THE STORY OF THE FLOOD AND CONCLUSION.
Eleventh tablet.—The gods.—Sin of the world.—Command to build the ark.—Its contents.—The building.—The Flood.—Destruction of people.—Fear of the gods.—End of Deluge.—Nizir.—Resting of ark.—The birds.—The descent from the ark.—The sacrifice, covenant, and rainbow.—Speeches of gods.—Translation of Adra-Khasis.—Cure of Izdubar.—His return.—Lament over Hea-bani.—Resurrection of Hea-bani.—Burial of warrior.—Age and composition of the Deluge tablet.—Comparison with Genesis.—Syrian nation.—Connection of legends.—Points of contact.—Duration of Deluge.—Mount of descent.—Ten generations.—Early cities.
HE eleventh tablet of the Izdubar series is the one which first attracted attention, and is certainly the most important on account of its containing the story of the Flood. This tablet is the most perfect in the series, scarcely any line being entirely lost. A new fragment of it, belonging to another edition of the story, has been recently brought to the museum by Mr. Hormuzd Rassam.
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Tablet XI.
Column I.
1. (Izdubar) to him also speaks even to Xisuthrus afar off:
2. O Xisuthrus,
3. (why) dost thou not again (to me) as I (to thee)?
4. (why) dost thou not again (to me) as I (to thee)?
5. .... my heart to make war
6. .... I come up after thee,
7. when thou didst take, and in the assembly of the gods didst obtain life.
—–———–———–———–
8. Xisuthrus to him also speaks, even to Izdubar:
9. Let me reveal to thee (Izdubar) the story of my preservation,
10. and the judgment of the gods let me relate to thee.
11. The city Surippak the city which thou knowest on the Euphrates is placed,
12. that city is ancient and the gods are within it.
13. To make a deluge [or whirlwind] the great gods have brought their heart;
14. even he their father, Anu,
15. their king, the warrior Bel,
16. their throne-bearer, Ninip,
17. their minister, the lord of Hades, Nin-si-kha (wife of) Hea with them sat, and
18. their will he (i.e. Hea) repeated: to his minister280 the minister of the city of Kis, he declared what he had (in mind);28
19. his minister heard and proclaimed attentively:
20. Man of Surippak, son of Ubara-tutu,
21. build a house, make a ship to preserve the sleep of plants (and) living beings;
22. store the seed and vivify life,
23. cause also the seed of life of every kind to go up into the midst of the ship.
24. The ship which thou shalt make,
25. 600 cubits (shall be) its measure in length,
26. 60 cubits the amount of its breadth and its height.
27. ... and on the deep cover it, even it, with a roof.
28. I understood and say to Hea my lord:
29. The building of the ship which thou commandest thus,
30. .... I shall have made,
31. .... the sons of the host and the old men.
32. (Hea opened his mouth and) speaks and says to me his servant:
33. ...... thou shalt say unto them,
34. ...... he has rejected me and
35. ...... it is upon me
36. .... like caves ....
37. ... may I judge above and below ....
38. ... close the ship ...
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39. ... at the season which I will make known to you,
40. into it enter and the door of the ship turn.
41. Into the midst of it thy grain, thy furniture, thy goods,
42. thy wealth, thy woman slaves, thy handmaids, and the sons of the host,
43. (the beasts) of the field, the wild animals of the field, as many as I would protect,
44. I will send to thee, and thy door shall guard (them).
—–———–———–———–
45. Adrakhasis29 his mouth opened and speaks, and
46. says to Hea his lord:
47. No one a ship has made ...
48. in the lower part of the ship has shut up ....
49. .... and may I see the ship ....
50. .... in the lower part of the ship ....
51. the building of the ship which thou commandest me (thus),
52. which in ....
Column II.
1. strong ....
2. on the fifth day .... it rose.
3. In its circuit 14 in all (were) its girders.
4. 14 in all it contained ... above it
5. I placed its roof; it .... I enclosed it.
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6. I rode in it the sixth time; I divided its passages the seventh time;
7. its interior I divided the eighth time.
8. Leaks for the waters within it I cut off.
9. I saw the rents and the wanting parts I added.
10. 330 sari of bitumen I poured over the outside.
11. 330 sari of bitumen I poured over the inside.
12. 3 sari of men carrying baskets, who carried on their heads food.
13. I added a saros of food which the people should eat;
14. two sari of food the boatmen shared.
15. To .... I sacrificed oxen
16. I (established) ........ each day
17. I (established) ........ beer, food, and wine;
18. (I collected them) like the waters of a river, and
19. (I collected) like the dust of the earth, and
20. (in the ship) the food with my hand I placed.
21. (Through the help of) Samas the seaworthiness of the ship was accomplished.
22. ... they were strong and
23. the tackling of the ship I caused to bring above and below.
24. ........ they went in two-thirds of it.
—–———–———–———–
25. All I possessed I collected it, all I possessed I collected it in silver,
26. all I possessed I collected it in gold,
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27. all I possessed I collected it in the seed of life of all kinds.
28. I caused everything to go up into the ship, my slaves and my handmaids,
29. the beast of the field, the wild animal of the field, the sons of the people all of them, I caused to go up.
30. The season Samas fixed and
31. he spake saying: In the night I will cause it to rain from heaven heavily,
32. enter into the midst of the ship and shut thy door.
33. That season came round (of which)
34. he spake saying: In the night I will cause it to rain from heaven heavily.
35. Of the day I reached its evening,
36. the day of watching fear I had.
37. I entered into the midst of the ship and shut my door.
38. On closing the ship to Buzur-sadi-rabi the boatman
39. the habitation I gave with its goods.
—–———–———–———–
40. Mu-seri-ina-namari
41. arose, from the horizon of heaven a black cloud.
42. Rimmon in the midst of it thundered, and
43. Nebo and the Wind-god went in front,
44. the throne-bearers went over the mountain and plain, 284
45. Nergal the mighty removes the wicked,
46. Ninip goes in front, he casts down,
47. the spirits of earth carried destruction,
48. in their terror they shake the earth;
49. of Rimmon his flood reached to heaven.
50. The darkened (earth to a waste) was turned,
Column III.
1. the surface of the earth like .... they covered,
2. (it destroyed all) living beings from the face of the earth;
3. the raging (deluge) over the people, reached to heaven.
4. Brother saw not his brother, men did not know one another. In heaven
5. the gods feared the whirlwind and
6. sought a refuge; they ascended to the heaven of Anu.
7. The gods like dogs were fixed, in a heap did they lie down.
8. Spake Istar like a child,
9. the great goddess uttered her speech:
10. All to clay are turned and
11. that which I in the presence of the gods prophesied (even evil has happened).
12. As I prophesied in the presence of the gods evil,
13. to evil (were devoted) all my people, the trouble I prophesied thus:
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14. I the mother have begotten my people, and
15. like the young of the fishes they fill the sea. And
16. the gods because of the spirits of earth are weeping with me.
17. The gods on seats are seated in lamentation,
18. covered were their lips for the coming evil.
19. Six days and nights
20. passed, the wind, the whirlwind, (and) the storm, overwhelmed.
21. On the seventh day at its approach the rain was stayed, the raging whirlwind
22. which had smitten like an earthquake,
23. was quieted. The sea began to dry, and the wind and deluge ended.
24. I watched the sea making a noise,
25. and the whole of mankind was turned to clay,
26. like reeds the corpses floated.
27. I opened the window, and the light smote upon the fortress of my nostrils.
28. I was grieved and sat down; I weep,
29. over the fortress of my nostrils went my tears.
30. I watched the regions at the boundary of the sea,
31. towards all the twelve points of the compass (there was) no land.
32. In the country of Nizir rested the ship;
33. the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship, and to pass over it it was not able.
34. The first day, the second day, the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship.
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35. The third day, the fourth day, the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship.
36. The fifth day, the sixth day, the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship.
37. On the seventh day at its approach
38. I sent forth a dove and it left. The dove went, it returned, and
39. a resting-place it did not find, and it came back.
40. I sent forth a swallow and it left. The swallow went, it returned, and
41. a resting-place it did not find, and it came back.
42. I sent forth a raven and it left.
43. The raven went, and the carrion on the water it saw, and
44. it did eat, it swam, and turned away, it did not come back.
45. I sent (the animals) forth to the four winds, I sacrificed a sacrifice,
46. I built an altar on the peak31 of the mountain,
47. by sevens vessels I placed,
48. at the bottom of them I spread reeds, pines, and juniper.
49. The gods smelt the savour, the gods smelt the good savour;
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50. the gods like flies over the sacrificer gathered.
51. From afar also the great goddess at her approach
52. lifted up the mighty arches (i.e. the rainbow) which Anu had created as his glory.
53. The crystal of those gods before me (i.e. the rainbow) never may I forget;
Column IV.
1. those days I devised with longing that I might never forget.
2. ‘May the gods come to my altar,
3. may Bel never come to my altar,
4. for he did not consider and had made a whirlwind,
5. and my people he consigned to the abyss.’
6. From afar also Bel at his approach
7. saw, the ship he stopped; Bel was filled with anger against the gods and the spirits of heaven:
8. ‘Let no one come out alive, never may a man live in the abyss.’
9. Ninip his mouth opened, and spake; he says to the warrior Bel:
10. ‘Who is it except Hea that forms a resolution?
11. and Hea knows and all things he ...’
12. Hea his mouth opened and spake, he says to the warrior Bel:
13.288 ‘Thou messenger of the gods, warrior,
14. as thou didst not consider a deluge thou madest.
15. The doer of sin bore his sin, the blasphemer bore his blasphemy.
16. Never may the just prince be cut off, never may the faithful (be destroyed).
17. Instead of thy making a deluge, may lions come and men be diminished;
18. instead of thy making a deluge, may hy?nas come and men be diminished;
19. instead of thy making a deluge, may a famine happen and the country be (destroyed);
20. instead of thy making a deluge, may pestilence come and men be destroyed.
21. I did not reveal the judgment of the gods.
22. To Adrakhasis (Xisuthrus) a dream I sent, and the judgment of the gods he heard.’
23. Again also Bel considers, (literally, again consideration was considered); he approaches the midst of the ship.
24. He took my hand and caused me to ascend up,
25. he caused (me) to ascend; he united my wife to my side;
26. he turned unto us and fixes himself in covenant with us; he approaches us:
27.289 ‘Formerly Adrakhasis (was) mortal, but
28. again also Adrakhasis and his wife to live as gods are taken away, and
29. Adrakhasis also dwells in a remote place at the mouth of the rivers.’
30. They took me, and in a remote place at the mouth of the rivers they caused me to dwell.
31. Again also as for thee whomsoever the gods have chosen also,
32. for the health which thou seekest and askest,
33. the bulwarks shall be mounted six days and seven nights,
34. like one who sits in the vicinity of his nest,
35. a way like a storm shall be laid upon him.
36. Adrakhasis to her also says, even to his wife:
37. I announce that the chief who has sought health
38. the way like a storm shall be laid upon him.
39. His wife to him also says even to Adrakhasis afar off:
40. Turn him, and let the man be sent away;
41. by the road that he came may he return in peace,
42. thro’ the great gate going forth let him return to his country.
43. Adrakhasis to her also says, even to his wife:
44. The pain of the man pains thee,
45. mount the bulwarks; his baldness place on his head.
46. And the day when he had mounted the side of the ship,
47. she mounted, his baldness she placed on his head.
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48. And the day when he had mounted the side of the ship,
49. first the sabusat of his baldness,
50. second the mussukat, third the radbat, fourth she opened his zikaman,
51. fifth the sibu she placed, sixth the bassat,
Column V.
1. seventh in the outlet she turned him and let the man go free.
—–———–———–———–
2. Izdubar to him also says even to Xisuthrus afar off:
3. In this way thou wast compassionate (?) over me,
4. quickly thou hast begotten me, and thou hast set eyes (on me).
5. Xisuthrus to him also says even to Izdubar.
6. ....... thy baldness,
7. ....... I separated thee,
8. ....... thy baldness,
9. second the mussukat, third the radbat,
10. fourth I opened thy zikaman,
11. fifth the sibu I placed, sixth the bassat,
12. seventh in the opening I turned thee.
13. Izdubar to him also says even to Xisuthrus afar off:
14. ...... Xisuthrus whither may I go?
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15. ...... they shipped
16. ...... dwelling in death,
17. ...... his tail dies also.
—–———–———–———–
18. Xisuthrus to him also says even to Nis-Hea the boatman:
19. Nis-Hea, may thy (oar) accomplish a passage for thee.
20. He who ..... on the shore of (the gods) ....
21. the man whom thou goest before, disease has covered his body;
22. illness has overmastered the strength of his limbs.
23. Take him, Nis-Hea, to cleanse carry him,
24. may he cleanse his disease in the water like purity,
25. may he cast off his illness, and may the sea carry it away, may health cover his skin,
26. may it restore the hair of his head,
27. the hair clothing, the covering of his loins.
28. That he may go to his country, that he may take his road,
29. never may the hair become old and alone may he be alone (i.e. unrivalled).
30. Nis-Hea took him, to cleanse he carried him,
31. his disease in the water like purity (beauty) he cleansed,
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32. he cast off his illness, and the sea carried it away, health covered his skin,
33. the hair of his head was restored, the hair clothing the covering of his loins.
34. That he might go to his country, that he might take his road,
35. the hair he did not cast off, but alone he was alone.
36. Izdubar and Nis-Hea rode in the ship,
37. where he had placed them they rode.
—–———–———–———–
38. His wife to him also says even to Xisuthrus afar off:
39. Izdubar goes away, he is at rest, he performs
40. what thou hast given (him to do), and returns to his country.
41. And he even Izdubar lifted up the oar (?);
42. the ship touched the shore.
43. Xisuthrus to him also says even to Izdubar:
44. Izdubar, thou goest away, thou art at rest, thou performest
45. what I gave thee (to do), and thou returnest to thy country.
46. Let the story of my preservation be revealed, O Izdubar,
47. and let the judgment of the gods be related to thee.
48. This account (?) like ........
49. its renown (?) like the Amurdin tree ....
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50. if he takes the whole of it in the hand ....
51. To Izdubar he revealed this in his hearing, and ....
52. he bound together heavy stones ....
Column VI.
1. they dragged it and to the deep ....
2. he even Izdubar took the animal ....
3. he cut the heavy stones ....
4. one homer he poured out in libation to it for his ship.
—–———–———–———–
5. Izdubar to him also says even to Nis-Hea, the boatman:
6. O Nis-Hea, the whole of this, even the whole of the story,
7. of which a man in his heart shall take its story,
8. may he bring it to the midst of Erech the lofty, may he complete (it) like ....
9. .... splendour (which) is diminished ....
10. May I record and return to perform my vengeance (?).
11. For 10 kaspu (70 miles) they journeyed the stage, for 20 kaspu (140 miles) they made hostility;
12. Izdubar saw a well which the waters were excavating.
13. He turned to the bright waters and smells (?) the waters; .... grant me thy image (?)
14. .... the men he approached and (their) goods he took away (?)
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15. at his return they tore the hair.
16. Izdubar approached (?) ....
17. over the fortress of his nostrils coursed his tears, and he says to Nis-Hea the boatman:
18. What is it to me, Nis-Hea, that my hands rest?
19. What is it to me that my heart lives?
20. I have not done good to my own self;
21. and yet the lion of the earth does good (to himself).
22. Again for 20 kaspu (140 miles) alone I take the way, and
23. when I had opened the .... I heaped up the tackling,
24. the sea against its long wall I urged.
25. And he left the ship by the shore, 20 kaspu (140 miles) they journeyed the stage.
26. For 30 kaspu (210 miles) they performed the labour, they came into the midst of Erech the lofty.
—–———–———–———–
27. Izdubar to him also says, even to Nis-Hea the boatman:
28. Ascend, Nis-Hea, over the fortress of Erech go;
29. the foundation-stone is scattered, the bricks of its interior are not made,
30. and its foundation is not laid to thy height (?);
31. 1 saros (is) thy city, 1 saros the plantations, 1 saros the boundary of the temple of Nantur the house of Istar,
32. 3 sari together the city of Erech ...
—–———–———–———– 295
The opening line of the next tablet is preserved, it reads: “The gad-fly in the house of the serving-man was left.” After this the story is again lost for several lines, and where it reappears Izdubar is mourning for Hea-bani.
The fragments of this tablet are:—
Column I.
1. The gad-fly in the house of the serving-man was left.
(Several lines lost.)
1. Izdubar (lamented thus over Hea-bani his friend:)
2. If to ....
3. to happiness thou (art not admitted);
4. a shining cloak (thou dost not wear),
5. like a misfortune (?) thou ....
6. Fat (and) goodly food thou dost not share;
7. to (come to) its savour they do not choose thee.
8. The bow against the ground thou dost not aim,
9. what the bow has struck escapes thee:
10. the staff to thy hands thou dost not lift,
11. the captive will not curse thee:
12. sandals to thy feet thou dost not bind,
13. a thrust against the ground thou dost not make.
14. Thy wife whom thou lovest thou dost not kiss,
15. thy wife whom thou hatest thou dost not strike;
16. thy child whom thou lovest thou dost not kiss,
17. thy child whom thou hatest thou dost not strike.
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18. The destruction of the earth has seized thee.
19. Ninazu, of darkness the mother, of darkness, of darkness,
20. her illustrious stature as his mantle covers him, and
21. her feet like a deep well beget [or darken] him.
This is the bottom of the first column. The next column has lost all the upper part: it appears to have contained the remainder of this lament, an appeal to one of the gods on behalf of Hea-bani, and a repetition of the lamentation, the third person being used instead of the second. The fragments commence in the middle of this:
1. his wife whom he hates he strikes,
2. his child whom he loves he kisses;
3. his child whom he has hated he strikes,
4. the destruction of the earth takes him.
5. Ninazu, of darkness the mother of darkness, of darkness!
6. Her illustrious stature as a mantle covers him,
7. her feet like a deep well beget him.
8. Lo! Hea-bani from the earth to .....
9. The plague-demon did not take him, fever did not take him, the earth took him.
10. The resting-place of Nergal the unconquered did not take him, the earth took him.
11. The place of the battle of heroes did not strike him, the earth took him.
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12. Lo! .... ni son of the goddess Ninsun32 for his servant Hea-bani wept;
13. to the house of Bel alone he went.
14. “Father Bel, a gad-fly to the earth struck me,
15. a deadly wound to the earth struck me,”
Column III.
1. Hea-bani who to rest (was not admitted),
2. the plague-demon did not take him, (the earth took him);
3. the resting-place of Nergal the unconquered did not take him, (the earth took him).
4. In the place of the battle of heroes they did not (strike him, the earth took him).
5. Father Bel, a judgment did not take him.
6. Father Sin, the gad-fly (struck him);
7. a deadly wound (to the earth struck him).
8. Hea-bani who to rest (was not admitted),
9. the plague-demon did not take him, (the earth took him);
10. the resting-place of Nergal (the unconquered did not take him).
(About 12 lines lost, containing a repetition of this passage.)
23. The plague-demon ....
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24. the resting-place of Nergal the unconquered (did not take him);
25. the place of the battle of heroes did not (take him).
26. Father Hea ....
27. To the warrior Merodach ....
28. Heroic warrior (Merodach) ....
29. he created him the word ....
30. the spirit ....
31. To his father ....
32. the heroic warrior Merodach (son of Hea)
33. created him the word, the earth opened, and
34. the spirit (or ghost) of Hea-bani like dust from the earth (arose):
35. ..... and thou explainest,
36. he pondered and repeated this:
Column IV.
1. Tell, my friend, tell, my friend,
2. the secrets of the earth which thou hast seen, tell (me).
3. I cannot tell thee, my friend, I cannot tell thee,
4. (how) can I tell thee the secrets of the earth which I have seen?
5. ..... I sit weeping
6. ..... may I sit and may I weep
7. ..... of growth and thy heart rejoiced
8. ..... thou growest old, the worm entered
9. ..... of youth and thy heart rejoiced
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10. ..... dust filling
11. ..... he passed over
12. ..... he passed over
13. ..... I saw
Here there is a serious blank in the inscription, about twenty lines being lost, and Mr. Smith has conjecturally inserted a fragment which appears to belong to this part of the narrative. It is very curious from the geographical names it contains.
1. .... I poured out ....
2. .... which thou trusted ....
3. .... city of Babylon ri ....
4. .... which he was blessed ....
5. .... may he mourn for my fault ....
6. .... may he mourn for him and for ....
7. .... Kisu and Kharsak-kalama, may he mourn .....
8. .... his .... Cutha ....
9. .... Eridu? and Nipur ....
The rest of Column IV. is lost, and of the next column there are only remains of the first two lines.
Column V.
1. like a good prince who ....
2. like ....
Here there are about thirty lines missing, the story recommencing with Column VI., which is perfect.
Column VI.
1. On a couch he reclines and
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2. pure water drinks.
3. He who in battle is slain, thou seest and I see.
4. His father (and) his mother (support) his head,
5. (and) his wife addresses the corpse.
6. His friends in the field (are standing),
7. thou seest and I see.
8. His spoil on the ground is uncovered,
9. of his spoil he has no oversight.
10. Thou seest and I see.
11. His tender orphans long for bread; the food
12. which in the tents is placed is eaten.
—–———–———–———–
13. The twelfth tablet of the legends of Izdubar.
14. Like the ancient copy written and made clear.
Xisuthrus or Noah and Izdubar; from ............