The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-14


New York Herald: From under the
buried ruins of the ancient city of Nine
yah come stone tablets telling a new
story of'the creation of the world.
In many respects they coordinate the
Hebrew account, as contained in the
Bible, but in others they give an entirely
new version, and bring forth many fresh
and important facts.
The tablets are found under the ruins
of the great palace OF Sennacherlb by
Prof. Smith, the famous English assy-
biologist, where they had laid. hidden
from the sight OF man, for more than
1000 years,
NineYeh IL one OF the most prominent
ancient cities mentioned In the Blhle,and
| In Its ruins have been found many Of the
most important recordH bearing upon the
early history of mankind II was in this
mighty city that Senndchertb build his
famous palace, which, next TO Solomon's
| Temple, was undoubtedly the finest
building the world has ever known. In
this palace he founded the great library
of Nlneyeh, which was by far the most
important library that ever existed II
contained the historical writings of all
the foremost scrlbes Of that early period
and also the writings df other historians
who had lived centuries before. Sen
nacherlb sent messengers and copyists
to all parts of the world to gather up the
important documents bearing upon the
origin OF the world, the birth Of man and
the deluge. These were brought to tho
palace, and placed in the great chambers
bull. especially to preserve them
Some OF these messengers were sent TO
the then ancient city of Borslppa, In
Babylonia. where In the Temple OF Nebo,
they found wonderful tablets relating to
the creation. which were supposed to
have been written about $500 Il. c. These
tablets, together with copies of those
that could not be moved, were taken to
tho palace, where they were considered
the most important documents that tho
library possessed, They were written in
the cunelform language and were even
then In q somewhat mutllated state ow-
ing to their great age They remained In
the library during the whole time the
palace existed. When, generations af-
terward, It fell and sank Into decay these
OF the world-were buried in the ruins,
where from that time they lay hidden
from sight and unknown to the world.
Six OF these tablets have now been re-
covered They bear the indelible stamp
of the utmost antiquity, and bring to
light many new features of the creation
not mentioned In the Bible, on one point
namely, the creation OF the sun, moon
and stars-they give radically different
account 10 that contained in the Old
Testament. They place the order as
follows: First, the Stars: second, the
Zodiac; then the Seasons, the Equnoxes
the Soistfces, the Night, the Month, tho
Day, and last, the Sun.
In the Bible this order Is Just reversed,
the Hebrew account giving 1t as follows;
First, the Sun; second, the Day; then the
Moon the Night, and last, the Stars.
The six tablets were probably written
in q uniform order, each containing the
story where the other left 1t off. Ae
nearly as can be determined. they werO
written in the following order:
Tablet l.-DescrlptIon of the Pre-Creatlve
state and the first Day.
Tablet 1.-The creation OF Light and tho
war between light and dark
ness.
Tablet S.-The Victory Of the formerand the
separation Of Heaven and
EARTH the Punishment Of the
Dragon of Chaos TO the
the Under world,
Tablet 4.--The Creation OF the Earth and
Vegetation.
Tablet 5.-The. Creation and the Ordering
OF the Heavenly Bodies.
Tablet 6.-The Creation OF Cattle and
Creeping Things and tho
Creation Of Man.
The First Tablet
The portion of the first tablet which
has been deeIphered reads:
1-AT THAT TIME ON HIGH. THE
HEAVENS WE'RE UNNAMED.
2,-BELOW, ON THE WIDE EARTH, A
NAME WAS NOT RECORDED.
s.-THE FIRST BORN OCEAN WAS
THEIR GEN Sl5I11, WAC ,r,,,,
HEARING MOTHER OF THEM ALL.
6.-THEIR WATERS, AS ONE, WE'RE
FOLDED TOGETHER
G.-THE CORN FIELD WAS UNFAIR.
VESTED, THE PASTURE HAD NOT
z-M SRhREG N Sp' YET THE GODS HAD
Nor COME FORTH ANY OF THEM
ga NAME WAS NOT RECORDED;
ORDER DID NOT EXIST.
o,-THEg WE'RE MADE THE GREAT
iO.IE4 lRsioNN AND 1AKHAMN CAME
n,L Until THEY SPREAD.
i2.-FAR ,EXTENploED, WERE THE
KESAR WE'RE MADE.
is.-TH1 GOD ANU.
The numerals at the left Indicate the
lines as they were inscribed upon the
tablet
The great Importance Of this inscrlp-
ton will at once be recognized by Bib
heal students While differing in de-
tail from the Hebrews account, X
agrees with It as regards the chaotic
state Of nature that existed In the be-
ginning. The lines describing the fea-
lures OF the creation OF the earth out of
space approach very near to those OF
the Jehovlstlc writer.
The tablets then 80 on 20 tell that the
great serpent OF chaos and night was
slain The Imprisoned earth was re-
leased and divided from the heavens.
and three great gods came forth to as
sumo the government OF Il.
Tho 1rst Of the three gods were nam
ed Anu, and bore the title of Father OF
all the Gods" The second was called
Bel, and he performed the duties OF
guardian of the country. He was the
establisher OF riches, wealth and pos
sessions, and also lord Of the mountains.
The third god was NAMED Ea. He
was the lord Of the ocean, the protector
Of good men; the lord OF the house OF
knowledge; thc lord Of tho far eceing
eye; the lord who knows oil things,
In this way the tablets point out how
the heavens, the earth and the mystcr-
ious under world were FIRST occupied by
divine rulers, Tho position occupied by
Eu In these writings has n great elml-
tnrity to that occupied By Jehovah IN
the Bible.
The tablet relating to Tho creation Of
animal life and Of man Is very much
mnlIlnted The portion of II that has
been docIphcrcd, however, compares