Early Israel and the Surrounding Nations Part 22

65. [Those who should be saved?] went two-thirds of them.

66. With all I had I filled it; with all the silver I possessed I filled it;

67. with all the gold I possessed I filled it;

68. with all that I possessed of the seed of life of all kinds I filled it.

69. I brought into the s.h.i.+p all my slaves and my handmaids,

70. the cattle of the field, the beasts of the field, the sons of my people, all of them did I bring into it.

71. The Sun-G.o.d appointed the time and

72. utters the oracle: 'In the night will I cause the heavens to rain destruction;

73. enter the s.h.i.+p, and close thy door.'

74. That time drew near whereof he uttered the oracle:

75. 'On this night will I cause the heavens to rain destruction.'

76. I watched with dread the dawning of the day;

77. I feared to behold the day.

78. I entered into the s.h.i.+p and closed my door.

79. When I had closed the s.h.i.+p, to Buzur-sadi-rabi the sailor

80. I entrusted the palace with all its goods.

81. Mu-seri-ina-namari (the waters of the morning at dawn)

82. arose from the horizon of heaven, a black cloud;

83. the storm-G.o.d Rimmon thundered in its midst, and

84. Nebo and Merodach the king marched in front;

85. the throne-bearers marched over mountain and plain;

86. the mighty G.o.d of death lets loose the whirlwind;

87. Bir marches causing the storm (?) to descend;

88. the spirits of the underworld lifted up (their) torches,

89. with the lightning of them they set on fire the world;

90. the violence of the storm-G.o.d reached to heaven;

91. all that was light was turned to [darkness].

92. In the earth like ... [men] perished (?)

_Two lines are lost here_.

95. Brother beheld not his brother, men knew not one another. In the heaven

96. the G.o.ds feared the deluge, and

97. hastened to ascend to the heaven of Anu.

98. The G.o.ds cowered like a dog who lies in a kennel.

99. Istar cried like a woman in travail,

100. the great G.o.ddess spoke with a loud voice:

101. 'The former generation is turned to clay.

102. The evil which I prophesied in the presence of the G.o.ds,

103. when I prophesied evil in the presence of the G.o.ds,

104. I prophesied the storm for the destruction of my people.

105. What I have home, where is it?

106. Like the sp.a.w.n of the fish it fills the deep.'

107. The G.o.ds wept with her because of the spirits of the underworld;

108. the G.o.ds sat dejected in weeping,

109. their lips were covered ...

110. Six days and nights

111. rages the wind; the flood and the storm devastate.

112. The seventh day when it arrived the flood ceased, the storm

113. which had fought like an army

114. rested, the sea subsided, and the tempest of the deluge was ended.

115. I beheld the deep and uttered a cry,