The Epic of Gilgamish
by Stephen Langdon
University of Pennsylvania
The University Museum
Publications of the Babylonian Section
Vol. X No. 3
Introduction
In the year 1914 the University Museum secured by purchase a large six column tablet nearly complete, carrying originally, according to the scribal note, 240 lines of text. The contents supply the South Babylonian version of the second book of the epic ša nagba imuru, “He who has seen all things,” commonly referred to as the Epic of Gilgamish. The tablet is said to have been found at Senkere, ancient Larsa near Warka, modern Arabic name for and vulgar descendant of the ancient name Uruk, the Biblical Erech mentioned in Genesis X. 10. This fact makes the new text the more interesting since the legend of Gilgamish is said to have originated at Erech and the hero in fact figures as one of the prehistoric Sumerian rulers of that ancient city. The dynastic list preserved on a Nippur tablet[1] mentions him as the fifth king of a legendary line of rulers at Erech, who succeeded the dynasty of Kish, a city in North Babylonia near the more famous but more recent city Babylon. The list at Erech contains the names of two well known Sumerian deities, Lugalbanda[2] and Tammuz. The reign of the former is given at 1,200 years and that of Tammuz at 100 years. Gilgamish ruled 126 years. We have to do here with a confusion of myth and history in which the real facts are disengaged only by conjecture.
The prehistoric Sumerian dynasties were all transformed into the realm of myth and legend. Nevertheless these rulers, although appearing in the pretentious nomenclature as gods, appear to have been real historic personages.[3] The name Gilgamish was originally written dGi-bil-aga-miš, and means “The fire god (Gibil) is a commander,” abbreviated to dGi-bil-ga-miš, and dGi(š)-bil-ga-miš, a form which by full labialization of b to u̯ was finally contracted to dGi-il-ga-miš.[4] Throughout the new text the name is written with the abbreviation dGi(š),[5] whereas the standard Assyrian text has consistently the writing dGIŠ-ṬU[6]-BAR. The latter method of writing the name is apparently cryptographic for dGiš-bar-aga-(miš); the fire god Gibil has also the title Giš-bar.
A fragment of the South Babylonian version of the tenth book was published in 1902, a text from the period of Hammurapi, which showed that the Babylonian epic differed very much from the Assyrian in diction, but not in content. The new tablet, which belongs to the same period, also differs radically from the diction of the Ninevite text in the few lines where they duplicate each other. The first line of the new tablet corresponds to Tablet I, Col. V 25 of the Assyrian text,[7] where Gilgamish begins to relate his dreams to his mother Ninsun.[8]
The last line of Col. I corresponds to the Assyrian version Book I, Col. VI 29. From this point onward the new tablet takes up a hitherto unknown portion of the epic, henceforth to be assigned to the second book.[9]
At the end of Book I in the Assyrian text and at the end of Col. I of Book II in the new text, the situation in the legend is as follows. The harlot halts outside the city of Erech with the enamoured Enkidu, while she relates to him the two dreams of the king, Gilgamish. In these dreams which he has told to his mother he receives premonition concerning the advent of the satyr Enkidu, destined to join with him in the conquest of Elam.
Now the harlot urges Enkidu to enter the beautiful city, to clothe himself like other men and to learn the ways of civilization. When he enters he sees someone, whose name is broken away, eating bread and drinking milk, but the beautiful barbarian understands not. The harlot commands him to eat and drink also:
“It is the conformity of life,
Of the conditions and fate of the Land.”
He rapidly learns the customs of men, becomes a shepherd and a mighty hunter. At last he comes to the notice of Gilgamish himself, who is shocked by the newly acquired manner of Enkidu.
“Oh harlot, take away the man,” says the lord of Erech. Once again the faithful woman instructs her heroic lover in the conventions of society, this time teaching him the importance of the family in Babylonian life, and obedience to the ruler. Now the people of Erech assemble about him admiring his godlike appearance. Gilgamish receives him and they dedicate their arms to heroic endeavor. At this point the epic brings in a new and powerful motif, the renunciation of woman’s love in the presence of a great undertaking. Gilgamish is enamoured of the beautiful virgin goddess Išhara, and Enkidu, fearing the effeminate effects of his friend’s attachment, prevents him forcibly from entering a house. A terrific combat between these heroes ensues,[10] in which Enkidu conquers, and in a magnanimous speech he reminds Gilgamish of his higher destiny.
In another unplaced fragment of the Assyrian text[11] Enkidu rejects his mistress also, apparently on his own initiative and for ascetic reasons. This fragment, heretofore assigned to the second book, probably belongs to Book III. The tablet of the Assyrian version which carries the portion related on the new tablet has not been found. Man redeemed from barbarism is the major theme of Book II.
The newly recovered section of the epic contains two legends which supplied the glyptic artists of Sumer and Accad with subjects for seals. Obverse III 28–32 describes Enkidu the slayer of lions and panthers. Seals in all periods frequently represent Enkidu in combat with a lion. The struggle between the two heroes, where Enkidu strives to rescue his friend from the fatal charms of Išhara, is probably depicted on seals also. On one of the seals published by Ward, Seal Cylinders of Western Asia, No. 459, a nude female stands beside the struggling heroes.[12] This scene not improbably illustrates the effort of Enkidu to rescue his friend from the goddess. In fact the satyr stands between Gilgamish and Išhara(?) on the seal.
[1] Ni. 13981, published by Dr. Poebel in PBS. V, No. 2.
[2] The local Bêl of Erech and a bye-form of Enlil, the earth god. Here he is the consort of the mother goddess Ninsun.
[3] Tammuz is probably a real personage, although Dumu-zi, his original name, is certainly later than the title Ab-ú, probably the oldest epithet of this deity, see Tammuz and Ishtar, p. 8. Dumu-zi I take to have been originally the name of a prehistoric ruler of Erech, identified with the primitive deity Abu.
[4] See ibid., page 40.
[5] Also Meissner’s early Babylonian duplicate of Book X has invariably the same writing, see Dhorme, Choix de Textes Religieux, 298–303.
[6] Sign whose gunufied form is read aga.
[7] The standard text of the Assyrian version is by Professor Paul Haupt, Das Babylonische Nimrodepos, Leipzig, 1884.
[8] The name of the mother of Gilgamish has been erroneously read ri-mat ilatNin-lil, or Rimat-Bêlit, see Dhorme 202, 37; 204, 30, etc. But Dr. Poebel, who also copied this text, has shown that Nin-lil is an erroneous reading for Nin-sun. For Ninsun as mother of Gilgamish see SBP. 153 n. 19 and R.A., IX 113 III 2. Ri-mat ilatNin-sun should be rendered “The wild cow Ninsun.”
[9] The fragments which have been assigned to Book II in the British Museum collections by Haupt, Jensen, Dhorme and others belong to later tablets, probably III or IV.
[10] Rm. 289, latter part of Col. II (part of the Assyrian version) published in HAUPT, ibid., 81–4 preserves a defective text of this part of the epic. This tablet has been erroneously assigned to Book IV, but it appears to be Book III.
[11] K. 2589 and duplicate (unnumbered) in Haupt, ibid., 16–19.
[12] See also Ward, No. 199.
Transliteration
1it-bi-e-ma iluGilgamiš šu-na-tam i-pa-aš-šar.
2iz-za-kar-am[1] a-na um-mi-šu
3um-mi i-na ša-a-at mu-ši-ti-i̭a
4ša-am-ḫa-ku-ma at-ta-na-al-la-ak
5i-na bi-ri-it id-da-tim
6ib-ba-šu-nim-ma ka-ka-’a[2] ša-ma-i
7ki-?-?-rum[3] ša a-nim im-ku-ut a-na ṣi-ri-i̭a
8áš-ši-šu-ma ik-ta-bi-it[4] e-li-i̭a
9ilam[5] iš-šu-ma nu-uš-ša-šu[6] u-ul el-ti-’i̭
10ad-ki ma-tum pa-ḫi-ir[7] e-li-šu
11id-lu-tum ú-na-ša-ku ši-pi-šu
12ú-um-mi-id-ma pu-ti
13i-mi- du i̭a-ti
14aš-ši-a-šu-ma at-ba-la-áš-šu a-na ṣi-ri-ki
15um-mi iluGilgamiš mu-u-da-a-at ka-la-ma
16iz-za-kar-am a-na iluGilgamiš
17mi-in-di iluGilgamish ša ki-ma ka-ti
18i-na ṣi-ri i-wa-li-id-ma
19ú-ra-ab-bi-šu ša-du-ú
20ta-mar-šu-ma [sa(?)]-ap-ḫa-ta at-ta
21id-lu-tum ú-na-ša-ku ši-pi-šu[8]
22te-iṭ-ṭi-ra-šu(?) … šu-ú-zu
23ta-tar-ra-[’a]-šu a-na ṣi-[ri-i̭]a
24[iš-(?)] ti-lam-ma[9] i-ta-mar ša-ni-tam
25[šu-na-]ta i-ta-wa-a-am a-na um-mi-šu
26[um-m]i a-ta-mar ša-ni-tam
27[šu-na-ta a-ta]mar e-mi-a i-na zu-ki-im
28[i-na?] Unuk-(ki) ri-bi-tim[10]
29ḫa-aṣ-ṣi-nu na-di-i-ma
30e-li-šu pa-aḫ- ru
31ḫa-aṣ-ṣi-nu-um-ma ša-ni bu-nu-šu
32a-mur-šu-ma aḫ-ta-ta a-na-ku
33a-ra-am-šu-ma ki-ma áš-ša-tim
34a-ḫa-ap-pu-up el-šu
35el-ki-šu-ma áš-ta-ka-an-šu
36a-na a-ḫi-i̭a
37um-mi iluGilgamish mu-da-at ka-la-ma
38[iz-za-kar-am a-na iluGilgamish]
...................................
COL. II
1aš-šum uš-[ta-] ma-ḫa-ru it-ti-ka.
2iluGilgamish šu-na-tam i-pa-šar
3iluEn-ki-[dû w]a?-ši-ib ma-ḫar ḫa-ri-im-tim
4UR [ ]-ḫa-mu DI-?-al-lu-un
5[ ] im-ta-ši a-šar i-wa-al-du
6ûmê 6[11] ù 7 mu-ši- a-tim
7iluEn-ki-dû te-bi- i-ma
8ša-[am-ka-ta] ir- ḫi
9ḫa-[ri-im-tu pa-a]-ša i-pu-ša-am-ma
10iz-za-[kar-am] a-na iluEn-ki-dû[12]
11a-na-ṭal-ka dEn-ki-dû ki-ma ili ta-ba-áš-ši
12am-mi-nim it-ti na-ma-áš-te-e[13]
13ta-at-ta-[na-al-]la -ak ṣi-ra-am
14al-kam lu-ùr-di- ka
15a-na libbi Uruk-(ki) ri-bi-tim
16a-na biti [el-]lim mu-ša-bi ša A-nim
17dEn-ki-dû ti-bi lu-ru-ka
18a-na É-[an-n]a mu-ša-bi ša A-nim
19a-šar [iluGilgamiš] it-[.........] ne-pi-ši-tim(?)
20ù at-[ ]-di [ -] ma
22al-ka ti-ba i-[na] ga-ag-ga-ri
23ma-a-a?[14] -ak ri-i-im
24iš-me a-wa-az-za im-ta-gár ga-ba-ša
25mi-il-kum ša sinništi
26im-ta-[ku]-ut a-na libbi-šu
27iš-ḫu-uṭ li-ib-ša-am
28iš-ti-nam [ú]-la-ab-bi-iš-šu
29li-ib- [ša-am] ša-ni-a-am
30ši-i it-ta-al-ba- áš
31ṣa-ab-ta-at ga-az- zu
32ki-ma ? i-ri-id-di-šu
33a-na gu-up-ri ša ri-i-im
34a-š[ar ] tar-ba-ṣi-im
35i-na [ ]-ḫu-ru ri-i̭a-ú[15]
36.............................
(About two lines broken away.)
COL. III
1ši-iz-ba ša na-ma-áš-te-e
2i-te-en- ni- iḳ
3a-ka-lam iš-ku-nu ma-ḫar-šu
4ip-te-iḳ-ma i-na -aṭ-ṭal[16]
5ù ip-pa-al-la- as
6u-ul i-di dEn-ki- dû
7aklam a-na a-ka-lim
8šikaram a-na ša-te-e-im
10ḫa-ri-im-lum pi-ša i-pu-ša-am- ma
11iz-za-kar-am a-na iluEn-ki-dû
12a-ku-ul ak-lam dEn-ki-dû
13zi-ma-at ba-la-ṭi-im
14bi-ši-ti ši-im-ti ma-ti
15i-ku-ul a-ak-lam iluEn-ki-dû
16a-di ši-bi-e-šu
17šikaram iš-ti-a-am
187 aṣ-ṣa-am-mi-im[17]
19it-tap-šar kab-ta-tum i-na-an-gu
20i-li-iṣ libba- šu- ma
21pa-nu-šu [it-]ta(?)-bir -ru[18]
22ul-tap-pi-it [............]-i
23šu-ḫu-ra-am pa-ga-ar-šu
24ša-am-nam ip-ta-ša-áš-ma
25a-we-li-iš i-mē
26il-ba- áš li-ib-ša-am
27ki-ma mu-ti i-ba-áš-ši
28il-ki ka-ak-ka-šu
29la-bi ú gi-ir- ri
30iš-sa-ak-pu šab-[ši]-eš mu-ši-a-ti
31ut- tap -pi-iš šib-ba-ri[19]
32la-bi uk-t 33it-ti immer na-ki-[e?] ra-bu-tum 34iluEn-ki-dû ma-aṣ-ṣa-ar-šu-nu 35a-we-lum wa-ru-um 36iš-[te]-en id-lum 37a-na[ ........ u]-za-ak-ki-ir ........................... (About five lines broken away.) .............................. 1i-ip-pu-uš ul-ṣa-am 2iš-ši-ma i-ni-i-šu 3i-ta-mar a-we-lam 4iz[20]-za-kar-am a-na ḫarimti 5ša-am-ka-at uk-ki-ši[21] a-we-lam 6a-na mi-nim il-li-kam 7zi-ki-ir-šu lu-uš-šu[22] 8ḫa-ri-im-tum iš-ta-si a-we-lam 9i-ba-uš-šu-um-ma i-ta-mar-šu 10e-di-il[23] e-eš-ta-ḫi-[ṭa-am] 11mi-nu a-la-ku-zu na-aḫ-[24] [ -]ma 12e pi-šu i-pu-ša-am-[ma] 13iz-za-kar-am a-na iluEn-[ki-dû] 14bi-ti-iš e-mu-tim [ ] 15ši-ma-a-at ni-ši-i- ma 16tu-ṣa[25]-ar pa-a-ta-tim[26] 17a-na âli dup-šak-ki-i e ṣi-en 18UG-AD-AD-LIL e-mi ṣa-a-a-ḫa-tim 19a-na šarri Unuk-(ki) ri-bi-tim 20pi-ti pu-uk epši[27] a-na ḫa-a-a-ri 21a-na iluGilgamiš šarri ša Unuk-(ki) ri-bi-tim 22pi-ti pu-uk epši[28] 23a-na ha-a-a-ri 24áš-ša-at ši-ma-tim i-ra-aḫ-ḫi 25šu-u pa-na-nu-um-ma 26mu-uk wa-ar-ka-nu 27i-na mi-il-ki ša ili ga-bi-ma 28i-na bi-ti-iḳ a-pu-un-na-ti-šu[29] 29ši- ma- az- zum 30a-na zi-ik-ri id-li-im 31i-ri-ku pa-nu-šu ............................................................ (About five lines broken away.) 1i-il-la-ak- .......... 2ù ša-am-ka-at[ ]ar-ki-šu 3i- ru- ub-ma[30] a-na[31] libbi Uruk-(ki) ri-bi-tim 4ip-ḫur um-ma-nu-um i-na ṣi-ri-šu 5iz-zi-za-am-ma i-na zu-ki-im 6ša Unuk-(ki) ri-bi-tim 8i-ta-mē-a i-na ṣi-ri-šu pi(?)-it-tam[32] 9a-na mi-[ni][33] iluGilgamiš ma-ši-il 10la-nam ša- pi- il 11e-ṣi[ pu]-uk-ku-ul 12 i ? -ak-ta 13i[- -]di i-ši? 14ši-iz-ba ša[na-ma-]áš-[te]-e 15i-te- en- ni- iḳ 16ka-i̭ā-na i-na [libbi] Uruk-(ki) kak-ki-a-tum[34] 17id-lu-tum u-te-el-li- lu 18ša-ki-in ip-ša- nu[35] 19a-na idli ša i-tu-ru zi-mu-šu 20a-na iluGilgamiš ki-ma i-li-im 21ša-ki-iš-šum[36] me-iḫ-rum 22a-na ilatIš-ḫa-ra ma-i̭ā-lum 23na- [di]-i- ma 24iluGilgamish id-[ ]na-an(?)... 25i-na mu-ši in-ni-[ -]id 26i-na-ak[37]-ša-am- ma 27it-ta-[ ]i-na zûki 28ip-ta-ra-[ku ]-ak-tām 29ša iluGilgamish 30........... da-na(?) ni-iš-šu 1ur-(?)ḫa ..................... 2iluGilgamiš ................ 3i-na ṣi-ri .................... 4i-ḫa-an-ni-ib [pi-ir-ta-šu?] 5it-bi-ma ... 6a-na pa-ni- šu 7it-tam-ḫa-ru i-na ri-bi-tu ma-ti 8iluEn-ki-dû ba-ba-am ip-ta-ri-ik 9i-na ši-pi-šu 10iluGilgamiš e-ri-ba-am u-ul id-di-in 11iṣ-ṣa-ab-tu-ma ki-ma li-i-im 12i- lu- du[38] 13zi-ip-pa-am ’i-bu- tu 14i-ga-rum ir-tu-tū[39] 15iluGilgamiš ù iluEn-ki- dû 16iṣ-ṣa-ab-tu-ù- ma 17ki-ma li-i-im i-lu-du 18zi-ip-pa-am ’i-bu- tu 19i-ga-rum ir-tu-tū 20ik-mi-is-ma iluGilgamiš 21i-na ga-ga-ag-ga-ri ši-ip-šu 22ip-ši-iḫ[40] uṣ-ṣa-šu- ma 23i-ni-’i i-ra-az-zu 24iš-tu i-ra-zu i-ni-ḫu[41] 25iluEn-ki-dû a-na ša-ši-im 26iz-za-kar-am a-na iluGilgamiš 27ki-ma iš-te-en-ma um-ma-ka 28ú- li- id- ka 29ri-im-tum ša zu- pu-ri 30ilat-Nin- sun- na 32šar-ru-tam ša ni-ši 33i-ši-im-kum iluEn-lil duppu 2 kam-ma šu-tu-ur e-li … 4 šu-ši[42] [1] Here this late text includes both variants pašāru and zakāru. The earlier texts have only the one or the other. [2] For kakabê; b becomes u̯ and then is reduced to the breathing. [3] The variants have kima kiṣri; ki-[ma]?-rum is a possible reading. The standard Assyrian texts regard Enkidu as the subject. [4] Var. da-an [5] ŠAM-KAK = ilu, net. The variant has ultaprid ki-is-su-šu, “he shook his murderous weapon.” For kissu see ZA. 9,220,4 = CT. 12,14b 36, giš-kud = ki-is-su. [6] Var. nussu for nuš-šu = nušša-šu. The previous translations of this passage are erroneous. [7] This is to my knowledge the first occurence of the infinitive of this verb, paḫēru, not paḫāru. [8] Text ma? [9] ištanamma > ištilamma. [10] Cf. Code of Hammurapi IV 52 and Streck in Babyloniaca II 177. [11] Restored from Tab. I Col. IV 21. [12] Cf. Dhorme Choix de Textes Religieux 198, 33. [13] namaštû a late form which has followed the analogy of reštû in assuming the feminine t as part of the root. The long û is due to analogy with namaššû a Sumerian loan-word with nisbe ending. [14] Room for a small sign only, perhaps A; māi̭āk? For mâka, there, see BEHRENS, LSS. II page 1 and index. [15] Infinitive “to shepherd”; see also Poebel, PBS. V 106 I, ri-i̭a-ú, ri-te-i̭a-ú. [16] The text has clearly AD-RI. [17] Or azzammim? The word is probably an adverb; hardly a word for cup, mug (??). [18] it is uncertain and ta more likely than uš. One expects ittabriru. Cf. muttabrirru, CT. 17, 15, 2; littatabrar, EBELING, KTA. 69, 4. [19] For šapparu. Text and interpretation uncertain. uttappiš II² from tapāšu, Hebrew tāpaś, seize. [20] Text ta! [21] On ekēšu, drive away, see Zimmern, Shurpu, p. 56. Cf. uk-kiš Myhrman, PBS. I 14, 17; uk-ki-ši, King, Cr. App. V 55; etc., etc. [22] The Hebrew cognate of mašû, to forget, is našâ, Arabic nasijia, and occurs here in Babylonian for the first time. See also Brockelman, Vergleichende Grammatik 160 a. [23] Probably phonetic variant of edir. The preterite of edēru, to be in misery, has not been found. If this interpretation be correct the preterite edir is established. For the change r > l note also attalaḫ < attaraḫ, Harper, Letters 88, 10, bilku < birku, RA. 9, 77 II 13; uttakkalu < uttakkaru, Ebeling, KTA. 49 IV 10. [24] Also na-’-[ -]ma is possible. [25] The text cannot be correct since it has no intelligible sign. My reading is uncertain. [26] Text uncertain, kal-lu-tim is possible. [27] KAK-ši. [28] KAK-ši. [29] Literally nostrils. pitik apunnati-šu, work done in his presence(?). The meaning of the idiom is uncertain. [30] Text ZU! [31] Text has erroneous form. [32] Text PA-it-tam clearly! [33] Omitted by the scribe. [34] Sic! The plural of kakku, kakkîtu(?). [35] Cf. e-pi-ša-an-šu-nu libâru, “May they see their doings,” Maḳlu VII 17. [36] For šakin-šum. [37] On the verb nâku see the Babylonian Book of Proverbs § 27. [38] The verb la’āṭu, to pierce, devour, forms its preterite iluṭ; see VAB. IV 216, 1. The present tense which occurs here as iluṭ also. [39] Note BUL(tu-ku) = ratātu (falsely entered in Meissner, SAI. 7993), and irattutu in Zimmern, Shurpu, Index. [40] “For ipšaḫ.” [41] Sic! ḫu reduced to the breathing ’u; read i-ni-’u. [42] The tablet is reckoned at forty lines in each column, 1Gilgamish arose interpreting dreams, 2addressing his mother. 3“My mother! during my night 4I, having become lusty, wandered about 5in the midst of omens.REVERSE I
REVERSE II
COL. III
Translation