Sumerian Flood Legend

The Sumerian Great Deluge

Versions of the Story

The following is the Sumerian Version of the Great deluge found in the cuneiform tablets from Neo Sumerian on Clay, dating to Babylon 1900-1800 B.C.E. This tablet served as inspiration for many other Babylonian writings and was a forerunner for the old Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh and the old Babylonian story of Atrahasis. However, this tablet is dated to hundreds of years earlier then these other stories.  

From the Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh in the 'Standard Babylonian Version' contains the story of the great deluge.  The Standard Babylonian version of the epic of Gilgamesh was a composition of many different earlier texts. Many of the Sumerian texts were not assembled in this way, as we can see this older version of the flood story was most likely circulated on its own.

ETCSL translation : t.1.7.4 

The Flood story

Segment A

approx. 36 lines missing

1-10. …… sets up ……. "I will …… the perishing of my mankind; for Nintur, I will stop the annihilation of my creatures, and I will return the people from their dwelling grounds. Let them build many cities so that I can refresh myself in their shade. Let them lay the bricks of many cities in pure places, let them establish places of divination in pure places, and when the fire-quenching …… is arranged, the divine rites and exalted powers are perfected and the earth is irrigated, I will establish well-being there."

10-14. After An, Enlil, Enki and Ninḫursaĝa had fashioned the black-headed people, they also made animals multiply everywhere, and made herds of four-legged animals exist on the plains, as is befitting.

approx. 32 lines missing

Segment B

1-3.

3 lines fragmentary

4-5. "I will oversee their labour. Let …… the builder of the Land, dig a solid foundation."

6-18. After the …… of kingship had descended from heaven, after the exalted crown and throne of kingship had descended from heaven, the divine rites and the exalted powers were perfected, the bricks of the cities were laid in holy places, their names were announced and the …… were distributed. The first of the cities, Eridug, was given to Nudimmud the leader. The second, Bad-tibira, was given to the Mistress. The third, Larag, was given to Pabilsaĝ. The fourth, Zimbir, was given to the hero Utu. The fifth, Šuruppag, was given to Sud. And after the names of these cities had been announced and the …… had been distributed, the river ……, …… was watered, and with the cleansing of the small canals …… were established.

approx. 34 lines missing

Segment C

1-27. ……seat in heaven. …… flood. …… mankind. So he made ……. Then Nintur ……. Holy Inana made a lament for its people. Enki took counsel with himself. An, Enlil, Enki and Ninḫursaĝa made all the gods of heaven and earth take an oath by invoking An and Enlil. In those days Zi-ud-sura the king, the gudug priest, ……. He fashioned ……. The humble, committed, reverent ……. Day by day, standing constantly at ……. Something that was not a dream appeared, conversation ……, …… taking an oath by invoking heaven and earth. In the Ki-ur, the gods …… a wall. Zi-ud-sura, standing at its side, heard: "Side-wall standing at my left side, ……. Side-wall, I will speak words to you; take heed of my words, pay attention to my instructions. A flood will sweep over the …… in all the ……. A decision that the seed of mankind is to be destroyed has been made. The verdict, the word of the divine assembly, cannot be revoked. The order announced by An and Enlil cannot be overturned. Their kingship, their term has been cut off; their heart should be rested about this. Now ……. What ……."

approx. 38 lines missing

Segment D

1-11. All the windstorms and gales arose together, and the flood swept over the ……. After the flood had swept over the land, and waves and windstorms had rocked the huge boat for seven days and seven nights, Utu the sun god came out, illuminating heaven and earth. Zi-ud-sura could drill an opening in the huge boat and the hero Utu entered the huge boat with his rays. Zi-ud-sura the king prostrated himself before Utu. The king sacrificed oxen and offered innumerable sheep.

12-17.

six lines fragmentary

approx. 33 lines missing

Segment E

1-2. "They have made you swear by heaven and earth, ……. An and Enlil have made you swear by heaven and earth, ……."

3-11. More and more animals disembarked onto the earth. Zi-ud-sura the king prostrated himself before An and Enlil. An and Enlil treated Zi-ud-sura kindly ……, they granted him life like a god, they brought down to him eternal life. At that time, because of preserving the animals and the seed of mankind, they settled Zi-ud-sura the king in an overseas country, in the land Dilmun, where the sun rises.

12. "You ……."

approx. 39 lines missing

References

Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Fluckiger-Hawker, E, Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G., The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/), Oxford 1998- . ETCSL: about the project (ox.ac.uk)

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ox.ac.uk)