Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-19
the Get tablets known a. the "Crsatlon

l. q
the producing mother Of the Whole q
them.
5. Those wsters al tie beginning were or
8. a tree had not grown, a flower had not I'M
foldej.
?. when the gods h ad not sprung mp, any one
u thcEi;
8. plant hai no, gfown, aud order did rot
9. Were made, also, the great GODS,
10. the gods Lahmu and Lahamu they caused
TO come . .
II. and they grew . f.
u. The gods Saf and Kisar were made
Z. A course OF days, and LONG tire passed &.
q. The gods sar and
~
A striking eoiIcidence may be re-
marked here between the Mosaic theory
OF the coming OF all things from the
bosom of the sea, ard the statement
contained in the fourth verse quoted
above. Mummu-Tismstu, meaning the
''sea-wster," or ses-chaos," which, we
read, twas the producing mother of tho
whole Of them" ia the equivalent of the
'daepn OF Genesis. In the tenth verse
we encounter Lshmt1 and t1hsmu, the
names respectively Of the male and ie-
male personi6catiOns OF motion and
production, corresponding to the moving
wind, or "spiritn Of Genesis. SaT and
kisar, mentioned in the twelfth verse,
wete the representative of the upper sad
the lower expGnse, or the two "6rma-
ments." The second third and fourth
tablets in the ''Crestion series" are alb
sent, except two fragments, only one OF
which we shall quote here. This Is tue
form Of speech to one Of the goes, and
possibly belonged to the description OF
the fixing OF the dry lanGs
l. When the foundation OF the ground OF
rock Thou didsJ make1
2. the foundation OF the ground thou didst
3. thou didst beautify the heaven
4. 10 the face OF the heaven
5. Thou didst give -.
D.
The upper part ofthe fifth tablet, which
Darrates the Creation, OF the heavenly b.
dies, and runs parallel to the account Of
the fourth day Of creation in Genesis,
opens as follows:
!. 1t was delightful, all that was fixed by the
great gOd'.
2. Stars, their appearance lin fguresl of ami
3. To tx the year through the observation Of
their consultations
4. twelve months tor sigcsl Of stars in three
rows he arranged;
s. from the day Nhen the year commences
unto the close. -
6. He marked the positions or the wandering
stars lplanetsl to shine IN their courses;
Z. that they may not do injury, and may not
trouble any one,
s. the positions of the gods Bel and Hea he
fixed with him.
9. And he opened the great gates in the
darkness shrOuded
10. the fastenIngs were stroUg on the left
IL. In It's mass Il c. the lower chaos he ma lie a
IL. the goa Gru (the noon he. caused to rise
cut the night he Overshadowed,
l3 to fl IL also for the light of the night. IN
til the shining Of the dsyy
a. That the month might not be broken, and
in It's amoutit be irregular,
Is. At the beginning of the month, at the ris-
ingOf the night,
Is. his HONS are breaking through to shine
II. On the seventh day to circle he begins to
swell,
IS. and stretches toward the dawn fur her.
IS. When the god Sha1uas THE SUM in the no.
TizOn Of heaven; in tile East.
20. . g. . formed beautifully and =,
p. . . . to the orbit Shamas was perfected
%. the dawn Shamas should chan c
q. . . doing on its path
a. giving Judgment
p. to tame
%. second time,
Zds
The stories of the creation OF toe
beasts, and Of nan and woman in 8
state If innocence, ard of the tempta-
ton and fall, are traceable on other
fragments. Mr.. Smith gives US copies
also Of q curious bass-relief on an early
Babylolian cylinder, representing &
sacred tree, a human figure seated on
each side OF it, and a serpent in the
background, suggestive Of the Eden le-
gend in Genesis. The curse pronounced
upon man for his disobsd!ence we re-
print in part:
q. May he be conquered and at once cut of.
p Vision and knowledge ho5tilely may they
tnjure him.
%. May they put at enmity also father and
son, and may they plumber.
q. To king, ruler aud governor may they bend
their eas.
%. His land may it bring forth, but he shall
81. Bis desire shall he cut eff, and his viii b.
IS. The opening OF his mouth no god shall
take notice OF;
80. His back shall be broken, and shall not be
healed
80. At his urgent Trouble no god shall receive
him;
81. His heart shah be poured out, AID his
mind shall be troubled:
30 To sin and wroL 6 Gis lace shall come. .
We may note. ia passing, that the
name given to the human race, or is
representative ia some OF tht So a sssg. s
is Admi o. Adami-the tqpiv4 eat #
The term Adam empl ysd Ia Genesis
The name is here, however, 8 clmnlOu
noun, -signi3yjng smrly "Da3kind. "
We Tesr5s ma Wa have 10. space 20
give certain Of Mr. Smilh'5 la.er trans
iatiOns; az, for example, the B3bylouia
versions OF the stories OF the fl lo1, the
building and destruction of the 10 ser Of
Babel, the confusion of tongues, and
others equally familiar to stGdsnts Of the
bible. They are all extremely interest.
ing, but too long for production in this
plsc3. We cannot fOrbear, however,
quoting one more passage from the book
LeioTe us, because of its relation to one
of the most striking episo les in the
whole realm of sacred and prOiane his
tory:
"Sargins or Saigon was Babylo-
nian monarch who reigned at the city of
Akkad about B. G. 1900. The nsme of
Sargon signifies the right, true or legiti-
mate king, aud may have been assumed
on his ascending the throne. Ssrgon
was probably of obscure origin, and de-
string to strengthen his claim to the
throne put out the story given in this
tablet to connect himEelf with the old
Iine Of kings. This curious story is found
on tablets from K0uyut jIk, and reads as
follows:
l. Sargina, the powerful king, the king of
Akkad am l.
p My mother was a princess, my father did
not know; bother OF my father ruled
over the country.
3. In the city of Azupirenu, which by the
side OF the river Euphrates is situated,
t. my mother the princess conceived me; in
difficulty she brought me forth.
B. She placed me in an ark of rusheS, with |
hitumau exit She sealed
6. She launched me on the river which did |
not drown me.
7. The river carried me, to Akk1 the water |
carrier 1t brought me.
8. Akki the water carrier IN tenderness of
bowels life d me;
0. Akki the water CARRIER as his child brought
10. Akki the water carrier as his husbandman |
placed me.
Il. and in my husbandrT sltar prospered me. |
2. a ~ years the kingdom 1 have ruled,
3. The people of The dark races governed,
a. over rugged countries with
chsIiots of bronze rode;
s. govern the upper countries,
g. rule (?) over the chiefs Of the lower coon-
tries.
Z. To the sea coast three times advanced,
Dllmun submitted,
IS, Durankigal bowed, ETC., etc.
CATER this follows an address to any
king who should at later time notice
5he Inscription. This story is supposed
% have hsppened about B. G. 1900,
-sther earlier than the supposed age Of
Moses; and as we know that the fame
Of Ssrgon reached Egypt, il is quite
likely that this account had 8 c0nnec-
ion with the events related in Exodus
H., for every action, wher once per.
iOrmed, has tendency to be repeated"
We have had occasion to speak in terms
IF praise OF some OF Mr.. Smiths former
works, and we end our review of the
present one with the assurance that it is
Of even greater value than It's pTede-
.Scribner II Co, publishers,
New York.
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