New-York tribune., 1901-07-08
NOAH'S ARK.
THE CtfALDI2AN RECORD OF ITS DIMEN-
SIONS AND CONTENTS.
From The London Times.

SIONS AND CONTENTS.
From The London Times
he NS reaaers IS OF The The Times would believe
tradition OF the DeluGe The best known account
Smiths 'Chald;ran Genesis There was given the
first connected account Of the Assyrian version of
MS version has been drawn up for the library of
Ashurhanpai, the last great king of Assyria and
had been brought by sir Henry I.ayard from the
iti lu,iS oI Ninncteh more complete edition con-
~ ~ me HTltish Museum. has been published by Pro-
unfortunately the lines which recorded the
qPsnsionS Gt the ark are defective and though
length was so ebs he III II bPr@nH6e thRt the
We're hoth IN CubltS. have certainty about
in the text really denotes half cubit. as was once
, ,.tlu pS IIo'eSs'r opper the conJectured length
| rstive. '''' '' ''0''s oi the D'ofca' mar
Now, one OF the tablets. probably also once in
70 give a different estimate the dimensions Of
Noah's Ark IL is catalogued as list of animals
OF certain measurements" etc and was recenTIy
COPIED COPIED by me for my Assyrian Deeds and Docu-
No ~. closer examination Of the contents has
made me think they deserve be more widely
the ThG3e Is no distinct t saesn the tablet
see VITA what else the figures given could he con
rn c"rnrd me hrSt three lines read simply. $3.50
whole tablet is written in the deographic styie
found IN Ile ldgosrains used are not to be
But these lines employ only such signs as are we'll
assign 70 them III" meanins @SGripGns Sr ions
always have in such texts concern the dimen-
The but ersa lsls T@qd Tsmpe be q building
many eo Identified with the Tower of Babel was only
y" CUNTS hlE5. = consider these dimensions
feet high, Such height could only be thai of -
mountain Then 1t would he difficult to account for
were no animals kent in the Tower of Babel So
he recognized are no such as w Tm0se bao names can
TO suppose were kept by the kings OF Nincvcb ~
mcnagerie or geological gardens " "
l ne mythical character Of the building seep,s o,t
ne next Two lines give other dimensions in
the terraces or platforms which the kings erecf
is always done in such cases tb IN s1 rhe
structure Of this strange building was 416 cubits
suggestion Of height. '"e'e Is no
t6n Now sb62s 5Re NGey!G raferraG YRS Of the
h"9Te ihe on On boat or raft It may be questioned
vertical height + not we may sGpppss means hoa
~ ~. GQ6lts cup IN length over all and 40 cubts in
CSC cubits long 800 cnhits broad and O cubits high
f 'le "Tck LIS ~ IS possible that the roof sIoped
may be those Of a rectangular raft In either case
the and cubs Wide at the ends W'qe 1e s2%s s2ns
as deck promenade If we prefer to take $50
snbmerged: but in any case We should have a
missible for an imaginary temple tower ''''' ""
The animals named, so far as am able to recog-
camels horses. mules: asses. both male and female
CT Ts'6 Of sar 2ns then
gazelles, hares with their young ones and OF both
seem to be the animals mans helpers and f'@Tp ser
wants; the second group possibly those clean
animals used for food II may he noted that the
antelope or eaZelle is frequently depicted as as
sociated with lshtar. Venus. who plays such a
prominent part in the tradition of the Flood No
numbers are given, in marked contrast to the
Biblical narrative but there were evidently pairs
make out seven for the bovine and sheen In
the many herd lists Of Ninevite kings the numbers
of each sort are, of course, always given. Hence
scarcely think Of the animals In a farm
yard.
Then follows list of birds. most of which are
nearly all the kilograms also In the lists OF
offerings made to the gods. Such birds In all
probability used for food. The list ends with the
dove. the swallow. the raven Now. I'm the
Ninevite version of the story, Noah sent forth
when the waters began to abate. first the dove
the same. The raven would hardly be kept in any
domestic esta bishment few OF the other creatures
except perhaps antelopes, would be kept in a
nenagerie.
The extraordinary dimensions of the building the
singular selection OF animals. remarkable for
other explanation than that have here a sum
mary estimate of the size and contents of Noah's
Ark.
| may add that the shape of the tablet is un-
usual one side being fiat the other convex. The
contour a long oval. like that of pressed fig
The writing reads the same way on both sides.
contrary the usual custom of the scrbes who
right, do, and as in the case of this tablet
The text is sort OF palimpsest. in that several
lines written upon partly erased characters
The ideogra aphc style seems to indicate that this
was an extract or abstract from a larger and prob
ably older work.