The Chaldean account of Genesis - George Smith

1. those days I devised with longing that I might never forget.
2. ‘May the gods come to my altar,
3. may Bel never come to my altar,
4. for he did not consider and had made a whirlwind,
5. and my people he consigned to the abyss.’
6. From afar also Bel at his approach
7. saw, the ship he stopped; Bel was filled with anger against the gods and the spirits of heaven:
8. ‘Let no one come out alive, never may a man live in the abyss.’
9. Ninip his mouth opened, and spake; he says to the warrior Bel:
10. ‘Who is it except Hea that forms a resolution?
11. and Hea knows and all things he ...’
12. Hea his mouth opened and spake, he says to the warrior Bel:
13. ‘Thou messenger of the gods, warrior,
14. as thou didst not consider a deluge thou madest.
15. The doer of sin bore his sin, the blasphemer bore his blasphemy.
16. Never may the just prince be cut off, never may the faithful (be destroyed).
17. Instead of thy making a deluge, may lions come and men be diminished;
18. instead of thy making a deluge, may hyænas come and men be diminished;
19. instead of thy making a deluge, may a famine happen and the country be (destroyed);
20. instead of thy making a deluge, may pestilence come and men be destroyed.
21. I did not reveal the judgment of the gods.
22. To Adrakhasis (Xisuthrus) a dream I sent, and the judgment of the gods he heard.’
23. Again also Bel considers, (literally, again consideration was considered); he approaches the midst of the ship.
24. He took my hand and caused me to ascend up,
25. he caused (me) to ascend; he united my wife to my side;
26. he turned unto us and fixes himself in covenant with us; he approaches us:
27. ‘Formerly Adrakhasis (was) mortal, but
28. again also Adrakhasis and his wife to live as gods are taken away, and
29. Adrakhasis also dwells in a remote place at the mouth of the rivers.’
30. They took me, and in a remote place at the mouth of the rivers they caused me to dwell.
31. Again also as for thee whomsoever the gods have chosen also,
32. for the health which thou seekest and askest,
33. the bulwarks shall be mounted six days and seven nights,
34. like one who sits in the vicinity of his nest,
35. a way like a storm shall be laid upon him.
36. Adrakhasis to her also says, even to his wife:
37. I announce that the chief who has sought health
38. the way like a storm shall be laid upon him.
39. His wife to him also says even to Adrakhasis afar off:
40. Turn him, and let the man be sent away;
41. by the road that he came may he return in peace,
42. thro’ the great gate going forth let him return to his country.
43. Adrakhasis to her also says, even to his wife:
44. The pain of the man pains thee,
45. mount the bulwarks; his baldness place on his head.
46. And the day when he had mounted the side of the ship,
47. she mounted, his baldness she placed on his head.
48. And the day when he had mounted the side of the ship,
49. first the sabusat of his baldness,
50. second the mussukat, third the radbat, fourth she opened his zikaman,
51. fifth the sibu she placed, sixth the bassat,

Column V.

1. seventh in the outlet she turned him and let the man go free.
—–———–———–———–
2. Izdubar to him also says even to Xisuthrus afar off:
3. In this way thou wast compassionate (?) over me,
4. quickly thou hast begotten me, and thou hast set eyes (on me).
5. Xisuthrus to him also says even to Izdubar.
6. ....... thy baldness,
7. ....... I separated thee,
8. ....... thy baldness,
9. second the mussukat, third the radbat,
10. fourth I opened thy zikaman,
11. fifth the sibu I placed, sixth the bassat,
12. seventh in the opening I turned thee.
13. Izdubar to him also says even to Xisuthrus afar off:
14. ...... Xisuthrus whither may I go?
15. ...... they shipped
16. ...... dwelling in death,
17. ...... his tail dies also.
—–———–———–———–
18. Xisuthrus to him also says even to Nis-Hea the boatman:
19. Nis-Hea, may thy (oar) accomplish a passage for thee.
20. He who ..... on the shore of (the gods) ....
21. the man whom thou goest before, disease has covered his body;
22. illness has overmastered the strength of his limbs.
23. Take him, Nis-Hea, to cleanse carry him,
24. may he cleanse his disease in the water like purity,
25. may he cast off his illness, and may the sea carry it away, may health cover his skin,
26. may it restore the hair of his head,
27. the hair clothing, the covering of his loins.
28. That he may go to his country, that he may take his road,
29. never may the hair become old and alone may he be alone (i.e. unrivalled).
30. Nis-Hea took him, to cleanse he carried him,
31. his disease in the water like purity (beauty) he cleansed,
32. he cast off his illness, and the sea carried it away, health covered his skin,
33. the hair of his head was restored, the hair clothing the covering of his loins.
34. That he might go to his country, that he might take his road,
35. the hair he did not cast off, but alone he was alone.
36. Izdubar and Nis-Hea rode in the ship,
37. where he had placed them they rode.
—–———–———–———–
38. His wife to him also says even to Xisuthrus afar off:
39. Izdubar goes away, he is at rest, he performs
40. what thou hast given (him to do), and returns to his country.
41. And he even Izdubar lifted up the oar (?);
42. the ship touched the shore.
43. Xisuthrus to him also says even to Izdubar:
44. Izdubar, thou goest away, thou art at rest, thou performest
45. what I gave thee (to do), and thou returnest to thy country.
46. Let the story of my preservation be revealed, O Izdubar,
47. and let the judgment of the gods be related to thee.
48. This account (?) like ........
49. its renown (?) like the Amurdin tree ....
50. if he takes the whole of it in the hand ....
51. To Izdubar he revealed this in his hearing, and ....
52. he bound together heavy stones ....

Column VI.

1. they dragged it and to the deep ....
2. he even Izdubar took the animal ....
3. he cut the heavy stones ....
4. one homer he poured out in libation to it for his ship.
—–———–———–———–
5. Izdubar to him also says even to Nis-Hea, the boatman:
6. O Nis-Hea, the whole of this, even the whole of the story,
7. of which a man in his heart shall take its story,
8. may he bring it to the midst of Erech the lofty, may he complete (it) like ....
9. .... splendour (which) is diminished ....
10. May I record and return to perform my vengeance (?).
11. For 10 kaspu (70 miles) they journeyed the stage, for 20 kaspu (140 miles) they made hostility;
12. Izdubar saw a well which the waters were excavating.
13. He turned to the bright waters and smells (?) the waters; .... grant me thy image (?)
14. .... the men he approached and (their) goods he took away (?)
15. at his return they tore the hair.
16. Izdubar approached (?) ....
17. over the fortress of his nostrils coursed his tears, and he says to Nis-Hea the boatman:
18. What is it to me, Nis-Hea, that my hands rest?
19. What is it to me that my heart lives?
20. I have not done good to my own self;
21. and yet the lion of the earth does good (to himself).
22. Again for 20 kaspu (140 miles) alone I take the way, and
23. when I had opened the .... I heaped up the tackling,
24. the sea against its long wall I urged.
25. And he left the ship by the shore, 20 kaspu (140 miles) they journeyed the stage.
26. For 30 kaspu (210 miles) they performed the labour, they came into the midst of Erech the lofty.
—–———–———–———–
27. Izdubar to him also says, even to Nis-Hea the boatman:
28. Ascend, Nis-Hea, over the fortress of Erech go;
29. the foundation-stone is scattered, the bricks of its interior are not made,
30. and its foundation is not laid to thy height (?);
31. 1 saros (is) thy city, 1 saros the plantations, 1 saros the boundary of the temple of Nantur the house of Istar,
32. 3 sari together the city of Erech ...
—–———–———–———–

The opening line of the next tablet is preserved, it reads: “The gad-fly in the house of the serving-man was left.” After this the story is again lost for several lines, and where it reappears Izdubar is mourning for Hea-bani.

The fragments of this tablet are:—

Column I.

1. The gad-fly in the house of the serving-man was left.

(Several lines lost.)