The Chaldean Account of Genesis

George Smith

George Smith, a pioneering English Assyriologist, discovered a number of ancient tablets in the lands surrounding Nineveh, situated in what was previously the infamous civilization of Babylonia. Written in the long-forgotten script of cuneiform, Smith was able to discover some remarkable finds upon their surfaces. The Chaldean Account of Genesis explores these discoveries and explains how the tablets provide an alternative account to the accounts of the Jewish bible. These tablets also throw remarkable light on the myths and legends of Babylon, from the epic of Gilgamesh to the adventures of Ishtar. This work is a remarkable study that should be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the stories of Old Testament as well as the ancient civilization of Babylon. George Smith, was a pioneering English Assyriologist who first discovered and translated the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest-known written works of literature. His The Chaldean Account of Genesis was first published in 1876. Smith also passed away of dysentery that year during an expedition to excavate the rest of the Library of Ashurbanipal.

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Chapter 1. The Discovery Of The Genesis Legends
• Chapter 2. Babylonian And Assyrian Literature
• Chapter 3. Chaldean Legends Transmitted Through Berosus And Other Ancient Authors
• Chapter 4. Babylonian Mythology
• Chapter 5. Babylonian Legend Of The Creation
• Chapter 6. Other Babylonian Accounts Of The Creation
• Chapter 7. The Sin Of The God Zu
• Chapter 8. The Exploits Of Lubara
• Chapter 9. Babylonian Fables
• Chapter 10. Fragments Of Miscellaneous Texts
• Chapter 11. The Izdubar Legends
• Chapter 12. Meeting Of Heabani And Izdubar
• Chapter 13. Destruction Of The Tyrant Humbaba
• Chapter 14. The Adventures Of Ishtar
• Chapter 15. Illness And Wanderings Of Izdubar
• Chapter 16. The Story Of The Flood And Conclusion
• Chapter 17. Conclusion