The one primeval language traced experimentally through ancient inscriptions in alphabetic characters of lost powers from the four continents Volume ... the vestiges of patriarchal tradition from th
Charles Forster
Paperback
(RareBooksClub.com, May 8, 2012)
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1854 Excerpt: ...I have no doubt he is meant to designate the king. This personage holds up his hand in a commanding, or admonitory manner, the two fore-fingers being extended, and the two others doubled down in the palm; an action, also, common on the tombs at Persepolis, and on other monuments just cited."--Porter, vol. iu pp. 155,156. Its frequent recurrences mark the correctness of the action as delineated by Porter. In Lieutenant Jones's drawing, all the fingers appear raised alike, and the action noticed in the Inscription is lost. This key-sentence, however, is by no means the only instance of battology in these inscriptions. The whole record is cast in the battological mould. This has been shown in the repetitions of kand, tokari, rakan, &c.; and could be shown much more largely in the constant recurrences of catch-words, and catch-clauses, from the beginning of the record to the end. To look for the history of the Persia of the Achasmenides in such a document, is about as reasonable as to look for the history of the England of the Plantagenets in the ballad of Chevy Chase. One thing is certain, that, by an alphabet of known forms and powers, and by experimental decypherment, the name of Darius Hystaspes is not discoverable on this monument. The principal figure seems to be described only by his style and title, as "king," or "king of kings." If any proper name occurs in the Behistun inscriptions, it is one earlier and greater than that of Darius, the name of the great Cyeus himself. I lay little stress, however, on the circumstance of groups of characters happening to represent a proper name, because they may equally represent other things. In truth, of all points connected with the decypherment of unknown characters, none requires more...