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THE CHALDEAN ACCOUNT OF GENESIS
THE CHALDEAN ACCOUNT OF GENESIS
CONTAINING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CREATION, THE DELUGE, THE TOWER OF BABEL, THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM, THE TIMES OF THE PATRIARCHS, AND NIMROD; BABYLONIAN FABLES, AND LEGENDS OF THE GODS; FROM THE CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS. BY GEORGE SMITH , FORMERLY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ORIENTAL ANTIQUITIES, BRITISH MUSEUM, AUTHOR OF “HISTORY OF ASSURBANIPAL,” “ASSYRIAN DISCOVERIES,” ETC. ETC. A NEW EDITION, THOROUGHLY REVISED AND CORRECTED (WITH ADDITIONS), BY A. H. SAYCE, DEPUTY-PROFESSOR OF COMPARATIVE PHILOLOGY
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PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.
PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.
It is now five years since the present volume was first laid before the public by Mr. George Smith, just before setting out on his last ill-fated expedition to the East. It naturally awakened extreme interest and curiosity. The earlier chapters of Genesis no longer stood alone. Parallel accounts had been discovered by the author among the clay records of ancient Babylonia, which far exceeded in antiquity the venerable histories of the Bible. All those who had a theory to support, or a tradition
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Chapter I. THE DISCOVERY OF THE GENESIS LEGENDS.
Chapter I. THE DISCOVERY OF THE GENESIS LEGENDS.
Cosmogony of Berosus.—Discovery of Cuneiform Inscriptions.—Historical texts.—Babylonian origin of Assyrian literature.—Mythological tablets.—Discovery of Deluge texts.—Mutilated condition of tablets.—Lecture on Deluge tablets.—“Daily Telegraph” offer.—Expedition to Assyria.—Fragments of Creation tablets.—Solar Myth.—Second journey to Assyria.—Tower of Babel.—Clay records.—List of texts.—Legend of Oannes.—List of early legends and their authors. It has long been known from the fragments of the Ch
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Chapter II. BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN LITERATURE.
Chapter II. BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN LITERATURE.
Babylonian literature.—Kouyunjik library.—Fragmentary condition.—Arrangement of tablets.—Subjects.—Dates.—Babylonian source of literature.—Literary period.—Babylonian Chronology.—Accad.—Sumir.—Extinction of the Accadian language.—Izdubar legends.—Creation.—Syllabaries and bilingual tablets.—Assyrian copies.—Difficulties as to date.—Library of Senkereh.—Assyrian empire.—City of Assur.—Library at Calah.—Sargon of Assyria.—Sennacherib.—Removal of Library to Nineveh.—Assur-bani-pal or Sardanapalus.—
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Extract I. from Alexander Polyhistor (Cory, p. 56).
Extract I. from Alexander Polyhistor (Cory, p. 56).
Berosus, in the first book of his history of Babylonia, informs us that he lived in the age of Alexander, the son of Philip. And he mentions that there were written accounts, preserved at Babylon with the greatest care, comprehending a period of above fifteen myriads of years; and that these writings contained histories of the heaven and of the sea; of the birth of mankind; and of the kings, and of the memorable actions which they had achieved. And in the first place he describes Babylonia as a
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Berosus, from Apollodorus (Cory, p. 51).
Berosus, from Apollodorus (Cory, p. 51).
This is the history which Berosus has transmitted to us. He tells us that the first king was Alorus of Babylon, a Chaldean; he reigned ten sari (36,000 years); and afterwards Alaparus and Amelon, who came from Pantibiblon; then Ammenon the Chaldean, in whose time appeared the Musarus Oannes, the Annedotus from the Erythræan sea. (But Alexander Polyhistor, anticipating the event, has said that he appeared in the first year, but Apollodorus says that it was after forty sari; Abydenus, however, mak
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Berosus, from Abydenus (Cory, p. 53).
Berosus, from Abydenus (Cory, p. 53).
So much concerning the wisdom of the Chaldeans. It is said that the first king of the country was Alorus, and that he gave out a report that God had appointed him to be the shepherd 2 of the people; he reigned ten sari; now a sarus is esteemed to be three thousand six hundred years, a neros six hundred, and a sossus sixty. After him Alaparus reigned three sari; to him succeeded Amillarus from the city of Pantibiblon, who reigned thirteen sari; in his time there came up from the sea a second Anne
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Of the Tower of Babel (Cory, p. 55).
Of the Tower of Babel (Cory, p. 55).
They say that the first inhabitants of the earth, glorying in their own strength and size and despising the gods, undertook to build a tower whose top should reach the sky, in the place where Babylon now stands; but when it approached the heaven the winds assisted the gods, and overturned the work upon its contrivers, and its ruins are said to be still at Babylon; and the gods introduced a diversity of tongues among men, who till that time had all spoken the same language; and a war arose betwee
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Of the Dispersion, from Hestiæus (Cory, p. 74).
Of the Dispersion, from Hestiæus (Cory, p. 74).
The priests who escaped took with them the implements of the worship of the Enyalian Zeus, and came to Senaar in Babylonia. But they were again driven from thence by the introduction of a diversity of tongues; upon which they founded colonies in various parts, each settling in such situations as chance or the direction of God led them to occupy.— Jos. Ant. Jud. i. c. 4; Euseb. Præp. Evan. ix....
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Of the Tower of Babel, from Alexander Polyhistor (Cory, p. 75).
Of the Tower of Babel, from Alexander Polyhistor (Cory, p. 75).
The Sibyl says: That when all men formerly spoke the same language some among them undertook to erect a large and lofty tower, that they might climb up into heaven. But God sending forth a whirlwind confounded their design, and gave to each tribe a particular language of its own, which is the reason that the name of that city is Babylon. After the deluge lived Titan and Prometheus, when Titan undertook a war against Kronos.— Sync. xliv.; Jos. Ant. Jud. i. c. 4.; Euseb. Præp. Evan. ix....
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The Theogonies, from Damascius (Cory, p. 92).
The Theogonies, from Damascius (Cory, p. 92).
But the Babylonians, like the rest of the barbarians, pass over in silence the One principle of the universe, and they constitute two: Tauthe 3 and Apason, 4 making Apason the husband of Tauthe, and denominating her the mother of the gods. And from these proceeds an only-begotten son, Moymis, 5 which I conceive is no other than the intelligible world proceeding from the two principles. From them also another progeny is derived, Dache and Dachus; 6 and again a third, Kissare and Assorus, from whi
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Chapter IV. BABYLONIAN MYTHOLOGY.
Chapter IV. BABYLONIAN MYTHOLOGY.
Greek accounts.—Mythology local in origin.—Antiquity.—Conquests.—Colonies.—Three great gods.—Twelve great gods.—Angels.—Spirits.—Anu.—Anatu.—Rimmon.—Istar.—Equivalent to Venus.—Hea.—Oannes.—Merodach.—Bel or Zeus.—Zirat-banit, Succoth Benoth.—Bel.—Sin the moon god.—Ninip.—Samas.—Nergal.—Anunit.—Table of gods. In their accounts of the Creation and of the early history of the human race the Babylonian divinities figure very prominently, but it is often difficult to identify the deities mentioned by
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Chapter V. BABYLONIAN LEGEND OF THE CREATION.
Chapter V. BABYLONIAN LEGEND OF THE CREATION.
Mutilated condition of tablets.—List of subjects.—Description of chaos.—Tiamat.—Generation of Gods.—Damascius.—Comparison with Genesis.—Three great gods.—Doubtful fragments.—Fifth tablet.—Stars.—Moon.—Sun.—Abyss or chaos.—Creation of moon.—Creation of animals.—Monotheism.—Hymn to Merodach.—The black-headed race or Adamites.—Garden of Eden.—The flaming sword.—The fall.—The Sabbath.—Sacred tree.—Hymn to the Creator. It is extremely unfortunate that the legend of the Creation in days has reached us
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Chapter VI. OTHER BABYLONIAN ACCOUNTS OF THE CREATION.
Chapter VI. OTHER BABYLONIAN ACCOUNTS OF THE CREATION.
Cuneiform accounts originally traditions.—Variations.—Account of Berosus.—Tablet from Cutha.—Translation.—Composite animals.—Eagle-headed men.—Seven brothers.—Destruction of men.—Seven wicked spirits.—Mythical explanation of lunar eclipses.—Hymn to the God of Fire.—War in heaven.—Tiamat-Merodach.—The great dragon.—Parallel Biblical account. The traditions embodied by Accadians and Assyrians in the literature of which specimens have been given in the preceding chapter, had been handed down by wor
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Chapter VII. THE SIN OF THE GOD ZU.
Chapter VII. THE SIN OF THE GOD ZU.
God Zu.—Obscurity of legend.—Translation.—Sin of Zu.—Anger of the gods.—Speeches of Anu to Rimmon.—Rimmon’s answer.—Speech of Anu to Nebo.—Answer of Nebo.—Lugal-turda.—Changes to a bird.—The Zu bird.—Bird of prey.—Lugal-turda lord of Amarda.—Prometheus. Among the legends of the gods, companion stories to the accounts of the Creation and Deluge, one of the most curious is the legend of the sin committed by the god Zu. This legend stands quite alone, its incidents and its principal actor being oth
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Chapter VIII. THE EXPLOITS OF DIBBARA.
Chapter VIII. THE EXPLOITS OF DIBBARA.
Dibbara.—God of Pestilence.—Itak.—The Plague.—Seven warrior gods.—Destruction of people.—Anu.—Goddess of Karrak.—Speech of Bel.—Sin and destruction of Babylonians.—Samas.—Sin and destruction of Erech.—Istar.—The great god and Duran.—Cutha.—Internal wars.—Itak goes to Syria.—Power and glory of Dibbara.—Song of Dibbara.—Blessings on his worship.—God Ner.—Prayer to arrest the Plague.—Antiquity of the legend.—Itak. The tablets recording this story are five in number, but a few fragments only of them
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I. The Story of the Eagle.
I. The Story of the Eagle.
This story appears to be the longest and most curious of the fables, but the very mutilated condition of the various fragments gives as usual considerable difficulty in attempting a translation of it. One of the actors in the story is an ancient monarch named Etana, who, like Ner, ruled over Babylon in the mythical period that followed the Deluge, and whose phantom was believed to sit, crowned, on a throne in Hades along with the shades of the other heroes of old time. The story of Etana was sup
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III. Fable of the Horse and Ox.
III. Fable of the Horse and Ox.
The next fable, that of the horse and the ox, is a single tablet with only two columns of text. The date of the tablet is in the reign of Assur-bani-pal, and there is no statement that it is copied from an earlier text. There are altogether four portions of the text, but only one is perfect enough to be worth translating. This largest fragment, K 3456, contains about one-third of the story. K 3456. (Several lines are lost at the commencement.) Here the ox describes the state of the country durin
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Chapter X. FRAGMENTS OF MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS.
Chapter X. FRAGMENTS OF MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS.
Atarpi.—Punishment of world.—Riddle of wise man.—Nature and universal presence of air.—Sinuri.—Divining by fracture of reed.—The foundling.—Tower of Babel.—Obscurity of legend.—Not noticed by Berosus.—Fragmentary tablet.—Destruction of Tower.—Dispersion.—Site of the Tower.—Meaning of Babel.—Chedor-laomer.—The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. A number of stories of a similar character to those of Genesis, though not directly connected with the latter, have been included in this chapter, togethe
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Part I.—Introduction.
Part I.—Introduction.
Tablet I.—Number of lines uncertain, probably about 240. First column initial line preserved, second column lost, third column twenty-six lines preserved, fourth column doubtful fragment inserted, fifth and sixth columns lost. Probable subjects: conquest of Babylonia by the Elamites, birth and parentage of Izdubar....
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Part II.—Meeting of Hea-bani and Izdubar.
Part II.—Meeting of Hea-bani and Izdubar.
Tablet II.—Number of lines uncertain, probably about 240. First and second columns lost, third and fourth columns about half-preserved, fifth and sixth columns lost. Tablet III.—Number of lines about 270. First column fourteen lines preserved, second, third, fourth, and fifth columns nearly perfect, sixth column a fragment. Probable subjects: dream of Izdubar, Hea-bani invited comes to Erech, and explains the dream....
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Part III.—Destruction of the tyrant Khumbaba.
Part III.—Destruction of the tyrant Khumbaba.
Tablet IV.—Number of lines probably about 260. About one-third of first, second, and third columns, doubtful fragments of fourth, fifth, and sixth columns. Tablet V.—Number of lines about 260. Most of first column, and part of second column preserved, third, fourth, and fifth columns lost, fragment of sixth column. Probable subjects: contests with wild animals, Izdubar and Hea-bani slay the tyrant Khumbaba....
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Part IV.—Adventures of Istar.
Part IV.—Adventures of Istar.
Tablet VI.—Number of lines about 210. Most of first column preserved, second column nearly perfect, third and fourth columns partly preserved, fifth and sixth columns nearly perfect. Tablet VII.—Number of lines probably about 240. First line of first column preserved, second column lost, third and fourth column partly preserved, fifth and sixth columns conjecturally restored from tablet of descent of Istar into Hades. Probable subjects: Istar loves Izdubar, her amours, her ascent to heaven, dest
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Part V.—Illness and wanderings of Izdubar.
Part V.—Illness and wanderings of Izdubar.
Tablet VIII.—Number of lines probably about 270. Conjectured fragments of first, second, and third columns, fourth and fifth columns lost, conjectured fragments of sixth column. Tablet IX.—Number of lines about 190. Portions of all six columns preserved. Tablet X.—Number of lines about 270. Portions of all six columns preserved. Probable subjects: discourse to trees, dreams, illness of Izdubar, death of Hea-bani, wanderings of Izdubar in search of the hero of the Deluge....
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Part VI.—Description of Deluge, and conclusion.
Part VI.—Description of Deluge, and conclusion.
Tablet XI.—Number of lines 294. All six columns nearly perfect. Tablet XII.—Number of lines about 200. Portions of first four columns preserved, two lines of fifth column, sixth column perfect. Probable subjects: description of Deluge, cure of Izdubar, his lamentation over Hea-bani....
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Tablet I.
Tablet I.
The opening words of the first tablet are preserved, and form as usual the title of the series, but the expressions used are obscure from want of any context to explain them. There are two principal or key-words, naqbi and kugar ; the first of which means “a channel,” and is more particularly applied to the canals with which Babylonia was intersected and watered, while the second is the compound ideograph which literally signifies “minister” or “servant of work.” It was the special title of Izdu
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Tablet II.
Tablet II.
A single fragment which Mr. Smith believed to belong to this tablet has been found; it is K 3389, and contains part of the third and fourth columns of writing. It appears from this that Izdubar was then at Erech, and had a curious dream. He thought he saw the stars of heaven fall to the ground, and in their descent they struck upon his back. He then saw standing over him a terrible being, the aspect of whose face was fierce, and who was armed with claws, like the claws of lions. The greater part
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Tablet III.
Tablet III.
This tablet is far better preserved than the two previous ones; it gives the account of the successful mission to bring Hea-bani to Erech, opening with a broken account of the wisdom of Hea-bani. Column I. Column II. Column III. Column IV. Column V. There is one other mutilated fragment of this and the next column with part of a relation respecting beasts and a fragment of a conversation between Izdubar and his mother. The whole of this tablet is curious, and it certainly gives the successful is
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Tablet IV.
Tablet IV.
Column I. Column II. (About ten lines lost here.) Here we see that Izdubar, impressed with the magnitude of the task he had undertaken, makes a prayer and sacrifice to Samas to aid him in his task. The next fragment appears also to belong to this column, and may refer to preliminaries for sacrificing to Istar, with a view also to gain her aid in the enterprise. This fragment of Column II. reads Column III. Five more mutilated lines, the rest of the column being lost. This fragment shows Izdubar
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Tablet V.
Tablet V.
The fifth tablet is more certain than the last; it appears to refer to the conquest of Khumbaba. Only fragments of this tablet, which opens with a description of the retreat of Khumbaba, have as yet been discovered. Column I. Column II. (Five lines mutilated.) (Many other broken lines.) There are a few fragments of Columns III., IV., and V., and a small portion of Column VI., which reads: It appears from the various mutilated fragments of this tablet that Izdubar and Hea-bani conquer and slay Kh
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Tablet VI.
Tablet VI.
The sixth tablet is in better condition than any of the former ones, and allows of something like a connected translation. Column I. Column II. Column III. (Some lines lost here.) Column IV. (Some lines lost.) Column V. Column VI. Tablet VII. The seventh tablet opens with the words, “My friend, what is this counsel the great gods are taking?” It is uncertain if any other portion of this tablet has been found, but part of a remarkable fragment, with a continuation of the story of Istar, has been
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Column IV.
Column IV.
Here the story is again lost, Columns V. and VI. being absent. It would seem that Hea-bani is here telling his friend how he must die and descend into the house of Hades. Mr. Smith, however, thought that in the third column some one is speaking to Istar, trying to persuade her not to descend to Hades, while in the fourth column the goddess, who is suffering all the pangs of jealousy and hate, revels in the dark details of the description of the lower regions, and declares her determination to go
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Tablet VIII.
Tablet VIII.
It is again uncertain if any of this tablet has been discovered; provisionally some fragments of the first, second, third, and sixth columns of a tablet which may belong to it are placed here, but the only fragment worth translating at present is one given in Mr. Smith’s “Assyrian Discoveries,” p. 176. In some portions of these fragments there are references to the story of Khumbaba, but as the fragment appears to refer to the illness of Izdubar it probably belongs here. K. 3588. Column I. The s
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Tablet IX.
Tablet IX.
This tablet is in a somewhat better state than the others, and all the narrative is clearer from this point, not a single column of the inscription being entirely lost. The ninth tablet commences with the sorrow of Izdubar at the death of Hea-bani. Column I. (About eight lines lost here.) The second column shows Izdubar in some fabulous region, whither he has wandered in search of Xisuthrus. Here he sees composite monsters with their feet resting in Hades and their heads reaching heaven. These b
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Tablet X.
Tablet X.
The rest of this column is lost, but it must have described the meeting of Izdubar with a boatman named Ur-Hea or Lig-Hea, called Nes-Hea “the lion” or “dog of Hea” in Assyrian. In the second column they commence a journey by water together in a boat. But little of this column is preserved; two fragments only are given here. Column II. Here there are many lines lost, then recommencing the story proceeds on the third column. Column III. Column IV. Here there is a blank, the extent of which is unc
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Tablet XI.
Tablet XI.
Column I. Column II. Column III. Column IV. Column V. Column VI. The opening line of the next tablet is preserved, it reads: “The gad-fly in the house of the serving-man was left.” After this the story is again lost for several lines, and where it reappears Izdubar is mourning for Hea-bani. The fragments of this tablet are:— Column I. (Several lines lost.) This is the bottom of the first column. The next column has lost all the upper part: it appears to have contained the remainder of this lamen
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Chapter XVII. CONCLUSION.
Chapter XVII. CONCLUSION.
Notices of Genesis.—Correspondence of names.—Abram.—Ur of Chaldees.—Ishmael.—Sargon of Agané.—His birth.—Concealed in ark.—Creation.—Garden of Eden.—Oannes.—Berosus.—Izdubar legends.—Babylonian seals.—Egyptian names.—Assyrian sculptures. Scattered through various cuneiform inscriptions are other notices, names, or passages, connected with the Book of Genesis. Although the names of the Genesis patriarchs are not in the inscriptions which give the history of the mythical period, nevertheless some
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