176 



T. G. PINCHES, LL.D., M.R.A.S., ON 



their seed." (Tliis etymology for Terah is probably diTe to the 

 Arabic ^j, tarik, "to be sad, afflicted.") 



When^ however, Abraham was born, he became known on 

 account of his youthful piety — so much so that his mere word 

 sufficed to disperse the flocks of ravens which came to devour 

 the scattered seed. That year the people were enabled to sow 

 and reap, but we are told that Abraham taught those who made- 

 implements for oxen, the artificers in wood, and they made a 

 vessel above the ground, facing the frame of the plough, to put 

 the seed therein, and tlie seed fell down therefrom upon the 

 ploughshare, and w^as hidden in the earth, so that tiiey no 

 longer feared the ravens. And after this manner they made 

 vessels above tlie ground on all the plough framework, and they 

 sowed and tilled all the land, according as Abraham commanded 

 them, and no longer feared the birds. 



The author of the book, Professor Montgomery suggests, may 

 have been a Babylonian Jew, who thus made Abraham the 

 inventor of this combination of plough and seeding machine. 

 In the opinion of the Jews, Abraham was the discoverer of 

 letters, astronomy, and tlie arts, and it is therefore quite- 

 consistent that he should have invented this device. Perhaps 

 w^e shall sooner or later find the name of the seeding tube 

 in Assyro-Babylonian, but we can hardly hope for a confirmation 

 of the statement that the Hebrew Abraham was its inventor. 



Though this cylinder-seal belongs to the time of the Kassit& 

 kings (Nazi-muruttas, fourth year — fourteenth century B.C.),. 

 the plough depicted must have been invented at a much earlier 

 date — possibly, indeed, in the time of Abraham. Unfortunately, 

 the early Babylonian tablet dealing with agriculture does not 

 refer to the plough, either because it belongs to a too early date,, 

 or (as is more probable) because it is imperfect. 



Seemingly, after taking possession of his field, the farmer 

 surrounded it with a protection of reeds, and proceeded to 

 capture any stray gazelle that he might find, and get rid of the 

 birds (sabita ulussad, eriba idikki). In another paragraph 

 the digging of the field, the protection of the seed, the capturing 

 of birds, and the removal of weeds or undesirable growths — 

 SAM-IN with KUR before it is more likely to mean " herb " 

 which is " hostile " than " snail " as the thing which is " hostile to- 

 the herb." In the next paragraph there is a reference to the 

 watering of the field and the increase of its grain. Then, 

 " in the day of harvest," he divided and parted the field, and 

 measured to the proprietor the portion due to him according to- 

 the contract. 



