Atrahasis and the Flood I Flood myth a originated in Mesopotamia b Tigris and Euphrates Flow regularly but unpedictably c myth spread abroad II Flood Myth Basic Scheme a Start with one god angry at humans b c sends flood to destroy all life on earth another god warns one man 1 2 build boat put animals on it d man and wife survive flood e man sacrifices to gods f gods regret sending flood III Several flood myths Sumerian versions 3000 2000 BCE fragmentary Babylonian version Atrahasis c 1700 BCE Babylonian version Epic of Gilgamesh c 1200 BCE g h i j Hebrew version Genesis c 950 550 BCE k Greco Roman version Ovid s Metamorphoses 8 CE IV Atrahasis poem l fragments Old Babylonian OBB version c 2000 1600 BCE fragments Standard Babylonian version SBB c 1000 539 BCE 1 2 3 Combined together Ipiq Aya c 1700 maybe be author or compiler m n 3 tablet poem cuneiform to hold atrahasis 1 Enuma Elish took 7 V Atrahasis Gods at Work o 3600 years gods dig canals 1 Earth exists 2 Humans do not p gods workers strike from digging q complain to Ellil 1 Ellil gods boss 2 Ellil storms and winds r author of Atrahasis says gods drew lots 1 2 Ellil earth 3 Anu sky 4 Enki Ea apsu Ellil gives Anu and Enki advice about the gods going on a strike s t God of wisdom Enki s advice 1 creator goddess Mami Nintu creates humans by mixing blood with clay don t know what she s the goddess of 2 Humans will do work of gods 3 blood of slain god to create humans u creation of humans 1 god Ilawela slain blood clay 2 14 pieces clay blood 7 women 7 men VI Atrahasis The Anger of Ellil v 600 years pass after human creation w overpopulated humans does not explain why 1 no mortality 2 long lives x noise of humans annoys Ellil cf Enuma Elish y Ellil calls assembly divine council myth z aa Atrahasis extra wise human king of Shuruppak Ellil plague 1 targeted at just humans 1 Calls on Enki Ea 2 Mesopotamian concept of personal god 3 cf patron god Marduk and Babylon 4 Ea and Atrahasis are both extra wise bb Enki s advice worshippers strike don t sorship gods pray to god Namtara temple Namtara lifts plague cc Ellil famine 2 Enki s advice to Atrahasis make offerings to god Adad temple Adad lifts famine dd Ellil drought 3 fragmentary text third god lifts drought VII Atrahasis The Flood 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 ee Ellil calls assembly divine council myth ff Gods say yes gg Decides to destroy humans hh Ellil sends flood ii Enki 1 2 3 Enki tells walls of reed about the flood 4 While Atrahasis is standing behind the wall swears oath to not tell humans about flood wall reed hut jj Enki s advice to Atrahasis through wall 1 build boat 2 put animals on it kk New Atrahasis Fragment see Course Library 1 2 3 boatbuilding instructions from Enki boat make out of woven palm fibers circular ll fragmentary text 1 boat animals family 2 flood begins 7 days 7 nights 3 Nintu weeps over all humans sacrifice make fic sacred sacr 1 2 why sacrifice animals to gods don t know why humans make sacrifices 3 Symbolizes worship of gods 4 gods consume smoke savor of burning flesh 5 Sacrifices were like religious ceremonies i ii Nintu created humans They are like her children mm text resumes gap 1 2 3 flood over boat landed don t know where sacrifice by Atrahasis nn ancient practice of animal sacrifice oo gods gather like flies around sacrifices pp Nintu Ellil and Anu criticize flood qq Ellil angry boat rr Enki tells Nintu 1 admits he gave advice to Atrahasis 2 solution to human overpopulation ss Nintu institutes 1 2 infant mortality shorter human lifespan mortality tt Enki s Nintu s solution no future flood because there won t be overpopulation of humans
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