06 - Babylonian Story of the Deluge and the Epic of Gilgamesh by E. A. Wallis Budge

Dive into the captivating world of ancient Babylon with this insightful monograph, which explores the legendary flood myth and the renowned Epic of Gilgamesh, particularly the Standard Babylonian version dating back to the 7th century BC. Unearthed from the clay tablets of the Royal Library of Ashurbanipal at the historic Nineveh, the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, this work not only narrates these timeless stories through a blend of direct translation and engaging paraphrase but also provides a vivid description of the library and the intriguing tale of its discovery. Accompanied by eighteen stunning illustrations, this book offers a rich glimpse into a fascinating chapter of human history. - Summary by Kazbek

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section six of the Babylonian Story of the Deluge and
the Epic of Gilgamesh with an account of the Royal
Libraries of Nineveh by E. A. Wallace Budge. This librivax
recording is in the public domain. The Epic of Gilgamesh,
the narrative of the life, exploits and travels of Gilgamesh,

(00:22):
king of Erech, filled twelve tablets which formed the series
called from the first three words of the first tablet,
shah nagbu imuru I e he who hath seen all things.
The exact period of the reign of this king is unknown,
but there is no doubt that he lived and ruled

(00:44):
at Erech before the conquest of Mesopotamia by the Semites.
According to tablet from Niphar, he was the fifth of
a line of Sumerian rulers at Eirer, and he reigned
one hundred and twenty six years. His name is said
to mean the fire god is a commander. The principal

(01:06):
authorities for the epic are the numerous fragments of the
tablets that were found in the ruins of the library
of Nebo and the royal library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh,
and are now in the British Museum. The contents of
the twelve tablets may be briefly described thus. First tablet,

(01:29):
the opening lines describe the great knowledge and wisdom of Gilgamesh,
who saw everything, learned everything, understood everything, who probed to
the bottom the hidden mysteries of wisdom, and who knew
the history of everything that happened before the deluge. He
traveled far over the sea and land and performed mighty deeds.

(01:53):
And then he cut upon a tablet of stone an
account of all that he had done and suffered. He
built the Wall of Erer, founded the holy Temple of
e Anna, and carried out other great architectural works. He
was a semi divine being, for his body was formed

(02:15):
of the quote unquote flesh of the gods, and quote
two thirds of him were God and one third was
man end quote. The description of his person is lost
as Shepherd i e King of Erech. He forced the
people to toil over much, and his demands reduced them

(02:38):
to such a state of misery that they cried out
to the gods and begged them to create some king
who should control Gilgamesh and give them the deliverance from him.
The gods. Hearkened to the prayer of the men of Erech,
and they commanded the goddess Aruru to create a rival
to Gilgamesh. The goddas agreed to do their bidding, and,

(03:02):
having planned in her mind what manner of being she
intended to make, she washed her hands, took a piece
of clay and spat upon it, and made a male
creature like the god Anu. His body was covered all
over with hair. The hair of his head was long
like that of a woman, and he wore clothing like

(03:25):
that of Ghira or Sumogan, a goddess of vegetation. Aii.
He appeared to be clothed with leaves. He was different
in every way from the people of the country, and
his name was Enkidu Iyabani. He lived in the forest
of the hills eight herbs like the gazelle, drank with

(03:48):
the wild cattle and heard it with the beasts of
the field. He was mighty in stature, invincible in strength,
and obtained complete mastery over all the creatures of the
forests in which he lived. One day, a certain hunter
went out to snare game, and he dug pit traps

(04:10):
and laid nets, and made his usual preparations for roping
in his prey, But after doing this for three days,
he found that his pits were filled up and his
nets smashed, and he saw Ankidou releasing the beasts that
had been snared. The hunter was terrified at the sight

(04:31):
of Ankidou and went home hastily and told his father
what he had seen and how badly he had fared.
By his father's advice, he went to Erech and reported
to Gilgamesh what had happened. When Gilgamesh heard his story,
he advised him to act upon a suggestion which the

(04:52):
hunter's father had already made, namely that he should hire
a harlot and take her out to the forest, so
that Ankidu might be ensnared by the sight of her
beauty and take up his abode with her. The hunter
accepted this advice, and, having found the harlots to help
him in removing Ankidu from the forests, thus enabling him

(05:16):
to gain a living, he set out from Erech with her,
and in due course arrived at the forest where Ankidu
lived and set down by the place where the beasts
came to drink. On the second day, when the beasts
came to drink, and Ankidou was with them. The woman
carried out the instructions which the hunter had given her,

(05:38):
and when Ankidou saw her cast aside her veil, he
left his beasts and came to her, and remained with
her for six days and seven nights. At the end
of this period, he returned to the beasts with which
he had lived on friendly terms, but as soon as
the gazelle winded him, they took to flight, and the

(05:59):
wild cattle dis appeared into the woods. When Ankidu saw
the beasts forsake him, his knees gave way and he
swound from sheer shame. But when he came to himself,
he returned to the harlot. She spoke to him flattering
words and asked him why he wandered with the wild

(06:19):
beasts in the desert, and then told him she wished
to take him back with her to Erech, where Anu
and Ishtar lived and where the mighty Gilgamesh reigned. An
Kidu hearkened and finally went back with her to her city,
where she described the wisdom, power and might of Gilgamesh

(06:41):
and took steps to make Ankidu known to him. But
before Ankidu arrived. Gilgamesh had been warned of his existence
and coming in two dreams, which he related to his
mother Ninsunna, and when he and Ankidu learned to know
each other. Subsequently, these two mighty heroes became great friends.

(07:04):
Second tablet. When Enkidu came to Eirech, the habits of
the people of the city were strange to him, but
under the tuition of the harlot, he learned to eat
bread and to drink beer, and to wear clothes, and
he anointed his body with anguins. He went out into

(07:24):
the forest with his hunting implements and snared the gazelle
and slew the panther, and obtained animals for sacrifice, and
gained reputation as a mighty hunter and as a good shepherd.
In due course, he attracted the notice of Gilgamesh, who
did not, however, like his uncouth appearance and ways. But

(07:47):
after a time, when the citizens of Erech praised him
and admired his strong and vigorous stature, he made friends
with him and rejoiced in him, and planned an expedition
with him. Before they set out, Gilgamash wished to pay
a visit to the goddess Ishara, but Ankidu, fearing that

(08:07):
the influence of the goddess would have a bad effect
upon his friend, urged him to abandon the visit. This
Gilgamash refused to do, and when Ankidu declared that by
force he would prevent him going to the goddess, a
violent quarrel broke out between the two heroes, and they
appealed to arms. After a fierce fight, Ankiduk conquered Gilgamesh,

(08:33):
who apparently abandoned his visit to the goddess. The text
of the second tablet is very much mutilated, and the
authorities on the subjects are not agreed as to the
exact placing of the fragments. The above details are derived
from a tablet at Philadelphia the third tablet. The correct

(08:56):
order of the fragments of this tablet has not yet
been as taint, but among the contents of the first
part of its text, a lament by Ankidou that he
was associated with the Harlot seems to have had a place.
Whether he had left the city of Areth had gone
back to his native forest is not clear, but the

(09:17):
god Shamash, having heard his cursing of the Harlot cried
to him from heaven, saying, quote, why O Ankidou dost
thou curse the temple woman. She gave THEE food to eat,
which was meat only for God. She gave THEE wine
to drink, which was meat only for a king. She

(09:38):
rayed THEE in splendid apparel, and made THEE to possess
as thy friend, the noble Gilgamesh. And at present Gilgamesh
is thy bosom friend. He maketh THEE to lie down
on a large couch, and to sleep in a good,
well decked bed, and to occupy the chair of peace,
the chair on the left hand. Send the princes of

(10:02):
the earth keith to thy feet. He maketh the people
of Eirech to sigh for THEE, and many folk to
cry out for THEE, and to serve THEE. And for
thy sake, he putteth on coarse attire, and arrayeth himself
in the skin of the lion, and pursueth THEE over
the plain en. When Ankidou heard these words, his anxious

(10:25):
heart had peace to The third tablet probably belongs the
fragment in which Ankidu relates to Gilgamesh. A horrifying dream
which he had had. In his dream, it seemed to
him that there were thunderings in heaven and quaking upon earth,
and a being with an awful visage and nails like

(10:47):
an eagle's talons gripped him and carried him off, and
forced him to go down into the dark abyss of
the tread goddess Irkalla. From this abode, he who once
quote went in, never came out, and he who traveled
along that road never returned. He who dwelleth there is

(11:09):
without light. The beings therein eat dust and feed upon mud.
They are clad in feathers and have wings like birds.
They see no light, and they live in the darkness
of night end quote here and Kirusa. In his dream,
creatures had been kings when they lived upon the earth,

(11:30):
and shadowy beings offering roasted meat to Anu and Enlil,
and cold drinks poured out from water skins. In this
house of dust dwelt high priests, ministrants, the magician and
the prophet, and the deities Etana, Sumucan, Rishkigal, Queen of

(11:52):
the Earth, and Belitseri, who registered the deeds done upon
the earth. When Gilgam heard this, dream. He brought out
a table, and, setting on it honey and Butter, placed
it before Shamash the fourth Tablet. Gilgamesh then turned to

(12:13):
Ankidu and invited him to go with him to the
temple of Nin Mah to see the servant of his mother, Ninsunna,
in order to consult her as to the meaning of
the dream. They went there, and Ankidou told his dream,
and the wise woman offered up incense and asked Shamash

(12:33):
why he had given to her son a heart which
could never keep still. She next referred to the perilous
expedition against the mighty king Krumbaba, which he had decided
to undertake with Ankidu, and apparently hoped that the god
would prevent her son from leaving Erech. But Gilgamesh was

(12:54):
determined to march against Rumbabah, and he and Ankidu set
out without delay for the mountains where grew the cedars
the fifth Tablet. In due course, the two heroes reached
the forest of cedars, and they contemplated with awe their
great height and their dense foliage. The cedars were under

(13:16):
the special protection of Bell, who had appointed to be
their keeper Rumbaba, a being whose voice was like the
roar of storm, whose mouth was like that of the gods,
and whose breath was like a gale of wind. When
Ankidu saw how dance was the forest and how threatening,

(13:36):
he tried to make Gilgamesh turn back, but all his
entreaties were in vain. As they were going through the
forest to attack Rumbaba, Ankidu dreamed two or three dreams,
and when he related them to Gilgamesh, this hero interpreted
them as auguries of their success and the slaughter of Rumbaba.

(13:58):
The fragmentary character of the text here makes it very
difficult to find out exactly what steps the two heroes
took to overcome Rumbabah, but there is no doubt that
they did overcome him, and that they returned to Eirech
in triumph. The sixth Tablet and his returned to Eirech.

(14:20):
Kilgamesh washed his armor, cleaned his weapons, dressed his hair
and let it fall down on his back. He cast
off his dirty garments and put on clean ones. He
arrayed himself in the royal headcloth. He bound on the filet.
He put on his crown. He bound on the filet.

(14:43):
Then the eyes of the Majesty of the Goddess Ishtar
lighted on the goodliness of Gilgamesh, and she said, go
to Gilgamesh, thou shalt be my lover. Give me thy
love fruit. Give it to me. I say, thou shalt
be my man. I will be thy woman. I will

(15:04):
make to be harnessed for THEE a chariot of lapis,
lazuli and gold. The wheels thereof shall be of gold,
and the horns of precious stones. Thou shalt harness daily
to it. Mighty horses come into our house with the
perfume of the cedar upon thee. When thou enterest into

(15:24):
our house, those who sit upon thrones shall kiss thy feet. Kings,
lords and nobles shall bow their backs before thee. The
gifts of mountain and land they shall bring as tribute
to thee. Thy ellipses and thy sheep shall bring forth
twins baggage animals shall come latent with tribute. The horse

(15:48):
of thy chariot shall prance proudly. There shall be none
like unto the beasts that is under thy yoke. In
answer to Ishtar's invitation, kil the Mesh makes a long
speech in which she reviews the calamities and misfortunes of
those who have been unfortunate enough to become the lovers

(16:09):
of the goddess. Her love is like a door that
lets in wind and storm, a fortress that destroys the
warriors inside it, an elephant that smashes his howdah et cetera,
he says, quote, what lover didst thou love for long?
Which of thy shepherds flourished? Come? Now I will describe

(16:32):
the calamity that goeth with thee end quote. He refers
to Tammuz, the lover of her youth, for whom, year
by year she arranges wailing commemorations. Every creature that falls
under her sway suffers mutilation or death. The bird's wings

(16:52):
are broken, the lion is destroyed, the horse is driven
to death with whip and spur. When his speech concludes
with the words, quote, dost thou love me? And wouldst
thou treat me as thou didst them? End quote. When
Ishtar heard these words, she was filled with rage, and

(17:14):
she went up to heaven and complained to Anu, her father,
and unto her mother, that Gilgamesh had cursed her and
revealed all her iniquitous deeds in actions. She followed up
her complaints with the request that Anu should create a
mighty bull of heaven to destroy Gilgamesh, and she threatened

(17:36):
her father that if he did not grant her request,
she would do works of destruction, presumably in the world.
Anu created the fire breathing, question mark Bull of Heaven
and sent him to the city of Erech, where he
destroyed large numbers of the people. At length, Ankidu and

(17:56):
Gilgamesh determined to go forth and slay the bull. When
they came to the place where he was, Ankidu seized
him by the tail, and Gilgamish delivered deadly blows between
his neck and his horns, and together they killed him.
As soon as Ishtar heard of the death of the bull,
she rushed out on the battlements of the walls of

(18:19):
Eirere and cursed Gilgamish for destroying her bull. When Ankidu
heard what Ishtar said, he went and tore off a
portion of the bull's flesh from his right side and
threw it at the goddess, saying, quot could I but
fight with THEE. I would serve THEE as I have
served him. I would twine his entrails about thee. Then

(18:44):
Ishtar gathered together all her temple women and harlots, and
with them made lamentation over the portion of the bull
which Ankidu had thrown at her. And Gilgamish called together
the artisans of Eref, who came and marveled at the
size of the bull's horns, for their bulk was equal

(19:04):
to thirty minas of lapislazoli, and their thickness to the
length of two fingers, and they could contain six core
measures of oil. Then Gilgamesh took them to the temple
of the god lugal Banda and hung them up there
on the throne of his majesty. And having made his offering,

(19:26):
he and Ankidu went to the Euphrates and washed their hands,
and walked back to the market place of Erech. As
they went through the streets of the city, the people
thronged about them to get in sight of their faces.
When Gilgamesh asked, quote, who is splendid among men? Who

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is glorious among heroes? End quote? These questions were answered
by the women of the palace, who cried, quote, Gilgameshu
is splendid among men. Gilgamesh's glorious among heroes and quote.
When Gilgamesh entered his palace, he ordered a great festival
to be kept, and his guests were provided by him

(20:08):
with beds to sleep on. On the night of the festival,
Ankidu had a dream, and he rose up and related
it to Gilgamesh the Seventh Tablet. About the contents of
the Seventh Tablet, there is considerable doubt, and the authorities
differ in their opinions about them. A large number of

(20:30):
lines of text are wanting at the beginning of the tablet,
but it is very probable that they contained a description
of Ankidu's dream. This may have been followed by an
interpretation of the dream, either by Gilgamesh or some one else,
But whether this be so or not, it seems tolerably
certain that a dream portended disaster for Ankidu. A fragment

(20:54):
which seems to belong to the stablet beyond doubt, describes
the sickness and death of an Kidu. The cause of
his sickness is unknown, and the fragment merely states that
he took to his bed and lay there for ten
days when his illness took a turn for the worse,
and on the twelfth day he died. He may have

(21:14):
died of wounds received in some fight, but it is
more probable that he succumbed to an attack of Mesopotamian fever.
When Gilgamesh was told that his brave friend and companion
in many fights was dead, he could not believe it,
and he thought that he must be asleep. But when
he found that death had really carried off Ankidou, he

(21:37):
broke out into the lament, which formed the beginning of
the text of the next tablet, the eighth tablet. In
this lament, he calls Ankidu his brave friend and the
quote panther of the desert end quote, and refers to
their haunts in the mountains, and to their slaughter of

(21:59):
the heaven, and to the overthrow of Humbaba in the
forest of Cedar. And then he asks him, quote, what
kind of sleep is this which hath laid hulled upon
thee Thou starest out blankly question mark, and hearest me
not end quote. But Enkidou moved not, And when Gilgamesh

(22:23):
touched his breast, his heart was still, then laying a
covering over him as carefully as if he had been
his bride. He turned away from the dead body, and
in his grief roared like a raging lion, and like
a lioness robbed of her whelps the ninth Tablet. In

(22:45):
bitter grief, Gilgamesh wandered about the country, uttering lamentations for
his beloved companion Enkidu. As he went about, he thought
to himself, quote, I myself shall die, and shall not
I then be as Ankidu. Sorrow hath entered into my
soul because of the fear of death which hath got

(23:08):
hold of me, do I wander over the country? End quote.
His fervent desire was to escape from death, and remembering
that his ancestor Uta Napishtim, the son of Ubaratutu, had
become defied and immortal, Gilgamesh determined to set out for
the place where he lived in order to obtain from

(23:31):
him the secret of immortality. Where Uta Napishtim lived was
unknown to Gilgamesh, but he seems to have made up
his mind that he would have to face danger in
reaching the place, for he says quote, I will set
out and travel quickly. I shall reach the defiles in
the mountains by night. And if I see lions and

(23:54):
am terrified at them, I shall lift up my head
and appeal to the Goddess, said and to Ishtar, the
lady of the gods, who is wont to hearken to
my prayers. Quote. After Gilgamish set out to go to
the west, he was attacked either by men or animals,
but he overcame them and went on until he arrived

(24:17):
at Mount Mashau, where it would seem the sun was
thought both to rise and to set. The approach to
this mountain was guarded by scorpion men, whose aspect was
so terrible that the mere sight of it was sufficient
to kill the mortal who beheld them. Even the mountains
collapsed under the glance of their eyes. When Gilgamish saw

(24:42):
the scorpion man, he was smitten with fear, and under
the influence of his terror, the color of his face changed,
but he plucked up courage and bowed to them humbly.
Then a scorpion man cried out to his wife, saying,
quote the body of him that to us is the
flesh of the gods end quote, and she replied, quote

(25:05):
two thirds of him as God, and the other third
is man end quote. The scorpion man then received gilgamsh
kindly and warned him that the way which he was
about to travel was full of danger and difficulty. Kilgamash
told him that he was in search of his ancestor

(25:26):
Utta Napishteem, who had been deified and made immortal by
the gods, and that it was his intention to go
to him to learn the secret of immortality. The scorpion man,
in answer, told him that it was impossible for him
to continue his journey through that country, for no man
had ever succeeded in passing through the dark region of

(25:50):
that mountain, which required twelve double hours to traverse. Nothing
dismayed Gilgamish set out on the road through the mountains,
and the darkness increased in density every hour, but he
struggled on, and at the end of the twelfth hour
he arrived at a region where there was bright daylight,

(26:12):
and he entered a lovely garden filled with trees loaded
with luscious fruits. And he saw the quote unquote tree
of the gods. The tenth tablet in the region to
which Gilgamesh had come stood the palace or fortress of
the goddess Siduri Sabitu, and to this he directed his steps,

(26:36):
with a view of obtaining help to continue his journey.
The goddess wore a girdle and sat upon a throne
by the side of the sea, and when she saw
him coming towards her palace, travel stained and clad in
the rugged skin of some animal, she thought that he
might prove an undesirable visitor, and so ordered the door

(26:58):
of her palace to be closed against him. But Gilgamesh
managed to obtain speech with her, and having asked her
what ailed her and why she had closed her door,
he threatened to smash the bolt and break down the door.
In answer, Siduri Sapitu said to him, QUO, why are

(27:18):
thy cheeks wasted? Thy face is bowed down, Thine heart
is sad, thy form is dejected? Why is there lamentation
in thy heart? End? Quote? And she went on to
tell him that he had the appearance of one who
had traveled far, that he was a painful sight to

(27:40):
look upon, that his face was burnt, and finally seems
to have suggested that he was a runaway trying to
escape from the country. To this, Gilgamesh replied, why should
not my cheeks be wasted, my face bowed down? My
heart said my form dejected? And quote and then he

(28:01):
told the goddess that his ill looks and miserable appearance
were due to the fact that death had carried off
his dear friend, a Kidu, the quote unquote panther of
the desert, who had traveled the mountains with him and
had helped him to overcome Humbaba in the cedar forest
and to slay the bull of heaven. And Kidu, his

(28:22):
dear friend, who had fought with lions and killed them,
and who had been with him in all his difficulties.
And he added, QUO, I wept over him for six
days and nights Ellipses, before I would let him be
buried end quote. Continuing his narrative, Gilgamish said to Sabitusiduri, quote,

(28:46):
I was horribly afraid, Ellipses. I was afraid of death,
and therefore I fled through the country. The fate of
my friend lieth heavily upon me. Therefore am I traveling
on a long journey through the country. The fate of
my friend lieth heavily upon me. Therefore am I traveling

(29:06):
on a long journey through the country. How is it
possible for me to keep silence about it? How is
it possible for me to cry out the story of it.
My friend whom I loved hath become like the dust.
And Kidu, my friend whom I loved, hath become like
the dust. Shall not I myself also be obliged to

(29:29):
lay me down and never again rise up to all eternity?
End quote. Gilgamish continued to speak unto Sabidu, saying, quote, O, Sabitu,
which is the way to Uta? Napishteem, what is the
description thereof? Give me give me the description thereof. If

(29:52):
it be possible, I will cross the sea. If it
be impossible, I will travel by land. End quote. Then
Sebitu answered and said, unto Gilgamesh, quote there is no passage,
most assuredly, O Gilgamesh, And no one from the earliest
times hath been able to cross the sea. The hero Shamash,

(30:16):
the sun god, hath indeed crossed the sea. But who
besides him could do so? The passage is hard, and
the way is difficult, and the waters of death, which
block the other end of it are deep. How then, Gilgamesh,
wilt thou be able to cross the sea when thou
arrivest at the waters of death? What wilt thou do

(30:39):
end quote. Sabitu then told Gilgamesh that ur Shannabi, the
boatman of Uta Napishtem, was in the place, and that
he should see him, and added, quote, if it be possible,
cross with him, and if it be impossible, come back
and quote. Kilgamsh left the goddess and succeeded in finding Urshanabi,

(31:05):
the boatman, who addressed him with words similar to those
of Sebitu quoted above. Gilgamsh answered him as he had
answered Sabitu, and then asked him for news about the
road to Utah Napishteem. In reply, Ushanabi told him to
take his axe and to go down into the forest

(31:26):
and cut a number of poles sixty cubits long. Kilgamesh
did so, and when he returned with them, he went
up into the boat with Urshanabi, and they made a
voyage of one month and fifteen days. On the third day,
they reached the limits of the waters of death, which
Urushanabi told Gilgamesh not to touch with his hand. Meanwhile,

(31:51):
Uda Napishtem had seen the boat coming, and as something
in its appearance seemed strange to him, he went down
to the shore to see who the newcomers were. When
he saw Gilgamesh, he asked him the same questions that
Sabitu and Ulshanabi had asked him, and Gilgamesh answered as

(32:11):
he had answered them, and then went on to tell
him the reason for his coming. He said that he
had determined to go to visit Uttenapishteem the remote, and
had therefore journeyed far, and that in the course of
his travels he had passed over difficult mountains and crossed
the sea. He had not succeeded in entering the house

(32:33):
of Sabitu, for she had caused him to be driven
from her door on account of his dirty, ragged, and
travel stained apperil. He had eaten birds and beasts of
many kinds, the lion, the panther, the jackal, the antelope,
mountain goat, et cetera, and apparently had dressed himself in

(32:55):
their skins. A break in the text makes it impossible
to give the opening lines of Utaannapishtim's reply, but he
mentions the father and mother of Gilgamesh, and in the
last twenty lines of the tenth tablet, he warrns Gilgamesh
that on earth there is nothing permanent that Mametum, the

(33:17):
arranger of destinies, had settled the question of the death
and life of man with Anunnaki, and that none may
find out the day of his death or escape from death.
The eleventh tablet, the story of the Deluge as told
by utannapish Team to Gilgamesh, has already been given on

(33:41):
pages thirty one to forty, and we therefore pass on
to the remaining contents of the stablets. When Udanapishteem had
finished the story of the Deluge, he said to Gilgamesh, now,
as touching myself, which of the gods will gather thee
to himself, so that thou mayest find the life which

(34:04):
thou seekest. Come now, do not lay thyself down to
sleep for six days and seven nights. But in spite
of this admonition, as soon as Gilgamesh had sat down,
drowsiness overpowered him, and he fell fast asleep. Uta Napishteem,

(34:27):
seeing that even the mighty hero Gilgamesh could not resist
falling asleep, with some amusement, drew the attention of his
wife to the fact. But she felt sorry for the
tired man and suggested that he should take steps to
help him. To return to his home. In reply, Utah

(34:47):
Napishteem told her to bake bread for him, and she
did so, and each day for six days she carried
a loaf to the ship and laid it on the
deck where Gilgamesh lay. On the seventh day, when she
took the loaf, Utahnapishteem touched Gilgamish, and the hero woke

(35:07):
up with a start and admitted that he had been
overcome with sleep and made incapable of movement. Thereby, still
vexed with the thought of death and filled with anxiety
to escape from it, Kilgamish asked his host what he
should do and where he should go to effect his object.

(35:32):
By Utah Napishtem's advice, he made an agreement with Urshanabee
the boatman, and prepared to recross the sea on his
way home. But before he set out on his way,
Uda Napishteem told him of the existence of a plant
which grew at the bottom of the sea, and apparently

(35:53):
led Gilgamish to believe that the possession of it would
confer upon him immortality. Thereupon, Gilgamesh tied heavy stones to
his feet and let himself down into the sea through
an opening in the floor of the boat. When he
reached the bottom of the sea, he saw the plant

(36:14):
and plucked it and ascended into the boat with it,
showing it to Ushanabee. He told him that it was
a most marvelous plant and that it would enable a
man to obtain his heart's desire. Its name was sheibu
isahir amelu ai E. The old man becometh young again,

(36:38):
and Gilgamesh declared that he would quote eat of it
in order to recover his lost youth end quote, and
that he would take it home to his fortified city
of Erech. Misfortune, however, dugged his steps and the plant
never reached erer. For whilst Gilgamesh and Urshanabe were on

(36:59):
their way back to Erech, they passed a pool, the
water of which was very cold, and Gilgamesh dived into
it and took a bath. Whilst there, a serpent discovered
the whereabouts of the plant through its smell and swallowed it.
When Gilgamesh saw what had happened, he cursed aloud and

(37:22):
sat down and wept, and the tears coursed down his
cheeks as he lamented over the waste of his toil
and the vain expenditure of his heart's blood and his
failure to do any good for himself. Disheartened and weary,
he struggled on his way with his friend, and at

(37:44):
length they arrived at the fortified city of Erech. Then
Gilgamesh told Urshanabee to jump up on the wall and
examine the bricks from the foundations to the battlements, and
see if the plants which he had made concerned them
had been carried out during his absence the Twelfth Tablet.

(38:07):
The text of the twelfth Tablet is very fragmentary and
contains large gaps, But it seemed certain that Kilgamash did
not abandon his hope of finding the secret of immortality.
He had failed to find it upon Earth, and he
made arrangements with the view of trying to find it
in the Kingdom of the dead. The priest whom he consulted,

(38:32):
described to him the conditions under which he might hope
to enter the underworld, But he was unable to fulfill
the obligations which they laid upon him, and he could
not go there. Gilgamesh then thought that if he could
have a conversation with Ankidou, his dead friend, he might

(38:52):
learn from him what he wanted to know. He appealed
to Bell and asked him to raise up the spirit
Ankidu for him, but Bell made no answer. He then
appealed to Sin, and this god also made no answer.
He next appealed to Aea, who, taking pity on him,

(39:15):
ordered the warrior god Nergal to produce the spirit of Ankidu,
and this god opened a hole in the ground through
which the spirit of Ankidou passed up into this world
quote like a breath of wind and quote Kilgamagh began
to ask the spirit of Ankiduk questions, but gained very

(39:37):
little information or satisfaction. The last lines of the tablet
seemed to say that the spirit of the unburied man
reposes not in the earth, and that the spirit of
the friendless man wandereth about the streets, eating the remains
of food which are cast out from the cooking pots.

(40:01):
End of section six. End of the Babylonian Story of
the Deluge in the Epic of Gilgamesh, with an account
of the Royal Libraries of Nineveh by E. A. Wallace
Budge