Babylonian Books.

Yesterday afternoon, Professor Lyon continued his course of lectures on Babylonian Books, and he devoted the hour to exhibiting and explaining many interesting relics of the inhabitants of Babylonia and Assyria who lived somewhere between the years 1400 and 2000 B. C. Many of the specimens which Professor Lyon exhibited have arrived from London since his last lecture, and they are especially rare as showing the nature and customs of a prehistoric people. Rev. Dr. Ward of America and M. Mamont, have done much to collect seals and vases which contain the various modes of expression adopted by the early Babylonians, and a greater part of what we now have, especially in the form of seals, is due to their efforts. Among the interesting speciments of the collection was one which had belonged to King Nebuchadnezzar. It was a book formed from stone into the shape of a barrel, being entirely solid. On it were various writings of historical interest, and at the end of all, blessing and prosperity from the gods for the king Nebuchednezzar and his family. The writing was carefully done and showed much exactness on the part of the writer. It was the custom for the people to wear seals inscribed with figures of deities, men and animals, as a protection against evil spirits, and these figures are often merely impressed upon the stone while still in the soft condition. Seals with writtings on various subjects have been found, and one of the most important ones we have shows that it was used in some important commercial transaction. An extra layer of stone was layed over the seal for protection, and upon the outside of this, writings similar to those the original seal contained were made. From the fact that the outer covering was unremovable except by chemical means, we conclude the seal must have been exceedingly valuable.