a pamphlet, and it is hoped that they may excite a yet greater interest in the important topic to which they relate.

Dr. Pepper communicated the contents of a recent letter from Professor J. P. Peters, director of the exploring party now on its way from Philadelphia to Chaldea. The recent newspaper report of serious accident to the party is an exaggeration. The steamer conveying part of the expedition did, indeed, meet with misfortune off the coast of the island of Samos, but the American party suffered no loss. Professor Peters was not with them, but was in Constantinople, working to secure permission to excavate-a permission which the Turks are always loth to grant. Professor Peters felt sure, however, that he would succeed, after which it was his purpose to join the party in Syria, and then proceed to the old Babylonian ruins. The leader of the party is enterprising, and is accompanied by two other Assyrian scholars, as well as by a photographer, etc. Nothing but well-known obstacles presented by the Turkish of ficials seem to stand in the way of success. Babylonia is covered with large artificial mounds marking the ruins of palaces, temples and cities, still burying libraries and sculptures of priceless value. Few of these have yet been touched by the spade of the European.

The Babylonian libraries of Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus, two of the most interesting rulers in the history of the world, are yet to be unearthed. They are, doubtless, still lying beneath the colossal ruins of Babylon. The wonderful discoveries made at Tello by M. de Sarzee, ten years ago, illustrate what may be expected from excavation at new points, and the large number of cuneiform tablets unearthed last winter in Egypt give us a new sense of the prominence of the Assyrian language for international communication in very early times. The natives of Babylonia are always digging at various points in a desultory way and find a profit in the sale of the tablets found, of whose literary value they have no conception. Many of these tablets find their way to Europe and some of them come to America.

So many of these objects, as well as specimens of Babylonian-Assyrian art, especially carved seals, are now received direct from the finders in Chaldea by London dealers in antiquities, that it is possible to secure valuable collections without a visit to the Orient. In this way Harvard University has already become possessor of some valuable tablets, and nothing but the lack of money prevents an indefinite enlargement of the collections.