Park Lodge
Weston super Mare
April 22. 1875

Sir

May I take the liberty of offering a suggestion with regard to your most interesting article in the Trr. Soc. Bib. Arch. vol II. p 31 “The Death of the Righteous Man”. Ishtar & Marduk “bring a khisibta from their heavenly treasury:” [illegible deletion]

You have suggested that the word means a jewel. It has occurred to me that it must surely be the Khesbet of the Egyptians, which M. Chabas translates as lapis (lazuli). See Etudes sur l’Antiquite historique. 2. Edⁿ pp.21. 120, &c. Surely this (allowing for the difference in form in the languages) is the identical word, is it not? And the stone would be most appropriate: – the gold-spangled sapphire of the ancients, representing the starry heaven (Exod. xxiv.10). Have you ascertained yet what the “sisbu” was?

Trusting that my conjecture may not be unacceptable I have the honour to be Sir

Y^rs faithfully
Henry George Tomkins
(late Vicar of Branscombe)
W. H. Fox Talbot Esq^re

[envelope:]
W. H. Fox Talbot Esq^re
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts

[envelope annotated by WHFT:]
Rev^d H.F. Tomkins
Ap^r 22.