The Babylonian Story of the Deluge as Told by Assyrian Tablets from Nineveh: The Discovery of the Tablets at Nineveh by Layard, Rassam and Smith — John Shaqi
The Babylonian Story of the Deluge as Told by Assyrian Tablets from Nineveh: The Discovery of the Tablets at Nineveh by Layard, Rassam and SmithBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Religion
The Babylonian Story of the Deluge as Told by Assyrian Tablets from Nineveh: The Discovery of the Tablets at Nineveh by Layard, Rassam and Smith
[First Speech of Ea to Uta-Napishtim who is sleeping in a reed hut.]
21. O House of reeds, O House of reeds! O Wall, O Wall!
22. O House of reeds, hear! O Wall, understand!
23. O man of Shurippak, son of Ubara-Tutu.
24. Throw down the house, build a ship,
25. Forsake wealth, seek after life,
26. Abandon possessions, save thy life,
27. Carry grain of every kind into the ship.
28. The ship which thou shalt build,
29. The dimensions thereof shall be measured,
30. The breadth and the length thereof shall be the same.
31. ... the ocean, provide it with a roof."
[Uta-Napishtim's answer to Ea.]
32. "I understood and I said unto Ea, my lord:
33. [I comprehend] my lord, that which thou hast ordered,
34. I will regard it with great reverence, and will perform it.
35. But what shall I say to the town, to the multitude, and to the
elders?"
[Second Speech of Ea.]
36. "Ea opened his mouth and spake
37. And said unto his servant, myself,
38. ... Thus shalt thou say unto them:
39. Ill-will hath the god Enlil formed against me,
40. 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:
44. A catch of birds, a catch of fish
45. ... an [abundant] harvest,
46. ... the prince (?) of the darkness
47. ... shall make a violent cyclone [to fall upon you]."
[The Building of the Ship.]
48. As soon as [the dawn] broke...
[Lines 49-54 broken away.]
55. The weak [man] ... brought bitumen,
56. The strong [man] ... brought what was needed.
57. On the fifth day I decided upon its plan.
58. According to the plan its walls were 10 Gar (i.e. 120 cubits) high,
59. And the circuit of the roof thereof was equally 10 Gar.
60. I measured out the hull thereof and marked it out (?)
61. I covered (?) it six times.
62. Its exterior I divided into seven,
63. Its interior I divided into nine,
64. Water bolts I drove into the middle of it.
65. I provided a steering pole, and fixed what was needful for it,
66. Six sar of bitumen I poured over the inside wall,
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 offering consumed,
70. And two sar of oil which the boatman hid.
71. I slaughtered oxen for the [work]people,
72. I slew sheep every day.
73. Beer, sesame wine, oil and wine
74. I made the people drink as if they were water from the river.
75. I celebrated a feast-day as if it had been New Year's Day.
76. I opened [a box of ointment], I laid my hands in unguent.
77. Before the sunset the ship was finished.
78. [Since] ... was difficult.
79. The shipbuilders brought the ... of the ship, above and below,
80. ... two-thirds of it.
[The Loading of the Ship.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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