Literature of the world : an introductory study . thick, two to threeinches wide, and three to four inches long. It would be inclosedcarefully in an envelope of clay for preservation and privacy, afterhaving been powdered with dry clay to prevent sticking. In the great library of Assurbanipal (seventh century ) atNineveh have been discovered twenty-two thousand clay tablets, anorderly collection of the scientific, religious, and literary material ofthese Mesopotamian peoples. This ancient library included some ofthe oldest poetry that has come down to us from any source. Of the prose liter
Literature of the world : an introductory study . thick, two to threeinches wide, and three to four inches long. It would be inclosedcarefully in an envelope of clay for preservation and privacy, afterhaving been powdered with dry clay to prevent sticking. In the great library of Assurbanipal (seventh century ) atNineveh have been discovered twenty-two thousand clay tablets, anorderly collection of the scientific, religious, and literary material ofthese Mesopotamian peoples. This ancient library included some ofthe oldest poetry that has come down to us from any source. Of the prose literature of the Babylonian-Assyrians perhaps themost interesting is the Code of Hammurapi (about 2100 ). It LITERATURE OF THE ORIENT II embraced, no doubt, many legal regulations that were ancient evenat that distant time. The Mosaic legislation promulgated about athousand years later presents many curious parallels. It is, however, the old poetry that proves of the greatest value inthis body of literature. There are prayers, magic formulas, and. PORTION OF OLD BABYLONIAN STORY OF THE FLOOD, FROM ASSURBANIPAL SLIBRARY AT NINEVEH mythological narratives. One poem describes the beginnings of crea-tion and gives accounts of male and female gods. Another poem,the hero of which is Marduk, the god of Babylon, tells of the crea-tion of man, followed by that of animals. Another centers in theheroic fight between iNIarduk and the rebellious Tiamat, and in thecreation of the heavenly bodies. There are cycles of stories dealingwith the eagle, and another cycle dealing with the winds. 12 LITERATURE OF THE WORLD Most famous of all is the so-called Gilgamesh Epic, a series oftwelve tablets discovered in 1872. Each tablet describes a separateepisode. Gilgamesh, the hero, is represented as delivering his coun-try from the Elamites (this must have occurred before 2000 ).He then slays the divine bull which is sent against him by the godAnu, the father of the goddess Ishtar, whose love had bee
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