Creation's dawn / by "Kish" ; with a preface by A. H. Sayce.

  • Kish, pseud.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Creation's dawn / by "Kish" ; with a preface by A. H. Sayce. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    had existed at the time of Ine-Sin, Bur-Sin II., Gimil-Sin, and their predecessors, had to all ap- pearance passed away, and become part of the Babylonian Empire, long before the Dynasty of Babylon came to an end, though some at least were in existence in the time of the great conqueror, Hammurabi, But the change was, as it would seem, not one of overlordship only, another change which had been gradually taking place was, by this, carried one step farther—namely, the Semiticising of the country. Before the period of the Dynasty of Babylon the Two Races of Akkadians and Semitic Babylonians had been living side by side, the former (except in the Kingdom of which Sippar was the Capital) having the predominance, the records being written in the Akkadian language, and the Kings bearing mainly Akkadian names, though there were, for the Semitic inhabitants, translations of those names. Translations of the inscriptions and legends, as well as the old Akkadian Laws, probably did not (except in the Semitic Kingdom of Agade) exist. How it came about is not known, but it is certain that, about 2200 b.c., a purely Semitic Dynasty occupied the throne of the chief Ruler in Babylonia. The first King was Sumu-Abi, who reigned fourteen years. This monarch was followed by Sumu-La-Ili, and Zabu, thirty-six and fourteen years respectively. Then came two rulers with Babylonian names— Abil-Sin and Sin-Mubalit, eighteen and twenty years.