[895] The carved ivory handle of a flint knife in the Louvre proves (according to Petrie) that the art of slate-palettes in Egypt originated from Elamite civilisation, which flourished before its rise. It must be of prehistoric age, yet shows a well-developed art with Mesopotamian or Elamite affinities earlier than the sculptured slate-palettes and maceheads. M. G. Bénédite (_Monuments Pict._) holds that in this knife-handle we have the most tangible evidence yet found of a connection in _very early_ times between the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilisations. King (_Jour. Egypt. Archæology_, vol. IV., p. 64) suggests that there was a connection with Babylonian-Elamite seals from Susa. [896] Thus the general conception of pictographic writing might perhaps be borrowed from the Euphrates valley, but not a single sign taken from the Babylonian script can be found (W. Max Müller, _Encly. Bibl._, p. 1233). Dr. Alan Gardiner, on the origin of the Semitic and Greek alphabets, concludes that the evidence does point to the alphabet being Semitic in origin and based upon acrophonic picture signs (_Journal of Egyptian Archæology_, vol. III., p. 1). [897] _History of Sumer and Akkad_ (London, 1910), p. 322. [898] _Egyptian Archæology_ (1902), p. 366. [899] _Historical Studies_ (London, 1910), II. p. 22. Others would make the invasion about 2466. [900] The Babylonian legend of Adapa is thus known to have circulated in Palestine and Egypt before the Hebrew Exodus. The story of Adapa is thought by some to have influenced the Hebrew version of the story of Adam and Eve and the loss of Paradise. See the excellent discussion in T. Skinner, _Genesis_ (in the _International Critical Commentary_ (1912), p. 91 ff), and Langdon, _The Sumerian Epic of Paradise_ (University of Pennsylvania, Publications of the Babylonia Section, 1915), vol. X., pp. 38-49. [901] Rameses II. was held in high esteem as a rain-maker—perhaps rain-god—as is evidenced by the sacrifices offered by the Hittites that their princess should on her journey to Egypt to marry Rameses enjoy fair weather, despite that it was the season of the winter storms. In consequence of this power over the elements, the Hittite chiefs strongly advocated friendship with Egypt, as otherwise Rameses II. would probably stop rain and cause a famine in their country (Breasted, _Ancient Records_, III. 423, 426). [902] Layard, _Nineveh_ (London, 1849), vol. II. p. 438. [903] “Fishing, fishing everywhere” is the key-note of the picture; the crab in the top left-hand corner is also well into his fish. The picture facing p. 349 comes from the Assyrian sculptures in British Museum: in Mansell’s collection, No. 430. CHAPTER XXXI FISHING METHODS The relevance to fish and fishing of all the preceding matter, except the last two sentences, may be challenged: a moment’s consideration, however, shows that it is apposite.