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Show Ancient Sumerians' Version of Creation Six TcJblets Give Their 4,-000-Year-Old Story. Philadelphia. Man In his early stages propelled himself along the ground with all four limbs, "ate grass with his mouth, like a sheep," and drank from the ditches, according to a translation of six Sumerlan tablets, written about 2000 B. C. A story of the early history of the human race has been pieced together by Dr. Edward Chlera, assistant pro-fessor pro-fessor of Assyrlology at the Uulverslty Iff Pennsylvania. The presence of the six tablets bearing bear-ing different copies of the same text proves that the story they tell was considered quite Important by the ancient an-cient Sumerlans, according to Doctor Chlera, who believes that a wide difference dif-ference of opinion regarding the origin of mankind existed as early as 4,000 years ago. . Story Staged In Seat of the Gods, i The story told by the tablets Is staged In the Mountain of Heaven and Karth, the seat of the gods and close parallel to the Olympus of Greek mythology. my-thology. In fact, the Sumerlan mountain moun-tain and Olympus might prove to be one and the same because of the like lihood of finding Sumerlan Influence tn Greek religion, according to Doctor Chlera. (eographlcally the Mountain of Heaven and Earth cannot be placed, although the old Babylonians may have thought It was somewhere to the north near Kurdistan or even on the Caucacus range. Close to the mountain moun-tain may be placed the Gardwn of Eden. The Sumerlan tale begins with a description de-scription of conditions following th creation by the great god Anu of a lower order of deities called the Anunna. At that time there had not yet come Into existence the god representing repre-senting cereals, the story declares. Hence there were no grains to eat.' Likewise the god representing the flocks and herds had not yet been made, and so there were no animals and meat to eat. Even the seml-dlvtne seml-dlvtne being more or less corresponding correspond-ing to the Biblical Eve had not yet appeared, ap-peared, according to the Sumerlan chroniclers, who apparently summed up their conception of conditions on earth with the following six lines: Mankind, In lh dty of their appearance. appear-ance. Bread for eatlnf ther knew not. Garments for wearing they knew not, Tbe people walked with the (four) llmhi llnnn th a rnitnA They ate araee with their mouth Ilk heap. They drank water from tha ditches. Patrons of Foods Provided. Then followed the creation by the gods of the two patrons of cereals and flocks. Interesting figures because they resemble the Ceres and Pan of ths Roman and Greek religions. With the creation of these two patrons, condl-j condl-j tlons changed, and the Anunna had J plenty of food. Next there appears In the story the god Euki, who Is always represented aa being a good friend of mankind, and who Intercedes with the god Enlll I In behalf of his friends by pointing out I that the flocks and grains had multi-piled multi-piled In the Mountain of Heaven and Earth and suggesting that they now be permitted to leave the mountain and spread over the rest of the earth. The desired permission Is granted and the cereals and flocks then replen-' replen-' Ish the earth for the benefit of man-! man-! kind. With their coming, the land ex perlences abundance, and mankind, according ac-cording to the version on the Sumerlan tablets, gets Its first start toward civilization. civ-ilization. I Irrigation machines and the yoke appear, granaries are built and filled with food, living creatures come Into existence, laws are established, and wherever the cereals and flocks, as exemplified by the two patrons, appear prosperity reigns. |