New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-04


Of the origin OF mankind and much early
history and these rot only excited great
interest I'm the scholastic world but had
a profound effect upon theological teach
ings. The parallelism between the Baby
lonan story and that Of Genesis devel-
oped a new school in theological criticism.
But the cylinders of Smith dated back
only 10 the reign Of Assurbanipal. IN the
seventh century B. c. The university
museum tablet dates back possibly TO 300
3. c.. and IL is reasonably certain 10 be
no later than the reign OF Hamurabi,
about 200 3. c.
Tablet Is Fraen1entsry.
Like the missing laws OF Hamurabi. tho
new story OF the Creation and the Flood
was found by DR. Poebel in looking over
the immense collections Of tablets in the
university museum. Unfortunately, this
tablet is broken. II is composed OF three
columns. and the tops of two are
missing. Fortunately, enough Is left
to give a very complete idea OF the
the writer OF four thousand years ago,
who probably simply repeated ideas Of
many ages before his own time.
The new features OF the tablet are
many. but as this Is the earliest known
commentary on cosmology and geology
and anthropology II may be said that
the striking novel features Of the new
tablet are these:
That II was female deity who created
6IacLbaaAafh
from the color Of the hair.
That new deities OF new characteristics
OF the gods are discovered in the original
document. although they have been
limited al in other ways. The character
Of the female goddess Is now made i'm
portant from the earliest times and equal
with the two male ruler gods. Later
tablets speak OF these as unimportant.
That the first seven prediiuvian cities
and the special god OF each are dis
covered
That the older Babylonian name OF the
Scriptural Noah is Ziugidda.
That deluge ruins OF the prediluWsn
cities we're not all destroyed, some not
until historic times. There is historic
basis 70 much OF the statement in this
epic
Story Of Creation.
Like the first chapter OF Genesis, the
Babylonian poem opens with recital OF
the creation Of the heavens and the earth.
Nintu. godmother Of humans, is lament
ing that the other gods seem bent on
their destruction. After the color OF their
hair. men were named "the blackheaded.'
For a time the other gods were satisfied,
and. approving Nintu's work. made seven
cities. over each of which one god pre-
sided After ths gods, these cities were
ramed Anu. EMIL. Nudimmad, Bad-nisar.
Pabtlharsag. Samas (sun god and
Shuruppak.
Priests were assigned to the cities,
canals and rivers were created that the
people might live, and. finally. for some
reason not clear 10 the translator, the
wrath Of the gods was kindled against
mankind.
AT that time Nlntu walled like a wom-
an in travail" reads the translation.
The holy Ishtar walled on account OF the
reopIe Enki. god Of wisdom. held coun-
sci with Anu. EMIL and Nlntu over the
proposed destruction Of mankind. Ziu-
gidda. high priest Of Shuruppak made
obeisance TO the gods and prayed. pros
trating himself in humility, and conjured
them by the name OF heaven and earth.
The Ziugidda OF the Babylonians. IL Is
was the Noah Of the Hebrews
Next the tablet tells OF Ziusiddas learn
ing from the lips OF the great god Enki
that mankind was 20 be destroyed by
rainstorm" Then comes a description or
terrific wind and rain storms.
Flood Of Short Duration.
After seven days the rainstorm had
passed over the land and carried away
the huge boat. Then the sun god came
forth shedding light over heaven and
earth. Ziugidda opened the roof OF his
ship and the light OF the sun god was let
in" This version differs in respect 20
the duration OF the food described in
Genesis. There Is was said 10 last forty
days
When the water subsidized Ziugidda
prayed to the gods with loud voice. the
poem continues. and sacrificed an OK a
sheep and something with "a great horn.
Through the intercession Of Nintu the
gods forgave the surviving human beings
and gave them immortality. which they
did not possess before the food Ziu-
gidda was taken to an island in the Per
sian Gulf where he lived in a sort Of
paradise, and many epics tell that heroes
came from afar in succeeding generations
TO visit him.
DR.. Poebel has announced that he will
make public later a literal translation OF
the epic. From other tablets found by
the expeditions it would appear. the an
says, that 10000 years in
tervened between creation and the food,
although one epic writer asserts with
painstakiug accuracy that the exact time
was 39223 years. some months (exact
number undecipherable) and eighteen
DAYS The tablets also assert that one
Of the Bsbylonian kings reigned for $1,000
years.