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Epic of Gilgamesh Flood Account

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a Mesopotamian poem with twelve tablets. The eleventh includes an account of a
great flood that destroys the world. This poem was first composed around 2000 BC, but the deluge story was probably
not added until 1600 BC. The epic is about Gilgamesh, the king of the city of Uruk in Southern Mesopotamia, and his
quest to gain eternal life. In his pursuit, he meets Utnapishtim, the flood hero who was given immortality. In the first
part of the eleventh tablet, Utnapishtim recounts events of the deluge. He also reveals that there is a magical plant that
can restore youth. Gilgamesh then obtains the plant, but it is stolen by a serpent.
This epic features a number of motifs from Sumerian poems of an earlier period. Yet the central story of
Gilgamesh is an original work. In other words, the author/s borrowed and re-cycled motifs to develop their new
theme. The many parallels between the Epic of Gilgamesh and the later composed Biblical Flood Account (1000-
500 BC) suggests that the Hebrews practised a similar literary process. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the writers of
Noahs deluge used common ancient Near Eastern motifs to reveal the innovative theme that a single Holy God
judges human sin.
Introduction
Utnapishtim said to him, to Gilgamesh:
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I will reveal to thee, Gilgamesh, a hidden matter
and a secret of the gods will I tell thee:
Shuruppak a city which thou knowest,
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and which on the Euphrates banks is situated
that city was ancient, as were the gods within it,
when their heart led the great gods to produce the
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flood.
. . .
The Gods Warn Hero of the Flood
[The Gods said to Utnapishtim:]
Man of Shuruppak, son of Ubar-Tutu,
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tear down this house, build a ship!
Give up possessions, seek thou life.
Forswear worldly goods and keep the soul alive!
Aboard the ship take thou the seed of all living things.
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The ship that thou shall build,
her dimensions shall be to measure.
Equal shall be her width and her length.
Like the Aspu thou shall ceil her.
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I understood, and I said to Ea , my lord:
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Behold, my lord, what thou has ordered,
I will be honoured to carry out.
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. . . .
Building of the Ship
The little ones carried bitumen,
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while the grown ones brought all else that was
needful.
On the 5 day I laid her framework.
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One whole acre was her floor space,
120 cubits the height of each her walls,
120 cubits each edge of the square deck.
I laid out the contours and joined her together.
I provided her 6 decks,
dividing her thus into 7 parts.
Her floor plan I divided into 9 parts.
I hammered water plugs into her.
I saw to the punting-poles and laid in supplies.
6 sar measures of bitumen I poured into the furnace,
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3 sar of asphalt I also poured inside.
3 sar of oil the basket-bearers carried,
aside from the 1 sar of oil which the calking consumed,
and the 2 sar of oil which the boatman stowed away.
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. . . .
Loading & Launching of the Ship
On the 7 day the ship was completed.
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The launching was very difficult,
so that they had to shift the floor planks above and
below, until two-thirds of the structure had gone into
the water.
Whatever I had I laded upon her:
Whatever I had of silver I laded upon her.
Whatever I had of gold I laded upon her.
Whatever I had of all the living beings I laded upon
her.
All my family and kin I made go aboard the ship.
The beasts of the field, the wild creatures of the
field, all the craftsmen I made go aboard.
Shamash had set for me a stated time:
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When he who orders unease at night,
will shower down a rain of blight,
Board the ship and batten up the entrance!
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The Flood
That stated time had arrived:
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He who orders unease at night, showers down a rain
of blight.
I watched the appearance of the weather.
The weather was awesome to behold.
I boarded the ship and batten up the entrance.
To batten down the ship, to Puzur-Amurri, the
boatman,
I handed over the structure together with its
contents.
With the first glow of dawn,
a black cloud rose up from the horizon.
Inside it Adad thunders,
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while Shullat and Hanish go in front,
moving as heralds over hill and plain.
Erragal tears out the posts.
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Forth comes Ninurta and causes the dikes to follow.
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The Anunnaki lift up the torches,
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setting the land ablaze with their glare.
Consternation over Adad reaches to the heavens,
who turned to blackness all that had been light.
The wide land was shattered like a pot!
For one day the south-storm blew,
gathering speed as it blew,
overtaking the people like a battle.
No one can see his fellow,
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nor can the people recognize heaven.
The Gods Terrified by the Flood
The gods were frightened by the deluge,
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and, shrinking back, they ascended to the heaven
of Anu.
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The gods cowered like dogs crouched against the outer
wall.
. . . .
The gods, all humbled, sit and weep,
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their lips drawn tight, one and all.
6 days and 6 nights
Blows the flood wind, as south-storm sweeps the land.
End of the Flood & Landing of the Ship on Mt. Nisir
When the 7 day arrived,
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the flood-carrying south-storm subsided in the
battle, which it had fought like an army.
The sea grew quiet, the tempest was still, the flood
ceased.
I looked at the weather: stillness had set in,
and all of mankind had returned to clay.
The landscape was level as a flat roof.
I opened the hatch, and light fell upon my face.
Bowing low, I sat and wept, tears running down on
my face.
I looked about for coast lines in the expanse of the
sea:
In each of 14 regions there emerged a region-
mountain.
On Mount Nisir the ship came to a halt.
Mount Nisir held the ship fast, allowing no motion.
One day, a 2 day, Mount Nisir held the ship fast,
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allowing no motion.
A 3 day, a 4 day, Mount Nisir held the ship fast,
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allowing no motion.
A 5 day, a 6 day, Mount Nisir held the ship fast,
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allowing no motion.
Bird Reconnaissance after the Flood
When the 7 day arrived,
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I sent forth and set free a dove.
The dove went forth, but came back;
since no resting-place for it was visible, she turned
around.
Then I sent forth and set free a swallow.
The swallow went forth, but came back;
since no resting-place for it was visible, she turned
around.
Then I sent forth and set free a raven.
The raven went forth and, seeing that the waters had
diminished.
He eats, circles, caws, and turns not around.
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Disembarkment of the Ship & Sacrifice to the Gods
Then I let out all [the creatures] to the four winds
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and offered a sacrifice.
I poured out a libation on the top of the mountain.
7 and 7 cult-vessels I set up,
Upon their pot-stands I heaped cane, cedarwood, and
myrtle.
The gods smelled the savour,
the gods smelled the sweet savour,
The gods crowded around like flies about the
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sacrificer.
Argument Among the Gods
When at length the great goddess arrived,
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she lifted up the great jewels which Anu had fashioned
to her liking:
Ye gods here, as surely as this lapis upon my neck I
shall not forget,
I shall be mindful of these days, forgetting them never.
Let the gods come to the offering;
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But let not Enlil come to the offering,
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for he, unreasoning, brought on the deluge
and my people consigned to destruction.
When at length as Enlil arrived,
and saw the ship, Enlil was wroth.
He was filled with wrath over the Igigi gods:
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Has some living soul escaped?
No man was to survive the destruction!
Ninurta opened his mouth to speak, saying to Enlil:
Who, other than Ea, can devise plans?
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It is Ea alone who knows every matter.
Ea opened his mouth to speak, saying to Enlil:
Thou wisest of gods, thou hero,
how couldst thou, unreasoning, bring on the
deluge?
On the sinner impose his sin.
On the transgressor impose his transgression!
Yet be lenient, lest he be cut off.
Be patient, lest he be dislodged!
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge,
would that a lion had risen up to diminish
mankind!
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge,
would that a wolf had risen up to diminish
mankind!
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge,
would that a famine had risen up to lay low
mankind!
Instead of thy bringing on the deluge,
would that a pestilence had risen up to smite down
mankind!
It was not I who disclosed the secret of the great
gods.
I let exceedingly wise [Utnapishtim] see a dream,
and he perceived the secret of the gods.
Now then take counsel in regard to him!
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ConclusionReward of Eternal Life
Thereupon Enlil went aboard the ship.
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Holding me [Utnapishtim] by the hand, he took me
aboard.
He took my wife aboard and made her kneel by my
side.
Standing between us, he touched our foreheads to
bless us:
Hitherto Utnapishtim has been but human.
Henceforth Utnapishtim and his wife shall be like
unto us gods.
Utnapishtim and shall reside far away, at the mouth
of the rivers!
Thus they too me and made me reside far away, at
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the mouth of the rivers.
REFERENCE
Abridged 11 Tablet from ANET, pp. 93-95.
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