Legends of Babylon and Egypt in Relation to Hebrew Tradition.pdf

So much, then, for the influence of Babylon. We have seen that no similar problem arises with regard to the legends of
Egypt. At first sight this may seem strange, for Egypt lay nearer than Babylon to Palestine, and political and
commercial intercourse was at least as close. We have already noted how Egypt influenced Semitic art, and how she
offered an ideal, on the material side of her existence, which was readily adopted by her smaller neighbours.
Moreover, the Joseph traditions in Genesis give a remarkably accurate picture of ancient Egyptian life; and even the
Egyptian proper names embedded in that narrative may be paralleled with native Egyptian names than that to which
the traditions refer. Why then is it that the actual myths and legends of Egypt concerning the origin of the world and
its civilization should have failed to impress the Hebrew mind, which, on the other hand, was so responsive to those of
Babylon?
One obvious answer would be, that it was Nebuchadnezzar II, and not Necho, who carried the Jews captive. And we
may readily admit that the Captivity must have tended to perpetuate and intensify the effects of any Babylonian
influence that may have previously been felt. But I think there is a wider and in that sense a better answer than that.
I do not propose to embark at this late hour on what ethnologists know as the "Hamitic" problem. But it is a fact that
many striking parallels to Egyptian religious belief and practice have been traced among races of the Sudan and East
Africa. These are perhaps in part to be explained as the result of contact and cultural inheritance. But at the same time
they are evidence of an African, but non-Negroid, substratum in the religion of ancient Egypt. In spite of his proto-
Semitic strain, the ancient Egyptian himself never became a Semite. The Nile Valley, at any rate until the Moslem
conquest, was stronger than its invaders; it received and moulded them to its own ideal. This quality was shared in
some degree by the Euphrates Valley. But Babylonia was not endowed with Egypt's isolation; she was always open on
the south and west to the Arabian nomad, who at a far earlier period sealed her Semitic type.
To such racial division and affinity I think we may confidently trace the influence exerted by Egypt and Babylon
respectively upon Hebrew tradition.
APPENDIX I
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF THE SUMERIAN, SEMITIC-BABYLONIAN, HELLENISTIC, AND HEBREW
VERSIONS OF CREATION, ANTEDILUVIAN HISTORY, AND THE DELUGE
N.B.--Parallels with the new Sumerian Version are in upper-case.
Sumerian Version. Seven Tablets Gilgamesh Epic, XI Berossus['Damscius] Earlier Heb. (J) Later Heb. (P) [No heaven
or earth No heaven or earth Darkness and water Creation of earth Earth without form First Creation from Primaeval
water- [Primaeval water- and heaven and void; darkness primaeval water gods: Apsû-Tiamat, gods: {'Apason- No
plant or herb on face of /tehôm/, without conflict; Mummu Tauthe}, {Moumis} Ground watered by the primaeval
water cf. Later Sum. Ver. Generation of: Generation of: mist (or flood) Divine spirit moving Lakhmu-Lakhamu
{Lakhos-Lakhe} [cf. Sumerian (hovering, brooding) Anshar-Kishar {'Assoros-Kissare} irrigation myth of upon face of
waters Creation]
The great gods: Birth of great gods: Birth of great gods: ANU, ENLIL, ENKI, ANU, Nudimmud (=EA) {'Anos,
'Illinos, and Ninkharsagga, Apsû and Tiamat 'Aos, 'Aois-Lauke, creating deities revolt Belos] Conquest of Tiamat
Conquest of {'Omorka}, Creation of light by Marduk as Sun- or {Thamte}, by god {Belos} Creation of covering
Creation of heaven and Creation of firmament, for heaven from earth from two halves or heaven, to divide half of
Tiamat's of body of Thamte waters; followed by body, to keep her emergence of land waters in place Creation of
vegetation Creation of luminaries Creation of luminaries Creation of luminaries [Creation of (probable order) Creation
of animals vegetation]
REASON FOR MAN'S REASON FOR MAN'S CREATION: worship of CREATION: worship of gods gods Creation