The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and BabyloniaPinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Religion
The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia
Pinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Bible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
The possibility that the Babylonians had an account of the Fall similar to
that of the Hebrews, is not only suggested by the legends treated of
above, but also by the cylinder-seal in the British Museum with what seems
to be the representation of the Temptation engraved upon it. We have there
presented to us the picture of a tree—a palm—bearing fruit, and on each
side of it a seated figure, that on the right being to all appearance the
man, and that on the left the woman, though there is not much difference
between them, and, as far as the form of either goes, the sexes might
easily be reversed. That, however, which seems to be intended for the man
has the horned hat emblematic of divinity, or, probably, of divine origin,
whilst from the figure which seems to be that of the woman this head-dress
is absent. Behind her, moreover, with wavy body standing erect on his
tail, is shown the serpent, towering just above her head, as if ready to
speak with her. Both figures are stretching out a hand (the man the right,
the woman the left) as if to pluck the fruit growing on the tree.
Notwithstanding the doubts that have been thrown on the explanation here
given of this celebrated and exceedingly interesting cylinder, the subject
and its arrangement are so suggestive, that one can hardly regard it as
being other than what it seems to be, namely, a Babylonian representation
of the Temptation, according to records that the Babylonians possessed.
The date of this object may be set down as being from about 2750 to 2000
B.C.
Future excavations in Babylonia and Assyria will, no doubt, furnish us
with the legends current in those countries concerning the Temptation, the
Fall, and the sequel thereto. Great interest would naturally attach to the
Babylonian rendering of the details and development of the story, more
particularly to the terms of the penalty, the expulsion, and the nature of
the beings—the cherubim—placed at the east of the garden, and “the flaming
sword turning every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Though the Babylonian version of this Biblical story has not yet come to
light, the inscriptions in the wedge-writing give us a few details bearing
upon the word “cherub.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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