While no longer technically “new,” this fragment of the Babylonian Etana legend was first published in this brief paper by Morris Jastrow. The fragment is presented here in transliteration and translation along with the able textual commentary of an acknowledged leader among philologists. Following the presentation of the text, Jastrow also offers an interpretation of the text, suggesting where within the Etana legend the fragment fits. He concludes his study with an exploration of the name Etana, suggesting a possible connection with the name Ethan known from the Hebrew Bible. Line drawings and photographs of this singular fragment accompany the text of the article. Also included in this volume is a brief piece by Friedrich Delitzsch on Neo-Babylonian contract tablets. The philological observations, while not directed related to Jastrow’s article, are a bonus for any eager Assyriologist concerned with early stages of understanding this ancient language.

Morris Jastrow, Jr. (1861-1921) was an American Orientalist. He studied at Penn, Leipzig, and Paris, eventually becoming a professor at Penn. He also served as president of the American Oriental Society. A prolific writer, he penned books still in use today.