and it would have been only natural
for the more learned among the Hebrew scribes and priests to interest
themselves in the ancient literature of their new home. And any previous
familiarity with the myths of Babylonia would undoubtedly have been
increased by actual residence in the country. We may perhaps see
a result of such acquaintance with Babylonian literature, after
Jehoiachin's deportation, in an interesting literary parallel that has
been pointed out between Ezek. xiv. 12-20 and a speech in the Babylonian
account of the Deluge in the Gilgamesh Epic, XI, ii. 180-194.(1) The
passage in Ezekiel occurs within chaps. i-xxiv, which correspond to
the prophet's first period and consist in the main of his utterances in
exile before the fall of Jerusalem. It forms, in fact, the introduction
to the prophet's announcement of the coming of "four sore judgements
upon Jerusalem", from which there "shall be left a remnant that shall
be carried forth".(2) But in consequence, here and there, of traces of a
later point of view, it is generally admitted that many of the chapters
in this section may have been considerably amplified and altered by
Ezekiel himself in the course of writing. And if we may regard the
literary parallel that has been pointed out as anything more than
fortuitous, it is open to us to assume that chap. xiv may have been
worked up by Ezekiel many years after his prophetic call at Tel-abib.

(1) See Daiches, "Ezekiel and the Babylonian Account of the
Deluge", in the _Jewish Quarterly Review_, April 1905. It
has of course long been recognized that Ezekiel, in
announcing the punishment of the king of Egypt in xxxii. 2
ff., uses imagery which strongly recalls the Babylonian
Creation myth. For he compares Pharaoh to a sea-monster over
whom Yahweh will throw his net (as Marduk had thrown his
over Tiamat); cf. Loisy, _Les mythes babyloniens et les
premiers chaptires de la Genese_ (1901), p. 87.

(2) Ezek. xiv. 21 f.

In the passage of the Babylonian Epic, Enlil had already sent the Flood
and had destroyed the good with the wicked. Ea thereupon remonstrates
with him, and he urges that in future the sinner only should be made to
suffer for his sin; and, instead of again causing a flood, let there be
discrimination in the divine punishments sent on men or lands. While
the flood made the escape of the deserving impossible, other forms of
punishment would affect the g