New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-30
NEW STORY OF THE DELUGE.
NEWLY DISCOVERED TABLETS DATING
SEVEN CENTURIES BEFORE MOSES
From The New-YOrk Independent.

SEVEN CENTURIES BEFORE MOSES
From The New-York Independent.
The announcement by Pere Scheil. the French
Assyrioogist who has given so much time to
study of the collections in the museum at Con-
stantinople that he had discovered a Babylonian
account of the Dcluge much Older than Moses
was so interesting to the Biblical student that
We asked the discoverer for an account OF 1t.
He kindly consented. and his account the hrst
thus far published in America, and, we MINK, IN
Europe will be Of no little interest.
Every Biblical scholar knows that the Hebrew
account Of the dcluge found in Genesis mas Deen
paralleed by two Babylonian accounts. one that
of Berosus Bsbylonian historian, whose mar
ratve has been handed down to us by cary
Greek Christian writers. and the other tha'
found IN Assyran tablets by George Smi,h.
Both resemble. and yet both differ from the
Genesis story. Biblical critics have differed as
to- the age Of the biblical story the more con-
scryativc holding that. being written by Moses,
II is older than his time and was incorporated
by him into the Book Of Genesis Whlle 'he
newer school Of critics were. until the discovery
II The. Tel-cl- Amarna tablets. inclined 10 peieVe
that IN. story was borrowed from Nincveh or
I.abvlon at the time Of the captivity. or not long
before it. at which time the BOOK OF oehes'S was
rho discovery By George Smith of a full
poctical account OF the deluge, on tablets IN
King Assurbanipals library At Uneven was OF
immense interest; but it did not assure US OF
,b 400 ~ the peluge story among the inhabi-
tants Of the Euphrates Valley for II was on
tablets written in Assurbanipars reign that Is
scarce six hundred years before n'Iat - ~
s,ire these were said 10 be copied from tablets
in R1bylonfan libraries. but we an not kho"
how Id these original tablets We're Besides; .he
Deluge story Was on the eleventh tap'. III
long poem. compiled in twelve DOCKS one Ioi
each month in 4 quite artificial way. ana might
belong to a comparatively laie p'riod o' rcns,
ous and literary syncretism the orlslnal
BabyiOnian tablets. from when tne NsSSiia"
comics were made. were much desired
Now Pore Schcil has made the discovery TO
be sure the record on the tabiet does not
amount to much. ii is such fragnehiary Dil' pu.
II is large enough to make sure that the Ito'e.
contained the story Of the D"lGge. ana most
fortunately. the most important part oi an IS
preserved the colophcn win me u''I t;; 1t -
dated in the reign II Ammi-zaduga' Ming OF
Rabylon and We know that he relSned apou.
Pho T.. {. THAT is. We have here precious ID.
If clay on which was written 4 ppe'icni slu'y W
the Deluge seven centuries before MOSES al
ahout the lime Of Isaac or Jacob That IS enough
10 make the discovery memorable; we earn
positively that the story OF the DriuSe vas
familiar TO the common people OF btnylph-
and therefore Of all the East from SYRIA 10
Persia. , ,
professor Saycc has lately stated. mlsappre
h,dinr parc schei's oral announcement. that
49, nnv text verbally agrees with that discov-
cred by George Smith. showing the care ana ac.
curacy with which the document was preserved
from generation to generation. w',n no .',,' ~.
even I'm the form OF a single word rms Is not me
facf This is an entirely different redaction. ana
pore Schef suggests that different cities would
have their different poetcal editions OF the
rent At cippara where the fragment was iounu,
and we may suppose that the account gwen ny
Rarcsus was also fiom the Sippara cditl)n. ior
Rerosus tells Us that Nisuthrus iNpan), before
~, nocd buried IN Sippara the records of the
wards antediluvian history. The cuneforn ac-
cn,,nt discovered ~ George Smith seems To nave
originated i'm the city Of Surlppak; AT any id'''
49, Trab If that story came from the Surippak
Ther,. are in that account no Such passages as
we have in this new fragment. which SHOWS that
"a. have to 30 with another version we 40 not
l|rotv ho,y old for il is itself copy from "A part
Is efiaccd original
This text is in poetry II proves that the poetic
construction was fixed more than Two thouSinn
80 t.f,ro Christ Each line is divided into
TWO hrmistchs as in Hebrew poetry.
The fragment is large enough 10 snow that IL
Is "A poem full Of polythestic ana "ytiiicai ue-
,,irs ,f which the Genesis version has been
Thoroughly purgcd giving us tale purely mon
otheistic absolutely ethical and 1T to give re-
igous instruction 10 an unscieh'ihc Peopie in
the infancy Of civilization