Freethought & Rationalism Archive

GarColga · 07-29-2002, 12:14 PM

I am trying to find some information on the 'Eblaite' cuneiform tablets found at Tell Mardikh in 1975. The Christian sites make the claim that the names of some of the Patriarchs of the Old Testament have been found on them, but are maddeningly short on details, such as the context in which the names appear. Using search terms of 'ebla' & 'Tell Mardikh', I have only been able to find sites interested in linguistics or that only make superficial mention.

Are there any books on this subject? Or any good sites that anyone has found?

Toto · 07-29-2002, 01:06 PM

I found quite a few sites using google, with the terms "mardikh" plus "ebla". A lot are Christian sites.

<a href="http://www.mazzaroth.com/ChapterFour/Ebla.htm" target="_blank">mazzaroth.com</a>

Quote:

In 1964 Italian archaeologists directed by Paolo Matthiae of the University of Rome excavated a mound in northern Syria known as Tell Mardikh. In 1968, Matthiae and his team uncovered ancient Akkadian inscriptions of King Ibbit-Lim. In this text the king identified himself as the ruler of Ebla. During excavations in 1974 and 1975, public and royal archives containing over 15,000 clay tablets came to light. The Eblaite scribes recorded information on clay tablets, inscribed in cuneiform, as developed by the Sumerians, which was found in the ruins of the royal palace in 1974 A.D.

The people of Ebla were Semites, and spoke a Semitic language that resembled ancient Hebrew. These 15,000 clay tablets are one of the most important archaeological discoveries in our times, yet they have not even been deciphered, translated or published complete due to political/religious boundary issues. The most likely date of these archives is about 2500 B.C.

I also found this: <a href="http://ancientneareast.tripod.com/Ebla_Mardikh.html" target="_blank">Ebla Mardik</a>:

Quote:

The Ebla texts include many Semitic names which recall those of the Old Testament, but extravagant claims of a cult of Yahweh at Ebla and of texts mentioning the biblical patriarchs, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Flood story are without foundation.

Marduk · 07-29-2002, 03:42 PM

I'm not sure where they are trying to go with this. We already have plenty of translated Sumerian cuneiform tablets with flood stories and such, The Epic of Gilgamesh is a classic, and some of the names and words are similar. Edin is a Sumerian word meaning pastoral land. It is assumed that the Bible writers borrowed these Sumerian tales and modified them for their own culture.
The stories have much more detail then the classic Bible versions, details Christians won't like at all BTW, these are classic antediluvian 'giants in the Earth in those days' type stories.
Much of the phrasing though is similar
"on the first day the Annunaki cleared the swamps and marshes and it was the beginning and the ending of the first day" etc.
The seventh day they took a break etc.
The hero of the flood is Zisudra, a guy who lives to be hundreds of years old because his dad was a 'god' and his mother was a human.
The flood is not caused by the 'gods' but they know it's comming and vow not to tell the humans, they want to get rid of the humans, this is the only time we ever here from the 'Creator God' he comes to Enki (one of the 'gods') in a dream and tells him more or less "you created these humans! you must take care of them, you can't just go drowning em all"

GarColga · 07-29-2002, 05:13 PM

Thanks, TOTO. Using 'mardikh ebla' I found enough to keep me busy for a while. Apparently this is an important discovery, having nothing whatsoever to do with the Old Testament.

07-29-2002, 12:14 PM	#1
GarColga Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Boise, Idaho, USA Posts: 57	Clay tablets found at Tell Mardikh I am trying to find some information on the 'Eblaite' cuneiform tablets found at Tell Mardikh in 1975. The Christian sites make the claim that the names of some of the Patriarchs of the Old Testament have been found on them, but are maddeningly short on details, such as the context in which the names appear. Using search terms of 'ebla' & 'Tell Mardikh', I have only been able to find sites interested in linguistics or that only make superficial mention. Are there any books on this subject? Or any good sites that anyone has found?

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07-29-2002, 03:42 PM	#3
Marduk Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: the 10th planet Posts: 5,065	I'm not sure where they are trying to go with this. We already have plenty of translated Sumerian cuneiform tablets with flood stories and such, The Epic of Gilgamesh is a classic, and some of the names and words are similar. Edin is a Sumerian word meaning pastoral land. It is assumed that the Bible writers borrowed these Sumerian tales and modified them for their own culture. The stories have much more detail then the classic Bible versions, details Christians won't like at all BTW, these are classic antediluvian 'giants in the Earth in those days' type stories. Much of the phrasing though is similar "on the first day the Annunaki cleared the swamps and marshes and it was the beginning and the ending of the first day" etc. The seventh day they took a break etc. The hero of the flood is Zisudra, a guy who lives to be hundreds of years old because his dad was a 'god' and his mother was a human. The flood is not caused by the 'gods' but they know it's comming and vow not to tell the humans, they want to get rid of the humans, this is the only time we ever here from the 'Creator God' he comes to Enki (one of the 'gods') in a dream and tells him more or less "you created these humans! you must take care of them, you can't just go drowning em all"

07-29-2002, 05:13 PM	#4
GarColga Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Boise, Idaho, USA Posts: 57	Thanks, TOTO. Using 'mardikh ebla' I found enough to keep me busy for a while. Apparently this is an important discovery, having nothing whatsoever to do with the Old Testament.

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