Babylonian Story of the Deluge | Page 8

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 he 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." (Cory,
Ancient Fragments, London, 1832, p. 26ff.)

The Babylonian Legend of the Deluge as Told to the Hero Gilgamish
by His Ancestor Uta-Napishtim, Who Had Been Made Immortal by the
Gods.
The form of the Legend of the Deluge given below is that which is
found on the Eleventh of the Series of Twelve Tablets in the Library of
Nebo at Nineveh, which described the life and exploits of Gilgamish (),
an early king of the city of Erech. As we have seen above, the Legend
of the Deluge has in reality no connection with the Epic of Gilgamish,
but was introduced into it by the editors of the Epic at a comparatively
late period, perhaps even during the reign of Ashur-bani-pal (B.C.
668-626). A summary of the contents of the other Tablets of the
Gilgamish Series is given in the following section of this short
monograph. It is therefore only necessary to state here that Gilgamish,
who was horrified and almost beside himself when his bosom friend
and companion Enkidu (Eabâni) died, meditated deeply how he could
escape death himself. He knew that his ancestor Uta-Napishtim 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 in which he saw the direction of the
place where Uta-Napishtim lived, 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. Uta-Napishtim having made to Gilgamish some
remarks which seem to indicate that in his opinion death was
inevitable,
1. Gilgamish [10] said unto Uta-Napishtim, to Uta-Napishtim the
remote: 2. "I am looking at thee, Uta-Napishtim. 3. Thy person is not
altered; even as am I so art thou. 4. Verily, nothing about thee is
changed; even as am I so art thou. 5. [Moved is my] heart to do battle,
6. But thou art at leisure and dost lie upon thy back. 7. 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:--
8. Uta-Napishtim said unto him, to Gilgamish: 9. "I will reveal unto
thee, O Gilgamish, a hidden mystery, 10. And a secret matter of