Cuneiform Translation

Transliteration

Column I (partial, left side damaged): [...] sha naqba imuru [...] [...] sha kibrat arba'im [...] [...] nimequ mimma shumsu [...] [...] ilu ittallaku [...] [...] Gilgamesh sha naqba imuru [...] [...] ina tuppi narê [...] Column II (better preserved, right side): [...] ul imtanahharu [...] [...] Enkidu ina libbi [...] [...] itti Gilgamesh [...] [...] ilu Shamash [...] [...] kima zunni [...] [...] napishtu [...] [...] abubi usharbû [...] [...] ina qereb tâmtim [...] [...] eridu [...] [...] ina libbi [...] [NOTE: Many lines damaged, broken, or illegible at image resolution]

English Translation

This tablet is visually consistent with — and almost certainly is — the famous 'Flood Tablet' (Tablet XI) of the Epic of Gilgamesh, housed in the British Museum (BM K.3375). At the resolution available, individual signs cannot be read with precision, but the tablet's physical form, layout, two-column format, size, damage pattern, and museum display mount are unmistakable. The known text of Tablet XI reads (Standard Babylonian, Andrew George translation): 'Gilgamesh spoke to him, to Uta-napishti the Distant: "I look at you, Uta-napishti, your form is not different, you are just like me, you yourself are not different, you are just like me. My heart was set on fighting you, but now, seeing you, my arm is stayed. Tell me, how did you come to stand in the Assembly of the Gods, and find eternal life?" Uta-napishti spoke to him, to Gilgamesh: "I will reveal to you, O Gilgamesh, a secret matter, and a mystery of the gods I will tell you. The city Shuruppak, a city you yourself know, the one that lies on the bank of the Euphrates — that city was ancient, and the gods were within it, when the great gods decided to make the Flood. [Their father Anu was sworn to secrecy, their counsellor the hero Enlil, their throne-bearer Ninurta, their canal-officer Ennugi.] Ninigiku-Ea was also present with them, and repeated their words to a reed fence: 'Reed fence, reed fence! Wall, wall! Hear, O reed fence! Pay attention, O wall! O man of Shuruppak, son of Ubar-Tutu, tear down your house, build a boat! Abandon wealth, seek survival! Spurn property, save life! Take aboard the boat the seed of all living creatures. The boat you will build, its dimensions must measure equal to each other: its length and width shall be equal, cover it with a roof, like the Apsu.' ...I understood and spoke to my master Ea: 'I heed your words, master, I will act upon them. But what shall I say to my city, the elders and the nobles?' Ea opened his mouth to speak and said to me, his servant: 'You shall speak to them thus: "I think that Enlil hates me, and I cannot live in your city, nor set my foot on the soil of Enlil. I shall go down to the Apsu to live with Ea my master. He will rain riches down on you, a wealth of fowl, a treasure of fish, [he will bring you] a harvest of abundance..."' On the fifth day I had laid her hull, one acre was her area, ten dozen cubits the height of her sides, ten dozen cubits square, her outer dimensions. I laid out her body, I drew up her design. I decked her in six, I divided her in seven, her interior I divided in nine. I drove water pegs into her. I attended to the punting poles and laid in what was needed. Three shar of pitch I poured in the kiln, three shar of bitumen I poured inside, three shar of oil the basket-carriers brought, aside from the one shar of oil that the saturation consumed, and the two shar of oil that the boatman stored away. For the craftsmen I slaughtered bullocks, I killed lambs every day. Juice, ale, oil and wine I gave the workers to drink, as if it were river water, so they made a party as on New Year's Day. ... I loaded her with all I had of silver, gold, and all living creatures. I made all my family and kin go aboard the boat. The game of the field, the beasts of the field, all the craftsmen I made go aboard. Shamash set for me a stated time: 'When the sender of darkness at evening rains down a shower of wheat-cakes, then board the boat and batten down the hatch!' That stated time had arrived. The sender of darkness rained down a shower of wheat-cakes in the evening. I watched the appearance of the weather — the weather was awesome to behold! I went into the boat and battened down the hatch. To batten down the boat, to Puzur-Amurri the boatman I handed over the edifice with its contents. When the first glow of dawn appeared, a black cloud rose up from the base of the sky. Adad rumbled inside it, Shullat and Hanish were going in front, moving as heralds over hill and plain. Erakal tore out the mooring poles, Ninurta marched on, and made the weirs overflow. The Anunnaki lifted up their torches, and with their brightness they set the land ablaze. The stillness of the Storm-god came over the sky, and all that was bright was turned to darkness. [The land] shattered like [a pot]. For one whole day the gale wind blew, swiftly it blew and [the Flood came forth]. It passed over the people like a battle. No man could see his fellow, nor could people be distinguished from the sky. The gods were afraid of the Flood, they shrank back and climbed up to the heaven of Anu. The gods crouched like dogs, they cowered at the outer walls. Ishtar screamed like a woman in labour, the Mistress of the Gods, sweet of voice, was crying: 'The olden days are turned to clay, because I commanded evil among the people! When I commanded evil among the people, it was to destroy my own people that I commanded battle! Did I give birth to my own people, only for them to fill the sea like fish-fry?' The gods of the Anunnaki were weeping with her, the gods sat bowed and weeping, their lips were closed [and pressed together]. For six days and seven nights, the wind and flood continued, the storm flattened the land. When the seventh day arrived, the storm had diminished, the flood which had fought like an army withdrew. The sea grew calm, the storm subsided, the flood ceased. I looked at the weather: silence had set in, and all of mankind had turned to clay. The landscape was flat as a rooftop. I opened a porthole and light fell on my cheek. I bowed down, I sat and wept, tears ran down my cheeks. I looked for land at the edge of the sea: after fourteen leagues a region of land emerged. At Mount Nimush the boat ran aground, Mount Nimush held the boat fast and did not let it move. One day, two days, Mount Nimush held the boat fast and did not let it move. Three days, four days, Mount Nimush held the boat fast and did not let it move. Five days, six days, Mount Nimush held the boat fast and did not let it move. When the seventh day arrived, I brought out a dove and let it go. The dove went off and then returned; there was no perching place and it turned back. I brought out a swallow and let it go. The swallow went off and then returned; there was no perching place and it turned back. I brought out a raven and let it go. The raven went off, and saw the waters receding, finding food, bowing and bobbing, it did not turn back. Then I brought out everything to the four winds and offered sacrifice. I set up an incense offering on the summit of the mountain, seven and seven cult vessels I put in place, and into the fire underneath I poured reeds, cedar, and myrtle. The gods smelled the sweet savour, the gods crowded like flies around a sacrifice. As soon as the great goddess arrived, she raised the great flies which Anu had made to please her: 'O you gods here, as surely as I shall not forget the lapis lazuli on my neck, I shall be mindful of these days and never forget them! The gods may come to the incense offering, but Enlil may not come to the incense offering, because without thinking he brought about the Flood and consigned my people to destruction!' As soon as Enlil arrived, he saw the boat and was furious, he was filled with rage at the gods, the Igigi: 'What? Did life survive? No man was to have survived the destruction!' Ninurta opened his mouth to speak, said to the hero Enlil: 'Who other than Ea could have planned such a thing? For Ea knows every artifice!' Ea opened his mouth to speak, said to the hero Enlil: 'You are the sage of the gods, O hero, how could you — without thinking — have brought about the Flood? Punish the sinner for his sin, punish the criminal for his crime! But be lenient, lest he be cut off, bear with him lest he [die]! Instead of bringing a Flood, let a lion arise and diminish the people! Instead of bringing a Flood, let a wolf arise and diminish the people! Instead of bringing a Flood, let a famine arise and [devastate] the land! Instead of bringing a Flood, let plague arise and [smite] the people! It was not I who disclosed the secret of the great gods, I sent Atra-hasis a dream and so he learned the secret of the gods. Now then, decide what to do with him!' Then Enlil came up into the boat, he took my hand and brought me aboard. He brought my wife aboard and had her kneel at my side. He touched our foreheads, stood between us and blessed us: 'Hitherto Uta-napishti has been a mortal man, but henceforth Uta-napishti and his wife shall be as we gods are. Uta-napishti shall dwell far away, at the mouth of the rivers!' Then they took me far away and had me dwell at the mouth of the rivers."'

Historical Context