Page 756 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

102 SAMAGilA nLAK: -- 2 • CHALDEAN AND INDIAN VEDAS

word is mutilated and incomplete. The Hebrew sabbath, however,
was fundamentally different from that of the Babylonians, which
designated the lunar festival when our satellite ' rested ' at the
full on the 15th of the month. It was, therefore, a monthly sabbath
not a weekly one.
With regard to the Hebrew Creation-story, I will even go so
far as to say that, instead of being founded upon that of the
Babylonians, it was written to refute it - as a more reasonable
statement of the first beginning of things. That the writer of the
Hebrew account may have been influenced by the Babylonian
idea of the beginning of things is not only possible - it is also
probable, but he really sent forth his version to combat what he
regarded as the errors and the superstitions of polytheism. Probab-
ly, too, he rejected the Babylonian evolution theory, which, as
a strict monotheist, would be distasteful to him.
In connection with this negative theory of mine, it is worthy
of note, that there is no mention of Tiawath ( Tiamat ) in the
Hebrew account. Tehom is the Deep ( unpersonified ). Tiawath
( otherwise Tamthu or Tawthu ) is the ocean both personified
and unpersonified. Apsu is the Akkadian ( Semitic Babylonian )
form of the Sumerian Abzu. The Akkadians often lengthened the
final vowels when they borrowed words, and sharpened b into p.
Another example is sa-bat, 'mid-rest', 'sabbath', Akkadian
sapattu,. The Heb. sabbath is a better reproduction.
Tur purattu would not mean 'son of water', but would be
hybrid, meaning' the young one of the waterway.' The Sumerian
form would be tur puranunu, ' the young one of the great water-
way ' ( the Euphrates ), in Semitic Babylonian #!zir Puratti. As far
as I know, however, neither of these equivalent expressions occur.
It ought to be noted that uru is a common ( or the common )
Sumerian word for ' city ', and unu-gal means ' the great city '
as the abode of the many spirits of men who have departed, for
' the dead greatly exceed the living. '
I am afraid that ' the dark intercalary month' does not exist.
Se-dir is for Se-gur-tar-dir, ' the additional ( month ) of grain-
cutting. ' It was the sun-god Tammuz who passed the winter-
months in the underworld. Merodach descended thither to comfort
and bring forth the rebellious gods who had received the grace of
his pardon.