The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-10-27
eHaL0EIH TRADITION
OF THE DELUXE
The TINES ADDS ANOTHER
STORY TO FORMER
ACCOUNTS.
Extraordinary Dimensions Of the Ark.
As Indicated BY Tablets In British
Museum-AnimaIs Taken into the
Ark-other Data

/.
fWu | believe. be interested in q fresh
Nv III witness 10 the Chaldean tradition
OF the deluge- The best known
account OF this tradition Is contained IN
the late George Smiths '-Chaldea1 Gene
Sis There was given the hrst connected
account Of the Assyrian version of the
old Babylonian myths concerning the
food This version has been drawn up
for the library OF Ashurbanipal, the last
great king OF Assyria, and had been
brought BY Sir Henry Lavard from the
ruins of Niaeveh. A more complete edi-
ton, consisting of all the fragments OF
the story, preserved IN the British Mu-
scum. has been published by Professor
sIaupt.
Unfortunately. the lines which once re-
corded the dimensions Of the ark are de-
fective, and. though Professor Haupt con-
siders it probable that the length was 600
cubits while the breadth and heighfh
were both 40 eubits, We have no Ger
tainty about the length. By assuming
that the measure named in the text really
denotes a half cubit. as was once held by
Professor Oppert, the conjeetured length
would agree with 800 cu5its of the Bibli.
cal narrative.
Now. one of the tablets. probably also
once in King Ashurbanipafs library at
Nineveh. appears TO give different esri-
mate of the dimensions of Noah's ark. 1t
is catalogued as a list of animals of Ger
tain measurements" etc. and was recent
ly copied for me for my "Assyrian Deeds
and Documents" where the cuneiform
text will appear as No III A closer ex-
animation 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 what else the figures
given could be concerned. The first three
lines read simply. 800 cubits long. 80
cubits broad. $50 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
and kilograms" But these lines employ
only such signs as are well known from
their use in the historical inscriptions. and
assign to them the meanings which they
always have in such texts as concern the
dimensions of buildings
Temple of Merodach.
But this would be very large build
ing. indeed. The great temple of Nero
dach at Babylon. by many identified with
the tower of Babel. was only $50 cubits
high. If we consider these dimensions as
those of q tower. il must have been nearly
1000 feet high. Such height could only
be that of 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 as we
have any rason TO suppose We're kent by
the. kings of Nineyeh in 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 ter
races or platforms on which the kings
erected their palaces. Interpreting the
signs in the same way as is always done
in snch cases. the superstructure of this
strange building was 40 cubits across
and 7SS cubits along its side. There is
no suggestion of a height.
Now. the Ninevite version of the Chal-
dean tradition. above referred to. con-
templates the ark as a "house" on a
"boat' or raft 1t may be questioned
whether in these texts height necessar-
ilv means vertical height" If not we
NAV suppose a boat 1SS cubits in length
over all and 410.cubits in breadth amid
ships carrying a box-shaped house $50
eubits long 800 cubits broad and $50 Gu
bits high above the deck. 1t is possible
that the roof sloped from central ridge.
of n rectangular raft In either case there
would he a free space. 10 cubits wide,
along the sides and 64 cubits wide at the
ends. to serve as a deck promenade" If
we prefer to take ESQ cubits as the height
part of this may have been submerged
but in any case we should have a 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 descrip-
tions. are dromedaries. camels, horses.
mules. asses both male and female of
each species, forming one group: then
oxen and cows of various sorts, sheep.
goats. antelopes or gazelles, hares, with
their young ones. and of both sexes. form
ing second group. The first group Seem
to be the animals. mans helpers and ser
wants: the second group are possibly those
clean animals used for food. It may be
noted that the antelope or gazelle is fire.
qIently depicted as associated with lsh-
tar, or Venus. who plays such promi-
nent part in the tradition of the flood.
No numbers are given. in contrast TO the
Biblical narrative but there were evil
IDENTIFY pairs in the first group. and il
for the bovine race and sheep. In the
many herd lists of Ninevite kings the
numbers of each sort are. of course al
WAYS given. Hence we can scarcely think
of the animals in farm yard.
Then follows a list of birds. most OF
which are not vet 10 be identified with