The Chaldean account of Genesis

by George Smith

• 1. Izdubar (lamented thus over Hea-bani his friend:)
• 2. If to ....
• 3. to happiness thou (art not admitted);
• 4. a shining cloak (thou dost not wear),
• 5. like a misfortune (?) thou ....
• 6. Fat (and) goodly food thou dost not share;
• 7. to (come to) its savour they do not choose thee.
• 8. The bow against the ground thou dost not aim,
• 9. what the bow has struck escapes thee:
• 10. the staff to thy hands thou dost not lift,
• 11. the captive will not curse thee:
• 12. sandals to thy feet thou dost not bind,
• 13. a thrust against the ground thou dost not make.
• 14. Thy wife whom thou lovest thou dost not kiss,
• 15. thy wife whom thou hatest thou dost not strike;
• 16. thy child whom thou lovest thou dost not kiss,
• 17. thy child whom thou hatest thou dost not strike.
• 18. The destruction of the earth has seized thee.
• 19. Ninazu, of darkness the mother, of darkness, of darkness,
• 20. her illustrious stature as his mantle covers him, and
• 21. her feet like a deep well beget [or darken] him.

This is the bottom of the first column. The next column has lost all the upper part: it appears to have contained the remainder of this lament, an appeal to one of the gods on behalf of Hea-bani, and a repetition of the lamentation, the third person being used instead of the second. The fragments commence in the middle of this:

• 1. his wife whom he hates he strikes,
• 2. his child whom he loves he kisses;
• 3. his child whom he has hated he strikes,
• 4. the destruction of the earth takes him.
• 5. Ninazu, of darkness the mother of darkness, of darkness!
• 6. Her illustrious stature as a mantle covers him,
• 7. her feet like a deep well beget him.
• 8. Lo! Hea-bani from the earth to .....
• 9. The plague-demon did not take him, fever did not take him, the earth took him.
• 10. The resting-place of Nergal the unconquered did not take him, the earth took him.
• 11. The place of the battle of heroes did not strike him, the earth took him.
• 12. Lo! .... ni son of the goddess Ninsun[32] for his servant Hea-bani wept;
• 13. to the house of Bel alone he went.
• 14. “Father Bel, a gad-fly to the earth struck me,
• 15. a deadly wound to the earth struck me,”

Column III.

• 1. Hea-bani who to rest (was not admitted),
• 2. the plague-demon did not take him, (the earth took him);
• 3. the resting-place of Nergal the unconquered did not take him, (the earth took him).
• 4. In the place of the battle of heroes they did not (strike him, the earth took him).
• 5. Father Bel, a judgment did not take him.
• 6. Father Sin, the gad-fly (struck him);
• 7. a deadly wound (to the earth struck him).
• 8. Hea-bani who to rest (was not admitted),
• 9. the plague-demon did not take him, (the earth took him);
• 10. the resting-place of Nergal (the unconquered did not take him).
• (About 12 lines lost, containing a repetition of this passage.)
• 23. The plague-demon ....
• 24. the resting-place of Nergal the unconquered (did not take him);
• 25. the place of the battle of heroes did not (take him).
• 26. Father Hea ....
• 27. To the warrior Merodach ....
• 28. Heroic warrior (Merodach) ....
• 29. he created him the word ....
• 30. the spirit ....
• 31. To his father ....
• 32. the heroic warrior Merodach (son of Hea)
• 33. created him the word, the earth opened, and
• 34. the spirit (or ghost) of Hea-bani like dust from the earth (arose):
• 35. ..... and thou explainest,
• 36. he pondered and repeated this:

Column IV.

• 1. Tell, my friend, tell, my friend,
• 2. the secrets of the earth which thou hast seen, tell (me).
• 3. I cannot tell thee, my friend, I cannot tell thee,
• 4. (how) can I tell thee the secrets of the earth which I have seen?
• 5. ..... I sit weeping
• 6. ..... may I sit and may I weep
• 7. ..... of growth and thy heart rejoiced
• 8. ..... thou growest old, the worm entered
• 9. ..... of youth and thy heart rejoiced
• 10. ..... dust filling
• 11. ..... he passed over
• 12. ..... he passed over
• 13. ..... I saw

Here there is a serious blank in the inscription, about twenty lines being lost, and Mr. Smith has conjecturally inserted a fragment which appears to belong to this part of the narrative. It is very curious from the geographical names it contains.

• 1. .... I poured out ....
• 2. .... which thou trusted ....
• 3. .... city of Babylon ri ....
• 4. .... which he was blessed ....
• 5. .... may he mourn for my fault ....
• 6. .... may he mourn for him and for ....
• 7. .... Kisu and Kharsak-kalama, may he mourn .....
• 8. .... his .... Cutha ....
• 9. .... Eridu? and Nipur ....

The rest of Column IV. is lost, and of the next column there are only remains of the first two lines.