320 T. G. PINCHES, LL.D., M.E.A.S., OX YEKSIOXS 



was simply to test Tagtug's obedience. The disaster resulting 

 therefrom,, in his opinion, was a later and popular development. 



And this leads him to speak of the possible connection of 

 this seeming temptation-legend with the third chapter of 

 Genesis. I quote here Ins words : — 



;J This was the form which this doctrine took in the minds of 

 the ancient Hebrew teachers who wrote Genesis hi. The 

 mother goddess here becomes the wife of Adam, who 

 tempts him to eat. Xow, we know that in Sumerian 

 religion this mother goddess, Xintud, like the major type 

 of mother goddess Innini, was connected with serpent 

 worship from most primitive times. In other words, 

 the idea developed that a serpent deity had tempted man. 

 Moreover, we long since knew that Eve, who created Cain 

 with the aid of Jahweh, is really an old Canaanitish 

 serpent deity. When the Hebrews made her into Adam's 

 wife, the serpent tradition was naturally separated from 

 her : under the influence of the Sumerian tradition that a 

 serpent goddess had tempted man they fashioned the 

 legend to read that a serpent tempted the wife, who in 

 turn tempted man." 



I cannut say that I am in a position to follow the learned 

 Oxford professor, and comment upon the above theory would 

 carry me too far. That Eve. " the mother of all living." may 

 have a Sumerian name, i.e., Hawwah, from (H)awa, u mother." 

 the Greek Eve (Evav. accusative), is not by any means 

 improbable, but the idea of a serpent-goddess might just as well 

 have been developed from that of Eve and the serpent as the 

 latter from the former. 



The inscription completes the doctrine regarding the origin of 

 man's present state, says Professor Langdon, by describing how 

 Xin-hursag provided eight divine patrons of civilization to aid 

 humanity in their hard lot. She had produced or created or 

 brought forth for him Ab-u, the master over or protector of the 

 pastures (herbs, etc.); Xin-tulla, patroness of farming; Xin-ka- 

 utu, the lady directing birth ; Xin-ka-si, also called Siris, 

 apparentlv a goddess of herbs and the drinks made therefrom ; 

 Xa-zi, of doubtful character, but perhaps " protector of life." or 

 the like ; Da-zi-im-a or Da-zi-ni-a ; also doubtful, but perhaps 

 having to do with the sending of rain ; Xin-ti, a goddess 

 identified with Dam-kina, the spouse of Enki or Ea — Langdon 

 calls her simply a patroness of women ; and En-sag-me, appar- 

 ently meaning " lord of what is good and wise." 



