The Epic of Gilgamish | Page 2

he comes to the notice of Gilgamish himself,
who is shocked by the newly acquired manner of Enkidu.
"Oh harlot, take away the man," says the lord of Erech. Once again the
faithful woman instructs her heroic lover in the conventions of society,
this time teaching him the importance of the family in Babylonian life,
and obedience to the ruler. Now the people of Erech assemble about
him admiring his godlike appearance. Gilgamish receives him and they
dedicate their arms to heroic endeavor. At this point the epic brings in a
new and powerful motif, the renunciation of woman's love in the
presence of a great undertaking. Gilgamish is enamoured of the
beautiful virgin goddess Ishara, and Enkidu, fearing the effeminate
effects of his friend's attachment, prevents him forcibly from entering a
house. A terrific combat between these heroes ensues, [10] in which
Enkidu conquers, and in a magnanimous speech he reminds Gilgamish
of his higher destiny.
In another unplaced fragment of the Assyrian text [11] Enkidu rejects
his mistress also, apparently on his own initiative and for ascetic
reasons. This fragment, heretofore assigned to the second book,
probably belongs to Book III. The tablet of the Assyrian version which
carries the portion related on the new tablet has not been found. Man
redeemed from barbarism is the major theme of Book II.
The newly recovered section of the epic contains two legends which
supplied the glyptic artists of Sumer and Accad with subjects for seals.
Obverse III 28-32 describes Enkidu the slayer of lions and panthers.
Seals in all periods frequently represent Enkidu in combat with a lion.
The struggle between the two heroes, where Enkidu strives to rescue
his friend from the fatal charms of Ishara, is probably depicted on seals
also. On one of the seals published by Ward, Seal Cylinders of Western
Asia, No. 459, a nude female stands beside the struggling heroes. [12]
This scene not improbably illustrates the effort of Enkidu to rescue his
friend from the goddess. In fact the satyr stands between Gilgamish and
Ishara(?) on the seal.

TRANSLITERATION
it-bi-e-ma iluGilgamis su-na-tam i-pa-as-sar. iz-za-kar-am [13] a-na
um-mi-su um-mi i-na sa-a-at mu-si-ti-ia sa-am-ha-ku-ma
at-ta-na-al-la-ak i-na bi-ri-it id-da-tim ib-ba-su-nim-ma ka-ka-'a [14]
sa-ma-i ki-?-?-rum [15] sa a-nim im-ku-ut a-na si-ri-ia ás-si-su-ma
ik-ta-bi-it [16] e-li-ia ilam [17] is-su-ma nu-us-sa-su [18] u-ul el-ti-'i
ad-ki ma-tum pa-hi-ir [19] e-li-su id-lu-tum ú-na-sa-ku si-pi-su
ú-um-mi-id-ma pu-ti i-mi- du ia-ti as-si-a-su-ma at-ba-la-ás-su
a-na si-ri-ki um-mi iluGilgamis mu-u-da-a-at ka-la-ma iz-za-kar-am
a-na iluGilgamis mi-in-di iluGilgamish sa ki-ma ka-ti i-na
si-ri i-wa-li-id-ma ú-ra-ab-bi-su sa-du-ú ta-mar-su-ma
[sa(?)]-ap-ha-ta at-ta id-lu-tum ú-na-sa-ku si-pi-su [20]
te-it-ti-ra-su(?) ... su-ú-zu ta-tar-ra-['a]-su a-na si-[ri-i]a [is-(?)]
ti-lam-ma [21] i-ta-mar sa-ni-tam [su-na-]ta i-ta-wa-a-am a-na
um-mi-su [um-m]i a-ta-mar sa-ni-tam [su-na-ta a-ta]mar e-mi-a i-na
zu-ki-im [i-na?] Unuk-(ki) ri-bi-tim [22] ha-as-si-nu na-di-i-ma
e-li-su pa-ah- ru ha-as-si-nu-um-ma sa-ni bu-nu-su a-mur-su-ma
ah-ta-ta a-na-ku a-ra-am-su-ma ki-ma ás-sa-tim a-ha-ap-pu-up el-su
el-ki-su-ma ás-ta-ka-an-su a-na a-hi-ia um-mi iluGilgamish mu-da-at
ka-la-ma [iz-za-kar-am a-na iluGilgamish] ...................................
COL. II
as-sum us-[ta-] ma-ha-ru it-ti-ka. iluGilgamish su-na-tam i-pa-sar
iluEn-ki-[dû w]a?-si-ib ma-har ha-ri-im-tim UR [ ]-ha-mu DI-?-al-lu-un
[ ] im-ta-si a-sar i-wa-al-du ûmê 6 [23] ù 7 mu-si- a-tim iluEn-ki-dû
te-bi- i-ma sa-[am-ka-ta] ir- hi ha-[ri-im-tu pa-a]-sa i-pu-sa-am-ma
iz-za-[kar-am] a-na iluEn-ki-dû [24] a-na-tal-ka dEn-ki-dû ki-ma ili
ta-ba-ás-si am-mi-nim it-ti na-ma-ás-te-e [25] ta-at-ta-[na-al-]la -ak
si-ra-am al-kam lu-ùr-di- ka a-na libbi Uruk-(ki) ri-bi-tim a-na biti
[el-]lim mu-sa-bi sa A-nim dEn-ki-dû ti-bi lu-ru-ka a-na É-[an-n]a
mu-sa-bi sa A-nim a-sar [iluGilgamis] it-[.........] ne-pi-si-tim(?) ù
at-[ ]-di [ -] ma ta-[ ] ra-ma-an- ka al-ka ti-ba i-[na] ga-ag-ga-ri
ma-a-a? [26] -ak ri-i-im is-me a-wa-az-za im-ta-gár ga-ba-sa mi-il-kum
sa sinnisti im-ta-[ku]-ut a-na libbi-su is-hu-ut li-ib-sa-am is-ti-nam
[ú]-la-ab-bi-is-su li-ib- [sa-am] sa-ni-a-am si-i it-ta-al-ba- ás sa-ab-ta-at

ga-az- zu ki-ma ? i-ri-id-di-su a-na gu-up-ri sa ri-i-im a-s[ar ]
tar-ba-si-im i-na [ ]-hu-ru ri-ia-ú [27] .............................
(About two lines broken away.)
COL. III
si-iz-ba sa na-ma-ás-te-e i-te-en- ni- ik a-ka-lam is-ku-nu ma-har-su
ip-te-ik-ma i-na -at-tal [28] ù ip-pa-al-la- as u-ul i-di dEn-ki- dû
aklam a-na a-ka-lim sikaram a-na sa-te-e-im la-a lum-mu- ud
ha-ri-im-lum pi-sa i-pu-sa-am- ma iz-za-kar-am a-na iluEn-ki-dû
a-ku-ul ak-lam dEn-ki-dû zi-ma-at ba-la-ti-im bi-si-ti si-im-ti ma-ti
i-ku-ul a-ak-lam iluEn-ki-dû a-di si-bi-e-su sikaram is-ti-a-am 7
as-sa-am-mi-im [29] it-tap-sar kab-ta-tum i-na-an-gu i-li-is libba- su-
ma pa-nu-su [it-]ta(?)-bir -ru [30] ul-tap-pi-it [............]-i su-hu-ra-am
pa-ga-ar-su sa-am-nam ip-ta-sa-ás-ma a-we-li-is i-me il-ba- ás
li-ib-sa-am ki-ma mu-ti i-ba-ás-si il-ki ka-ak-ka-su la-bi ú gi-ir- ri
is-sa-ak-pu sab-[si]-es mu-si-a-ti ut- tap -pi-is sib-ba-ri [31] la-bi
uk-t[a ]-si-id it-ti immer na-ki-[e?] ra-bu-tum iluEn-ki-dû