Sumerian cuneiform is the first written language and was widely used in Mesopotamia 3000 years ago. (spin a tablet)
"Most later adaptations of Sumerian cuneiform preserved at least some aspects of the Sumerian script. Written Akkadian included phonetic symbols from the Sumerian syllabary, together with logograms that were read as whole words. Many signs in the script were polyvalent, having both a syllabic and logographic meaning. When the cuneiform script was adapted to writing the Hittite language, a layer of Akkadian logographic spellings was added to the script, with the result that we no longer know the pronunciations of many Hittite words conventionally written by logograms. The complexity of the system bears a resemblance to classical Japanese, written in a Chinese-derived script; some of these Sinograms were used as logograms, others as phonetic characters. Modern Japanese graphically distinguishes the logograms (kanji) from syllabary characters (kana) but otherwise retains a similar system." Source: Sumerian Writing - Cuneiform - Crystalinks
- The Behistun inscription is to cuneiform what the Rosetta Stone is to Hieroglyphics. It measures 15m by 25m and is placed 100m above the ancient road between Babylon and Ecbatana in Medes.
The Behistun inscription
The code of Hammurabi - The Köfels meteorite impact landslide tablet translated 2008.03.31.
View Larger Map - Babylonian chronicles: general introduction
Sumerian King List - 3rd_millennium_BC
4th millennium BC - The great Flood comparative analysis: Eridu Genesis (source)
Eridu Genesis Atrahasis Gilgameš Bible Berossus Greece Quran Date 3d millennium BCE c.1640 BCE c.1100 BCE c.1000-500 BCE 278 BCE c.700 BCE? c.600 CE Revolt ? lesser gods ? giants? monsters? giants - Hero Ziusudra Atrahasis Ut-napištim Noah Xisuthrus Deucalion Nuh Country Šuruppuk Šuruppak Šuruppak - Sippar Thessaly - Destroyer Enlil Enlil Enlil YHWH Enlil Zeus Allah Warning Vision Dream Indirect order Direct order Dream ? Direct order Reason Noise? Noise ? Sin, giants ? Sin, giants Sin Cause Stormflood Rain Stormflood Rain, fountains - Rain, waves "from the valley" Savior Enki Enki Enki YHWH Enki Prometheus Allah Period 7 days 7 days 7 days 150/40 days "quickly" 9 days ? Birds ? ? raven, dove, swallow doves/raven "several" none - Destination ? - Nimuš Ararat Gordyene Parnassus Al-Gudi Fate Eternal life Eternal life Eternal life Three sons Eternal life Three grandsons -
Français:
