  A BABYLONIAN ACCOUNT OF THE FLOOD, FROM A TABLET WRITTEN AT NINEVEH IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY B. C.[396] Translation of the Text. Comparison with Genesis 6-9. Another Babylonian Version. 1. Translation of the Text. 1. Gilgamesh said to him, to Utnapishtim, the far-away: 2. “I look upon thee, O Utnapishtim, 3. Thy appearance is unchanged; thou are like me; 4. Thou art not at all different, thou art like me. 5. Thy courage is unbroken, to make combat, 6. On thy side thou liest down—on thy back. 7. [Tell me] how hast thou advanced and in the assembly of the gods hast found life?” 8. Utnapishtim spoke to him, to Gilgamesh: 9. I will reveal to thee, O Gilgamesh, the secret story, 10. And the decision of the gods to thee will I relate. 11. Shurippak, a city which thou knowest, 12. Is situated on the bank of the Euphrates. 13. That city was old and the gods in it— 14. Their hearts prompted them—the great gods—to make a deluge. 15. [There drew near] their father Anu, 16. Their councillor, the warrior Ellil, 17. Their herald, Enmashtu, 18. Their hero, Ennugi. 19. The lord of wisdom, Ea, counselled with them; 20. Their words he repeated to the reed-hut: 21. “O reed-hut, reed-hut, O wall, wall, 22. O reed-hut, hearken; O wall, give heed! 23. O man of Shurippak, son of Ubaratutu, 24. Pull down thy house, build a ship, 25. Leave thy possessions, take thought for thy life, 26. Leave thy gods, thy life save! 27. Embark seed of life of all kinds on a ship! 28. The ship which thou shalt build, 29. Measure well its dimensions, 30. Make to correspond its breadth and its length; 31. Upon the ocean thou shalt launch it.” 32. I understood and spoke to Ea, my lord: 33. “[I understand], my lord; what thou hast thus commanded 34. I will honor and will do. 35. [But] what shall I say to the city, the people, and the elders?” 36. Ea opened his mouth and spake, 38. “Thus shalt thou say unto them: 39. Know that me—Ellil hates me. 40. I may not dwell in your city, 41. On Ellil’s soil I may not lift my face. 42. I must go down to the ocean with Ea, my lord, to dwell. 43. Upon you will he (Ellil) then rain abundance— 44. [A catch] of birds, a catch of fishes, 45. ................ a rich (?) harvest. 46. [A time Shamash[397] appointed, at evening] the senders of rain 47. [Shall rain upon] you a mighty rainstorm. 48. When the grey of dawn brightens, (Lines 49-55 are broken away.) 56. The strong ...... brought what was needed. 57. On the fifth day I raised its frame. 58. According to its plan (?) its walls were 120 cubits high; 59. 120 cubits correspondingly was the extent of its roof. 60. I laid down its hull; I enclosed it. 61. I constructed it in storys, up to six; 62. I divided it [without (?)] into seven parts. 63. Its interior I divided into nine parts. 64. .......... I fastened in its midst. 65. I looked out a rudder, and prepared what was necessary. 66. 6 sars of bitumen I poured over its outside (?); 67. 3 sars of bitumen I poured over its interior. 68. 3 sars of oil the people who carry jars brought. 69. Besides a sar of oil which was used as a libation, 70. 2 sars of oil the ship’s captain stowed away. 71. For the people I slaughtered bullocks. 72. I slaughtered lambs daily. 73. Must, beer, oil, and wine, 74. I gave the people to drink like river-water. 75. I made a feast, like a new year’s festival. 76. I opened (?) [a box of ointment]; I put ointment in my hand. 77. [By the setting] of great Shamash, the ship was finished. 78. [To move it from the stocks] was difficult. 79. The men cleared the ship’s ways above and below. 80. .............................. two-thirds of it. 81. With all that I had I laded it (the ship); 82. With all the silver I had I laded it. 83. With all the gold I had I laded it. 84. With all the living things I had I laded it. 85. I embarked on the ship all my family and kindred. 86. Cattle of the field, beasts of the field, craftsmen, all, I embarked. 87. A fixed time Shamash had appointed, [saying]: 88. “When the senders of rain shall rain upon you a mighty rainstorm at evening, 89. Embark upon the ship and close thy door.” 90. The appointed time approached, 91. The senders of rain sent at evening a heavy rainstorm. 92. I observed the appearance of the day, 93. The day was terrible to look upon. 95. To the master of the ship, to Puzur-Amurru, the sailor, 96. I entrusted the structure together with its contents. 97. When dew-dawn began to brighten, 98. There arose from the horizon a black cloud; 99. The god Adad thundered in its midst, 100. While Nebo and Sharru marched before; 101. They went as heralds over mountain and country. 102. Nergal tore away the anchor, 103. Enmashtu advanced, the floods he poured down; 104. The Anunnaki raised their torches, 105. At their brightness the land trembled. 106. The raging of Adad reached to heaven; 107. All light was turned to darkness 108. .......... the land like ............... 109. One day [raged the storm (?)] 110. Swiftly it raged [and the waters covered] the mountains, 111. Like a battle array over the people it swept. 112. No one could see his fellow; 113. No more were people recognized in heaven; 114. The gods were frightened at the deluge, 115. They fled, they climbed to the highest heaven; 116. The gods crouched like dogs, they lay down by the walls. 117. Ishtar cried like a woman in travail, 118. Wailed the queen of the gods with her beautiful voice: 119. “Those creatures are turned to clay, 120. Since I commanded evil in the assembly of the gods; 121. Because I commanded evil in the assembly of the gods, 122. For the destruction of my people I commanded battle. 123. I alone bore my people; 124. Like spawn of fishes they fill the sea.” 125. The gods along with the Anunnaki wept with her, 126. The gods bowed, sat as they wept; 127. Closed were their lips; [silent their] assembly. 128. Six days and seven nights 129. Blew the wind, the deluge the flood overpowered. 130. When the seventh day approached, the deluge was prolonging the battle 131. Which, like an army, it had waged. 132. The sea calmed, the destruction abated, the flood ceased. 133. I looked upon the sea, the roaring was stilled 134. And all mankind was turned to clay; 135. Like logs all were floating about. 136. I opened the window, the light fell on my cheek; 137. I was overcome, I sat down, I wept; 138. Over my cheek streamed the tears. 139. I looked in all directions—a fearful sea! 140. After twelve days an island appeared; 141. Toward mount Nizir the ship stood off; 142. Mount Nizir held it fast, that it moved not. 143. One day, two days, mount Nizir held it that it moved not, 144. Three days, four days, mount Nizir held it that it moved not, 145. Five days, six days, mount Nizir held it that it moved not, 146. When the seventh day approached, 147. I brought out a dove and let her go; 149. There was no resting-place and she came back. 150. I brought out a swallow and let it go; 151. The swallow went out and returned. 152. There was no resting-place and it came back. 153. I brought out a raven and let it go; 154. The raven went out, the diminution of the waters it saw; 155. It alighted, it waded about, it croaked, it did not come back. 156. I disembarked [all]; to the four winds I poured a libation. 157. I appointed a sacrifice on the top of the mountain peak; 158. Seven by seven I arranged the sacrificial vessels; 159. Beneath them I piled reeds, cedar wood, and myrtle. 160. The gods smelled the savor, 161. The gods smelled the sweet savor, 162. The gods above the sacrificer collected like flies. 163. When at length the queen of the gods drew near, 164. She raised the great bows (?) which Anu at her wish had made. 165. “O ye gods, as I shall not forget the jewel of my neck 166. These days I shall not forget—to eternity I shall remember! 167. Let the gods come to the sacrifice, 168. But let Ellil not come to the sacrifice, 169. For he was not wise; he sent the deluge, 170. And numbered my people for destruction.” 171. When at last Ellil drew near, 172. He saw the ship, Ellil was angry, 173. His heart was filled against the gods and the Igigi.[398] 174. “Who then has come out alive? 175. No man must escape from destruction.” 176. Then Enmashtu opened his mouth and spake, 177. He said to the warrior Ellil: 178. “Who but Ea accomplished the thing? 179. Even Ea knows every undertaking.” 180. Ea opened his mouth and spake, 181. He said to the warrior Ellil: 182. “O thou, leader of the gods, warrior, 183. How, how couldst thou without thought send a deluge? 184. On the sinner let his sin rest, 185. On the wrongdoer rest his misdeed. 186. Forbear, let it not be done, have mercy, [that men perish not]. 187. Instead of thy sending a deluge 188. Had the lion come and diminished the people! 189. Instead of thy sending a deluge 190. Had a wolf come and diminished the people! 191. Instead of thy sending a deluge 192. Had a famine come and the land [depopulated!] 193. Instead of thy sending a deluge 194. Had a pestilence come and the land [depopulated!] 195. I have not divulged the decisions of the great gods. 196. I caused Adrakhasis to see a dream and the decisions of the gods he heard. 197. Now take counsel concerning him.” 198. Then went Ea on board the ship, 199. He took my hand and brought me forth, 200. He brought forth my wife and made her kneel at my side; 202. “In former time Utnapishtim was a man; 203. Now let Utnapishtim and his wife be like gods—even like us; 204. Let Utnapishtim dwell afar off at the mouth of the rivers!” 205. He took me and caused me to dwell afar off at the mouth of the rivers. 2. Comparison with Genesis 6-9. The above account of the deluge so closely resembles that in the Bible (Gen. 6:9-9:19), that nearly all scholars recognize that they are two versions of the same narrative.[399] In each case there is a divine revelation to the hero of the deluge that a catastrophe is coming of which every one else is ignorant. They both relate the building of the vessel, the “pitching it within and without with pitch,” the embarkation, the flood in which other men are destroyed, the resting of the ship on a mountain, the sending out of the birds, the disembarkation, the sacrifice, and the intimation that in future a deluge shall not be. When the Babylonian account is compared with the Biblical, there are two striking differences. 1. The Babylonian story makes the flood local; the Biblical, general. 2. The Babylonian story, fascinating poetry though it is, has a conception of deity in strong contrast with the dignity of the Biblical monotheism. The Babylonian gods disagree; they blame each other; they crouch with fear like dogs; they come swarming about the sacrifice like hungry flies! Nothing could more strikingly illustrate the inspiration of the Biblical story than to measure it against the background of this Babylonian poem, which is clearly a variant version of it. 3. Another Babylonian Version. From the library of Ashurbanipal there has come another version of the deluge, which represents the purpose of its coming as different. According to this version, men had sinned and had been afflicted with famine, after which they reformed for a time. The famine was removed, but soon, apparently, they sinned again. Pestilence was then sent upon them. An appeal brought mitigation of their sufferings, but soon they plunged into sin again. This time they were punished with unfruitfulness of the land and of their race, but soon sinned as before. When all other punishments had failed, as a last resort the flood was sent. As this account does not so closely resemble that in Genesis, it is not translated here. Those who wish to read it are referred to Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament, New York, 1912, p. 114, ff. |
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