God

Atrahasis

However, the humans multiply rapidly and become too noisy, disturbing the rest of the gods.

To resolve the situation, the god Enlil proposes sending a series of plagues, famines, and droughts to control the human population.

Each time, the god Enki advises a wise man, Atrahasis, on how to survive the disasters.

After the floodwaters subside, Atrahasis offers sacrifices, and the gods, hungry and regretful for their actions, gather around the offerings.

One of the gods, Enki, suggests creating a balance between gods and humans, setting limits on human population growth to prevent future disturbances.

It reflects the ancient Mesopotamian understanding of the relationship between gods and humans, the consequences of overpopulation, and the importance of balance in the natural order.

When the gods instead of manDid the work, bore the loads,The gods' load was too great,The work too hard, the trouble too much,The great Anunnaki made the IgigiCarry the workload sevenfold.

Anu their father was king,Their counsellor warrior Ellil,Their chamberlain was Ninurta,Their canal-controller Ennugi.They took the box (of lots) … ,Cast the lots; the gods made the division.

When Anu had gone up to the sky,(And the gods of] the Apsu had gone below,The Anunnaki of the sky

Made the Igigi bear the workload.The gods had to dig out canals,

Had to clear channels, the lifelines of the land,The Igigi had to dig out canals,Had to clear channels, the lifelines of the land.The gods dug out the Tigris river (bed)

And then dug out the Euphrates.[ ] in the deep[ ] they set up[ ] the Apsu[ ] of the land[ ] inside it[ ] raised its top[ ] of all the mountainsThey were counting the years of loads;[ ] the great marsh,They were counting the years of loads.For 3,6oo years they bore the excess,Hard work, night and day.They groaned and blamed each other,Grumbled over the masses of excavated soil: 'Let us confront our [ ] the chamberlain,And get him to relieve us of our hard work!Come, let us carry [the Lord (?)],The counsellor of gods, the warrior, from hisdwelling.Come, let us carry [Ellil],The counsellor of gods, the warrior, from hisdwelling.'Then Alia made his voice heardAnd spoke to the gods his brothers, (gap of about 8 lines)

Let us carryThe counsellor of gods, the warrior, from hisdwelling.Come!

Let us carry Ellil,The counsellor of gods, the warrior, from hisdwelling.Now, cry battle!Let us mix fight with battle!'The gods listened to his speech,Set fire to their tools,Put aside their spades for fire,Their loads for the fire-god,They flared up.

When they reachedThe gate of warrior Ellil's dwelling,It was night, the middle watch,The house was surrounded, the god had notrealized.It was night, the middle watch,Ekur was surrounded, Ellil had not realized.Yet Kalkal was attentive, and had it closed,He held the lock and watched [the gate].Kalkal roused [Nusku].They listened to the noise of [the Igigi].Then Nusku roused his master,

And spoke to the warrior Ellil,'0 my lord, your face is (sallow as) tamarisk!HWhy do you fear your own sons?0 Ellil, your face is (sallow as) tamarisk!Why do you fear your own sons?Send for Anu to be brought down to you,Have Enki fetched into your presence.'He sent for Anu to be brought down to him,Enki was fetched into his presence,Anu king of the sky was present,Enki king of the Apsu attended.The great Anunnaki were present.Ellil got up and the case was put.Ellil made his voice heardAnd spoke to the great gods,'Is it against me that they have risen?Shall I do battle … ?What did I see with my own eyes?A rabble was running around my door!'Anu made his voice heardAnd spoke to the warrior Ellil,

And spoke to the vizier Nusku,'Nusku, open your door,Take up your weapons [and stand before me!]In the assembly of all the gods,Bow, then stand [and tell them],"Your father Anu,Your counselor warrior Ellil,Your chamberlain NinurtaAnd your canal-controller EnnugiYHave sent me to say,Who is in charge of the rabble?Who is in charge of the fighting?Who declared war?Who ran to the door of Ellil ?"'[Nusku opened] his door,[Took up his weapons,] went [before ( ?)] EllilIn the assembly of all the gods[He bowed], then stood and told the message.'Your father Anu,Your counselor warrior Ellil,Your chamberlain NinurtaAnd your canal controller EnnugiHave sent me to say,"Who is in charge of the rabble?Who is in charge of the fighting?Who declared war?Who ran to the door of Ellil?" 'Elltl[ ]'Every single one of us gods declared war!We have put [a stop] to the digging.The load is excessive, it is killing us!Our work is too hard, the trouble too much!So every single one of us godsHas agreed to complain to Ellil.'Nusku took his weapons,Went [and returned to Ellil]'My lord, you sent me to [ ].I went [ ]I explained [ J

With you to the sky, show your strengthWhile the Anunnaki are sitting before youCall up one god and let them cast him fordestruction!'Anu made his voice heardAnd spoke to the gods his brothers,'What are we complaining of?1JTheir work was indeed too hard, their trouble wastoo much.Every day the earth (?) [resounded (?)].The warning signal was loud enough, we kepthearing the noise.] do] tasks (?)(gap partly filled, partly overlappedby the following two SBV fragments)SBV '(While) the Anunnaki are sitting before you,And (while) Belet-ili the womb-goddess ispresent,Call up one and cast him for destruction!'Anu made his voice heard and spoke to [Nusku],'Nusku, open your door, take up your weapons,Bow in the assembly of the great gods, [thenstand]And tell them [ ],"Your father Anu, your counsellor warrior Ellil,

Who will be incharge of battle?Which god started the war?A rabble was running around my door!"'When Nusku heard this,He took up his weapons,Bowed in the assembly of the great gods, [thenstood]And told them [ ],'Your father Anu, your counsellor warrior Ellil,Your chamberlain Ninurta and your canalcontroller EnnugiHave sent me to say,"Who is in charge of the rabble?

Who is incharge of the fighting?Which god started the war?A rabble was running around Ellil's door."'(gap of uncertain length)SBV Ea made his voice heardAnd spoke to the gods his brothers,'Why are we blaming them?Their work was too hard, their trouble was toomuch.Every day the earth (?) [resounded (?)].The warning signal was loud enough, [we kepthearing the noise.]There is [ ]Belet-ili the womb-goddess is present

Let her create primeval manSo that he may bear the yoke [( )],So that he may bear the yoke, [the work of Ellil],Let man bear the load of the gods!'(gap)OBV 'Belet-ili the womb-goddess is present,Let the womb-goddess create offspring,

And let man bear the load of the gods!'They called up the goddess, askedThe midwife of the gods, wise Mami,'You are the womb-goddess (to be the) creator ofmankind!Create primeval man, that he may bear the yoke!Let him bear the yoke, the work of Ellil,Let man bear the load of the gods!'Nintu made her voice heardAnd spoke to the great gods,'It is not proper for me to make him.The work is Enki's;He makes everything pure!If he gives me clay, then I will do it.'Enki made his voice heardAnd spoke to the great gods,'On the first, seventh, and fifteenth of the monthI shall make a purification by washing.Then one god should be slaughtered.And the gods can be purified by immersion.Nintu shall mix clayWith his flesh and his blood.Then a god and a manWill be mixed together in clay.Let us hear the drumbeat forever after, Let a ghost come into existence from the god'sflesh, Let her proclaim it as his living sign, And let the ghost exist so as not to forget (theslain god).'They answered 'Yes!' in the assembly,The great Anunnaki who assign the fates.On the first, seventh, and fifteenth of the monthHe made a purification by washing.Ilawela who had intelligence,They slaughtered in their assembly.Nintu mixed clayWith his flesh and blood.They heard the drumbeat forever after.

A ghost came into existence from the god's flesh,And she (Nintu) proclaimed it as his living sign

The ghost existed so as not to forget (the slain god).After she had mixed that clay,She called up the Anunnaki, the great gods.The Igigi, the great gods,Spat spittle upon the clay.Mami made her voice heardAnd spoke to the great gods,'I have carried out perfectlyThe work that you ordered of me.You have slaughtered a god together with hisintelligence.I have relieved you of your hard work,I have imposed your load on man.You have bestowed noise on mankind.I have undone the fetter and granted freedom.'They listened to this speech of hers, And were freed (from anxiety), and kissed her feet:'We used to call you MamiBut now your name shall be Mistress of AllGods.'Far-sighted Enki and wise MamiWent into the room of fate.The womb-goddesses were assembled.He trod the clay in her presence; SBV She kept reciting an incantation,For Enki, staying in her presence, made her reciteit.When she had finished her incantation,She pinched off fourteen pieces (of clay),(And set) seven pieces on the right,Seven on the left.Between them she put down a mud brick.

He saw [Ellil [They took hold of … ,Made new picks and spades,Made big canalsTo feed people and sustain the gods.(gap of about 13 lines)6oo years, less than 6oo, passed,And the country became too wide, the people toonumerous.The country was as noisy as a bellowing bull.The God grew restless at their racket,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.Give the order that suruppu-disease shall breakout,(gap of about 3 lines)Now there was one AtrahasisWhose ear was open (to) his god Enki.He would speak with his godAnd his god would speak with him.

Atrahasis made his voice heardAnd spoke to his lord,'How long (?) (will the gods make us suffer]?Will they make us suffer illness forever?'Enki made his voice heardAnd spoke to his servant:'Call the elders, the senior men !

..Let them make a loud noise in the land:Do not revere your gods,Do not pray to your goddesses,But search out the door of Namtara.Bring a baked loaf into his presence.May the flour offering reach him,May he be shamed by the presentsAnd wipe away his " hand".

.Let them make a loud noise in the land:Do not revere your gods !Do not pray to your goddesses!Search out the door of Namtara.Bring a baked loaf into his presence.May the flour offering reach him;May he be shamed by the presentsAnd wipe away his " hand" .'The elders listened to his speech;They built a temple for Namtara in the city.Heralds proclaimed .

.They made a loud noise in the land.They did not revere their god,Did not pray to their goddess,But searched out the door of Namtara,Brought a baked loaf into his presence.

The flour offering reached him.And he was shamed by the presents.And wiped away his 'hand'.The suruppu-disease left them,[The gods] went back to their [(regular) offerings](2 lines missing to end of column)( Catchline)6oo years, less than 6oo passed.

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.

life.Their faces looked sallow.They went out in public hunched,Their well-set shoulders slouched,Their upstanding bearing bowed.They took a message [from Atrahasis to the gods].In front of [the assembly of the great gods],They stood [and ]The orders [of Atrahasis they repeated]In front of [ ](gap of about 32 lines to end of column)

[6oo years, less than 6oo years, passed.The country became too wide, the people toonumerous.]He grew restless at their noise.Sleep could not overtake him because of theirracket.Ellil organized his assembly,Addressed the gods his sons,'The noise of mankind has become too much.I have become restless at their noise.Sleep cannot overtake me because of their racket.Give the order that suruppu-disease shall breakout,Let Namtar put an end to their noise straightaway!Let sickness: headache, suruppu, asakku,Blow in to them like a storm.'They gave the order, and suruppu-disease did breakout.Namtar put an end to their noise straight away.Sickness: headache, suruppu, asakku,Blew into them like a storm.The thoughtful man, AtrahasisKept his ear open to his master Ea;He would speak with his god,

[And his god (?)] Ea would speak with him.Atrahasis made his voice heard and spoke,Said to Ea his master,'Oh Lord, people are grumbling!Your [sickness] is consuming the country!Oh Lord Ea, people are grumbling![Sickness] from the gods is consuming thecountry!Since you created us[You ought to] cut off sickness: headache,suruppu and asakku.

' 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!

life.The thoughtful man AtrahasisKept his ear open to his master Ea.He would speak with his god,And his god Ea would speak with him.He left the door of his god,Put his bed right beside the river,(For even) the canals were quite silent.(gap of about 25 lines)

'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)

'[You] imposed your loads on man,You bestowed noise on mankind,You slaughtered a god together with hisintelligence,You must … and [create a flood] .It is indeed your power that shall be used against[your people!]You agreed to [the wrong (?)] plan!Have it reversed!

And spoke to his brother gods,'Why should you make me swear an oath?Why should I use my power against my people?The flood that you mention to mt.~What is it?

The assembly [Do not listen to [The gods gave an explicit command.Ellil performed a bad deed to the people.'(Catch/inc)Atrahasis made his voice heardAnd spoke to his master,

Reject possessions, and save living things.The boat that you build[[Roof it like the ApsuSo that the Sun cannot see inside it!Make upper decks and lower decks.The tackle must be very strong,The bitumen strong, to give strength.I shall make rain fall on you here,A wealth of birds, a hamper ( ?) of fish.'He opened the sand clock and filled it,He told him the sand (needed) for the Flood wasSeven nights' worth.Atrahasis received the message.He gathered the elders at his door.Atrahasis made his voice heardAnd spoke to the elders,'My god is out of favour with your god.Enki and [Ellil (?)] have become angry with eachother.They have driven me out of [my house].Since I always stand in awe of Enki,He told (me) of this matter.I can no longer stay in [ JI cannot set my foot on Ellil's territory (again).[I must go down to the Apsu and stay] with (my)god(?).This is what he told me.'(gap of 4 or 5 lines to end of column)n (gap of about 9 lines)The elders [The carpenter [brought his axe,]The reed worker [brought his stone,][A child brought] bitumen.The poor [fetched what was needed.]

[[[[Myths from Mesopotamiall] the noise of the Flood.l[Anu (?)] went berserk,[The gods (?)] ..

37The great gods, the Anunna,Stayed parched and famished.The goddess watched and wept,Midwife of the gods, wise Mami:'Let daylight (?) ..

!However could I, in the assembly of gods,Have ordered such destruction with them?Ellil was strong enough (?) to give a wickedorder.

As for me, how am I to live (?) in a house ofbereavement?My noise has turned to silence.Could I go away, up to the skyAnd live as in a cloister(?)?What was Anu's intention as decision-maker?It was his command that the gods his sonsobeyed,He who did not deliberate, but sent the Flood,He who gathered the people to catastrophe[ l

(So that) they could clog the river likedragonflies ?They are washed up (?) like a raft on [a bank (?)],They are washed up like a raft on a bank in opencountry!I have seen, and wept over them!Shall I (ever) finish weeping for them?'She wept, she gave vent to her feelings,Nintu wept and fuelled her passions.The gods wept with her for the country.She was sated with grief, she longed for beer (invain).Where she sat weeping, (there the great gods) sattoo,But, like sheep, could only fill their windpipes (withbleating).Thirsty as they were, their lipsDischarged only the rime of famine.For seven days and seven nightsThe torrent, storm and flood came on.(gap of about 58 lines)

He put down [ J,Provided food [ J[ JThe gods smelt the fragrance,Gathered like flies over the offering.When they had eaten the offering,Nintu got up and blamed them all,'Whatever came over Anu who makes thedecisions?Did Ellil (dare to) come for the smoke offering?(Those two) who did not deliberate, but sent theFlood,Gathered the people to catastrophe

Let these flies be the lapis lazuli of my necklaceBy which I may remember it (?) daily (?)[forever (?)].'The warrior Ellil spotted the boat And was furious with the Igigi.'We, the great Anunna, all of us,Agreed together on an oath!No form of life should have escaped!How did any man survive the catastrophe?'Anu made his voice heardAnd spoke to the warrior Ellil,'Who but Enki would do this?He made sure that the [reed hut] disclosed theorder.'Enki made his voice heardAnd spoke to the great gods,'I did it, in defiance of you!I made sure life was preserved [(5 lines missing)Exact your punishment from the sinner.And whoever contradicts your order(12 lines missing)I have given vent to my feelings!'Ellil made his voice heardAnd spoke to far-sighted Enki,'Come, summon Nintu the womb-goddess!Confer with each other in the assembly.

(8 lines missing at beginning of column)How we sent the Flood.But a man survived the catastrophe.You are the counsellor of the gods;On your orders I created conflict.Let the Igigi listen to this songIn order to praise you,And let them record (?) your greatness.I shall sing of the Flood to all people: 46Listen!(Colophon) 47The End.

'When the gods instead of man'390 lines,Total1245For the three tablets.Hand of Ipiq-Aya, junior scribe.Month Ayyar [x day],Year Ammi-?aduqa was king.A statue of himself [