OP BABYLONIAN CONCEl'TTONS ON JEWISH THOUGHT. 305 



published by Briinnow, occur tlie words, " the miglity mountains 

 are filled with thy glance ; thy holiness fills and overpowers all 

 lands ; at the uttermost points of earth, in the midst of heaven 

 thou dost move ; thou dost watch over the inhabitants of the 

 whole earth. Among all the gods of the universe there is none 

 that exceeds thee ; who plans evil, his horn thou dost destroy ; 

 the unjust judge thou restrainest with force. Thou art gracious 

 to him who does not accept a bribe ; who cares for the oppressed, 

 his life thou dost prolong." 



Merodach in a hymn is said to be, " he who giveth life and 

 restoreth it ; merciful among the gods, who loves to awaken the 

 dead." 



In a prayer to Ishtar occur the words, " the fervent prayer 

 of him who has sinned do thou accept, merciful one who accepts 

 sighs." Another prayer addressed to any God against whom 

 the worshipper has sinned says, " the God who is angry with 

 me be ap|)eased — my transgressions are many, great are my sins. 

 My transgressions are seven times seven. Forgive them." 



The Babylonian story of the flood is exceedingly like ours. 

 " Oh man of Shuripak, frame a house, build a ship, abandon thy 

 ^i(oods, cause thy soul to live, bring into the ship the seed of life 

 of every sort." 



The ship was to be as broad as it was high, 120 cubits (in 

 Genesis P. it is 300 x 50 x 30). (In Genesis it was an ark.) 

 It had six decks with seven stories, and nine compartments — 

 bitumen was spread over it for caulking. It was laden with all 

 the man's possessions, silver, gold, the seed of life of every kind, 

 his family, his servants, his cattle, beasts, craftsmen ; the shij) 

 was launched — a storm came and raged for six days and 

 nights — the ship grounded on Mount Nizir (east of the Tigris) 

 and remained there for six days ; on the seventh day Utna-pistim, 

 the Babylonian Noah, let a dove go, and it turned back, there 

 being no resting-place ; then he sent out a swallow, and it turned 

 back ; then a raven, but it turned not back. He then offers 

 sacrifice on the summit of the mountain. 



In Genesis (J.) we read, " I will cause it to rain forty days 

 and nights," Genesis vii, 4 (as compared with the storm above 

 of six days and nights). In Genesis (P.) we read, "the waters 

 prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days (Genesis vii, 

 24). In Genesis (J.) viii, 6, etc., a raven and a dove were sent 

 forth (not a swallow as above). Professor Driver says that, 

 " the substantial identity of the two narratives, the Hebrew and 

 Babylonian, is unquestionable." It was the god Ea who told 

 Utna-pistim of the coming flood. Professor Hommel points 



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