The Chaldean Account of the Deluge and the Epic of Gilgamish

Legend of the Deluge in Babylonia

There is proof to show that versions or recensions of the Legend of the Deluge
and of the Epic of Gilgamesh existed both in Sumerian and Babylonian, as early
as B.C. 2000. In B.C. 2000 the Legend of the Deluge did not form the XIth
Tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh, as it did in the reign of Ashur-bani-pal, or
earlier. The Legend of the Deluge was then already so old in Mesopotamia
that the scribes added to or abbreviated the text at will, and treated the
incidents recorded in it according to local or popular taste, tradition and
prejudice. There is no evidence that the Sumerian version is older than the
Semitic, or that the latter was translated direct from the former version. The
Sumerians regarded the Deluge as an historic event, which they were able to
date, for some of their records contain lists of kings who reigned before the
Deluge, though the lengths assigned to their reigns are incredible. After their
rule the Flood occurred, and when it passed away, kingship came down again from
on high.

The Babylonian versions state that the flood was caused by rain, but some
passages suggest that other destructive physical happenings connected with the
earth occurred. The Bible says the Deluge came because "all the
fountains of the great deep" were broken up, and "the
flood-gates of heaven were opened" (Gen. vii, ii). The rain flood was
joined by the waters of the sea. Later tradition, derived partly from
Babylonian and partly from Hebrew sources, asserts, e.g., in the Cave of Treasures,
a Syriac treatise composed probably at Odessa about the fifth or sixth century
A.D., that when Noah had entered the Ark and the door was shut "the
floodgates of the heavens were opened it and the foundations of the earth
were rent asunder," and that "the ocean, that great sea which surrounded
the whole world, poured forth its floods. And whilst the floodgates of
heaven were open, and the foundations of the earth were rent asunder, the
storehouses of the winds burst their bolts, and storms and whirlwinds swept
forth, and ocean roared and hurled its floods upon the earth." The ark was
steered over the waters by an angel, and when that had come to rest on
the mountains of Kardô (Ararat), "God commanded the waters and they became
separated from each other. The celestial waters were taken up and
ascended to their own place above the heavens whence they came. The waters
which had risen up from the earth returned to the lowermost abyss, and those
which belonged to the ocean returned to the innermost part thereof."

Berosus, a priest of Bêl, is not a very ancient authority, for he was not born
until the reign of Alexander the Great. The following is a version of the
fragment which describes the flood that took place in the days of Xisuthras
(Greek form of Zisudra, the name of the last king before the Flood, according
to the Sumerian tradition), the tenth King of the Chaldeans, and is of
importance for comparison with the rendering of the Legend of the Deluge, as
found on the Ninevite tablets, which follows immediately after.

The Legend of the Deluge
according to Berosus


"After the death of Ardates, his son Xisuthrus reigned. In his time
happened a great Deluge. The Deity, Cronus, appeared to him in a vision, and
warned him that upon the 15th day of the month Daesius there would be a flood,
by which mankind would be destroyed. He therefore enjoined him to write a
history of the beginning, procedure and conclusion of all things; and to bury
it in the city of the Sun at Sippara; and to build a vessel, and take with him
into it his friends and relations; and to convey on board everything necessary
to sustain life, together with all the different animals, both birds and
quadrupeds, and trust himself fearlessly to the deep. Having asked the Deity,
whither he was to sail? he was answered, 'To the Gods ': upon which he offered
up a prayer for the good of mankind.

He then obeyed the divine admonition; and built a vessel 5 stadia in length,
and 2 in breadth. Into this he put everything which he had prepared; and last
of all conveyed into it his wife, his children, and his friends. After the
flood had been upon the earth, and was in time abated, Xisuthrus sent out birds
from the vessel; which, not finding any food nor any place whereupon they might
rest their feet, returned to him again. After an interval of some days, he sent
them forth a second time; and they now returned with their feet tinged with
mud. He made a trial a third time with these birds; but they returned to him no
more: from whence he judged that the surface of the earth had appeared above
the waters. He therefore made an opening in the vessel, and upon looking out
found that it was stranded upon the side of some mountain; upon which he
immediately quitted it with his wife, his daughter, and the pilot. Xisuthrus
then paid his adoration to the earth, and, having constructed an altar, offered
sacrifices to the gods, and, with those who had come out of the vessel with
him, disappeared.

They, who remained within, finding that their companions did not return, quitted
the vessel with many lamentations, and called continually on the name of
Xisuthrus. Him they saw no more; but they could distinguish his voice in the
air, and could hear him admonish them to pay due regard to religion; and
likewise informed them that it was upon account of his piety that be was
translated to live with the gods; that his wife and daughter, and the pilot,
had obtained the same honour. To this he added that they should return to
Babylonia; and, it was ordained, search for the writings at Sippara, which they
were to make known to mankind: moreover that the place, wherein they then were,
was the land of Armenia. The rest having heard these
words, offered sacrifices to the gods; and taking a circuit journeyed towards Babylonia."

The Babylonian Legend of
the Deluge as told to Gilgamish by Uta-Napishtim

The Legend of the Deluge has no original connection with the Epic of
Gilgamish, but was introduced into it by the editors of the Epic, perhaps
during the reign of Ashur-bani-pal (669-626 BC). Gilgamish, who was horrified
when his companion Enkidu died, meditated deeply how he could escape death
himself. He knew that his ancestor Uta-Napishtim a had become immortal,
therefore he determined to set out for the place where Uta-Napishtim lived so
that he might obtain from him the secret of immortality. Guided by a dream,
Gilgamish set out for the Mountain of the Sunset, and, after great toil and
many difficulties, came to the shore of a vast sea. Here he met Ur-Shanabi, the
boatman of Uta-Napishtim, who was persuaded to carry him in his boat over the
"waters of death", and at length he landed on the shore of the
country of Uta-Napishtim. The immortal came down to the shore and asked the
newcomer the object of his visit, and Gilgamish told him of the death of his
great friend Enkidu, and of his desire to escape from death and to find
immortality.

1. Gilgamish said unto
Uta-Napishtim ...

7. How hast thou stood the company of the gods and sought life?"

8. Uta-Napishtim said unto Gilgamish:

9. "I will reveal unto thee, O Gilgamish, a hidden mystery, And a secret
matter of the gods I will declare unto thee.

11. Shurippak, a city which thou thyself knowest, On the river Puratti (Euphrates) is situated,

13. That city is old; and the gods [dwelling] within it. Their hearts induced
the great gods to make a windstorm

15. There was their father Anu, their counsellor, the warrior Enlil,

17. Their messenger En-urta and their prince Ennugi.

19. Nin-igi-ku, Ea, was with them [in council] and reported their word to a house
of reeds."

[First speech of Ea to
Uta-Napishtim who is sleepingiin a reed hut.]

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

23. O man of Shurippak, son of Ubar-Tutu, throw down the house, build a ship,

25. Forsake wealth, seek after life, hate possessions, save thy life,

27. Bring all seed of life into the ship.

28. The ship which thou shalt build, the dimensions thereof shall be measured,

30. The breadth and the length thereof shall be the same.

31. Then launch it upon the ocean.

32. I understood and I
said unto Ea, my lord:

33. See, my lord, that which thou hast ordered, I regard with reverence, and
will perform it,

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

36. Ea opened his mouth and spake and said unto his servant, myself,

38. Thus, man, shalt thou say unto them:

39. Ill-will hath the god Enlil formed against me, therefore I can no longer
dwell in your city,

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

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

43. But upon you he will rain riches, a catch of birds, a catch of fish

48. As soon as
[something of dawn] broke . . . 55. The child . . . brought bitumen, the strong
. . . brought what was needed.

57. On the fifth day I laid down its shape.

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

59. And the width of its deck (?) was equally 10 gar.

60. I laid down the shape of its forepart and marked it out (?).

61. I covered (?) it six times . . . . I divided into seven,

63. Its interior I divided into nine,

64. Caulking I drove into the middle of it.

65. I provided a steering pole, and cast in all that was needful.

66. Six sar of bitumen I poured over the hull (?),

67. Three sar of pitch I poured into the inside.

68. The men who bear loads brought three sar of oil,

69. Besides a sar of oil which the tackling (?) consumed,

70. And two sar of oil which the boatman hid.

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

77. Before the sunset (?) the ship was finished.

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

84. With all that I possessed of all the seed of life I loaded it.

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

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

87. The god Shamash had appointed me a time (saying)

88. The sender of . . . . . will at eventide make a hail to fall;

89. Then enter into the ship and shut thy door.

90. The appointed time drew nigh;

91. The sender of . . . . . made a hail to fall at eventide.

92. I watched the aspect of the [approaching] storm,

93. Terror possessed me to look upon it,

94. I went into the ship and shut my door.

95. To the pilot of the ship, Puzur-Enlil the sailor

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

97. As soon as something
of dawn shone in the sky

98. A black cloud from the foundation of heaven came up.

99. Inside it the god Adad thundered,

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

101. Marching as messengers over high land and plain,

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

103. En-urta went on, he made the storm to descend.

104. The Anunnaki [The star-gods of the southern sky] brandished their
torches,

105. With their glare they lighted up the land.

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

107. Every gleam of light was turned into darkness.

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

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

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

111. [The water] attacked the people like a battle.

112. Brother saw not brother. Men could not be known (or, recognized) in
heaven.

114. The gods were terrified at the cyclone.

115. They shrank back and went up into the heaven of Anu.

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

117. The goddess Ishtar cried out like a woman in travail.

118. The Lady of the Gods lamented with a sweet voice [saying]:

119. May that former day be turned into mud,

120. Because I commanded evil among the company of the gods.

121. How could I command evil among the company of the gods,

122. Command battle for the destruction of my people?

123. Did I of myself bring forth my people that they might fill the sea like
little fishes?

125. The gods, the Anunnaki wailed with her.

126. The gods bowed themselves, and sat down weeping.

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

128. For six days and
nights the wind, the storm raged, and the cyclone overwhelmed the land.

130. When the seventh day came the cyclone ceased, the storm which had fought
like an army.

132. The sea became quiet, the grievous wind went down, the cyclone ceased.

133. I looked on the day and voices were stilled,

134. And all mankind were turned into mud,

135. The land had been laid flat like a terrace.

136. I opened the air-hole and the light fell upon my cheek,

137. I bowed myself, I sat down, I cried,

138. My tears poured down over my cheeks.

139. I looked over the quarters of the world, (to] the limits of ocean.

140. At twelve points islands appeared.

141. The ship grounded
on the mountain
of Nisir.

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

146. When the seventh day had come I brought out a dove and let her go free.

148. The dove flew away and [then] came back;

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

150. I brought out a swallow and let her go free.

151. The swallow flew away and [then] came back;

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

153. 1 brought out a raven and let her go free.

154. The raven flew away, she saw the sinking waters.

155. She ate, she waded (?), she rose (?), she came not back.

156. Then I brought out [everything] to the four winds and made a sacrifice;

157. I set out an offering on the peak of the mountain.

158. Seven by seven I set out the vessels,

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

161. The gods smelt the
sweet savour and gathered together like flies over him that sacrificed.

163 Now when the Lady of the Gods [Ishtar] came nigh,

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

165. O ye gods here present, as I shall never forget the sapphire jewels of my
neck

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

167. Let the gods come to the offering,

168. But let not Enlil come to the offering,

169. Because he took not thought and made the cyclone,

170. And delivered my people over to destruction."

171. Now when Enlil came
nigh he saw the ship; then was Enlil wroth

173. And he was filled with anger against the gods, the Igigi [The star-gods of
the northern heaven] saying:

174. Hath any being escaped with his life?

175. He shall not remain alive, a man among the destruction.

176. Then En-urta said unto the warrior Enlil:

178. Who besides the god Ea can make a plan?

179. The god Ea knoweth everything that is done.

18o. The god Ea said
unto the warrior Enlil,

182. O Prince among the gods, thou warrior,

183. How, how couldst thou, not taking thought, make a cyclone?

184. He who is sinful, on him lay his sin, he who transgresseth, on him lay his
transgression.

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

187. Instead of thy making a cyclone, would that a famine had arisen and [laid
waste] the land.

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

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

197. Now therefore take counsel concerning him.

198. Then the god Enlil
went up into the ship,

199. He seized me by the hand and brought me forth.

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

201. He touched our brows, he stood between us, he blessed us [saving],

202. Formerly Uta-Napishtim mouth of the rivers.

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