BIBLICAL LIBRARIES
stamped earth, a ledge of crude bricks 1½ feet wide, which was capped by a layer of baked bricks and extended completely around the four walls of the room." It would appear from the not very detailed description (Hilprecht p. 386) that both of these treasure rooms were sunk below the earth level by about the height of the ledge (2½ feet). This long narrow room with ledge, interprets and is interpreted by the treasure rooms of Lagash, Boghaz Keuei, Nineveh, and the many temple or palace treasuries which have no connection with book storage. The study of these is only in its infancy but this one may stand at least for a frequent type. Sometimes where tablets on these ledges appear mixed with ashes or broken jars, it suggests that where there are ashes they may have been set on wooden shelves on the ledges in a way reminding of the typical reading room ledge of Roman times or more likely they were in wooden boxes
[52]
