South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-11-18
JOB OF PAGAN TIME
REVEALED IN TALE
Biblical Character Had Coun-
terpaTt in Babylon in Per-
son of Lal-Ur-Elima.

About 1900 years before Christ
there lived In Nippur man called
Lal-ur-EIina. a righteous man aad
OF good repute-
But IN spite OF his rlghteosuness.
trouble came. He lost his wealth.
His friends turned against him. He
became afflicted with many diseases.
He bewailed his lot.
You've read this story before2 OF
course. It's almost identical with
the tale related In the Book OF
JOB. The idea Ia the same. but job
was not Lal-ur-Elima and Lal-ur-
Elima was not Job
The story Of Ial-ur-Ellma's life
and his troubles was written in 900
3. C.. some five centuries before
the Book OF Job came Into existence.
II consisted OF four books OF 30
lines each.
For a long time half OF the sec
ond book and little OF the third
have been known. Last year in the
British museum DR.. Stephen Lang
don OF oxford university found the
remaining part OF the second book.
The German excavations Of Assur
on the Tigris brought 10 light all
the missing parts OF the thlrd and
fourth books A few lines Of the
first book have always been known.
The remainder of il rs still unac-
counted for
All Parts Now Translated
DIT LangdOn. who has completed
the translation OF all the parts Of
IL.
siders his find OF great interest TO
students OF the Bible. and indeed
TO students OF philosophy and the
ology. The influence Of this Baby
ionian legend on the Hebrew sto-
~ OF JOB Is so manifest as TO be
almost undeniable.
This man Lal-ur-E lima" said DR..
Langdon. was a very old and very
good man. He was not a prince or a
noble but he was a rich man. Sud
denly all sorts OF misery came up
on him. He lost his riches, his
friends left him. and he was the
victim OF terrible diseases.
"Other friends came 20 him and
rebuked him for the sins which he
denied he had committed They
reasoned that he must have offend
ed the gods TO be thus punished.
Driven TO despair by what he con-
sidered undeserved punishment the
unhappy man challenged the justice
OF the gods
Excerpts Show Thought.
Some excerpts from the poem will
show the workings Of Lal-ur-Elima's
mind and will likewise bring out
the similarity which exists between
II and the Book Of job.
Although 1 was powerful 1 am be
come slave.
The frenzy Of a companion has de-
stroyed me.
BY day there is signing. by night
weeping.
I have attained unto the allotted
length Of life and have pass
ed beyond it.
II look about me. there Is evil up
on evil.
Violence increases upon me, justice
i see not.
~Jus.ice / see not" Here Is the
f7rst instance fin the history OF West
ern Asia and perhaps In the world,
where a creature has openly DOUBT
ed the justice OF the gods. 1t is the
first hint on 10 criticism. Lau-ur-
Elima. goes on to criticize the effic-
iency Of religion and the ritual en-
ployed in the Babylonian church.
He saws that the gods have ere
ated a world essentially evil and
voices the belief that most OF the
Affections in this life come from the
sins OF the fathers or farther remov-
ed ancestors
job Resigned 10 Misfortune.
In this particular Job differed
from his predecessor. He did not cry
out against God when misfortune
came upon him. Rather he was re-
signed" the Lord gave
and the Lord hath taken away: as
Il hath pleased the Lord so It IS
done. blessed be the name Of the
Lord"
The coming Of jobs friends. ex-
hortlng him 10 admit his guilt. and
his protestations Of innocence gave
a very close parallel I'm the case Of
Lal ur-Ellma. when he says I'm the
poem:
I look and behold Trouble IS my
pursuing destiny. Like unto one who
kept not the drink offerings faith
fully and who, at meal time. has not
called upon the name of God and
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