The Chaldean Account of Genesis
Containing the Description of the Creation, the Fall of Man, the Deluge, the Tower of Babel, the Desruction of Sodom, the Times of the Patriarchs, and Nimrod

This revised 1880 second edition of Smith's book draws extraordinary parallels between cuneiform documents and the biblical book of Genesis.

George Smith (Author), Archibald H. Sayce (Edited by)

9781108079013, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 1 January 2015

378 pages, 31 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14.1 x 2.2 cm, 0.506 kg

The Assyriologist George Smith (1840–76) was trained originally as an engraver, but was enthralled by the discoveries of Layard and Rawlinson. He taught himself cuneiform script, and joined the British Museum as a 'repairer' or matcher of broken cuneiform tablets. Promotion followed, and after one of Smith's most significant discoveries among the material sent to the Museum - a Babylonian story of a great flood - he was sent to the Middle East, where he found more inscriptions which contained other parts of the epic tale of Gilgamesh. In 1876, shortly before his early death, Smith published this work, which drew extraordinary parallels between much earlier cuneiform documents and the biblical book of Genesis. The book was both controversial and very successful. The second edition, reissued here, was published in 1880, with corrections and additional material provided by Archibald Sayce (1846–1933), which reflected recent advances in Middle Eastern studies.

Preface
1. The discovery of the Genesis legends
2. Babylonian and Assyrian literature
3. Chaldean legends transmitted through Berosus and other ancient authors
4. Babylonian mythology
5. Babylonian legend of the creation
6. Other Babylonian accounts of the creation
7. The sign of the god Zu
8. The exploits of Dibbara
9. Babylonian fables
10. Fragments of miscellaneous texts
11. The Izdubar legends
12. Meeting of Hea-Bani and Izdubar
13. Destruction of the tyrant Khumbaba
14. The adventures of Istar
15. Illness and wanderings of Izdubar
16. The story of the flood and conclusion
17. Conclusion
Index.

Subject Areas: Archaeology by period / region [HDD]