OF THE BABYLONIAN CREATION AND FLOOD STORIES. 325 



Babylonian superstition, has been omitted from the narrative of 

 Genesis. 



Mr. ROUSE : Both the Bilingual Account of Creation and the 

 Sumerian Account, now before us, have the curious statement that 

 men and domestic animals were all created before any plants were 

 made for them to feed upon — a statement in striking contrast with 

 Genesis i, which tells us that all plants were made on the third day 

 and all land animals on the sixth. 



The inferiority of the Semitic Babylonian story of the Flood to 

 the Biblical narrative is seen not only in its polytheism (with the 

 divergent views of Bel and the other gods, and the undignified 

 flight of the gods to " cower down like dogs in the heaven of Anu "), 

 but also in its polygamy ; since the good man takes into his ark for 

 himself, not one wife alone but a number of slave-wives also. The 

 Sumerian story, however, that Doctor Pinches now gives us appears 

 to be simpler in its theology, and so will probably be found to be 

 purer in its morality, lying nearer, as it does, in date of 

 composition to the fountain head. As regards the Second Tablet, 

 of which Doctor Pinches has given us a verbal account outside his 

 paper, and Professor Langdon has in hand for translation, I would 

 here record my protest against the professor's theory that the 

 Genesis story of the Fall is derived from the fact that Ishtar, 

 regarded by the Babylonians as the mother of mankind, was also a 

 serpent goddess. That Ishtar, who wept over the destruction of 

 men by the Deluge as that of her children, was Eve there is little 

 doubt ; since Isha was the first name given to his wife by Adam, 

 while in the well-known Graeco-Egyptian story, Isis appears as the 

 first queen of the world. But how does the worship of the serpent 

 appear in the Babylonians' own picture of the Fall of Mankind 

 engraved as an archaic seal 1 There, both a woman and a man are 

 seen seated, as though of equal rank, and plucking fruit from a tree, 

 while the serpent stands behind the woman's back ; there is not the 

 least sign of any worship tendered to this creature. 



The Kev. John Tuckwell, M.R.A.S. : I should like to express 

 my very hearty thanks to Dr. Pinches for the paper he has given us 

 this afternoon. We are much indebted to him for keeping us 

 abreast with the discoveries which are being made from time 

 to time. 



We are all grateful also, I am sure, to Professor Sayce for his very 



