The Washington times., 1901-07-28
DESCRIBES NoAH's ARK.
The Chaldenn Record of It's Dimen-
sions and Contents.

-SOAsAS6S
The Chaldenn Record of It's Dimen-
sions and Contents.
Many readers of the Times would, /
believe, be interested In a fresh witness
to the Chaldean tradition of the Deluge.
The best known account of this tradition
is contained in the late George Smith s
''Chaldean Genesis. There was given
the first connected account of the Assyr-
ian version of the old Babylonian myths
concerning the Flood. This version has
been drawn up for the library of Ashur-
banipal, the last great King of Assyria,
and had been brought by Sir Henry Lay
ard from rhe ruins of Nineveh. A more
complete edition, consisting OF all the
fragments OF the story. preserved in the
British Museum, has been published by
| Professor Haupt.
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 300
cupits, while the breadth and height were
each 12G cubits. we have certainty
about the length. BY assuming that the
| measure named in the text really denotes
a half cubit, was once held by Profess
sor Oppert, the conjectured length would
agree with the 500 cubits of the Biblical
narrative.
Now, one of the tablets. probably also
once in King Ashurbanipals library at
Nineveh, appears to give a different esti-
mate of the dimensions of Noah's Ark.
| 1t is catalogued list of animals of
certain measurements, ETC., and was re-
Gently copied by me for my 'Assyrian
Deeds and Documents where the cune-
form text will appear as No. III. A
| .rn x,f,,, nf fha hac
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 cubits
| long, $50 cubits broad $50 cubits high"
| The while tablet is ~ritten in the ideo-
| graphic STYLE and some of the kilograms
| used are not 10 be found in published
lists of signs and iGeograms." But these
| lines employ only such signs as are well
known from their use in the historical
inscriptions, and I assign to them the
meanings which they always have in
| such texts as concern the dimensions of
| buildings.
| But this would be a very large building
| indee1 The great Temple of Merodach at
| Tower of Babel, was only $50 cubits high
IL we consider these dimensions as those
OF a tower IL must have been nearly 600
feet high. Such height could only be
that of mountain. Then il would be diff
fcult to account for the presence of the
animals recorded below. There were no
animals kept IN the Tower of Babel, 80
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 men
agerie 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 is always done
In such cases, the substructure Of this
strange building was 40 cubits across and
lSS cubits along its side. There is no sug-
gestion of a height.
Now, the Ninevite version of the Chal-
dean tradition, above referred to, contem-
plates the Ark as a house" on a boat"
or raft. 1t may be questioned whether in
these texts height necessarily means
vertical height" If not. we may suppose
a boat 7SS cubits in length over ali and
410 cubits in breadth amidships, carrying
a box shaped house go cubits long. 800 Gu
bits broad and $50 cubits high above the
deck. 1t is possible that the roof sloped
from a central ridge. Also the dimensions
given may be those of rectangular raft
IN either case there would be a free space
wide at the ends, to serve as a deck
promenade" If We prefer to take GO
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 imag-
mary temple tower
The animals named, so far as | am able
TO recognize their ideographic descrip-
tions, are dromedaries. camels, horses |
mules, asses, both male and fema lie of
each species, forming one group; then
oxen ana COWS of various SheeuS
goats, antelopes or gaZelles. hares with
their young ones, and of both sexes
forming second group. The first group
seems to be the animals, mans helpers
and servants the second group are possi- |
bly, those clean animals used for food Ii |
may be noted that the antelope or gazelle
is frequently depicted as associated with |
lshtar, or Venus. who plays such promi- |
nent part in the tradition of the Flood |
No numbers are given, in marked con-
trast to the Biblical narrative, but there |
were evidently pairs In the first group. |
and II would not be difficult to make out |
seven for the bovine race and sheep. In |
numbers of each sort are. of course, al |
ways giveD- Hence We can scarcely think !
OF the animals In a farmyari.
Then follows list of birds, most of |
which are not yet TO be identified with |
any certainty, though nearly all the ideo- |
grams occur also In the lists of offerings |
made to the gods. Such birds "ere 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 be- |
gan 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 establishment; few |
of the other creatures, except perhaps |
antelopes, would be kept in a menagerie. |
The extraordinary dimensions of the |
building, the singular selection of ami |
mails. as remarkable for its omissions as |
for Its contents, seem suited to no ether |
explanation than We have here a sum- |
mary estimate of the size and contents of |
Noah's Ark.
i may edd that the shape of the tablet |
is unusual. one side being fiat. the other |
convex. 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 II
sort of palimpsest, 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.-Lon-
don Times.