Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-27

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of the transators that other frag-
ments of this tablet will he une irthud
| with the help of which they may hr
| able to decipher the story. The frag-
ments of the lines that they are able
| TO make out read;
| For thy redemption did he create
mankind; even he, the merclful one.
| with whom is life.
| In another corner are the words:
Mayest thou be great, for noble
! companion art thou. Let thy manhood
| be increased. with the dominion of
all the gods l have caused thy hand
/ to be filled.
II this applies TO the creation Of
| man, as 1t certainly appears to, 1t is u
remarkable parallel TO the Biblical
| account, although 1t IL, of coutse, in
! n very different style of wording.
Further down on the tablet are the
! stu more wonderful words:
Woman from the flank OF man was
called.
Which certainly accords with the
creation of Eve as recorded in the
| Bible.
The fifth tablet relates to the ere
alton of the heavenly bodies and of the
making of day and night. 1t cores
ponds with the fourth day in the Bibll-
| cal account The first twety-four lines
/ only have been translated. They read;
the great gods.
| 2. The constellation he arranged
them: the double stars he fixed.
Z. He ordained the year and APP
| pointed the zodiac signs over 1t.
4. The twelve months of constela-
lions by threes he fixed
o. From the day when the year COM
| menccd to it's close
6. He established the position of the
crossing stars, and for the seasons their
| bounds.
Z. Not to make fault or error of any
kind.
S. The abode of Bel and Ea along
with hlsmelf he fixed.
3. He opened great gates on either
side.
TO- The bolts he made strong on the
right hand and left.
II. In the mass he made stairway.
T. The illumination he caused to
shine to rule at the night.
10. He appointed him to cstahlish
the night until the coming forth of the
| day
H. Saying each month without fail
by thy disk keep thy watch
10. AT the beginning Of the month,
Mt the rising of the night"
49, Horn shall shine forth to an
nounce the nigth."
H. "On the seventh day to a lisk II
fills up
IS. open thou and cause the rays
| OF my taCt 10 SHINE.
| 49, AT that time the sun on the horl-
| ION of heaven mt thy coming
90 shall divide the form"
Il. Toward the path of the sun thou
drawest near"
22. Then the shining of the sun
| shall change"
49, Seeking his path"
"a. set thou as by law decreed."
4 This shows how day was created out
of the eternal night, and also the In
| structions given to the moon, which
is mentioned as the ''llluminator." II
also shows that the moon was created
| before the sun, whereas In the Bible
the sun Is given the priority. This
difference In these two accounts is very
important, affecting as 1t does the
whole story of the work of the creation
on the fourth day. 1t Is still more i'm
portant from the fact that illustrates
CLEARLY that the account could not have
been copied from ancient Chaldean
records. Besides this II would appear
that the opening chapters of the Bible,
were not compiled until centuries after
the beliefs. as inscribed on the tablets,
had been forgotten. II viii be noticed
that these tablets which, are at least
1000 years older than the Bible, give
much more detallded account Of the
creation than the Old Testament does.
| II IL not, therefore, reasonable to be-
lleve that the Bible was copied from
| such records as these. as the copyists
would hardly have been likely to give
| such an entirely different account of
the work on this particular day Other
| fragments of inscriptions on this tablet
| show the BnbyloniNns' great love for
, the moon, and in the lower corner is
| a hymn to IT, The inscriptions speak
| OF the moon as THE lord Of the night"
and "The giver Of everything that
benefits mankind" Another line says:
Thou holdest the lightning, protector
of all things; there is no God who hath
at any time discovered thy fullness,
The portion OF the tablet relating to
the creation of the sun speaks Of II
Ms the child of the moon" and fur
| Their on says
/. oh. Lord, illuminator Of the dark
| moss. opener of the face of the sky.
2. MerIcful Cod who setteth up the
fallen. who keepeth the weak.
3. Unto thy light turn the great
i.The spirits of earth gaze toward
(. The tongues of the host as one cry
8. smiling. their heads they look to
| the light OF the sun,
= Like q wife thou art-glad ana
3. Thou art the light in the vault Of
, | the far-om heavens
.. Thou art the eye center of all the
, widespread lands.
10. Men from far and near behold
! thee and rejoice,
ii Thc great gods smelt the sweet
, SAVIOR the food of the shining heavens
~. He who hath not turned his head
to sin. thou wilt prosper
~. He shall eat OF thy food ana be
, | hlosrcd by thee.
The INSCRIPTIONS on tho tablet re-
, lating to the sabbath are Very remark
, able, as they lay down the command
ment that mankind shan apS, ,, rom