Adad

Atrahasis

6oo years, less than 6oo, passedAnd the country became too wide, the people toonumerous.The country was as noisy as a bellowing bull.The God grew restless at their clamour,Ellil had to listen to their noise.He addressed the great gods,'The noise of mankind has become too much.I am losing sleep over their racket.Cut off food supplies to the people!Let the vegetation be too scant for their hunger !Let Adad wipe away his rain.Below (?) let no flood-water flow from thesprings.Let wind go, let it strip the ground bare,Let clouds gather (but) not drop rain,Let the field yield a diminished harvest,Let Nissaba stop up her bosom.No happiness shall come to them.Let their [ ] be dejected.'(gap of about 34 lines to end of column)u (gap of about 12 lines at beginning ofcolumn)'Call the [elders, the senior men],Start an uprising in your house,Let heralds proclaim …

Let them make a loud noise in the land :Do not revere your god(s)!Do not pray to your goddess!Search out the door of Adad,Bring a baked loaf into his presence.May the flour offering reach him,May he be shamed by the presentsAnd wipe away his "hand".'(Then) he will make a mist form in the morningAnd in the night he will steal out and make dewdrop,Deliver (?) the field (of its produce) ninefold, likea thief.

They built a temple for Adad in the city,Ordered heralds to proclaimAnd make a loud noise in the land.They did not revere their god(s),Did not pray to their goddess,But searched out the door of Adad,Brought a baked (loaf) into his presence.The flour offering reached him;He was shamed by the presentsAnd wiped away his 'hand'.He made mist form in the morningAnd in the night he stole out and made dewdrop,Delivered (?) the field (of its produce) ninefold, likea thief.[The drought] left them,[The gods] went back [to their (regular) offerings].

Not three epochs had passed.The country became too wide, the people toonumerous.The country was as noisy as a bellowing bull.The gods grew restless at their noise.Enlil organized his assembly again,Addressed the gods his sons:'The noise of mankind has become too much,Sleep cannot overtake me because of their racket.Command that Anu and Adad keep the (air)above (earth) locked,Sin and Nergal keep the middle earth locked.

As for the bolt that bars the sea,Ea with his lahmu-creatures shall keep it locked'He ordered, and Anu and Adad kept the (air) above(earth) locked,Sin and Nergal kept the middle earth locked.As for the bolt that bars the sea,Ea with his lahmu-creatures kept it locked.Then the very wise man Atra-hasisWept daily.He would carry a massakku-offering along theriverside pasture,Although the irrigation-water was silent.Half-way through the night he offered a sacrifice.As sleep began to overtake him (?)He addressed the irrigation-water:'May the irrigation-water take it, may the rivercarry it,May the gift be placed in front of Ea my lord.May Ea see it and think of me!So may I see a dream in the night.'When he had sent the message by water,He sat facing the river, he wept (?),The man wept (?) facing the riverAs his plea went down to the Apsu.Then Ea heard his voice.[He summoned his Lahmu-creaturesl and addressedthem.(jar the next 36/ines see Supplement 1.

' Ea made his voice heard and spoke,Said to Atrahasis,'Order the heralds to proclaim,To make a loud noise in the land:Do not revere your gods,Do not pray to your goddesses![ ] withhold his rites![ ] the flour as an offering[ ] to her presence[ ] say a prayer[ ] the presents [his "hand" .'Ellil organized his assembly,Addressed the gods his sons,'You are not to inflict disease on them again,(Even though) the people have not diminishedthey are more than before!I have become restless at their noise,Sleep cannot overtake me because of their racket!Cut off food from the people,Let vegetation be too scant for their stomachs!Let Adad on high make his rain scarce,Let him block below, and not raise flood-waterfrom the springs!

So if the temple of Adad was a water producing factory, it was connected through a network of channels

became too scant for their stomachs.Adad on high made his rain scarce,Blocked below, and did not raise flood-water fromthe springs.The field decreased its yield,Nissaba turned away her breast,The dark fields became white,The broad countryside bred alkali.Earth clamped down her womb:No vegetation sprouted, no grain grew.Asakku was inflicted on the people.The womb was too tight to let a baby out.

Ea kept guard over the bolt that bars the sea,Together with his lahmu-heroes.Above, Adad made his rain scarce,Blocked below, and did not raise flood-water fromthe springs.The field decreased its yield,Nissaba turned away her breast,The dark fields became white,The broad countryside bred alkali.Earth clamped down her womb:No vegetation sprouted, no grain grew.Asakku was inflicted on the people,The womb was too tight to let a baby out.(gap of 2 lines)When the second year arrivedThey had depleted the storehouse.When the third year arrived[The people's looks] were changed [by starvation].When the fourth year arrivedTheir upstanding bearing bowed,Their well-set shoulders slouched,People went out in public hunched over.When the fifth year arrived,

He (Eilil) was furious (with the Igigi,]'We, the great Anunna, all of us,Agreed together on [a plan].Anu and [Adad] were to guard [above],I was to guard the earth [below].Where Enki (went],He was to undo the [chain and set (us) free],He was to release [produce for the people].He was to exercise [control ( ?) by holding thebalance ( ?)].

fetchedfor me!Have them brought in to my presence!'The fifty (?) lahmu-heroes (?) were fetched for him.The warrior [Ellil] addressed them,'We, the great Anunna, [all of us],Agreed together on a plan.Anu and Adad were to guard above,I was to guard the earth below.Where you [went],[You were to undo the chain and set (us) free],(You were to release produce for the people],(You were to exercise control (?) by holding thebalance ( ?) ].

'Adad made his rain pour down,[ ] filled the pasture landAnd clouds ( ?) veiled [ ]Do not feed his people,And do not give Nissaba's corn, luxury forpeople, to eat.'Then [the god (?)] grew anxious as he sat,In the gods' assembly worry gnawed at him.[Enki (?)] grew anxious as he sat,In the gods' assembly worry gnawed at him.(3 lines fragmentary)[They were furious with each other], Enki and Ellil.'We, the great Anunna, all of us,[Agreed together on a plan.Anu and Adad were to guard above,I was to guard the earth below.Where you went,You were to undo the chain and set (us) free!You were to release produce for the people![You were to exercise control (?)] by holding thebalance (?).'The warrior Ellil [].l(gap of 30 lines)

Everything there was [Everything there was [Pure ones [Fat ones [ ]He selected [and put on board.][The birds] that fly in the sky,Cattle [of Shak]kan,Wild animals (?) [l[] of open country,he] put on boardl … He invited his people [[ ] to a feast.[ ] he put his family on board.They were eating, they were drinking.But he went in and out,Could not stay still or rest on his haunches,His heart was breaking and he was vomiting bile.The face of the weather changed.Adad bellowed from the clouds.When (?) he (Atrahasis) heard his noise,Bitumen was brought and he sealed his door.While he was closing up his doorAdad kept bellowing from the clouds.The winds were raging even as he went up(And) cut through the rope, he released the boat.m (6 lines missing at beginning of column)Anzu was tearing at the sky with his talons,[ ] the land,He broke [[ ] the Flood [came out (?)].JlThe kasiisu-weapon went against the people like anarmy.No one could see anyone else,They could not be recognized in the catastrophe.The Flood roared like a bull,Like a wild ass screaming the winds [howled]The darkness was total, there was no sun.[ ] like white sheep.[ ] of the Flood.