Atraḥasis and the Elders

Atraḥasis received the command.

He assembled the Elders at his gate.

[i.c40] Atraḥasis made ready to speak, and said to the Elders:

“My god does not agree with your god, Enki and Enlil are constantly angry with each other. They have expelled me from the land.

[i.c45] Since I have always reverenced Enki, he told me this.

I can not live in … Nor can I set my feet on the earth of Enlil. I will dwell with my god in the depths.

[i.c50] This he told me: …”

Construction of the Ark

[ii.10] The Elders …

The carpenter carried his axe, the reedworker carried his stone, the rich man carried the pitch, the poor man brought the materials needed.

[Lacuna of about fifteen lines; the word Atraḥasis can be discerned.]

[ii.29] Bringing …

[ii.30] whatever he had … Whatever he had … Pure animals he slaughtered, cattle … Fat animals he killed. Sheep … he choose and and brought on board.

[ii.35] The birds flying in the heavens, the cattle and the … of the cattle god, the creatures of the steppe, … he brought on board …

[ii.40] he invited his people … to a feast … his family was brought on board. While one was eating an another was drinking,

[ii.45] he went in and out; he could not sit, could not kneel, for his heart was broken, he was retching gall.

Departure

The outlook of the weather changed.

Adadnote began to roar in the clouds.

[ii.50] The god they heard, his clamor. He brought pitch to seal his door.

By the time he had bolted his door, Adad was roaring in the clouds.

The winds were furious as he set forth,

[ii.55] He cut the mooring rope and released the boat.

[Lacuna]

The Great Flood

[iii.5] … the storm … were yoked

Anzu rent the sky with his talons, He … the land

[iii.10] and broke its clamor like a pot.

… the flood came forth.

Its power came upn the peoples like a battle, one person did not see another, they could not recognize each other in the catastrophe.

[iii.15] The deluge belowed like a bull, The wind resounded like a screaming eagle.

The darkness was dense, the sun was gone, … like flies.

[iii.20] the clamor of the deluge.

[Lacuna. The gods find themselves hungry because there are no farmers left and sacrifices are no longer brought. When they discover that Atrahasis has survived, they make a plan to make sure that the noise will remain within limits: they invent childbirth, infant mortality, and celibacy.]

Mankind Punished

[iii.45] Enki said to Nintu the birth goddess:

“You, birth goddess, creatress of destinies, establish death for all peoples!

[iii.d1] “Now then, let there be a third woman among the people, among the people are the woman who has borne and the woman who has not borne.

Let there be also among the people the pasittu (she-demon):

[iii.d5] Let her snatch the baby from the lap who bore it.

And establish high priestesses and priestesses, let them be taboo,note and so cut down childbirth