THE BABYLONIAN STORY OF THE CREATION. 



33 



close similarity of which to Assiir (Asshur) is evident. Should 

 these inferences turn out to be correct — and there is every 

 probability that they are so — then the reading of the Authorized 

 Version for Gen. x, 11, "Out of that land went forth Asshur," 

 and not " He (Nimrod) went out into Assyria," is the only 

 possible rendering, as it seems, in fact, to be the more 

 reasonable. 



VI. 



The following is the translation of the beginning of the sixth 

 tablet, published by Mr. King a few days before this paper was 

 read, and referred to on that occasion, though the translation 

 was withheld until the final preparation of the paper for 

 press : — 



" Merodach, on hearing the words of the gods, 

 [Is] moved in his heart to make [cunning things ?] 

 [He opejned his mouth, [saying] to [his father] Ae — 

 That which he thought in his heart he imparted to him : — 



Let me gather my blood, let me bone ; 



Let me then set up a man, let the man 



Let me create then a man, dwelling 



May the service (or work) of the gods be established, and (as for) 



them, may they [construct ?] the shri[nes]. 

 Let me alter then the ways of the gods, let me chan[ge their paths ?], 

 As one may they be honoured, and to the two may " 



Here the speech of JVIerodach ends, and fragments of the 

 answer of Ae, too defective to allow any connnected sense to be 

 made out, appear. This is unfortunate, as the text, if better 

 preserved at this point, would undoubtedly have rendered what 

 remains of the opening lines more comprehensible. Such as it 

 is, however, it is a welcome addition to the legend, and it is to 

 be expected that this portion will receive sooner or later such 

 supplementary matter as will give it its full value. 



The story of the creation of man by Merodach, from hi 

 own blood, is one of the most interesting of the statements con- 

 cerning the god, though there is apparently but little in it 

 which bears upon the creation of man as detailed in the first 

 two chapters of Genesis. It confirms, on the other hand, in a 

 most satisfactory way, the statements on the subject made by 

 Berosus, who, as priest of Belus (Bel-Merodach), must have 

 been well acquainted with all the teaching of his predecessors 

 and contemporaries upon the subject. As will be remembered, 

 the Babylonian writer (after the description of the destruction 



