Athenæum Club
Monday Dec 15/ 56

Dear Sir

Many thanks for your remarks. I have asked Williams & Noyate to procure a copy of Groteford’s lithograph of your cylinder and they say they will do their best to obtain it – I hope to find your photograph on my return to Lacock, and I thank you for it by anticipation

I do not think it likely that the Assyrians ever heard of Jupiter and Saturn – The Birs Nimroud occupies the site of the ancient Borsippa, and Rawlinson, Hinks &c all agree that Birs is derived from Borsippa shortened. In kibir-su, wezakkr-su &c su is him, his, it, its. Zululu appears to have meant any roof, ceiling or awning and to be derived from Hchew Tzulul to shade, Tianna might also be compared with the city of Tyana whence arose the celebrated impostor Apothonuis of Tyana, but the resemblance of sound sees accidental.

Eliti (upper) is derived form the Hebrew preposition eli above so shiplite (lower) is from shephel (low)

Sir. This title seems derived from the East, but not exactly from Sar a King, though that term may be cognate – You will find that κυριος a lord, or simply “a gentleman” became Kupos in Byzantine greek.

There are one or two words in Assyrian which are decidedly English, such as the preposition in which has the same sound & the same meaning as in English – sidi (the side) – for instance the side of a river, is another example but may be accidental Papa (the Pope) certainly meant Father – Herodotus says Jupiter was called παπαιος, doubtless because father of Gods & man

Yours very truly
H. F. Talbot