The Old Testament In the Light of The Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia By Theophilus G. Pinches LL.D., M.R.A.S. Published under the direction of the Tract Committee Third Edition—Revised, With Appendices and Notes London: Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge 1908 CONTENTS Foreword Chapter I. The Early Traditions Of The Creation. Chapter II. The History, As Given In The Bible, From The Creation To The Flood. Chapter III. The Flood. Appendix. The Second Version Of The Flood-Story. Chapter IV. Assyria, Babylonia, And The Hebrews, With Reference To The So-Called Genealogical Table. The Tower Of Babel. The Patriarchs To Abraham. Chapter V. Babylonia At The Time Of Abraham. The Religious Element. The King. The People. “Year of Šamaš and Rimmon.” Chapter VI. Abraham. Salem. Chapter VII. Isaac, Jacob, And Joseph. Chapter VIII. The Tel-El-Amarna Tablets And The Exodus. Chapter IX. The Nations With Whom The Israelites Came Into Contact. Amorites. Hittites. Jebusites. Girgashites. Moabites. Chapter X. Contact Of The Hebrews With The Assyrians. Sennacherib. Esarhaddon. Aššur-Banî-Âpli. Chapter XI. Contact Of The Hebrews With The Later Babylonians. Chapter XII. Life At Babylon During The Captivity, With Some Reference To The Jews. Chapter XIII. The Decline Of Babylon. Appendix. The Stele Inscribed With The Laws Of Ḫammurabi. Appendix To The Third Edition. Notes And Additions. Index. Footnotes [Plate I.] Bas-relief and inscription of Hammurabi, generally regarded as the Biblical Amraphel (Gen. xiv. 1), apparently dedicated for the saving of his life. In this he bears the title (incomplete) of “King of Amoria” (the Amorites), _lugal Mar[tu]_, Semitic Babylonian _sar mât Amurrî_ (see page 315). “There is a charm in finding ourselves, our common humanity, our puzzles, our cares, our joys, in the writings of men severed from us by race, religion, speech, and half the gulf of historical time, which no other literary pleasure can equal.”—ANDREW LANG. FOREWORD The present work, being merely a record of things for the most part well known to students and others, cannot, on that account, contain much that is new. All that has been aimed at is, to bring together as many of the old discoveries as possible in a new dress.