The Epic of Gilgamesh 11

Tablet XI: The Flood

Gilgamish said unto Uta-Napishtim, to Uta-Napishtim the remote:

"I am looking at thee, Uta-Napishtim.

Thy person is not altered; even as am I so art thou.

Verily, nothing about thee is changed; even as am I so art thou.

[Moved is my] heart to do battle,

But thou art at leisure and dost lie upon thy back.

How then wast thou able to enter the company of the gods and see life?"

Thereupon Uta-Napishtim related to Gilgamish the Story of the Deluge, and the Eleventh Tablet continues thus:--

Uta-Napishtim said unto him, to Gilgamish:

"I will reveal unto thee, O Gilgamish, a hidden mystery,

And a secret matter of the gods I will declare unto thee.

Shurippak, a city which thou thyself knowest,

On [the bank] of the river Puratti (Euphrates) is situated,

That city was old and the gods [dwelling] within it--

Their hearts induced the great gods to make a wind-storm (a-bu-bi),

Their father Anu,

Their counsellor, the warrior Enlil,

Their messenger En-urta [and]

Their prince Ennugi.

Nin-igi-azag, Ea, was with them [in council] and

reported their word to the house of reeds.

[First Speech of Ea to Uta-Napishtim who is sleeping in a reed hut.]

O House of reeds, O House of reeds! O Wall, O Wall!

O House of reeds, hear! O Wall, understand!

O man of Shurippak, son of Ubara-Tutu.

Throw down the house, build a ship,

Forsake wealth, seek after life,

Abandon possessions, save thy life,

Carry grain of every kind into the ship.

The ship which thou shalt build,

The dimensions thereof shall be measured,

The breadth and the length thereof shall be the same.

... the ocean, provide it with a roof."

[Uta-Napishtim's answer to Ea.]

"I understood and I said unto Ea, my lord:

[I comprehend] my lord, that which thou hast ordered,

I will regard it with great reverence, and will perform it.

But what shall I say to the town, to the multitude, and to the elders?"

[Second Speech of Ea.]

"Ea opened his mouth and spake

And said unto his servant, myself,

... Thus shalt thou say unto them:

Ill-will hath the god Enlil formed against me,

Therefore I can no longer dwell in your city,

And never more will I turn my countenance upon the soil of Enlil.

I will descend into the ocean to dwell with my lord Ea.

But upon you he will rain riches:

A catch of birds, a catch of fish

... an [abundant] harvest,

... the prince (?) of the darkness

... shall make a violent cyclone [to fall upon you]."

[The Building of the Ship.]

As soon as [the dawn] broke...

[Lines 49-54 broken away.]

The weak [man]... brought bitumen,

The strong [man]... brought what was needed.

On the fifth day I decided upon its plan.

According to the plan its walls were 10 Gar (i.e. 120 cubits) high,

And the circuit of the roof thereof was equally 10 Gar.

I measured out the hull thereof and marked it out (?)

I covered (?) it six times.

Its exterior I divided into seven,

Its interior I divided into nine,

Water bolts I drove into the middle of it.

I provided a steering pole, and fixed what was needful for it,

Six sar of bitumen I poured over the inside wall,

Three sar of pitch I poured into the inside.

The men who bear loads brought three sar of oil,

Besides a sar of oil which the offering consumed,

And two sar of oil which the boatman hid.

I slaughtered oxen for the [work]people,

I slew sheep every day.

Beer, sesame wine, oil and wine

I made the people drink as if they were water from the river.

I celebrated a feast-day as if it had been New Year's Day.

I opened [a box of ointment], I laid my hands in unguent.

Before the sunset the ship was finished.

[Since]... was difficult.

The shipbuilders brought the... of the ship, above and below,

... two-thirds of it.

[The Loading of the Ship.]

With everything that I possessed I loaded it (i.e. the ship).

With everything that I possessed of silver I loaded it.

With everything that I possessed of gold I loaded it.

With all that I possessed of living grain I loaded it.

I made to go up into the ship all my family and kinsfolk,

The cattle of the field, the beasts of the field, all handicraftsmen I made them go up into it.

The god Shamash had appointed me a time (saying)

The Power of Darkness will at eventide make a rain-flood to fall;

Then enter into the ship and shut thy door.

The appointed time drew nigh;

The Power of Darkness made a rain-flood to fall at eventide.

I watched the coming of the [approaching] storm,

"When I saw it terror possessed me,

I went into the ship and shut my door.

To the pilot of the ship, Puzur-Bêl (or Puzur-Amurri) the sailor

I committed the great house (i.e. ship), together with the contents thereof.

[The Abubu (Cyclone) and its effects Described.]

As soon as the gleam of dawn shone in the sky

A black cloud from the foundation of heaven came up.

Inside it the god Adad (Rammânu) thundered,

The gods Nabû and Sharru (i.e. Marduk) went before,

Marching as messengers over high land and plain,

Irragal (Nergal) tore out the post of the ship,

En-urta (Ninib) went on, he made the storm to descend.

The Anunnaki brandished their torches,

With their glare they lighted up the land.

The whirlwind (or, cyclone) of Adad swept up to heaven.

Every gleam of light was turned into darkness.

...... the land...... as if...... had laid it waste.

A whole day long [the flood descended]...

Swiftly it mounted up..... [the water] reached to the mountains

[The water] attacked the people like a battle.

Brother saw not brother.

Men could not be known (or, recognized) in heaven.

The gods were terrified at the cyclone.

They betook themselves to flight and went up into the heaven of Anu.

The gods crouched like a dog and cowered by the wall.

The goddess Ishtar cried out like a woman in travail.

The Lady of the Gods lamented with a loud voice [saying]:

[Ishtar's Lament.]

"Verily the former dispensation is turned into mud,

Because I commanded evil among the company of the gods.

When I commanded evil among the company of the gods,

I commanded battle for the destruction of my people.

Did I of myself bring forth my people

That they might fill the sea like little fishes?"

[Uta-Napishtim's Story continued.]

The gods of the Anunnaki wailed with her.

The gods bowed themselves, and sat down, and wept.

Their lips were shut tight (in distress)...

For six days and nights

The storm raged, and the cyclone overwhelmed the land.

[The Abating of the Storm.]

When the seventh day approached the cyclone and the raging flood ceased:

--now it had fought like an army.

The sea became quiet and went down, and the cyclone and the rain-storm ceased.

I looked over the sea and a calm had come,

And all mankind were turned into mud,

The land had been laid flat like a terrace.

I opened the air-hole and the light fell upon my face,

I bowed myself, I sat down, I cried,

My tears poured down over my cheeks.

I looked over the quarters of the world--open sea!

After twelve days an island appeared.

The ship took its course to the land of Nisir.

The mountain of Nisir held the ship, it let it not move.

The first day, the second day, the mountain of Nisir held the ship and let it not move.

The third day, the fourth day, the mountain of Nisir held the ship and let it not move.

The fifth day, the sixth day, the mountain of Nisir held the ship and let it not move.

When the seventh day had come

I brought out a dove and let her go free.

The dove flew away and [then] came back;

Because she had no place to alight on she came back.

I brought out a swallow and let her go free.

The swallow flew away and [then] came back;

Because she had no place to alight on she came back.

I brought out a raven and let her go free.

The raven flew away, she saw the sinking waters.

She ate, she pecked in the ground, she croaked, she came not back.

[Uta-Napishtim Leaves the Ship.]

Then I brought out everything to the four winds and offered up a sacrifice;

I poured out a libation on the peak of the mountain.

Seven by seven I set out the vessels,

Under them I piled reeds, cedarwood and myrtle (?).

The gods smelt the savour,

The gods smelt the sweet savour.

The gods gathered together like flies over him that sacrificed.

[Speech of Ishtar, Lady of the Gods.]

Now when the Lady of the Gods came nigh,

She lifted up the priceless jewels which Anu had made according to her desire, [saying]

"O ye gods here present, as I shall never forget the lapis-lazuli jewels of my neck

So shall I ever think about these days, and shall forget them nevermore!

Let the gods come to the offering,

But let not Enlil come to the offering,

Because he would not accept counsel and made the cyclone,

And delivered my people over to destruction."

[The Anger of Enlil (Bêl).]

Now when Enlil came nigh

He saw the ship; then was Enlil wroth

And he was filled with anger against the gods, the Igigi [saying]:

"What kind of a being hath escaped with his life?

He shall not remain alive, a man among the destruction!"

[Speech of En-Urta.]

Then En-Urta opened his mouth and spake

And said unto the warrior Enlil (Bêl):

Who besides the god Ea can make a plan?

The god Ea knoweth everything.

He opened his mouth and spake

And said unto the warrior Enlil (Bêl),

O Prince among the gods, thou warrior,

How couldst thou, not accepting counsel, make a cyclone?

He who is sinful, on him lay his sin,

He who transgresseth, on him lay his transgression.

But be merciful that [everything] be not destroyed; be long-suffering that [man be not blotted out].

Instead of thy making a cyclone,

Would that a lion had come and diminished mankind.

Instead of thy making a cyclone

Would that a wolf had come and diminished mankind.

Instead of thy making a cyclone

Would that a famine had arisen and [laid waste] the land.

Instead of thy making a cyclone

Would that Urra (the Plague god) had risen up and [laid waste] the land.

As for me I have not revealed the secret of the great gods.

I made Atra-hasis to see a vision, and thus he heard the secret of the gods.

Now therefore counsel him with counsel."

[Ea deifies Uta-Napishtim and his Wife.]

"Then the god Ea went up into the ship,

He seized me by the hand and brought me forth.

He brought forth my wife and made her to kneel by my side.

He turned our faces towards each other, he stood between us, he blessed us [saying],

Formerly Uta-Napishtim was a man merely,

But now let Uta-Napishtim and his wife be like unto the gods, ourselves.

Uta-Napishtim shall dwell afar off, at the mouth of the rivers."

[Uta-Napishtim Ends his Story of the Deluge.]

"And they took me away to a place afar off, and made me to dwell at the mouth of the rivers."