Legends of Babylon and Egypt in relation to Hebrew tradition by L. W. (Leonard William) King
page 63 of 225 (28%)
page 63 of 225 (28%)
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obtained, viz. {'Ammenon} = Bab. _ummânu_, "workman" ||
Cain, Kenan = "smith". Another satisfactory pair suggested is {'Amelon} = Bab. _amêlu_, "man" || Enosh = "man"; but the resemblance of the former to _amêlu_ may prove to be fortuitous, in view of the possibility of descent from a quite different Sumerian original. The alternative may perhaps have to be faced that the Hebrew parallels to Sumerian and Babylonian traditions are here confined to chronological structure and general contents, and do not extend to Hebrew renderings of Babylonian names. It may be added that such correspondence between personal names in different languages is not very significant by itself. The name of Zugagib of Kish, for example, is paralleled by the title borne by one of the earliest kings of the Ist Dynasty of Egypt, Narmer, whose carved slate palettes have been found at Kierakonpolis; he too was known as "the Scorpion." (4) Gen. iv. 17 ff. (J). (5) It may be noted that an account of the origin of divination is included in his description of the descendents of Noah by the writer of the Biblical Antiquities of Philo, a product of the same school as the Fourth Book of Esdras and the Apocalypse of Baruch; see James, _The Biblical Antiquities of Philo_, p. 86. I may add that a parallel is provided by the new Sumerian records to the circumstances preceding the birth of the Nephilim at the beginning of the sixth chapter of Genesis.(1) For in them also great prowess or distinction is ascribed to the progeny of human and divine unions. We |
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