Page 269 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

Topography and archaeology, 1878-1879
595
214 THE ISLANDS OF BAHREIN.

earliest mention of Nidukki probably occurs in the great
Astrological work, which appears to have been composed
before the institution of the Assyrian empire, as the
name of Assur never once occurs in it, but the only

geographical indication therein contained is that Nidukki
must have been to the east of Babylon. In the mytho­
logical tablet, published in B.M.I. vol. iv. pi. GO, Nidukki
is frequently spoken of, but' apparently in a mythical
sense, being associated with “the great mountain” of Bel,
with the mysterious Bull, with the sun-worship, and generally
with the East in a most perplexing manner. The first
historical notice of the placo occurs on a tablet giving au
account of the great Sargon’s career (about 1600 n.c., accord­
ing to Smith), where tho king is said to have reached “ the
lower sea ” or Persian Gulf, and tho country of “ tho black­
heads,^ and to have reduced Nidukki, and another sea-port
of which tho name is incomplete; and this notice is of the
more importance as in what appears to be tho continuation
of the same campaign on another tablet, Sargoifs son,
Naramsin, is said to have conquered Ris-bin, the kiug of
Apirak, and his ally the king of Nagan) whose name however
is lost. Now the Magan and Apirak here named, and which
aro possibly again mentioned on tho Naramsin vase obtained
by M. Fresnel and since lost, cannot by any possibility belong
to Egypt, but must certainly be sought for in the Persian
Gulf.1 In my view, then, Apirak—or, without the Accadian
augment, Apir—answering to the Biblical “Ophir,” was pro­

bably situated either at Ivatif or Gcrrlia, and was the same
place as Milukh, both of these names perhaps signifying “the

the two names in lino 18, which follow Ma/jan and Milukh, rofer to tho Bahrein
Islands. One is >-<y< Tila=><} and thoothcr N^5=>^=:[
or Morcury. Tho titlo ‘ region of springs * oxnctly suits Capt. Duraud’s descrip­
tion of Bahrein. . .. «
1 Sco Smith’s translation of tho Sargon tahlot, restored from a duplicato copy,
in tho Journal of tho Society of Biblical Archicology, vol. i. p. 46, aud lus trans­
lation of tho Naramsin record in tho samo paper, p. 51. n ith regain to lus
reading of Apirak and Mat/an for tho two names on tho Naramsin vase, I enter­
tain somo doubt. I ropcatcdly studied tho inscription from tho original yasc, Qua
satisfied myself that tho first lottor of tho fifth lino was > as hulocd it is
printed (B.M.I. vol. i. p. 3, No. vii.), from a squeeze which I tlicu took; aud I
cannot sco my way to roudiug this character as dpi*

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