New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-19
A CHALDEAN STORY OF THE DELUGE.

Mr.. George Smith of the British Museum
lately read paper before the British Archaeological So
cety cunoiform inscription recently discovered by
him Ia the Museum containing account Of the Deuge
Mr. Smith said he had recently been examining the dvi
sion comprising the NEUROLOGICAL and mythical tablets,
and from that section he obtained number Of tablets
giving curious series Of legends and including copy Of
the story Of the Good on discovering these Documents
which much mutilated, be searched all the
collections of fragments OF inscriptions consisting OF
several thousands Of smaller pieces, and ultimately
covered so fragments OF those legends by the aid of
which he was enabled TO restore nearly all the text Of
the description of the food aud considerable portions
OF tho other legends These tablets originally at
least IL in number forming story of legends
the OF food being the eleventh tablet OF the
inscription describing the flood. there fragments
of three copies containing duplicate texts these copies
belong TO of Assurbanipal about 600 years
before the Christian era, and they found in
the library OF that monarch in the palace at
Nineveh. The original text very ancient.
as its original composition could not be placed later than
the seventeenth century before the Christian and
was in all likelihood, very much older It belonged to
the time of q monarch whose name. written In mono
grams Mr. smith was unable TO read phonetcally and,
therefore, called him by the value Of the signs Of his
name Izdubar and he probably lived In the epoch m-
mediately following the flood The tablets gave
count his history and exploits, and from one, the
eleventh and most important Of ALL it appeared that he
heard patriarch, sis who had attained immortality
without DEATH and he sought him TO learn the secret
Sist on being asked how he became immortal. relates
the story The translation very imperfect,
owing portions OF the tablet being broken After tell
ing building OF the ship by command of the GODS
Sisit goes on:
caused TO go up into ship all my male and female
servants beasts the field the animals Of the field.
and the of the armya OF them, caused 70 go up
hO9d shamas made and he 1Pake saying N the rHg gI
the midst of the ship, and shut thy door, MOOD ne
raised, and he spake saving IN the night " WIZ cause IL
to rain from Heaven heavily In the day that cee-
braed his festival the day which he had appointed fear
had entered 10 the midst of the ship and shut my
door to guide the ship TO Bnzursadrabi the pilot the
palace gave to his hand The raging OF storm In the
and wide vul in the midst Of it Numbered aud Nebo ana
Saru went in 'front.' the throne bearers went over noun
went front down. the spirits carried desruc
tom their glory they swept the EARTH OF Wi the
vast was turned; the surface OF the EARTH like it
swept; destroyed all e from the face OF the earth
Heaven. Brother saw not his brother, it did
not spare the people. In Heaven the gods feared
t 6s b Il gods eS dogs s With tails hidden
couohed down. spake IsntaT discourse, uttered tae
and then in the presence Of the gods prolnss:oS
when prophesied in the presence OF the gods evil TO
f wers man. and e him not ike the sons Of
the m tue sea- The gods concerning the spirits
ns @ lips for the coming
evil six days ana nights passed. the wind tempest and
was Gained the storm and all the tempest, which had
destroyed like an earthquake gnleted me sea ne ne
carried through the The doer OF ev and the whole
Of who Turned III, to SIM Ss fes s I neF
over my refuge II passed sat SUI and over my refuge
airy of the sea- for - measures assembled the
0SnD Of S s e e sh Is R 'aS
pass over it, II was not able: Inc tIst day ana
Ss SR a a the arS dsy the of Mir the
same The fifth and sixth, the mountain of Nlzir the
same on the seventh day. In the course OF IL sent
dove. and left The dove went and searched and
restingplace It did not ind ana IT returned l sent
searched and resIingplaee 1t did not hnd ana ~ re-
turned. raven and n lett Inc raven went ana
se e awe and did not return sent the
animals forth the four winds. poured out hbaton
herbs / cut at the bottom OF them, placed reeds
pines and smgar The gods collected at It's burning the
Over the sacrifice gathered From OF old Also the great
God in his course, the great brightness OF Anu had
on nv countenance could not endure in those days
prayed that for might not endure May the gods
come Ia altar: Bel not come 10 altar Tor
he did not consider and had made tempest and my
people he had consigned TO the deep rom OF
old also Bel in his course saw the ship, and went
Bel with anger fedto the gods ana spirits Iet not any
one out alive, let not inan be saved from ine
deep Ninip his mouth opened and spake, and said 70
the warrior Bel. " Who then will be savedP Hea me
words understood ana hea kn s az vi 5e Rsror
Thou prince OF the gods warrior when thou was angry
oer of evil did his evil the exalted not be broken
The cantve NOT be delivered instead Of thee making
tempest, may lions Increase ana men De reduced IN
stead of thee making tempest may eopards increase
and men be reduced instead OF thee making tempest
NAV famine happen, and the country be destroyed III
stead of thee making tempest, may pestlence increase
and men be destroyed" ala not peer into the wisdom
OF the gods, reyerent and attentive dream they sent
and the wisdom OF the gods he heard When ms Judg
ment was accomplished Bel went up 10 tue midst or the
ship, he took my hand and brought me out, me he
brought out caused me to bring my wife to my SIDE
he prned the country no established In covenant ana
took people in the presence OF Ss ana the people,
when s wife and the people 10 De IKE the gods
were carried then dweit Sisit IN remote pace AZ
the mouth OF the rlVers
ssit then told Izdubar how he might become purinod,
and the tablet closes by describing their parting and the
subseouept doinks OF Izdubar On reviewing the evil
dsnce Mr. Smith it apparent that the events Of
the food narrated in the Bible ard the inscription are
the same and occur in the order but the minor
differences i1the details show that the inscription
bodies distinct and independent tradition In spite of
striking similarity in STYLE which shows itself IN sew
eral places the two belong totally distinct
peoples Biblical account is the version OF an IN
land people-the name OF the ark in Genesis means
chest or box and ship there is no notice OF the
sea or OF launching pilots are spoken Of no navga-
ton Ia mentioned The inscription, on the other hand
belongs 10 maritime peope-the ark Is called snip,
the ship is launched into the trial Is made OF IT, and
II is gwen In charge Of pilot Mr. Smith pointed out
circumstances which suggest the question whether the
Chaldean narrative itself may not have been compiled
from two distinct older accounts. and noted 1t as
remarkable that the Oldest traditions Of the early Baby
loniaps seem TO center round the Persian Gulf In con-
cusion he remarked that this account OF the deiuse
opened q field Of inquiry in the early part oil the
Bible history