After Anu, Enlil (Bel), Enik (Ea) and Ninkhursag. The
black headed race had created, All that is from the earth, from the
earth they caused to spring, Cattle and beasts of the field suitably
they brought into beings.
The epic of Gilgamesh speaks to modern
turf-battles between professional preachers. It tells the story of
how Utnapishtim gained immortality. He is told that the gods
destroyed Shuruppah in a great but local flood. However, Ea who is
the patron god of music and magic along with all knowledge and wisdom
warned him and told him how to build a ship or ark. When the gods saw
how destructive they had been they shed many tears. They gave
Utnapishtim (Noah) immortality because of his acquired wisdom and
because he restored animal sacrifices to "feed" the hungry
gods.
This version is from George Barton,
Archaeology and the Bible 7th edition, American Sunday-School Union.
p. 332-335
-
- Column I (3/4 of
the column missing)
- ............................................
- ......................
- "My human-kind from its
destruction I will [raise up];
- With the aid of Nintu my
creation..,...I will raise up;
- The people in their
settlements I will establish;
- The city, whereever man
creates one--indeed its protection--therein I will
give him rest.
- Our house-- its brick may be
cast in a clean spor!
- Our places in a clean place
may heestablish!"
- Its brilliant splendor, the
temple platform, he made straight,
- The exalted regulations he
completed for it;
- The land he divided; a
favorable plan he established.
- After Anu, Enlil (Bel), Enik
(Ea) and Ninkhursag
- The black headed race had
created,
- All that is from the earth,
from the earth they caused to spring,
- Cattle and beasts of the field
suitably they brought into beings.
-
- Column II (3/5
missing)
- ...................................
- .....................I
will.........................................
- .................I will turn
my eye upon him...........
- The ................creator of
the land...........
- ..................of
royalty..................
- .......................of
royalty by him was determined;
- The exalted palace of the
royal throne was by him set apart,
- The exalted
precepts............he made perfect,
- In clean
places..........cities.........he founded,
- Their names were named, they
were alloted to guardian-spirits (?)
- Of these cities Eridu--the
chief command to Nudimmud he gave,
- Unto the second the
nisag-priests of Umma (?) he gave.
- Thirdly, Larak to Pabikhursag
he gave,
- Fourthly, Sippar as the
dwelling of Shamash he gave,
- Fifthly, Shurippak unto
Lamkurru he gave.
- Their names were assigned; to
guardian-spirits (?) they were allotted;
- Its rampart (?), a wall (?) he
raised up, he established;
- Small rivers, canals (?), and
water-courses (?) he established.
-
- Column
III
- .....................
- ..............................
- The land the sway of
Anu..
- The people...
- A
deluge.......................
- .........................
- Their land (?) it
entered...........
- Then Nintu [cried out] like [a
woman in travail].........
- The brilliant Ishtar [uttered]
a groan on account of her people.
- Enki with himself communion in
his wisdomn/
- Anu, Enlil, Enki, and
Nikhursag,
- The gods of heaven and earth,
invoked the names of Anu and Enlil,
- At that time Ziugiddu was
king, the priest of.......
-
- The chief deity he made of
wood.......
- In humility prostrating
himself, in reverence...............
- Daily at all times was he
present in person......
- Increasing dreams which had
not come [before],
- Conjuring by the name of
heaven and earth......
- Compare Isaiah 40:20)
-
- Column
IV
-
- For the settlement (?) the
gods a wall (?)...
- Ziugiddu stood by its side, he
heard......
- "At the wall at my left side
stand.....
- At the wall I will speak a
word to thee
- O my brilliant one, let there
enter thy ear.....
- By our hand a deluge....will
be sent,
- The seed of mankind to
destroy....
- Is the momentous decision of
the assembly (of the gods)/
- The words of Anu and
Enlil.....
- Their kingdom, their
rule......
- To them............"
- From other versions Ziugiddu
is being told about the comming flood. The command to
stand by the wall then reads:
- "O reed-hut, reed-hut, O
wall, wall,
- O reed-hut, hearken; O
wall, give heed!
- O man of Shurippak, son of
Ubartutu,
- Pull down thy house, build
a ship, etc.
-
- Column V
-
- The evil winds, the wind that
is hostil, came; all of them descended,
- The deluge.....came on with
them
- Seven days and seven
nights
- The deluge swept over the
land,
- The evil wind made the huge
boat tremble.
- Shamash (the Sun) came forth,
on heaven and earth he shone;
- Ziugiddu the ship at the top
uncovered,
- The peace of Shamash, his
light, entered into the boat.
- Ziugiddu, the king
- Before Shamash bowed his face
to the earth.
- The king--an ox he sacrificed,
a sheep offered as oblation.
- ..................
-
- Column
VI
-
- By the life of heaven and the
life of earth ye shall conjure him,
- That he may raise up from
you;
- Anu and Enlil by the soul of
heaven and the soul of earth ye shall conjure,
- That they may raise up from
you
- The curse that has come upon
the land, that they may remove it.
- Ziugiddu the king
- Before Anu and Enlil bowed his
face to the earth.
- Life like a god's he gave to
him,
- An immortal spirit like a
god's he brought to him.
- Then Ziugiddu the king,
- Of the seed that was cursed,
lord of mankind he made;
- Of the seed that was cursed,
lord of mankind he made;
- In the furitful land, the land
of Dilmum....they made him dwell
- ...........
- In the Bible, Psalm 74: 13, 14
the defeat of the dragon Tiamat is attributed to
Jehovah. In this version to Enlil of Nippur and in
other versions to Marduk of Babylon.
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