The Legend of the Tower of Babel and the Confusion of Tongues

(British Museum)
Translated by W. St. Chad. Boscawen.

1


1 . . . them the father.
2      (The thoughts) of his heart were evil.
3 . . . the father of all the gods he turned from.
4 (The thoughts) of his heart were evil.
5 . . . Babylon corruptly to sin went and
6 small and great mingled on the mound.
7 . . . Babylon corruptly to sin went and
8 small and great mingled on the mound.

2


1 The King of the holy mound . . .
2 In front and ANU lifted up
3 to the good god his father
4 Then his heart also . . .
5 which carried a command . . .
6 At that time also . . .
7 he lifted it up . . .
8 Davkina.
9 Their (work) all day they founded
10 to their stronghold in the night
11 entirely an end he made.
12 In his anger also the secret counsel he poured out
13 to scatter (abroad) his face he set
14 he gave a command to make strange their speech
15 . . . their progress he impeded
16 . . . the altar

(Column 3 is so broken, only a few words remain, so it is omitted).


4


1 In (that day)
2 he blew and . . .
3 For future time the mountain . . .
4 NU-NAM-NIR went . . .
5 Like heaven and earth he spake . . .
6 His ways they went . . .
7 Violently they fronted against him
8 He saw them and to the earth (descended)
9 When a stop he did not make
10 of the gods . . .
11 Against the gods they revolted
12 . . . violence . . .
13 Violently they wept for Babylon
14 very much they wept.
15 And in the midst . . .

(The rest is wanting.)