COLUMN I "My human-kind on its destruction I will.. My, Nintu's, creations . . . I will .. 5 The people in their settlements I will . . . Cities... he may build, their shade (protection) I will The brick of our houses may he cast in a clean spot, 10 .. of the temennu she made straight for it, The sublime commandments and precepts she made per fect for it, After Anu, Enlil, Enki, and Nin-harsagga Had created the blackheaded, The . . . of the ground the ground 15 The animals, the four-legged, of the field artfully they called into existence. After the maker of the . . . of the land, the establisher of the foundation of the . Had created the . . . of royalty, 10 Created the sublime . . . the . . . of royalty, 15 The sublime commandments and precepts he made perfect for it. In clean places five cities he founded, And after their names he had called, and they had been allotted to kabdugas -The first of the cities, Eridu, to the leader Nudimmut he gave, Secondly, to ... Bad-NAGAR + DIS he gave, Thirdly, Larak to Pabilharsag he gave, 2 Possibly "I will" should be read in the plural, “Let us.” Fourthly, Sippar to the hero Shamash he gave, Fifthly, Suruppak to . . . he gave; 20 After the names of these cities he had called, and to kabdugas they had been allotted, . . small rivers and suluhs . he established. ... COLUMN III 15 At that time Nintu screamed like a woman in travail. The holy Ishtar wailed on account of her people. Enki in his own heart held counsel. Anu, Enlil, Enki, and Nin-harsagga . . The gods of Heaven and Earth invoked the name of Anu and Enlil. ... 20 At that time Ziugiddu was King, the priest-king of . . A huge ... he made, In humility prostrating himself, in reverence Daily and perseveringly standing in attendance -ing by dreams which had not been before, 25 Conjuring by the name of Heaven and Earth. COLUMN IV For... the gods a wall . . Ziugiddu standing at its side heard ... At the wall at my left side stand and..., At the wall I will speak a word to thee. 5 "O my holy one, thy ear open to me By our hand a rainstorm will be sent; To destroy the seed of mankind, to . . . Is the decision, the saying of the assembly of the gods, All the windstorms which possess immense power, they all and together came, When for seven days, for seven nights The rainstorm in the land had raged, 5 The huge boat on the great waters by the windstorms had been carried away, Shamash came forth again, shedding light over Heaven and Earth. Ziugiddu opened a . . . of the huge boat, The light of the hero Shamash he lets enter into the interior of the huge boat. Ziugiddu, the King, 10 Before Shamash he prostrates himself, The King, an ox he sacrifices, a sheep he slaughters. While . great horn. "By the soul of Heaven, by the soul of the earth, ye shall conjure him, that he may with you. Anu and Enlil by the soul of Heaven and by the soul of the earth ye and he will ... shall conjure, with you." 5 The . . . of the ground with the earth, rising it rises. VOL. I.-5. Ziugiddu, the King, Before Anu and Enlil he prostrates himself. Life like that of a god he gives to him, An eternal soul like that of a god he creates for him. 10 At that time Ziugiddu, the King, The name of the .. kind" On a After "Preserver of the seed of man mountain, the mountain of Dilmun caused him to dwell they had caused him to dwell, Ziugiddu . . LEFT EDGE A LATER SUMERIAN CREATION-TEXT 3 The holy house, the house of the gods, in the holy place had not yet been made; No reed had sprung up, no tree had been created. No brick had been laid, no building had been set up; No house had been erected, no city had been built; 5 No city had been made, no creature had been created. Nippur had not been made, E-kur had not been built; Uruk had not been created, E-ana had not been built; The Deep had not been created, Eridu had not been built; Of the holy house, the house of the gods, the habitation had not been made. 10 All lands were sea. At that time there was a movement in the sea; E-sagil, where in the midst of the Deep the god Lugal-dul- The city of Babylon was built, and E-sagil was finished. 15 The gods, the Anunnaki, he created at one time; The holy city, the dwelling of their hearts' desire, they proclaimed supreme. Marduk laid a reed upon the face of the waters, He formed dust and poured it out beside the reed. That he might cause the gods to dwell in the habitation of their hearts' desire, 20 He formed mankind. The goddess Aruru together with him created the seed of mankind. The beasts of the field and living creatures in the field he formed. 3 From the translation of L. H. King. 4 Or, Lugal-du-azaga. 5 I.e., Marduk. • The Sumerian version reads "together with the god." |