a the character by which
it was known during the most splendid century of its history, and the
organisation which he devised for it was so admirably adapted to the
Oriental genius that it survived the fall of Nineveh, and served as a
model for every empire-maker down to the close of the Macedonian era and
even beyond it.

[Illustration: 316.jpg A SYRIAN BIT-KHILANI]

Reproduced by Faucher-Gudin, from the restoration published
by Luschan.

The wealth of the country grew rapidly, owing to the influx of capital
and of foreign population; in the intervals between their campaigns
its rulers set to work to remove all traces of the ruins which had been
allowed to accumulate during the last forty years. The king had
built himself a splendid palace at Calah, close to the monuments
of Assur-nazir-pal and Shalmaneser III., and its terraces and walls
overhung the waters of the Tigris. The main entrance consisted of a
_Bit-khilani_, one of those porticoes, flanked by towers and supported
by columns or pillars, often found in Syrian towns, the fashion for
which was now beginning to spread to Western Asia.*

* The precise nature of the edifices referred to in the
inscriptions under the name of Bit-khilani is still a matter
of controversy. It has been identified with the pillared
hall, or audience-chamber, such as we find in Sargon's
palace at Khorsabad, and with edifices or portions of
edifices which varied according to the period, but which
were ornamented with columns. It seems clear, however, that
it was used of the whole series of chambers and buildings
which formed the monumental gates of Assyrian palaces,
something analogous to the _Migdol_ of Ramses III. at
Medinet-Habu, and more especially to the gates at Zinjirli.

Those discovered at Zinjirli afford fine examples of the arrangements
adopted in buildings of this kind; the lower part of the walls was
covered with bas-reliefs, figures of gods and men, soldiers mounted or
on foot, victims and fantastic animal shapes; the columns, where there
were any, rested on the back of a sphinx or on a pair of griffins of a
type which shows a curious mixture of Egyptian and Semitic influences.

[Illustration: 317.jpg THE FOUNDATINS OF A Bit-khilani]

Drawn by Boudier, from a sketch published by Luschan.

[Illustration: 318.jpg BASE OF A COLUMN AT ZINJIRELI]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a photograph publish