The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-12-14
FACTS ON NOAH'S ARK.
THE cHALDEAN RECORD OF ITS d.
MENSioNS AND CONTENTS.


lished the Fragments of the Wonderful
Many readers would, I believe, be
interested in a fresh witness to the
Chaldean tradition Of the deluge.
writes . correspondent of the London
Times. The best known account of
this tradition is contained in the late
George Smiths "Chaldean Genesis"
There was given the first connected
account of the Assyrian version of the
old Babylonian myths concerning the
flood. This version has been drawn
up for the library of Ashurbanipal, the
last great King of Assyria, and has
been brought by Sir Henry Layard
from the ruins of Nineveh. A more
complete edition, consisting of all the
fragments of the story, preserved in
the British Museum, has been pub
lished by Prof. Haupt.
Unfortunately, the lines which once
recorded the dimensions of the ark
are defective, and though Prof. Haupt
considers it probable that the length
was 100 cubits. while the breadth and
height were both 120 cubits, we have
no certainty about the length. BY as
Stunning that the measure named in the
text really denotes half cubit, as was
once held by Prof. Oppert. the conjec-
tured length would agree with the
800 cubits Of the Biblical narrative.
Now one of the tablets, probably
also once in King Ashurbanipals IL
brary at Nineveh, appears to give
different estimate of the dimensions of
Noah's ark. It is catalogued as "a
list Of animals and certain measure
ments" &c, and was recently copied
by me for my "Assyrian Deeds and
Documents" where the cuneiform text
will appear as No. Ut. 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 re-
fer to the ark, but fail to see with
what else the figures given could be
concerned. The first three lines read
simply, 1890 cubits long, $50 cubits
broad, $50 cubits high" The whole
tablet is written in the topographic
style, and some of the kilograms used
are not to be found in published lists
of signs and kilograms" But these
lines only employ such signs as are
well known from their use in the his
torical inscriptions, and l assign to
them the meanings which they always
have in such texts as concern the d.
mansions of buildings.
But this would be a very large
building indeed. The great Temple Of
Merodach at Babylon, by many identi-
fed with the Tower Of Babel, was only
1870 cubits high. II we consider these
dimensions as those of tower it must
have been nearly 1000 feet high. Such
height could only be that of noun
tain. Then it would be difficult to &C.
count for the presence of the animals
recorded below. There were no ami
mails 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 reason to
suppose were kept by the kings of
Nineveh in. a menagerie or geological
gardens.
The mythical character of the build
ing seems evident. The next two
lines give other dimensions In precise
ly similar terms to those used in de-
scribing the terraces or palaces. In
terpreting the signs in the same way
as is always done in such cases, the
substructure Of this strange building
was 40 cubits across and 788 cubits
along its side. There Is no sugges-
ton of height.
Now, the Ninevite version of the
Chaldean tradition, above referred to
contemplates the ark as house" on
boat" or raft. It may be ques-
toned whether in these texts height"
means vertical height"
If not, we may suppose boat 1888
cubits in length over all and 40 Gu
bits in breadth amidships, carrying a
box-shaped house $50 cubits long, 800
cubits broad and $50 cubits high above
the deck. 1t Is possible that the roof
sloped from a central ridge. Also the
dimersions given may be those of a
rectangular raft. In either case there
would be free space ten cupits wide
along the sides and "a cubits wide at
the ends, to serve as deck promen-
ade." II we prefer to take $50 cubits
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 admissible for
an imaginary temple tower.
The animals named, so far as I am 4
able to recognize their Geographic
are dromedaries, camels,
horses, mules, asses, both male AMI fe- 4
male of each species, forming one
group; then oxen and cows Of various
sorts, sheep, goats, antelopes or ga
zelles, hares, with their young ones,
and of both sexes, forming a second
group. The first group seems to be
the animals, mans helpers and ser
wants; the second group Is possibly
hose clean animals used for food. II
may be noted that the antelope or ga
selle Is frequently depicted as associ-
ated with Ishtar, or Venus, who plays
such prominentepsrt in the tradi-
ion of the food. No numbers are CIV
IN. in marked contrast to the Biblical
but there were evidently
,airs in the first group, and it would
not be difficult to make out seven for
he bovine race and sheep. In the
many herd lists of Nineveh Kings the
of each sort are, of course, al
ways given. Hence we can scarcely
hink of the animals in a farmyard.
Then follows list of birds, most |
Then follows list of birds. most of |
which are not yet to be identified with |