20 BABYLONIAN LITERATURE. 



on Canals (Canalisation), there is not a 

 single allusion to Nebuchadnezzar, who did 

 so much for the irrigation of the country ; 

 not one word of the Jews, who, in the be- 

 ginning of that monarch's reign, filled so 

 important a part in the East. A Canaanite 

 dynasty, resulting from some recent con- 

 quest, reigned in Babylon in Kuthami's 

 time. Kuthami frequently alludes to this 

 main point. The founder of this Canaanite 

 dynasty was Numruda, whom Dr. Chwolson 

 considers identical with the Mmrod of 

 the Book of Genesis. The Canaanites are 

 represented as a people originally inhabit- 

 ing the South of Syria and the country 

 of Jordan. The author speaks of these con- 

 querors with marked reserve ; at times he 

 even appears to wish to flatter them, and 

 to soften the prejudices which his own 

 countrymen entertain against them. He 

 gives the names of the Canaanite kings, 

 ]S"umruda, Zahmuna, Susikya, Salbama ; 

 he quotes Canaanite authors, Anuha, 

 Thamithri, etc. At what epoch, then, must 



