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Show OLB MINI JEW LIGHT Dean Pennimau, Pennsylvania University, Lectured on Severed Sev-ered Book Last Night. INTERESTING EXPLANATION EXCAYATIONS IN BABYLONIA Audience Was a Large One and Lecturer Accorded Profound Pro-found Attention. Intensely Interesting, moro especially to tho archaeologist nnd biblical Htudcnt, wns the lecture given by Dr. Pcnnlman, dean of tho college department of tho University of Pennsylvania, In the auditorium audi-torium of tho Free Public library Monday night. Tho subject was an entertaining one, "Tho Old Testament In tho Light of tho University of Pennsylvania Extava-tlons Extava-tlons in Babylonia." Tho audience was a large and fashionable ono, and the distinguished dis-tinguished lecturer was accorded profound pro-found attention. History of Our Race. Dr Pennlmnn, after referring to tho fact that the people of the Old Testament wero an Intensely human people, said: "Tho excavations that havo been mado In tho Nineteenth century and are still In process of being made In Egypt, Palestine Pal-estine and In that great laud called Babylonia, Baby-lonia, result In giving us interesting Information In-formation concerning the history of the human race during periods which we only think of ns exceedingly remote, but which. In the light of tho human interest inter-est of the Inscriptions seem to us singularly singu-larly close. Old Testnmcnt Modern Book. "Tho Old Testament Is considered by many as belonging to an Indefinite period," said tho .lecturer, "but tho Old Testament Is In many respects to bo regarded re-garded as a comparatively modern book. We do not know the date of the creation," crea-tion," ho said, "but wo do know that man existed on the earth long before thut represented as tho biblical elate -IC04 B. C. But a few years ago the tenth and eleventh chnptoru of Genesis wns all wo knew of tho periods previous, but researches re-searches havo enllghtojird us on many things. Excavation shows the existence of many large, populous and highly civilized civil-ized cities long before the time the call camo to Abraham to bo the founder of the faithful. Abraham came before us at a period when the world had reached a high degree of civilization." Deals Chiefly With Jews. Continuing, Dr. Pennlmnn said: "The Old Testamont deals chlelly with tho Jov3, and only Incidentally with other nations. They found In the records of other nations mention of the Hebrews only Just as there was a contact between them. It might bo well If thoy had a statement of the Old Testament confirmed con-firmed by Assyrian Kings, and vice versa. A3 a matter of fact a good many discrepancies dis-crepancies disappear In the light of fuller knowledge. Many of those mentioned men-tioned In Genesis have been recorded as myths. Their nnmes are now found In sonio of the tablets since discovered. The Old Tcdtament waB a transcript of a transcript, anel no one knows how far back tho transcript goes." Book With Special Purpose. The lecturer then gavo an exhaustlvo review of tho ancient peoples, their leaders, lead-ers, conditions and general habits. Ho explained tho hlerarchlal system of Government, Gov-ernment, and the monuments which throw light on the Old Testament. Nlm-rod Nlm-rod ho described not ns a mighty hunter, but as a great political power. The lower low-er of Babel, described ns reaching up to heaven, was corrected by the speaker as being an extravagant Orientalism, Just as much hyperbole as Is the description "skyscraper" of todny. "The Old Testament Testa-ment Is a book with a special purpose," said the speaker, "and It Is not believed to bo a universal history. Behind It must bo placed tho records as they are found from tlmo to time of whnt happened before be-fore In remote nntlqulty." Dr. Pennlmnn, continuing, detailed in full tho excavations being pursued, do-scribing do-scribing how ono city suporposed upon another was discovered. Tho records and tho mode in which they wero made and the translating were described. The lecturer lec-turer had with him on the stand two tablets, tab-lets, ono of the tlmo of Abrnham and tho other contemporaneous with Moses, both relating to business transactions, which ho rend. He also said that they hnd In the museum nt Philadelphia a record rec-ord which related tho trial of a city official offi-cial for delinquencies In duty. In conclusion, con-clusion, Dr. Pennlmnn said: "The excavations exca-vations do not give parallel accounte of all Blblo things, but where they do they nro wonderfully correct In corroboration of the Old Testament." Banquet at University Club. Dean Pcnnlman visited the Latter-day Saints university Monday morning and briefly addressed the students. After the lecture Monday evening the donn was Informally In-formally entertained at a banquet In the University club, given by the Pennsylvania Pennsyl-vania Alumni Association of Utah. |