[Illustration: 147.jpg LIST OF ARCHAIC CUNEIFORM SIGNS.
Drawn up by an Assyrian scribe to assist him in his studies
of early texts. Photograph by Messrs. Mansell & Co.
The argument on which the upholders of this theory mainly relied was
that many of the phonetic values of the Sumerian signs were obviously
derived from Semitic equivalents, and they hastily jumped to the
conclusion that the whole language was similarly derived from Semitic
Babylonian, and was, in fact, a purely arbitrary invention of the
Babylonian priests. This theory ignored all questions of inherent
probability, and did not attempt to explain why the Babylonian priests
should have troubled themselves to make such an invention and afterwards
have stultified themselves by carefully appending Assyrian translations
to the majority of the Sumerian compositions which they copied out.
Moreover, the nature of these compositions is not such as we should
expect to find recorded in a cabalistic method of writing. They contain
no secret lore of the Babylonian priests, but are merely hymns and
prayers and religious compositions similar to those employed by the
Babylonians and Assyrians themselves.
But in spite of its inherent improbabilities, M. Halevy succeeded in
making many converts to his theory, including Prof. Friedrich Delitzsch
and a number of the younger school of German Assyriologists.
Pages:
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167