The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-03-28

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10000 in number, it is said, which 90
back to still greater antiquity. A new
world has thus, as it we're, been opened
up to US, and we are already beginning
to know what were the daily occupations
and habits of the Babylonian contem-
poraries of Abraham.
The larger part of the tablets are con-
tracts, deeds of sale, leases of houses
and other property. disputed cases which
came before the judges, and similar SUBJ
jects which cast more light on the life of
the people and the manners of the age
than any number Of royal histories could
have done. One great fact which we
have learned is the intimate connection
that existed between Babylopia and
Canaan. Canaan was under Babylonian
government, and it's culture was derived
from the land Of the Chaldees. The de.
tiles OF Babylonia were imported to the
West; the Babylonian Istar became the
Canaanitish Ashtoreth, and temples
were erected in "the land of the Amor
ties TO ANU, the sky god, to Dagon, to
Rimmon and Nebo; conversely Marduk,
"the Amorite" was adopted into the
pantheon of Babylonia. Libraries were
formed in the cities of Canaan like those
which have so long existed in the king
dom OF the Euphrates, and the books
contained in them were the clay tablets
OF Babylonia written in the cuneiform
characters and in the language of the
Babylonians. In this way Babylonian
literature came to be studied in the
west, and the legends and traditions.
the religions, myths and historical an
nails of Babylonia made their way to the
shores OF the Mediterranean. The edu-
Gated classes were forced to learn the
Babylonian language and the officials
bore Babylonian names.
But the influence was not wholly upon
one side. While Babylonian merchants
and officials followed in the track Of
their armies to Canaan, Canaanitisb
merchants travelled to Babylonia. There
was even district just outside the walls
OF Sippara which was known as that of
"the Amorites." 1t was one of their
settlements in Chaldea where they were
allowed to hold and trade with the ma
tlves. Indeed, we End one of them. IT.
amano Khan by name, an official in the
royal service. The Babylonian king at
the time was Ammi-zaduga, and it was
curing his reign that an interesting law.
suit was brought before four Judges"
relating to the title to 33 acres "of a
held in the district of the Amorites. the
allotment of Ibni Hadad, the merchant"
A certain Eri-Aku, whose name is trans
lated into the Semitic Arad. Sin. 'tbe
servant of the Moon-god," to whose
father the piece of land once belonged.
disputed the title of Ibni- Hadad, or
rather OF his two sons, as Ibni. Hadad
himself seems to have been dead. and
aIter nearing the case the judges decid
ed 10 his favor. That Syria and Pales.
tine should have been included under
the general name of "the land of the
Amorites" proves that the Amorites
were at the time the dominant people
IN the west, and thus explains the
use OF the name in the Pentateuch
IN place OF "Canaanites." But we NAV
gamer from the Semitic names of the
"Amorites" mentioned in the contract
tapiets That they came from Canaan. not
from the country to the north of il
where the Amorites proper had their
seat. The names of the latter found in
the Tel-el-Amarna tablets have nothing
Semitic about them.
This close connection and intercourse
between Babylonia and Canaan throws
new light on Abraham's migration to
the west In migrating to Canaan he
was not going into new country whose
language and people and manners were
all alike unknown to him. On the con.
trary. ne was simply passing from one
part OF the Babylonian empire to an.
other. In his new home he would find
Babylonian officials, Babylonian litera.
ture, babylonian laws and customs. Bah
ylonian deities, even the use of the Bah.
4
ylonian language. And in Babylonia it.
self he had had abundant opportunity
OF knowing what the Canaanites were
like. The migration of Terah and his
family, therefore. was no migration of a
tribe OF people into foreign land; they
did what was constantly being done by
scores Of Babylonians, soldiers, traders
and officials. We need not wonder, then,
If Abraham found himself at home in
the distant west, if he was able to enter
into treaty with its inhabitants, or con.
verse with them without the help of an
interpreter
Commerce and law were alike in an
advanced state when Abraham was
born. Here, for instance, is a contract
in which the services of a laborer are
hired out for specified length of tine
and which has been discovered and
translated by DR.. cheil:-"Let there be
no reclamation in the case Of Sunni.
irzibim whom Rimmon- bani has hired
as laborer for his brother for three
months for one and half shekels of