itish Museum on terra cotta tablets in Assyria, is nevertheless
different in some respects. But, says Mr. Smith:

"When we consider the difference between the two countries of
Palestine and Babylonia, these variations do not appear
greater than we should expect. . . . It was only natural that, in
relating the same stories, each nation should color them in
accordance with its own ideas, and stress would naturally in
each case be laid upon points with which they were familiar.
Thus we should expect beforehand that there would be
differences in the narrative such as we actually find, and we
may also notice that the cuneiform account does not always
coincide even with the account of the same events given by
Berosus from Chaldean sources."[23:1]

The most important points are the same however, _i. e._, _in both cases_
the virtuous man is informed by the Lord that a flood is about to take
place, which would destroy mankind. _In both cases_ they are commanded
to build a vessel or ark, to enter it with their families, and to take
in beasts, birds, and everything that creepeth, also to provide
themselves with food. _In both cases_ they send out a bird from the ark
_three times_--the third time it failed to return. _In both cases_ they
land on a mountain, and upon leaving the ark they offer up a sacrifice
to the gods. Xisuthrus was the tenth king,[23:2] and Noah the tenth
patriarch.[23:3] Xisuthrus had three sons (Zerovanos, Titan and
Japetosthes),[23:4] and Noah had three sons (Shem, Ham and
Japhet).[23:5]

As Cory remarks in his "Ancient Fragments," the history of the flood, as
given by Berosus, so remarkably corresponds with the Biblical account of
the Noachian Deluge, that no one can doubt that both proceeded from one
source--they are evidently transcriptions, except the names, from some
ancient document.[23:6]

This legend became known to the Jews from Chaldean sources,[23:7] it was
not known in the country (Egypt) out of which they evidently came.[23:8]
Egyptian history, it is said, had gone on uninterrupted for ten
thousand years before the time assigned for the birth of Jesus.[24:1]
And it is known as absolute fact that the land of Egypt was never
visited by other than its annual beneficent overflow of the river
Nile.[24:2] The Egyptian Bible, _which is by far the most ancient of all
holy books[24:3], knew nothing of the Deluge_.[24:4] The Phra (or
Pharaoh) Khouf