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,
37. He said unto me, his servant:
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.
94. I embarked upon the ship, I closed my door.
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;
148. The dove went out and returned;
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;
201. He turned us toward each other and stood between us; he blessed us:
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.
CHAPTER VII
AN ACCOUNT OF THE CREATION AND FLOOD, FROM A TABLET WRITTEN AT NIPPUR BEFORE 2000 B. C.
Translation. Comparison with the Other Version.
1. Translation.
This tablet was published by Dr. Arno Poebel, of Breslau. It was apparently written in the time of the dynasty of Nisin, but at any rate not later than the period of the first dynasty of Babylon. Only a part of the tablet has been found, so that the narrative is incomplete both at the beginning and at the end. Possibly the remaining portion may some time be found in the museum at Constantinople. The tablet is inscribed on both sides, and there are three columns to the side. The portions that are still extant read as follows:[400]
Column I (about three-fourths 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, wherever man creates one—indeed its protection—therein I will give him rest.
Our house—its brick may he cast in a clean spot!
Our places in a clean place may he establish!”
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,[401] Enki,[402] and Ninkharsag
The black-headed[403] 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 being.
Here the first column ends. The passage opens in the midst of the speech of some deity—perhaps Ninkharsag (a Sumerian name of Ishtar) or possibly Enlil, the god of Nippur. First the deity tells how mankind, which has been overthrown, shall be raised up again. Then we are told how he perfected plans for the accomplishment of this purpose, and lastly how four deities called into being men and animals.
Column II (about three-fifths of the text is 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 allotted 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 Pabilkharsag 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.
The last part of this column relates how five cities were established by some deity. Of what the first part treated we cannot make out from the few fragments of lines that are still legible.
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 held communion in his wisdom;
Anu, Enlil, Enki, and Ninkharsag,
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 ..........
In this column the narrative has passed to the story of the deluge. The gods have determined to send a deluge; Ziugiddu in consequence constructed an idol from wood (compare Isa. 40:20), and earnestly worshiped it, seeking oracles for his guidance.
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 ....................”
It is clear from these fragmentary lines that Ziugiddu is being informed of the approaching deluge. It is also clear that some of the elements of the narrative are identical with some of the elements of the one discussed in Chapter VI. Ziugiddu is commanded to stand by a wall, where some deity will speak to him. This appears in the other version in the form:
“O reed-hut, reed-hut, O wall, wall,[404]
O reed-hut, hearken; O wall, give heed!
O man of Shurippak, son of Ubartutu,
Pull down thy house, build a ship,” etc.
In that account, too, the assembly of the gods is also referred to in line 120, ff. These are examples of the way the same theme, differently treated, turns up in different forms.
Column V
The evil winds, the wind that is hostile, 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[405] 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.
.........................................
In this column we have a fragment which relates some details similar to those told in lines 128, 129, and 136-138 of the account given in Chapter VI.
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;
In the fruitful land, the land of Dilmun .......... they made him dwell
.........................................
At this point the last column is hopelessly broken. It is clear, however, from the part which remains that Ziugiddu is in this narrative translated to the Isle of the Blest as was Utnapishtim in the account translated in Chapter VI, lines 202-205.[406] Indeed there is reason to believe that the two accounts of the flood are divergent versions of the same story. In addition to the likenesses already mentioned, the names of the two heroes, though they appear so different, are the same in meaning. Utnapishtim (or Unapishtim) means “day of life,” or “day-life,” while Ziugiddu means “Life-day prolonged.”
2. Comparison with the Other Version.
Although this tablet is much broken, so that we have not the whole of the story, it is clear from the parts that we have that in this version preserved at Nippur the story was much shorter than in the form translated in Chapter VI, which was preserved in the library of Ashurbanipal. It was also combined with a briefer account of the creation than that translated in Chapter I from Ashurbanipal’s library.
Of this Nippurian version of the creation story we have in this tablet only the small fragments preserved in Columns I and II. It is, however, probable that the Nippurian version of the creation was in its main features similar to that preserved in the library at Nineveh, only more brief.
If this be so, the conquest of the dragon Tiâmat is here attributed to Enlil of Nippur, as in the other version it is attributed to Marduk of Babylon, and as in Psa. 74:13, 14, it is attributed to Jehovah. This older account from Nippur agrees in one respect more nearly with the Biblical account than the one from the library at Nineveh does, for it represents Ziugiddu as a very pious man, who was apparently saved from destruction on account of his piety, and in blessing him God removed the curse as Jehovah did in Gen. 8:21.
CHAPTER VIII
AN ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF A CITY AND THE BEGINNING OF AGRICULTURE, FROM A TABLET WRITTEN AT NIPPUR BEFORE 2000 B. C.
Translation. Comparison with Biblical Material.
This tablet begins with a description of a place the name of which is not identified; it is, accordingly, indicated in the translation by X. Possibly it was Eridu; possibly Dilmun.
1. Translation.
Column I[407]
1. They that are lofty, they that are lofty are ye,
2. O X, pure;
3. They that are holy, they that are lofty are ye.
4. O X, pure,
5. X is pure, X is bright,
6. X is splendid, X is resplendent.
7. Alone were they in X; they lay down.
8. Where Enki and his consort lay,
9. That place is splendid, that place is pure.
10. Alone [in X they lay down].
11. Where Enki with Ninella lay down,
12. That place is splendid, [that place is pure].
13. In X the raven cried not,
14. The kite gave not his kite-call,
15. The deadly lion destroyed not,
16. The wolf a lamb seized not,
17. The dog the weak kid worried not,
18. The ewes the food-grain destroyed not,
19. Offspring increased not ..........
20. The birds of heaven their offspring ..... not;
21. The doves were not put to flight (?).
22. Of eye-disease, “it is eye-disease,” one said not;
23. Of headache, “it is headache,” one said not.
24. To a mother, “mother,” one said not,
25. To a father, “father,” one said not.
26. In the holy place a libation was poured not; in the city one drank not;
27. The river-man “cross it?” said not;
28. Fear one’s couch troubled not;
29. The musician “sing,” said not;
30. The prince of the city spoke not.
31. Ninella to her father Enki said:
32. “A city thou hast founded, a city thou hast founded, its destiny thou hast fixed;
33. In X a city thou hast founded,
34. .......... thou hast founded a city,
35. ............ a canal there is not
36. .............. thou hast founded a city.”
The rest of the first column is broken away; probably about nine lines are missing.
All the first column is descriptive of a place inhabited only by a god and goddess. Many activities are absent, because there is no one there to carry them on. Lines 16-21 remind one a little of Isa. 11:6-9.
After the break the text continues:
Column II
1. “From the bright covering of thy great heaven may the waters flow,
2. May thy city be refreshed with water, may it drink,
3. May X be refreshed with water, may it drink,
4. May thy well of bitter water flow as a well of sweet water.
5. May thy city be a resting, an abode of the people,
6. May X be a resting, an abode of the people.
7. Now, O sun-god, shine forth,
8. O sun-god, stand in heaven;
9. Bring the festal-grain from its place
10. [And] fish, O moon-god, from the water.
11. Along the face of the earth on the road with earth’s sweet water come.”
12. From the bright covering of the great heavens the waters flowed,
13. His city was refreshed with water, it drank;
14. X was refreshed with water, it drank,
15. His well of bitter water became a well of sweet water.
16. The fields and meadows with moisture caused grain to sprout (?);
17. His city was a resting, an abode of the people;
18. X was a resting, an abode of the people.
19. Then the sun-god shone forth; this verily was so,
20. The brilliant one, creator of intelligence.
21. To Nintu, the mother of the people
(Lines 22-30 describe with a frankness common among primitive people a marital union of the god and goddess. In many parts of the world it has been thought that acts of creation proceed from such unions.)
31. Enki, the father of Damgalnunna, his word spoke.
32. Ninkharsag flooded the fields,
33. The fields received the waters of Enki.
34. It was the first day whose month is first;
35. It was the second day whose month is second;
36. It was the third day whose month is third;
37. It was the fourth day whose month is fourth;
38. It was the fifth day whose month is fifth;
39. It was the sixth day whose month is sixth;
40. It was the seventh day whose month is seventh;
41. It was the eighth day [whose month is eighth];
42. It was the ninth day whose month is ninth, the month of fertility.
43. Like fat, like fat, like abundant sweet oil,
44. [Nintu], mother of the land,
45. .......... had brought them forth.
In the first part of the above column the description of the city is continued. As a consequence of the union of the gods, water flowed to irrigate the land. Lines 34-42 tell in a quaint way how the waters continued to come for nine months and nine days.
Column III
1. Ninshar on the bank of the river cried (?):
2. “O Enki, for me are they filled! they are filled!”
3. His messenger, Usmu himself the word repeated.
4. The sons of men his favor did not understand,
5. Ninshar his favor did not understand.
6. His messenger, Usmu himself, answered;
7. The sons of men his favor did not understand,
8. Ninshar his favor did not understand.
9. “My king, a storm-cloud! A storm-cloud!”
10. With his foot on the boat he stepped,
11. Two strong men as watchers he stationed,
12. The command they received, they took.
13. Enki flooded the fields,
14. The fields received the waters of Enki.
15. It was the first day whose month is first;
16. It was the second day whose month is second;
17. It was the ninth day whose month is ninth, the month of the height of the waters.
18. Like fat, like fat, like abundant sweet oil,
19. [Ninshar] like fat,
20. Ninshar had brought them forth.
21. Ninkurra[408] [on the bank of the river] c[ried (?)]
22. “O Enki, for me they are filled! they are filled!”
23. His messenger, Usmu, the word repeated.
24. The sons of men his favor did not understand,
25. Ninkurra his favor did not understand.
26. His messenger, Usmu himself answered;
27. The sons of men did not understand,
28. Ninkurra did not understand.
29. “My king, a storm-cloud! A storm-cloud!”
30. With his foot on the boat he stepped,
31. Two strong men as watchers he stationed;
32. The command they received, they took.
33. Enki flooded the fields
34. The fields received the waters of Enki.
35. It was the first day whose month is first;
36. It was the ninth day whose month is ninth, the month of the height of the waters.
37. Like fat, like fat, like abundant sweet oil,
38. Ninkurra like fat had brought them forth.
39. The god Tagtug and his wife she received;
40. Ninkurra to Tagtug [and his wife] spoke:
41. “Verily I will help (?) thee, my upright one, ..........
42. With favorable words I speak ..........
43. One man for me shall be counted ..........
44. Enki for me shall ..........
The rest of the column, consisting of two or three lines, is missing. The repetition in this column is characteristic of early poetry. Primitive peoples are fond of iteration, and in the description of the way the waters came it was to them very effective.
Column IV (about twelve lines are broken from the tablet at the beginning)
13. [To Tagtug and] his wife spoke ..........
14. ........................................
15. ......................................
16. ................ in the garden ....................
17. ........................................
18. [Eba]raguldu let him found,
19. Erabgaran let him found,
20. At the temple let my fettered oxen stand,
21. For Enki let my fettered oxen be sacrificed,
22. Let two strong men pour out water,
23. Abundant water let them pour out,
24. Reservoir-water let them pour out,
25. The barren land let them irrigate,
26. As gardeners for the little plants let them go forth,
27. On the bank, along the bank let them (i. e., the plants) extend.
28. Who art thou? The garden ....................
29. For Enki the gardener ............................
(Five lines are here broken away.)
35. Ebaraguldu he founded,
36. Erabgaran he founded, on its foundation he set it.
37. Enki turned his eyes unto him; his scepter he lifted up;
38. Enki to Tagtug directed the way.
39. At the temple he cried: “Open the door, open the door;”
40. “Who is it that thou art?”
41. “I am a gardener, with gladness ..........
42. With .......... the price (?) of milk will I present thee.”
43. Tagtug with joyful heart at the temple opened the door,
44. Enki spoke to Tagtug and his wife,
45. With joy his possessions he gave to him;
46. That Ebaraguldu he gave him;
47. That Erabgaran he gave him.
48. Tagtug and his wife bowed down; with the left hand they covered the mouth; with the right they did obeisance.
From the parts of Column IV, which are still legible, it appears that the messenger was revealing to Tagtug the secrets of agriculture. This corresponds to the statement in Gen. 9:20, that “Noah began to be a husbandman.”
At the beginning of Column V some seven lines have crumbled away, and the beginnings of eight more have also become illegible.
Column V
...........................................
...........................................
8. [The .......... plant] was green,
9. [The .......... plant] was green,
10. [The .......... plant] was green,
11. [The .......... plant] was green,
12. [The .......... plant] was green,
13. [The .......... plant] was green,
14. [The .......... plant] was green.
15. “O Enki, for me they are counted,”
16. His messenger, Usmu himself, the word repeated;
17. “Plants I have called forth, their abundance ordained,
18. The water shall make them bright, the water shall make them bright;”
19. His messenger, Usmu himself, answered:
20. “My king, as to the woody plants,” he said,
21. “He shall prune, he shall [eat].”
22. “As to the tall plants,” he said,
23. “He shall pluck, he shall eat.”
24. “My king, as to the .......... plants,” he said,
25. “He shall prune, he shall eat.”
26. “As to the plants of the watered garden (?),” he said,
27. “He shall pluck, he shall eat.”
28. “[My king], as to the .......... plants,” he said,
29. “[He shall prune], he shall eat.”
30. “[My king, as to the .......... plants],” he said,
31. “[He shall pluck, he shall eat].”
32. [“My king, as to the .......... plants”], he said,
33. “[He shall prune, he shall] eat.”
34. [“My king, as] to the cassia plant,” he said,
35. “He [shall pluck] ........ he shall eat.”
36. [“Enki] for [me] the plant of his wisdom has plucked, his heart has spoken.”
37. Of Ninkharsag the name Enki uttered in curse:
38. “The face of life when he dies he shall not see.”
39. Then Anunnaki in the dust sat down.
40. The rebellious one to Enlil said:
41. “I, Ninkharsag, brought forth for thee people; what is my reward?”
42. Enlil, the begetter, answered the rebellious one:
43. “Thou, Ninkharsag, hast brought forth people,”
44. “‘In my city let two creatures be made,’ shall thy name be called.”
45. As a dignitary his head alone he exalted,
46. His heart (?) alone he made impetuous,
47. His eye alone he filled with fire (?).
Langdon takes the portion of the narrative which we find in this column to be an account of the fall of man, since line 36, as he rendered it, speaks of Tagtug’s plucking and eating, and the next line speaks of the uttering of a curse. This view the writer does not share. If the above translation is correct, there is no allusion to anything of the kind.
Column VI (perhaps five lines are broken away)
6. .......... the lord Enlil ..........
7. ........ the lord of life ..........
8. To .......... they went, ..........
9. To .......... they went, the lord of the gods ..........
10. Spoke to him, the water of life ..........
11. ..............................
12. Ninkharsag ....................
13. ..............................
14. ..................................
15. ..............................
16. ..........................
17. ............................
18. Ninkharsag ....................
19. Enlil ...... his .......... they founded,
20. Priests (?) they ordained,
21. Fate they determined,
22. With power established it.
23. Ninkharsag in her temple granted his life to him:
24. “My brother, what of thee is ill?”
25. “My herd (?) is ill.”
26. “The god Absham have I brought forth for thee.”
27. “My brother, what of thee is ill?”
28. “My herd is ill.”
29. “The goddess ‘Queen of the herd’[409] have I brought forth for thee.”
30. “My brother, what of thee is ill?” “My face is ill.”
31. “The goddess Ninkautu have I brought forth for thee.”
32. “My brother, what of thee is ill?” “My mouth is ill.”
33. “The goddess ‘Queen who fills the mouth’[410] have I brought forth for thee.”
34. “My brother, what of thee is ill?” [“My ...... is ill”].
35. “The goddess Nazi have I brought forth for thee.”
36. “My brother, what of thee is ill?” “My hand [is ill.”]
37. “My goddess ‘Living hand’[411] have I brought forth for thee.”
38. “My brother, what of thee is ill?” “My health is ill.”
39. “The goddess ‘Queen of health’[412] have I brought forth for thee.”
40. “My brother, what of thee is ill?” “My intelligence is ill.”
41. “The god who makes the intelligence clear[413] have I brought forth for thee.”
42. “Grandly are they brought forth, they are created.
43. Let Absham be lord of vegetation,
44. Let Nintulla be lord of Magan,
45. Let Ninkautu choose Ninazu as a spouse,
46. May Ninkasi be the full heart’s possession,
47. May Nazi become mistress of weaving (?),
48. May Dazima the house of strong life take,
49. May Nintil become mistress of the month,
50. May Enshagme become lord of X.
51. Glory!”
2. Comparison with the Bible.
Here the tablet concludes. This last column, which tells how the goddess Ninkharsag came to favor the hero and to create a number of divine helpers for him, has no parallel in the Biblical account. As Tagtug received the especial protection of Ninkharsag who created for him all these divine helpers, it seems certain that this tablet had no reference to the fall of man, as Langdon supposes. It appears rather to be a mythical account of the beginnings of agriculture and the medicinal use of plants in Babylonia. Agriculture implies irrigation. “From the first day whose month is first” to the ninth month, is the period when Babylonia is watered. The Tigris begins to rise in March, the first month, the overflow of the Euphrates does not subside till the sixth month, and the winter rains are at their height in the ninth month.
As Adam was driven from Eden to eat of the fruits of the earth (Gen. 3:18, 24; compare Gen. 1:29), and Noah became a husbandman (Gen. 9:20), the story of Tagtug presents a remote similarity to both of them. Langdon[414] compares the list of divine beings with which the tablet ends with the antediluvian patriarchs of Gen. 4 and 5, and suggests the possibility that here we have the original names of those patriarchs. Beyond the fact that Absham somewhat resembles the name Abel and was, like Abel, an agriculturist, there is no apparent connection. The names in no way correspond. It is more probable that we have the names of those patriarchs in the list of kings translated in Chapter V.
CHAPTER IX
ABRAHAM AND ARCHÆOLOGY
Abraham Hired an Ox. Abraham Leased a Farm. Abraham Paid His Rent. Who Was This Abraham? Travel between Babylonia and Palestine. Hammurapi, King of the Westland. Kudur-Mabug. Kings Supposed by Some to be those of Genesis 14.
Archæological investigation has brought to light a number of texts believed by scholars to illumine the Biblical accounts of Abraham. It is the purpose of this chapter to translate and discuss these.
The documents which naturally attract us first are some contracts from Babylonia in which an Abraham was one of the contracting parties. They are as follows:
1. Abraham Hired an Ox.[415]
1. One ox broken to the yoke,
2. an ox from Ibni-Sin, son of Sin-imgurani,
3. from Ibni-Sin
4. through the agency of Kishti-Nabium,
5. son of Eteru,
6. Abarama, son of Awel-Ishtar,
7. for one month has hired.
8. For one month
9. one shekel of silver
10. he will pay.
11. Of it ½ shekel of silver
12. from the hand of
13. Abarama
14. Kishti-Nabium
15. has received.
16. In the presence of Idin-Urash, son of Idin-Labibaal,
17. in the presence of Awêlê, son of Urri-bani,
18. in the presence of Beliyatum, scribe.
19. Month of the mission of Ishtar (i. e., Ulul), day 20th,
20. The year Ammizadugga, the king (built)
21. the wall of Ammizadugga, (i. e., Ammizadugga’s 11th year).
22. Tablet of Kishti-Nabium.
This tablet shows how Abarama (Abraham), a farmer, hired an ox for a month. The tablet, as the last line shows, is the copy made for Kishti-Nabium, the agent. In such business transactions three copies were often made, one for each of the contracting parties and one for the scribe. The date of this tablet is 1965 B. C. Ammizadugga was the tenth king of that first dynasty of Babylon, of which Hammurapi was the sixth.
2. Abraham Leased a Farm.[416]