Page:The Chaldean Account of Genesis (1876).djvu/186

 Early this year I was astonished to find, on having one of the Assyrian fragments cleaned, that it contained a mutilated account of part of the story of the tower. I have since searched through the whole collection, but have been unable to find any more of this tablet, except two minute fragments which add nothing to the text.

It is evident from the wording of the fragment that it was preceded by at least one tablet, describing the sin of the people in building the tower. The fragment preserved belongs to a tablet containing from four to six columns of writing, of which fragments of four remain. The principal part is the beginning of Column I.

1. them? the father

2. of him, his heart was evil,

3. against the father of all the gods was wicked,

4. of him, his heart was evil,

5. Babylon brought to subjection,

6. [small] and great he confounded their speech.

7. Babylon brought to subjection,

8. [small] and great he confounded their speech.

9. their strong place (tower) all the day they founded;

10. to their strong place in the night

11. entirely he made an end.

12. In his anger also word thus he poured out: