Assyrian Tablets

We come now to one of the most interesting discoveries of modern times. In the investigations of the ancient ruins of Nineveh and Babylon during the past fifty years, many marvelous things have been brought to light, things showing an extensive knowledge of the arts and sciences, which have been lost for ages, and among them are ancient monuments and tablets, on which historical facts were sculptured. Learned men have, after much investigation, been enabled to read these inscriptions, and many facts have been obtained which corroborate the record of the Holy Scriptures. Among others, records have been discovered showing conclusively that in those early times the seventh day Sabbath was observed. We quote from the Congregationalist (Boston), Nov. 15, 1882:ChSa 100.9

“Mr. George Smith says in his Assyrian Discoveries (1875): “In the year 1869, I discovered, among other things, a curious religious calendar of the Assyrians, in which every month is divided into four weeks, and the seventh days, or Sabbaths, are marked out as days on which no work should be undertaken.” Again, in his History of Assur-bani-pal, he says, “The 7th, 14th, 19th, 21st, and 28th [days of the month] are described by an ideogram equivalent to sulu or sulum, meaning “rest.” The calendar contains lists of work forbidden to be done on these days, which evidently correspond to the Sabbaths of the Jews.””ChSa 100.10

H. Fox Talbot, F. R. S., one of the learned Assyriologists of Europe, says of the fifth “Creation Tablet” found by Mr. George Smith on the opposite side of ancient Nineveh, on the bank of the Tigris, and now to be seen in the British Museum:ChSa 101.1

“This fifth tablet is very important, because it affirms clearly, in my opinion, that the origin of the Sabbath was coeval with the creation.... It has been known for some time, that the Babylonians observed the Sabbath with considerable strictness. On that day the king was not allowed to take a drive in his chariot; various meats were forbidden to be eaten; and there were a number of other minute restrictions.... But it is not known that they believed the Sabbath to have been ordained at creation. 1 have found, however, since the translation of the fifth tablet was completed, that Mr. Sayce has recently published a similar opinion. See the Academy of Nov. 27, 1875, P. 554.”-Records of the Past, V01. IV, PP. 117, 118.ChSa 101.2

A. H. Sayce, in his lecture before the Royal Institution concerning the Assyrian tablets discovered in the excavations on the site of ancient Babylon, says:ChSa 101.3

“The Sabbath of the seventh day appears to have been observed with great strictness; even the monarch was forbidden to eat cooked meat, change his clothes, take medicine, or drive his chariot on that day.”-Northern Christian Advocate.ChSa 101.4

Here we have testimony, which could be greatly multiplied, showing that away back in the earliest ages the Chinese, Phoenicians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Arabians, Greeks, and Romans, and many other nations, did regard the Sabbath as a sacred day. The farther we get back, the more sacredly they seemed to regard it. It is not surprising that Abraham, who came from Assyria, was a Sabbath keeper. These tablets were engraved long before histories, in the ordinary sense of the term, were written; or at least none so ancient were extant, unless it be the books of Moses. Yet these facts were preserved all these ages on the tablets of stone, and now come to light as testimony to the sacredness of the Sabbath from the most ancient nations.ChSa 101.5