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"the natural hyperboles of a writer who lived long after the virtual destruction of the city, and who, moreover, was anxious to enhance the impressiveness of his story and lesson, by dwelling on the vastness of the population whose fate depended on their moral regeneration" (Ib.), we shall find it difficult to accept the gratuitous assumption that Nineveh is here described as a city "about fifty-five English miles in diameter," with a "high street" fifty-five miles long. Nor is it more satisfactory to suppose that by a city of three days' journey is meant a city which it would require three days to go all over. No intelligible idea of size could possibly be conveyed by such a definition. Adopting, then, the more reasonable view that the "three days' journey" refers to the circumference of the city, and estimating a day's journey at about twenty miles, we have Nineveh here described as comprising a circuit of about sixty miles. Whether this large area was inclosed by continuous walls we cannot certainly say. One ancient writer, indeed, (Diodorus Siculus) asserts that it was, and that the walls were 100 feet high, and broad enough for three chariots to drive abreast upon " (Dict. of Bible, Article Nineveh); and he, moreover, gives the dimensions of the city as an irregular quadrangle of about 60 miles in circuit. But without relying too much upon his testimony, which may be regarded as doubtful, we may conclude that an area such as has been described was sufficiently marked out to be known and spoken of as the city of Nineveh. This vast area was not, however, completely covered as in the case of our own cities, with streets and squares and buildings. That was a feature unusual, and almost unknown, in the ancient cities of the East. It was perhaps the feature which, belonging to Jerusalem by virtue of the deep ravines by which it was surrounded, and which "determined its natural boundaries," and prevented its spreading abroad after the fashion of other oriental cities, called forth the surprise and admiration of the Jews after their return from Babylon. "Jerusalem," they exclaim, "(unlike Babylon where we so long have dwelt) is built as a city which is compact together." Like Babylon, Nineveh included not only parks and paradises, but fields under tillage and pastures for "much cattle" (iv. 11) in its wide embrace. The most probable site of the city thus defined will be seen by reference to the accompanying plan. It lies on the eastern bank of the Tigris in the fork formed by that river and the Ghazr Su and Great Zab, just above their confluence, The whole of this district abounds in heaps of ruins. Indeed, "they are found," it is said, "in vast numbers throughout the whole region watered by the Tigris and Euphrates and their confluents, from the Taurus to the Persian Gulf." "Such mounds," it is added, "are espe cially numerous in the region to the east of the Tigris, in which Nineveh stood, and some of them must mark the ruins of the Assyrian capital." (Dict. of the Bible.) Four of these great masses of ruins, which will be found marked on the plan, Kouyunjik, Nimrud, Karamless, Khorsabad, form together an irregular parallelogram of very similar dimensions to those mentioned in the text. From Kouyunjik (lying opposite Mosul) on the Eastern bank of the Tigris, a line drawn in a S. E. direction, parallel to the course of the river, to Nimrud is about eighteen miles. From Nimrud, in a northerly direction, to Karamless is about twelve.

The opposite sides of the parallelogram, from Karamless to the most northerly point Khorsabad, and from Khorsabad to Kouyunjik again, are about the same. These four vast piles of buildings, with the area included in the parallelogram which they form, are now generally identified with the site of the Nineveh which Jonah visited. For fuller particulars the reader is referred to Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, Article Nineveh, and to the well-known works of Mr Layard and Professor Rawlinson.

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CAMBRIDGE: PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY, M.A. AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Opinions of the Press.

"In many of our Grammar Schools and High Schools, at least the elder lads are now 'examined' in some portion of Holy Scripture, and have to 'get it up' as they would a book of Virgil or of Homer. In a large proportion of these schools the Scripture Examination is conducted by members of the Cambridge University. The examiners have found, as was natural, that, while on every other subject handbooks of the most accessible and serviceable kind abound, there is an absolute dearth of similar manuals on the several books of Scripture. Now the lads in our schools, and even the junior students of our colleges, can hardly be expected to keep a long array of commentaries on their shelves, or to be able to use them to much purpose even if they have access to them. Hence the Syndics of the University Press have decided to produce a series of the Scripture manuals of which there is just now so great a need, and have selected Canon Perowne as general editor of the series. No better selection could have been made. The name of Dr Perowne is a guarantee for good and scholarly work; while his intimate acquaintance' with the Biblical scholars of every Church and school of thought will enable him to secure the co-operation of the men best fitted to assist him.

"The first volume of the series now lies before me-a small octavo of two hundred pages. Paper and type are as good as can be desired. And into this small volume Dr Maclear, besides a clear and able Introduction to the Gospel, and the text of St Mark, has compressed many hundreds of valuable and helpful notes. In short, he has given us a capital manual of the kind required-containing all that is needed to illustrate the text, i. e. all that can be drawn from the history, geography, customs, and manners of the time. Of course it is part of a School Bible, and does not trace the sequence of thought in the Gospel, or emphasize the truths taught in it; still less does it deduce and discuss doctrines. But as a handbook, giving in a clear and succinct form the information which a lad requires in order to stand an examination in the Gospel, it is admirable. Whether or not a little more should have been done, even in a School Bible, to indicate and emphasize the connections and transitions of thought in, for example, the teaching of our Lord, may be open to question; but so far as it goes, so far as it professes to go, I can very heartily commend it, not only to the senior boys and girls in our High Schools, but also to Sunday-school teachers, who may get from it the very kind of knowledge they often find it hardest to get."-Expositor.

"The scheme is well started in the little book before us. Dr Maclear has formed a sound conception of the kind of book needed for school purposes, and has made his contribution thoroughly serviceable. The text, with copious notes, is preceded by an Introduction dealing briefly with the general characteristics of the Gospel according to St Mark, its genuineness, integrity, the critical difficulties connected with the portion xvi. 9-20, and such like topics. With the help of a book like this, an intelligent teacher may make 'Divinity' as interesting a lesson as any in the school course. The notes are of a kind that will be, for the most part, intelligible to boys of the lower forms of our

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