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"In the construction of these great works he made use chiefly of forced labour with
which his triumphant expeditions into foreign countries had so abundantly supplied him,
Chaldeans, Aramĉans Cilicians, and probably also Egyptians, Ethiopians, Elamites and
Jews were employed by thousands. . . . they wrought in gangs, each gang having a
costume peculiar to it, which probably marked its nation. . . . the forced labourers often
worked in fetters, which were sometimes supported by a bar fastened to the wrist, while
sometimes they consisted merely of shackles round the ankles."
There is much in common between the Pharaohs of Egypt and the Kings of Assyria.
Their cruelty, their culture, their art, architecture, learning and literature, their religion
and their pride, are symbols of the ever present character of the flesh and the world.
There are other interests in this Gallery which require too careful a study for us to take
them up now, but we hope to do so in our next paper.
#24. The Nineveh Gallery.--The Creation Tablets.
pp. 76 - 80
Along the middle of this gallery are nine table cases containing some most valuable
tablets from the Royal Library at Nineveh. The library though existing in the days of
Sargon (B.100: 722-705) reached its highest glory under Ashur-bani-pal (B.100: 668-626).
These tablets, of which there are many thousands, are copies of older works deposited in
the library in the temple of Nebo, the god of learning.
THE CREATION TABLETS.--In table case A will be found a series of tablets
which give the Assyrian account of the Creation and the Flood. Nos. 1-19 form parts of
the series known as the Creation Tablets. There were seven tablets, even as there were
seven days occupied in the creation. The tablets are classified both by number, and also
by the first words of the first tablet of the series. The first words of the first tablet are
e nu ma e lish, "When in the height", and so the fourth tablet is inscribed,
"Tablet 4: e nu ma e lish". This system is quite in agreement with the Hebrew
method. The book of Genesis being called Beroshith, "In the beginning."
The following is a synopsis of the contents of these tablets, which has been given by
W. St. Chad Boscawen, F.R.H.S.
Tablet 1:--The pre-creative state and the first day (Gen. 1: 1-5).
TABLETS 2:, 3:, 4:--The creation of light and the war between light and darkness.
The victory of the former and the separation of heaven and earth, the banishment of the
dragon of chaos to the depths of the under world. The earth planted. This group
corresponds in general to the work of the second and third days (Gen. 1: 6-13).