built Ninevah and a number of other cities. From the Assyrian and
Chaldean ascriptions, we have learned much of the Accadians, whose
influence carried forward that early civilization. We thereby confirm
the Biblical claim that it was under Nimrod the Cushite, and not
through the Semitic race, that the Chaldean kingdom began.

Of the beginning of the Egyptian empire, the other great center of
civilization, we have no certain knowledge. So far as the records of
the scriptures or of the earliest records to which the monuments bear
witness, Egypt comes before us full grown. The further back we go the
more perfect and developed do we find the organization of the country.
The activity and industry of the Egyptians, their power of erecting
great buildings and of executing other laborious tasks at this early
period is a marvel to all ages. It has been shown by Prof. Petrie that
some of the blocks in at least one of the great pyramids were cut by
tubular drills fitted with diamond points or something similar. This
to us is a very modern invention.

At least thirty dynasties of kings (according to Manetho) ruled Egypt
in succession. At least twelve of these must have reigned in Egypt
before Jacob and his sons settled within their borders. Many of the
great monuments and some of the largest of the pyramids were already
to be seen before Abraham visited that country. There had been
constant progress in all kinds of learning and art, and a highly
advanced society and government had been attained when the Bible
history first came in contact with it.

Commerce was carried on extensively on both land and sea. Long before
the time of Moses a stream of caravans were on the road between Egypt
and Babylon, passing through Canaan. Treaties were made between