The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-15

In that part OF the world Sumerian
culture was Synonymous with world
culture and her great religious tradi-
lions became universal traditions.
adopted by the Semitic peoples.
Some idea of the character Of tia
poem may be gained from the follow
ing lines. telling OF the flood. from DR..
Langdon's translation:
Doubly he caulked the ship torches he
lighted.
Enki devastated the fields.
The fields received the waters OF Enki.
1t was the first day. whose month u the
first.
It was the second day. whose month In
the second.
It was the ninth day. whose month u tho
ninth;
The month Of the cessation Of the
waters.
What effect the publication Of the
Sumerian version of the flood story
will have upon ecclesiastical contro-
versy owe the origin Of the Book Of
Genesis Is a matter OF conjecture.
Writing of the Hebrew account of
Adam and Eve and their expulsion
from the Garden OF Eden because the
latter ate vi the forbidden apple and
induced her husband to do likewise,
DR.. Langdon says:
"~Theologically this story Is a mas.
terly combination of the Eridu doc.
trine. known to us only in the Semitic
legend of Adapa, and the doctrines Of
our Nippur tablet"
A striking similarity in style be-
tween the poem deciphered by himself
and the poem on the Creation and the
Flood" translated by DR.. Arno Poebel
from six columns, also found in the
museum collection, Is dwelt upon by
DR.. Langdon. In this poem II is set
forth that the gods caused the king
Ziudsudda, who escaped the flood, to
dwell in Dilmun.
Nippur. where the tablet translated
by DR.. Langdon was unearthed. was
the capital of the kingdom Of Su.
meria. peopled by a race who dwelt in
the valley Of the E%uphrates centuries
before the B~abylonians. OF this peoplA
almost nothing was known. Expedi.
tions from h University Of Pennsyl.
vania, 1ssS-1910. uncovered the ancient
city and temple, which were found un.
der ninety feet OF sand. In the temple
was found a library dating from $500
B.. c. This library consisted Of 1000
books" or small clay tablets, which
were removed to the university. A
version OF the food resembling to some
extent the Hebraic story was thea
given to the world by Prof. Herman
Nv. Hilnrecht. who had conducted sew.
seral of the expeditions { o Nippur and
made a few TRANSACTIONS Of tablets
found there.
The clay tablets. for the most part
however. remained in the university
undeciphered until 1912, when DR.
Arno Poebel of Johns Hopkins Uni.
versity. Baltimore. devoted Ave
months to the task OF translattns
some of the tablets. Later he an.
nounced his discovery Of an accoun,
Of the creation OF man. In this YER
sion nan was created by a goddess,
and the gods, becoming jealous, de-.
cided TO kill him. She heard of the
plot Il set the Noah of the story
with his family, aboard an ark and
saved their lives. No mention OF a
original pair. corresponding to Adam
and Eve. was contained in the tablet
Following the announcement of DR.
L~angdon's translation Of the frs
fragment Of the Nippur tablet, with
Its indication of a kinship between tn,
Sumerian and Hebraic accounts OF tn,
flood and mans fall, Judge S%u.zberger
an authority on the Semitic languages
and history, was inclined to deny tina
the Jews of Palestine built their re
, lig!on on Babylonian or other tradi
: lions.
The fact is" he said at the time
that the Jews and ~Bahylonians an,
: others in the orient were all member
: of the same Semitic race. They all
> no doubt, had the same Fundamental
: traditions. after they broke into sep
aratc nations these traditions wer
preserved. no doubt. by all, the Baby
lonians having their version and tn
' Jews theirs. | am not surprised q
the details of early Babylonian civ
ilization CLEANED from the tablets. I
has been known that the Bahylonian
had "A period of education and art"