The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-25
THE CHALDEAN DELUGE.
TIE NEIL DISCOVERED RECORD OF
NOAH'S FLOOD.

THE NETLY DISCOVERED OF
NOAH's FLOOD.
Legends Nearly Eight Thousand Years
Old-New Details Regarding tho Ark
and the Deluge-sir Henry Rawlinson
Touches for their Authenticity.
Mr.. George Smith, Of the British Museum,
lately read a paper before the British Archso-
logical Society on a cuneiform inscription re-
Gently discovered by him In the museum con-
tanning an account of the Deluge. Mr.. Smith
said he had recently been examining the divi-
sion comprising the NEUROLOGICAL and myth
cal tablets. and from that section he obtained
a number of tablets giving acurlous series of
legends, and including a copy of the story of
the flood. On discovering these documents,
which were much mutllated, he searched
over all the collections of fragments of in
acriplions, consisting Of several thousands OF
smaller pieces, and ultimately recovered
eighty fragments OF these legends, by the aid
of which he wac enabled to restore
nearly all the text Of the description Of
the flood, and considerable portions
of the other legends. These tablets were
originally at least twelve 10 number, forming
one story or set of legends, the account of the
food being. on the eleventh tablet. OF the
inscription describing the flood, there were
fragments Of three copies containing duplicate
texts; these copies belong to the time Of AS
surbanlpal, or about sl1 hundred and sixty
years before the Christian era, and they were
found In the library of that monarch In the
palace at Nlneveh. The original text was
very ancient, as Its original composition could
not be placed later than the seventeenth cen.
tury, before the Christian era, and it was, in
ali likelihood. very much Older. It belonged
to the time ola monarch whose name, written
In monograms, Mr.. Smith was unable to read
pnonetlcally, and, therefore, called him by
the value Of the signs of his name, I5duoar,
and he probably lived In the epoch immedi-
ately following the food. The tablets gave
an account OF hls history and exploits, and
from one, the eleventh and most important Of
all, It appeared that he heard Of a patriarch,
SisIt, who had attained Immortality without
death, and he sought him to learn The secret.
slsit, on being asked how he became lmmor-
tai, relates the story otthe food. The trans.
lation Is very Imperfect, owing to portions of
tina tablet being broken. After telling of the
building Of the ship by command Of the gods,
slsit goes IN:
caused to go up int the ship all my male
and female servants, the beasts OF the feld,
the animals Of the field, and the sons of the
army-sIl OF them, ] caused to 60 up. A food
Shamas made, aud he spake saying in the
heavily; enter to the midst OF the ship, and
shut thy door, A food he .ralsed, and he
spake saying In the night, II will cause 1t 10
rain from Heaven heavily" In the day that I
celebrated his festival, the day which he had
appointed; fear I had, I entered 10 the midGl
or the ship, and shut nay door, to gaide the
ship, to Hu2ursadirabl the pilot, the palace l
gave to hIs hand. The raging Of 8 storm In
the morning arose. from the horizon OF Hea-
ven extending and Wide Vul In the midst Of 1t
Numbered, and Nebo aud saru went IN front;
the throne bearers went over mountains and
plains; the destroyer erealn4estnrned; NInip
went Ia front, and cast down. the BDiriIs car
ried destruction, 10 their glory they swept the
EARTH; OF Vul the flood, reached to Heaven;
the bright earth to q waste was turned; The
surface Of the earth, like " = 1t swept;
iG DESTROYED all lie, from the face of the earth
So" the strong tempest over The peo-
Pile, reached TO Heaven. Brother saw not his
brother, iE did not spare the people. In Heaven
the rods feared The tempest, and sought
refuge; they assembled 10 the heaven OF
Anu. The gods like dogs with tails hidden
couched down. Spake Ishtar a discourse,
uttered the great goddess her speech, y The
world to sin has turned, and then ! In the
presence of the gods prophesied evlli when |
prophesIed In the presence OF The gods evil,
to evil we're devoted all my people, and !
prophesled thus, I have begotten man, and
let him not like the sons OF the fishes fill the
seam The gods concerning the spirits were
weeping with her ; the gods In seats. seated
10 lamentatlon ; covered were their lips for
the coming evil. Six days and nights passed,
the wind tempest and storm, overwhelmed, on
the seventh day in itG course, was Gained the
storm, and all the tempest, which had de-
stroyed like an earthquake, qnleted. The sea
be caused to dry, AID the wind and tempest
ended. was carried through the sea. The
doer of evil, aud The whole Of mankind who
turned to SIN, like reeds their corpses foated.
| opened the window and the light broke In,
over nv refuge 1t passed; sat still and over
nv refuge came peace. was carried over
the shore. at the boundary OF The sea, tor IL
measures 1t ascended over the land. To the
country Of Mir, went tie ship !; the noun
tain of Mir stopped the ship, and to pass
over 1t, II was not able. The first day and the
second day, the mountain of Nizlr the
same. The third day and the fourth
day, and tho mountain OF Nizlr the
same. The fifth and sixth, the mountain OF
MIR the same. % the seventh day, IN the
course of 1t, I sent forth q dove, aud 1t left.
The dove went and searched and o resting
place 1t did not find, and 1t returned. l sent q
raven, and IL left. I sent q swallow, and 1t lett.
The swallow went and searched, and q resting
place IL did not hnd. The raven went. and the
corpses on the waters 1t Saw, and IT did eat, it
swan, and wandered away, and did not re-
turn. sent the animals forth TO the tour
winds. I poured out a libatlon. l built an
altar on the peak OF the mountain, BY seven
heros I cut, at the bottom Of them, ! placed
reeds, pines, and simgar. The gods collected
at It's burning; the gods collected at Its gooI
burning, the gods like snmbe over the sacrl-
Ace gathered. From of old also, the great
God In his course, the great brightness OF
Anu had created; when the glory OF these
gods, as of Ukni stone, on my couhtenanca !
oonld not endure; 10 those dsyG / prayed that
for ever | might not endure. May the gods
come 10 nv altar; may Bel not come 10 my
Altar. for he did not consider, and had made q
.empest, and MY people he had consigned 10
the deep from Of old. also Bel In bis course saw
the ship, and went. Bel with ange,flled othe
gods and spirits; let not anyone come cut awe,
iet not a man bs saved rom the deep. Nlnip
his mouth opened and spake, and said 10
| the warrior Bel, WHO then will be saved ="
| Hea the words understood, and Hea knew
| ali things, Hea his mouth opened and spake.
and said TO the warrior Bel, "rhou prince oil
The gods, warrior, when thou was angry q