I refer the reader to M. Lenormant's valuable essay[100] for his critical notice on the dual composition of the account in Genesis, derived as it appears to be from two documents, one of which has been called the Elohistic and the other the Jehovistic account, and for his comparison of it with the Chaldean narrative exhumed by the late Mr. George Smith from the Royal Library of Nineveh, the original of which is probably of anterior date to Moses, and nearly contemporaneous with Abraham. I transcribe from M. Lenormant the text of the Chaldean narrative, because there are points in it which have not yet been commented on, and which, as it appears to me, assist in the solution of the Deluge story:-- I will reveal to thee, O Izdhubar, the history of my preservation--and tell to thee the decision of the gods. The town of Shurippak, a town which thou knowest, is situated on the Euphrates. It was ancient, and in it [men did not honour] the gods. [I alone, I was] their servant, to the great gods--[The gods took counsel on the appeal of] Anu--[a deluge was proposed by] Bel--[and approved by Nabon, Nergal and] Adar. And the god [Êa,] the immutable lord,--repeated this command in a dream.--I listened to the decree of fate that he announced, and he said to me:--"Man of Shurippak, son of Ubaratutu--thou, build a vessel and finish it [quickly].--By a [deluge] I will destroy substance and life.--Cause thou to go up into the vessel the substance of all that has life.--The vessel thou shalt build--600 cubits shall be the measure of its length--and 60 cubits the amount of its breadth and of its height.--[Launch it] thus on the ocean and cover it with a roof."--I understood, and I said to Êa, my lord:--"[The vessel] that thou commandest me to build thus,--[when] I shall do it--young and old [shall laugh at me]."--[Êa opened his mouth and] spoke.--He said to me, his servant:--"[If they laugh at thee] thou shalt say to them: [Shall be punished] he who has insulted me, [for the protection of the gods] is over me.-- .... like to caverns .... ---- .... I will exercise my judgment on that which is on high and that which is below .... ---- .... Close the vessel .... ---- .... At a given moment that I shall cause thee to know,--enter into it, and draw the door of the ship towards thee.--Within it, thy grains, thy furniture, thy provisions,--thy riches, thy men-servants, and thy maid-servants, and thy young people--the cattle of the field and the wild beasts of the plain that I will assemble--and that I will send thee, shall be kept behind thy door."--Khasisatra opened his mouth and spoke;--he said to Êa, his lord:--"No one has made [such a] ship.--On the prow I will fix .... --I shall see .... and the vessel .... --the vessel thou commandest me to build [thus]--which in ....[101]