The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-29
NEWS ABOUT NoAH's ARK.
Details About the Ark's CONSTITUTION
and Inmates.

Letter to the Editor of the London Times
Sir-Many readers of the Times would,
1 believe, be interested in a fresh wit
ness to the Chaldaean tradition of the
deluge. The best-known account of this
tradition is contained in the late George
Smiths "Chaldaean Genesis" There was
given the first connected account of the
Assyran version of the Old Babylonian
myths concerning the flood. This YER
sion had been drawn up for the library
of Ashurbanipal the last great King of
Assyria, and had been brought by Sir
Henry Layard from the ruins of Nine-
yah. A more complete edition, consist
ing Of all the fragments of the story, pre-
served in the British Museum, has been
published by Prof. Haupt
Unfortunately, the lines which once re-
corded the dimensions OF the Ark are de-
fective, and, though Prof. Haupt con-
sders it probable that the length was
GOO cubits, while the breadth and hight
were both 100 cublts. we have no certainty
about the length. BY assuming that the
measure named in the text really denotes
q half cubit, as was once held by Prof
Oppert, the conjectured length would
agree with the 300 cubits of the Biblical
narrative.
Now. one OF the tablets, probably also
once in King Ashurbanipars library at
Ninevah, appears to give different esti-
mate OF the dimensions of Noah's ARK.
1t is cataIogued as list Of animals OF
certain measurements, etc" and was re-
Gently copied by me for my "Assyrian
Deeds and Documents" where the cunei-
form text will appear as No. TIT. A
closer examination Of the contents has
made me think they deserve to be more
widely known.
There Is no distinct statement on the
tablet that the measurements refer to the
Ark, but / fail to see with what else the
figures given could be concerned. The
first three lines read simply, $3.50 cublts
long, $50 cubits broad, $50 cubits high"
The whole tablet is written in the ideo-
graphic style, and some of the kilograms
used are not to be found In published
lists Of signs and kilograms" But these
lines employ only such signs as are well
known from their use in the historical in
scriptions, and / assign to them the
meanings which they always have in such
texts as concern the dimensions of build
ings.
But this would be very large building
indeed. The great Temple of Merdach at
Babylon, by many identified with the
Tower OF Babel, was only 1s0 cubits high.
II we consider these dimensions as those
OF O. tower. 1t must have been nearly L.,
900 feet high. Such hight could only be
that of mountain. Then 1t would be
difficult to account for the presence OF
the animals recorded below. There were
no animals kept I'm the Tower of Babel,
so far as we are told. The animals whose
names can be recognized are not such as
VIC have any reason to suppose were kept
by the Kings of Ninevah 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. on 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 7SS cubits along its side. There is
no suggestion of a hight.
Now the Ninevite version of the Chal-
daean tradition, above refereed TO, con.
templates the Ark as a house" on a
boat" or raft. II may be questioned
whether In these texts, "hight" necessari-
iy means vertical hight" n not. we
may suppose OF a boat 7sS cubts In length
over all and 40 cublts In breadth amid
FHAHHf 'hAf AAhh a RsA~HitABtn MUSE hru
cubits high above the deck. II Is possible
that the roof sloped from n central ridge.
Also the dimensions given may be those
Of "A rectangular raft. In either case
there would be q free space, ten cubhs
vide along the sides, and slxty-four Gu
bits vide AZ the ends. 10 serve as deck
promenade" n We prefer 10 take SEQ
cubitF 90 the hight. part OF this may
have been submerEedi but IN any case
We should have curious shape for an
hrk. though not quite admissible for an
imaginary temple tower.
The animals named. - Tar ~ ] am able
10 recognize their ideogTsphlo dsssrip.
lions, are 0fofnndarioH. oamala. horses
muief, asHes, both nalf and female Of
faca fpFfift. forming ons gn0up. then oA,
go eil2 r@ae NJ Yaflous sorts. sheen
Hoafs, entfiDpef ~ gaEfllee, haFea. Niih
fbntf Young Qnea. and NJ both Neafa. form
ne . nfrqud Ffpup TIE nfst GROUP nsfn
~ lf itf animals. nlau'H 1eIpsrs mua sffs
faNff. fhf tfnune Ffgup sff la4slt'f lhasa
firFF Nnimaia affq fgf fne1 d maf 81
Hlifa ihHf fnf fFffllIf ~ Fenslif q fff.
QHrfIfIl srHI ~ az 'aff4 eiIH isf.