Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-24

SIS. The British Museum has a vast number of
such tablets, enough to I'll a large library, if
thev were all translated aud printed. They are
really books on great variety of topics. Those
translated by Mr. Smith belong to that part Of
the collection which be describes as "mythologi-
cal and mythical" The series of twelve which
he has translated, seem to have constituted a
single book, one chapter or tablet of
which gives the very ancient Chal-
dean story of the deluee The writing
was very ancient when copied by the Assyrians.
The copy used belongs TO the time of the Assyri-
| an king, Asserbanip5l. The original was found
| by the Assvrians at Erech, one Of the very old
est of the Gladden. cities; as much older than
/ Niuevcb, as Nneveh is older than our time.
Mr.. Smith points out in the text indications Of
the very great antiquity OF the original writing;
and Sir Henry Rawlinson points out that the
legend belongs 10 period Of Chaldean history
as old as about $500 years before the Christian
era.
The legend processes TO belong TO the time of
| a Chaldean king whose name is written in mon
ograms and has not been deciphered with Ger.
taintv. Ii is rendered as "Izdubar," and he is
| placed in the period which Immediately followed
the flood. The tablets say that izdubar, having
Conquered Belusu," and become great and
glorious, resolved to visit the famous patriarch
"Sisit" aud learn how he became immortal A
dream guides him; but, after some wandering,
he is Joined BY a seaman named Urhamsi. They
build ship, and at length find Sisit. Ten of the
tablets are filed with this part OF the story
oil Izduhar. The king makes his inquiry con.
celnlng immortality, aud SjSit, in reply, tells the
story of The deluge, in which he PLAYED the part
which Noah plays in the Hebrew account. Ssit
says, the gods resolved to destroy mankind on
account OF the prevailing wickedness. He was
directed to build great ship. The building of
this ship is described; but there are mutations
| oil the writing which make the account incom-
| pete. He enclosed it," "poured bilumen on
the outside and on the inside" and tested the
ship in the waters. The story goes on as fol
| lows:
All I possessed collected it, all possessed col
lected of silver
All possessed collected OF gold.
All possessed collected of the seed of life the
whole.
caused to go up into the ship all my male and
the beasts of the fed the animals of the field, and
the sons of the army all of Them caused to go
up.
THE EARTH SWEPT BY STORM AND FLOOD.
A flood Shamas mad, and
he sDake saying in the night, al Will cause it TO
ram from heaven heavily;
enter TO the midst OF the ship and shut thy
door,
| a food ne raised, and
he spake saying IN the night, 81 will cause it to
ram from heaven heavily"
| In the day that celebrated his festival
the day winch he mad appointed; tear had
l entered to the midst of the ship, and shut my
door
to guide the ship, to Buzdrsadirabi the pilot
the palace gave to his hand.
The ra glng Of a storm IN the morning
arose, from the horizon of heaven extending and
wide
vul in the midst of it thundered, and
| Nebo and Saru went in front;
the throne bearers went over mountains and
| plans;
the destroyer of Nergal overturned
| NInip went In front and cast down;
| the spirits carried destruction;
| in their glory they SWEPT the earth;
| OF Val the food reached to heaven;
| the bright earth to a waste was turned;
the surface Of the earth, like. -. 1t swept;
1t destroyed all life, from the face of the earth
the strong tempests over the people, reached to
heaven.
Brother saw not his brother, it did not spare the
people. In heaven
The gods feared the tempest and
Sought refuge; they assembled to the heaven of
The gods, like dogs with tails hidden, coucned
down.
Spake lshtar discourse,
uttered the great goddess her speech
"Ihe world 10 SIN has turned, and
then in the presence of the gods prophesied evil;
when propnesled IN the presence of the gods evil,
to evil were devoted all my people, and prOphe-
sled
thus, ~ have begotten man and let him not
like the sons of the fishes till the sea-
The gods concerning the spirits We're weeping with
her;
the gods in seats, seated in lamentation;
covered with their lips fol the coming evil,
THE STORM GAINED.
Six days and nights
passed, the wind, tempest and storm overwhelmed,
and the seventh day in its course, Gained the
storm. and all the tempest
| which had destroyed like an earthquake,
| quoted. The sea ne caused to dry, and the wind
and tempest ended.
1 was carried through the sea The doer of evil,
| and the whole of mankind who turned to SIN,
| like reeds their cOrpses hOated.
opened the window and the light broke in, over
my refuge
it passed. sat still and
over my refuge came peace.
was carried over the shore at the boundary ofthe
sea,
for twelve measures it assembled ,ver the land,
10 the country of Mir went the ship:
the mountain Aizir stopped the snip and to pass
over 1t, twas not able.
The first day and the second day, the mountain OF
The third day and the fourth day, the mountain of
MIR the same.
The fifth and sixth, the mountain of Mir the
same.
DOVE FROM THE ARK.
On the seventh day III the course of 1t
sent forth dove and itleft the dove went and
searched, and
resting place it did not find and it returned
l sent forth swallow, and il left. The swallow
went and searched, and
resting place il did not ind and 1t returned.
sent forth raven. and it lett.
Tne raven went, and the corpses on the waters it
it did eat, it swan, and wandered away, and did
not return.
sent neanimals forth to the four winds poured
out libaton.
built an altar on the peak of the mountain,
| by seven herbs / cut,
at the bottom of them. placed reeds, pines and
simgar.
Berosus gives a version Of this story, in which
the Sist Of the deluge is called Xtsuthrus, There
are some other notifications, but the legend is
substantially the same. Mr. Smith supposes
the account in Genesis to be in substance the
same, and believes they all refer to the same
event. He says very truly, that there is a great
deal 10 he learned from the Chaldean inscrip-
lions; and he adds this statement: "Beneath the
mounds and ruined cities of Chadea, now
awaiting exploration, lie, together with older
copies of tbis deuge text, other legends
and histories of the earlier civilization
OF the world" Lower Chaldea is full
OF ruined cities, only four of which
have been explored in our time, and these
not so thoroughly as TO show more than a
small part Of what eau be found in them. Sir
Henry Rawnson, one OF the few men who are
specially learned in the matter Of Chaldean in
scriptons, guarantees the accuracy of Mr..
Smiths translation, 'eXcept as to the names. ,,
The London Telegraph gives the following
report OF what Sir Henry said, at a meeting OF
the "Biblcal Archie jloaical Society, relative 10
the antiquity of the. Chaldean monuments:
The most important point, and the question
| which would he asked generally was what WINS
the antiquity Of the legeud2 He wished there
| lore, to explain 10 The meeiing thar, althOua h
The tablets found in toe ruins Of Uneven dated
| only from the aye Of Sirdanapalus, in the sixth
aud seventh cen nry before Christ, yet they were
| copies OF very much more ancient documents
| Every tablet had at the foot Of the writing a
"cOluphon," which stated that the above writing
| was copy ol the original ducunent, and il was
| found IN MANY PLACES that tablets from which
| the scrlOes OF Sardanapalus had copied we've de-
| iectiYe and the scribes had added The CLOSES,
Here the original is defective" The honora-
| BILE gentleman hen proceeded 10 show by mas
| lerlv Train of reasoning, that the historical era
| OF the Cnadeaus dated back $3.50 wears before
| Christ, and that the legend belonged to the my.
biological period, probably 1000 or 1900 years
CARRIER still"
George Catn, who died in Jersey City yester-
0nV boc 1nuo hoo, 1 T.