A SECOND BABYLONIAN STORY OF THE FLOOD.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 287, 12 May 1898, Page 2

A SECOND BABYLONIAN STORY OF THE FLOOD.

The recent discovery at Aboo-Hubba near Babylon of a fragment of another tablet referring to the Deluge, afforded special interest to the March meeting of the Victoria Institute, London, England. The chair was taken by Professor Hull, LL.D., F.R.S., late director-general of the Geological Survey of Ireland. The election of new home, colonial and American members having been announced by the honorary secretary. Captain F. Petrie, Mr Theo. Pinches, the Assyriologist, one of the Council, gave an interesting account of the tablet in question. He first referred to the fact that it was now many years since the late George Smith gave to the world a description of the Babylonian deluge tablet, the purport of the story of which was in some respects similar to, and in others different from that of the Hebrew record. Since then much had been written upon the subject, but no freshlight had been thrown upon it, until the recent discovery by Father Scheil of part of a tablet at Aboo Hubba, the Sippara of the Bible. A careful examination of this showed that it was the left hand portion of a tablet of eight columns, which contained the introduction to another version of the record of the Deluge, which it was to be hoped fuither research at Aboo-Hubba might reveal. The fragment found was interesting for many reasons, as it not only gave the name of the scribe, the date, about 2000 8.C., but it differed in some points from George Smith's tablet, such as, for instance, the mention of a swallow. It was interesting to note, in passing, that the fragment was found at a place where, tradition said, Noah buried the records. Mr Pinches drew attention to the significance of some of the names used in both tablets, and pointed out that there was evidently a common origin for both records. He had noted that the date of the inscription, 2000 8.C., was by no means ancient, and if one were to judge by the language of the tablets under consideration, it was much more modern in style than that used in the Hebrew narrative, which was manifestly the most ancient in character. A discussion ensued, in which some interesting points in the text of the tablet were discussed, and the meeting terminated.