Page:Discovery and Decipherment of the Trilingual Cuneiform Inscriptions.djvu/320

Rh discussion. Spiegel ^ warns his readers that the explanation of the whole paragraph is still so uncertain that no opinion as to the religious history of the times can be prudently based upon it. But such j^assages as these are fortunately of rare occurrence; and from the moment of Rawlinson's publication the contents of the inscription were known as thoroughly as they are at the present day. The careful study of two generations of scholars has ('hanged a word here and a word there, and cleared up the meaning of a few doubtful passages, but in all substantial respects the translation i-emains unaltered.

Eawlinson s revised translation of the inscriptions published two years before by Lassen forms the concluding chapter of his Memoir. We have already had occasion to contrast the merits and demerits of the two translators, liawlinson's transliteration pre- sents an entirely modern appearance in consequence of the (correctness of the values of so many signs. There are still a few errors, owing chiefly to the pro- longation of the final syllable in such words as ' thatiya,' ' tyaia,' and others, an error already signalled by Ilincks. But these are of small importance. As regards the translations, he brouijfht from the studv of the Behistun record a knowledge of the language that no one else then possessed, and he was able at once to resolve difficulties that had baflfled all previous attempts. Such expressions as ' generosus [sum] ' finally dis- appeared for the correct rendering ' he says.' Sentences

welche Gaumata der Mager zerstiirt hatte, bewalirte icb dem Volke, die AVeidepliitze (?), die Hoerden, die Wohniingen je nacli Clain'ii, was Gaumata der Mager ibiien weggenommen hatte ' (p. 9). Wcissbach (1893): * Die Tem])el, welche Gaumata, der MagiT, zerstort hatte, stellte icb wieder her, fiir das Volk die Hilfsmittel, die Herden und das Wobnen in don Ilausern (?) welcbe Gaumata, der Mager, geraubt hatte '(p. 15).
 * Spiegel,!). 89. Spiegel translates (1881): * Die Piiitze der Anbetung,

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