Evening star., 1901-09-12
TRADITION OF THE 'DELUGE
RECORD Of NOAH'S ARK FOUND ON
CHALDEAN TABLETS.
Dimensions and Contents of the Ship
That WlthstOOd the Forty
Day Flood.
From the London Times.

From the London Times.
Many readers of the Times would I be-
lieve, be interested in a fresh witness to
the Chaldean tradition of the deluge. The
best-known account of this tradition Is con-
tained In the late George Smiths. "Chal-
dean Genesis" There was given the first
connected account of the Assyrian version
of the old Babylouian myths concerning
the flood. This version has been drawn up
for the library of Ashurbanipa1 the last
great king of Assyria, and had been
brought by Sir Henry Layard from the
ruins of Nineveh. A more complete edi-
tion, consisting of all the fragments of
the story, preserved In the British Mu-
scum has been published by Prof Haupt.
Unfortunately the lines which once re-
corded the dimensions of the ark are defec-
tive. and, though Prof. Haupt considers it
probable that the length was COO cubits.
while the breadth and height We're both 12O
cubits, have no certainty about the
length. By assuming that the measure
named in the text really denotes d Iaif
cubit. as was once held by Prof. Oppert,
the conjectured length would agree with
the 300 cuhits of the Biblical narrative.
Now, one of the tablets, probably also
once in King Ashurbanipars library 1T
Nineveh, appears to give different esti-
mate of the dimensions of Noah's ark. l,
Is catalogued a 'fist of animals of cer-
tain measurements, etc, and was recently
copied for me for my "Assyrian Deeds and
Documents where the cuneiform text will
appear as No. TT. A closer examination
of the contents has made me think they
deserve to be more widely known.
There is no distinct statement on the tab
let that the measurements refer to the ark,
but l fail to see with what else the figures
given could be concerned The first three
lines read simply. 1880 cubits long; 80
bits broad 660 cubits high" The whole
tablet is written in the Geographic style,
and some Of the kilograms used are not to
be found in published lists of signs ard
tdeograms." But these lines employ only
such signs as are well known from their
use in the historical Inscriptions, and l
sign to them the meanings which they al
ways have in such texts as concern the di-
mensions of buildings.
Temple of Merodacb.
But this would be very large building,
indeed. The great temple of Merodach at
Babylon, by many identified with the tower
of Babel, was only $50 cubits high. If we
consider these dimensions as those of
tower it must have been nearly LOCO feet
high. Such height could only be that of
a mountain. Then it would be difficult to
account for the presence of the animals
recorded below. There were no animals
kept In the tower of Babel, SO far as we
are told. The animals whose names can be
recognized are not such we have any
reason to suppose We're kept by the kings
of Nineveh in a menagerie or geological
gardens.
The mythical character of the building
seems evident. The next two lines give
other dimensions, in precisely similar terms
to those used in describing the terraces or
platforms which the kings erected their
palaces. Interpreting the signs In the same
way as is always done in such cases, the
substructure of this strange building was
40 cubits across and TSS cubits along its
side. There is suggestion of a height.
Now. the Ninevite version of the Chal-
dean tradition, above referred to, con-
templates the ark a house on
boat or raft. 1t may be questioned
whether in these texts height necessar-
lily means vertical height" IT not, we
may suppose boat 1sS cubits In length
over all and 40 cubits in breadth amid
ships, carrying a box-shaped house geo
cubits long. 800 cubits broad and 40 cubits
high above the deck. 1t Is possible that
the roof sloped from a central ridge Also
the dimensions given may be those of a
rectangular raft. In either case there
would be a free space, 10 cubits wide,
along the sides and Ga cubts wide at the
ends. to serve as deck promenade" If
We prefer to take 660 cubtts as the height,
part OF this may have been submerged,
but in any case we should have curious
shape for an ark, though one quite admis-
sible for an imaginary temple tower.
The Animals Named.
The animals named, so far as / am able
to recognize their Geographic descriptions,
are dromedaries, came1s, horses, mules,
asses both male and female of each spe-
cies. forming one group; then oxen and
cows Of various sorts. sheep, goats, ante
lopes or gazelles, hares, with their young
ones and of both sexes, forming a second
group. The first group seem TO be the ami
mails, mans helpers and servants the Sec
ond group are possibly those clean animals
used for food. 1t may be noted that the
antelope or gazelle is frequently depicted
as associated with Ishtar, or Venus, who
plays such prominent part In the tradi-
ton of the food. No numbers are given,
In marked contrast to the biblical narra-
tive but there were evidently pairs In the
first group. and it would not be difficult
10 make out seven for the bovine race and
sheep. In the many herd lists OF Ninevite
kings the numbers of each sort are, of
course, always given Hence we can
scarcely think of the animals In farm
yard.
Then follows list of birds. most Of which
are not yet to be identified with any GER
tafnty. though nearly all the ideograms oc-
cur also In the lists of offerings made to
the gods Such birds were in all probability
used for food. The list ends with the
dove, the swallow, the raven" Now, In the
Ninevite version of the story, Noah sent
forth. when the waters began to abate
first the dove, then the swallow. then the
raven The order is the same. The raven
would hardly be kept In any domestic es-
tab1shment; few of the other creatures,
except perhaps antelopes, would be kept in
a menagerie.
The extraordinary dimensions of the
building, the singular selection of animals,
as remarkable for it's omissions as for its
contents, seem suited to no other explana-
ton than that we have here a summary
estimate Of the size and contents Of Noah s
Ark.
I may add that the shape of the tablet Is
unusual. one side being fiat, the other con-
vex The contour Is a long oval, like that
of pressed fig. The writing reads the
same way on both sides contrary to the
usual custom of the scribes, who turned
over from top to bottom not from left to
right as we do, and as in the case of this
tablet. The text is a sort of palfmpsest, In
that several lines are written upon partly
erased characters. The Geographic style
seems to indicate that this was an extract
or abstract from a larger and probably
older work.
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