This presentation provides context for the Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet XI and is meant to supplement discussion in the 2020-21 Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts Seminar at the IUPUI Arts & Humanities Institute

1. Examples of Flood Myths from Around the World
Epic of Gilgamesh
c2100 BCE
Hebrew Story of Noah
Aztec Story of Coxcox
and Xochiquetzal
Flood of Deucalion
1C CE
Matsya Purana:
Manu and the
Fish/Vishnu
3C CE
Ymir in the Edda
Tiddalik and the Drought
Ojibwe Story
of Waynaboozhoo
Popol Vuh
Inca Story of
Unu Pachakuti
Great Flood of Gun-Yu
c1900 BCE
Flood of Olokun

4. Tablet XI of Epic of
Gilgamesh. ca. 7thC BCE.
Kouyunjik, Iraq (Library of
Ashurbanipal). 15.24cm x
13.33cm x 3.17cm. British
Museum, London. K.3375.

9. Original Transcript English Translation
1 gilgameš ana šâšumma izakkara ana ūta-napišti rūqi 1 Gilgamesh spoke to him, to Ūta-napišti the Far-Away:
2 anaṭṭalakkumma ūta-napišti
3 minâtuka ul šanâ kī yâtimma atta
4 u atta ul šanâta kī yâtimma atta
2 "As I look at you, Ūta-napišti,
3 Your form is no different, you are just like me,
4 You are not different at all, you are just like me.
5 gummurka libbī ana epēš tuqunti
6 [x]x ahī nadât elu ṣērika
7 [att]a kīkī tazzizma ina puhur ilī balāṭa teš'u
5 I was fully intent on doing battle with you,
6 [but] in your presence my hand is stayed.
7 How was it that you attended the gods' assembly, and found eternal life?"
8 ūta-napišti ana šâšumma izakkar ana gilgameš 8 Ūta-napišti spoke to him, to Gilgamesh:
9 lupteka gilgameš amāt niṣirti
10 u pirišti ša ilī kâša luqbīka
9 I will disclose to you, Gilgamesh, a secret matter,
10 and I will tell you a mystery of the gods
11 šurippak ālu ša tīdûšu atta
12 ā[lu ša ina kišā]d puratti šaknu
13 [āl]u šū labirma ilū qerbuššu
14 [an]a šakān abūbi ubla libbašunu ilī rabûti
11 The city of Shuruppak — a city you yourself know,
12 the [city that] is situated on the [banks] of the Euphrates —
13 that city was old and the gods were inside it,
14 (when) the great gods decided to cause the Deluge.
15 [it]māma abūšunu anum
16 mālikšunu qurādu enlil
17 [g]uzallâšunu ninurta
18 gugallâšunu ennugi
15 Their father Anu took the oath,
16 (as did) their counsellor, the hero Enlil,
17 their chamberlain, Ninurta,
18 their inspector of waterways, Ennugi
19 ninšiku ea ittīšunu tamīma
20 amāssunu ušannâ ana kikkišu
19 Prince Ea was likewise under oath with them,
20 (but) repeated their words to a reed fence:
21 kikkiš kikkiš igār igār
22 kikkišu šimema igāru hissas
23 šuruppakû mār ubara-tutu
24 uqur bīta bini eleppa
21 "Reed fence, reed fence! Brick wall, brick wall!
22 Listen, O reed fence! Pay heed, O brick wall!
23 O man of Shuruppak, son of Ubara-tutu,
24 demolish the house, build a boat!
25 muššir mešrâmma še'i napšāti
26 [m]akkūru zērma napišti bulliṭ
27 šūlīma zēr napšāti kalāma ana libbi eleppi
25 Abandon riches and seek survival!
26 Spurn property and save life!
27 Put on board the boat the seed of all living creatures!
28 eleppu ša tabannûši atta
29 lū mindudā minâtuša
30 [l]ū mithur rupussa u mūrakša
31 [k]īma apsî šâši ṣullilši
28 "The boat that you are going to build,
29 her dimensions should all be matching:
30 her breadth and length shoudl be the same,
31 cover her with a roof, like the Apsû".
32 [a]nāku īdēma azakkara ana ea bēliya
33 [amg]ur bēlī ša taqbâ atta kī'am
34 [at]ta'id anāku eppu
32 I understood and spoke to Ea my master:
33 "I hereby concur, my lord, with what you told me thus.
34 [I] have paid attention; I shall do it.
This is a recording of The Epic of
Gilgameš, Standard Version, Tablet
XI, lines 1-34, read by Nathan
Wasserman.
A translation of the incantation can
be found at https://
www.soas.ac.uk/baplar/
recordings/the-epic-of-gilgame-
standard-version-tablet-xi-
lines-1-29-read-by-stephanie-
dalley.html
This is part of the Babylonian and
Assyrian Poetry and Literature: An
Archive of Recordings project at
SOAS University of London.
Listen to
recording