Lost in Translation, Presumption, and Interpretation

Book excerpt: This book investigates the Mesopotamian roots of two key monotheist characters, Adam and Noah, and their stories, through an exhaustive reading of relevant texts from the ancient literature; it includes original Arabic transliterations, and Arabic and English translations of sections from Akkadian and Sumerian inscriptions, and the Hebrew Genesis. The common, biblical beliefs in an initial, single human creation, and a subsequent survival of a punishing, catastrophic flood were among the key forming pillars of the Near East monotheist religions. The other key pillar was, arguably, the belief in the existence of a one, supreme god and creator. However, neither the two stories of human creation and catastrophic flood, nor the belief in one supreme god, were originally introduced by these monotheist religions. Key inscriptions from ancient Mesopotamia have clearly indicated that various versions of these beliefs were commonplace for thousands of years before. Despite the differences in details, and at times ambiguities, the monotheist faiths seem to have derived their defining themes from one source: early Mesopotamian mythology. Unfortunately, several key inscriptional facts supporting this hypothesis were lost in the current transliterations, translations, and interpretations of the ancient texts.