Adapa and the food of life

This was taken from the excellent Gateways to Babylon. They, in turn got it from R.W. Rogers (1912), Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament. The Summary is theirs. Please report errors to me (link at end of page). -Alan Humm

[Summary: Adapa, or perhaps Adamu, son of Ea, had recieved from his father, the god Ea, wisdom, but not eternal life. He was a semi-divine being and was the wise man and priest of the temple of Ea at Eridu, which he provided with the ritual bread and water. In the exercise of this duty he carried on fishing upon the Persian Gulf. When Adapa was fishing one day on a smooth sea, the south wind rose suddenly and overturned his boat, so that the was thrown into the sea. Angered by the mishap, he broke the wings of the south wind so that for seven days it could not blow the sea's coolness over the hot land. Anu calls Adapa to account for this misdeed, and his father Ea warns him as to what should befall him. He tells him how to fool Tammuz and Gishzida, who will meet him at the gate of heaven. Ea cautions him not to eat or drink anything in heaven, as Ea fears that the food and drink of death will be set before Adapa. However, the food and drink of eternal life are set before him instead, and Adapa's over-caution deprives him of immortality. He has to return to Earth intead.]

TABLET NO.1

He possessed intelligence [...],His command like the command of Anu [...He (Ea) granted him a wide ear to reveal the destiny of the land,He granted him wisdom, but he did not grant him eternal life.In those davs, in those years the wise man of Eridu,Ea had created him as chief among men,A wise man whose command none should oppose,The prudent, the most wise among the Anunnaki was he,Blameless, of clean hands, anointed, observer of the divine statutes,With the bakers he made breadWith the bakers of Eridu, he made bread,The food and the water for Eridu he made daily,With his clean hands he prepared the table,And without him the table was not cleared.The ship he steered, fishing and hunting for Eridu he did.Then Adapa of EriduWhile Ea, ... in the chamber, upon the bed.Daily the closing of Eridu he attended to.Upon the pure dam, the new moon dam) he embarked upon the ship,The wind blew and his ship departed, With the oar, be steered his ship Upon the broad sea [... {remainder of tablet broken off}

TABLET NO. 2

[.................]The south wind [.... whenHe had driven me to the house of my lord, I said,O South wind, on the way I shall to thee [...] everything that,Thy wing, will I break." As be spoke with his mouth,The wing of the South wind was broken, seven davsThe South wind blew not upon the land. AnuCalled to his messenger Ilabrat:Why has the South wind not blown upon the land for seven davs?His messenger Ilabrat answered him: "My lord,Adapa, the son of Ea, the wing of the South windHas broken."When Anu heard these wordsHe cried, Help!" He ascended his throne,"Let some one bring him,"Likewise Ea, who knows the heaven. He roused him...] he caused him to wear. With a mourning garmentHe garbed him, and gave him counsel

TABLET NO. 1

Ele possua Inteligncia [...],Seu comando como o comando de Anu [...Ele (Ea) concedeu-lhe uma orelha grande para revelar o destino da terra,Ele concedeu-lhe sabedoria, mas ele no lhe concedeu a vida eterna.Naqueles davs, naqueles anos o homem sbio de Eridu,Ea tinha criado ele como chefe entre os homens,Um sbio homem cujo comando nenhum deve opor-se,O prudente, o mais sbio entre os Anunnaki era ele,Sem culpa, de mos limpas, ungidas, observador dos estatutos divinos,Com os padeiros ele fez poCom os padeiros de Eridu, ele fez po,A comida e a gua para Eridu ele fez diariamente,Com as mos limpas, ele preparou a mesa,E sem ele a tabela no foi autorizada.O navio que ele dirigiu, pescar e caar para Eridu ele fez.Ento Adapa de EriduEnquanto a Ea,... na cmara, em cima da cama.Diariamente o fechamento de Eridu ele participou.Sobre a barragem pura, a barragem de lua nova) ele embarcou no navio,O vento soprou e o navio partido, com o remo, ser dirigido seu navio em cima do mar amplo [... {restante do tablet quebrado}

TABLET N. 2

[.................]O vento do Sul [... quandoEle tinha me conduzido casa de meu senhor, eu disse,Vento O Sul, o caminho que apresentarei a ti [...] tudo isso,Tua asa, vai eu quebrar." Como ser falou com a boca,A asa do vento do Sul foi quebrado, sete davsO vento de Sul no sobre a terra. AnuLigou para seu mensageiro de Ilabrat:Por que tem o vento do Sul no foi descoberto na terra por sete dias?Seu mensageiro Ilabrat respondeu-lhe: "meu senhor,Adapa, o filho de Ea, a asa do vento do SulEst quebrado."Quando Anu ouviu estas palavrasEle chorou, ajuda!" Ele ascendeu seu trono,"Deixe algum traz-lo"Da mesma forma Ea, quem sabe o cu. Ele despertou-o...] Ele o levou a usar. Com uma roupa de lutoEle vestida com ele e deu-lhe um advogado

Saying: " Adapa, before the face of Anu the King thou art to go...] to heavenWhen thou comest up, and when thou approachest the door of Anu,At the door of Anu, Tammuz and Gishzida are standing,"they will see thee, they will ask thee; 'Sir,'For whose sake dost thou so appear, Adapa? For whomArt thou clad in a mourning garment?' 'In our country two gods have vanished, thereforeAm I so.' 'Who are the two gods, who in the landHave vanished?' 'Tammuz and Gishzida.' They will look at one another andBe astonished. Good wordsThey will speak to Anu. A good countenance of AnuThey will show thee. When thou standest before AnuFood of death they will set before thee,Eat not. Water of death they will set before thee,Drink not. Garments they will set before thee,Put them on. Oil they will set before thee, anoint thyself.The counsel that I have given thee, forget not. The wordsWhich I have spoken, hold fast." The messengerOf Anu came: "Adapa has brokenThe wing of the South wind. Bring him before me."The road to Heaven he made him take, and to Heaven he ascended.When he came to Heaven, when he approached the door of Anu,At the door of Ann, Tammuz and Gisbzida are standing.When they saw him, Adapa, they cried: " Help,Sir, for whom dost thou so appear? Adapa,For whom art thou clad in a mourning garment?"In the country two gods have vanished; therefore am I cladIn mourning garments." "Who are the two gods, whohave vanished from the land?""Tammuz and Gishzida." They looked at one another andWere astonished. When Adapa before Anu, the King,Drew near, and Anu saw him, he cried:" Come hither, Adapa. Why hast thou broken the wingsOf the South wind? " Adapa answered Ann: " My lord,For the house of my lord in the midst of the sea,I was catching fish. The sea was like a mirror,The South wind blew, and capsized me.To the house of my lord was I driven. In the anger of my heart,I took heed." Tammuz and GishzidaAnswered ... "art thou." To AnuThey speak. He calmed himself, his heart was [..."Why has Ea revealed to impure mankindThe heart of heaven and earth? A heart...] has created within him, has made him a name?What can we do with him? Food of lifeBring him, that be man, eat."Food of lifeThey brought him, but he ate not. Water of lifeThey brought him, but he drank not. GarmentsThey brought him. He clothed himself. OilThey brought him. He anointed himself.Anu looked at him; he wondered at him." Come, Adapa, why hast thou not eaten, not drunken?Now thou shalt not live." [...] men [...] Ea, my lordSaid: "Eat not, drink not."Take him and bring him back to his earth....] looked upon him. {remainder of tablet broken off}

TABLET NO. 3

"When heard thatIn the anger of his heartHis messenger he sent.He who knows the heart of the great gods[............]To King Ea to come,To him, he caused words to be borne....] to him, to King Ea.He sent a messengerWith a wide ear, knowing the heart of the great gods,...] of the heavens be fixed.A soiled garment he made him wear,With a mourning garment he clad him,A word he spoke to him."Adapa, before the King Anu thou shalt goFail not the order, keep my wordWhen thou comest up to heaven, and approachest the door of Anu,Tammuz and Gishzida at the door of Anu are standing. {remainder of tablet broken off}

Dizendo: "Adapa, perante a face de Anu, o rei que vs estais a ir...] para o cuQuando tu vens a, e quando tu approachest a porta de Anu,Na porta de Anu, Tammuz e Gishzida esto em p,' eles vo te ver, eles vo pedir-te; 'Senhor,'Por cuja causa thou ento aparecem, Adapa? Para quemArt thou vestida com uma roupa de luto?' ' No nosso pas dois deuses desapareceram, portanto,Eu sou assim.' ' Quem so os dois deuses, que na terraDesapareceram?' 'Tammuz e Gishzida. Eles vo olhar para um outro eFicar admirado. Boas palavrasEles falaro de Anu. Um bom semblante de AnuEles vo mostrar-te. Quando te encontras antes AnuComida da morte que eles iro definir diante de ti,Coma no. gua da morte que eles iro definir diante de ti,Beba no. Peas de vesturio que iro definir diante de ti,Coloc-los. leo eles iro definir diante de ti, ungi-te a mesmo.O Conselho que eu te dei, no esquea. As palavrasQue eu tenho falado, segurem firme." O MensageiroDe veio de Anu: "Adapa est quebradoA asa do vento do Sul. Traz-lo antes de mim."A estrada para o cu ele fez levar, e para o cu Ele ascendeu.Quando ele veio para o cu, quando ele se aproximou da porta de Anu,Na porta de Ann, Tammuz e Gisbzida esto em p.Quando eles o viram, Adapa, gritaram: "ajudar,Senhor, para quem dost thou ento aparecem? Adapa,Para quem sois vs folheado em um vesturio de luto?"No pas dois deuses desapareceram; Portanto, eu sou folheadoCom vestes de luto." "Quem so os dois deuses, queter desaparecido da terra?""Tammuz e Gishzida." Eles olharam um para o outro eFicaram surpresos. Quando Adapa antes de Anu, o rei,Drew perto e Anu o viu, gritou:"Venha c, Adapa. Porque tu tens as asas quebradasDo vento do Sul? "Adapa respondeu Ann:" meu senhor,Para a casa de meu senhor no meio do mar,Eu estava pegando peixe. O mar era como um espelho,O vento do Sul soprou e virou-me.A casa de meu senhor foi conduzido. Na fria do meu corao,Eu tomei cuidado." Tammuz e GishzidaRespondi... "sois vs". A AnuEles falam. Ele acalmou-se, seu corao foi [..."Por que Ea revelou humanidade impuraO corao do cu e da terra? Um corao...] criou-se dentro dele, ele fez um nome?O que podemos fazer com ele? Alimento da vidaTraga-o, que ser homem, comer. "Alimento da vidaEles trouxeram-no, mas ele no comeu. gua da vidaEles trouxeram-no, mas ele no bebia. VesturiosEles o trouxeram. Ele vestiu-se. leoEles o trouxeram. Ele ungiu a mesmo.Anu olhado para ele; Ele se perguntava para ele."Venha, Adapa, por que tu no comeste, no bbado?Agora no vivers." [...] homens [...] Ea, meu senhorDisse: "comer no, beber no."Lev-lo e traz-lo de volta sua terra....] olhou para ele. {restante do tablet quebrado}

TABLET N. 3

"Quando ouvi issoA raiva do seu coraoSeu mensageiro que ele enviou.Aquele que conhece o corao dos grandes deuses[............]Para o rei Ea para vir,Para ele, ele causou palavras a suportar....] para ele, para o rei Ea.Ele enviou um mensageiroCom uma orelha grande, sabendo que o corao dos grandes deuses,...] dos cus ser fixo.Uma pea de roupa suja que ele fez o desgaste,Com uma roupa de luto ele folheados-lo,Uma palavra que ele falou com ele."Adapa, antes o Anu rei thou shalt irFalhar no a ordem, manter a minhaQuando tu vens ao cu e approachest a porta de Anu,Tammuz e Gishzida na porta de Anu esto em p. {restante do tablet quebrado}

Sometime beween 1912, when Rogers published the preceeding three tablets and 1969 when Pritchard edited his monumental ANET, a fourth tablet apparently turned up somewhere which appears below in E.A. Speiser's translation, included in that collection.

TABLET NO. 4

...] he [...[Oil] he commanded for him, and he an[ointed himself],[A ga]rment he commanded for him, and he was clothed.Anu laughed aloud at the doing of Ea, [saying]:"Of the gods of heaven and earth, as many as there are, Who[ever] gave such a command, so as to make his own command exceed the dommand of Anu?As Adapa from the horizon of heaven to the zenith of heavenCast a glance, he saw its awesomenss.[Th]en Anu imposed on Adapa [...];For [the city] of Ea he decreed release,His [pri]esthood to glofify in the future he [decreed] as destiny.[...]...as for Adapa, the human offspring, [Who...], lord-like, broke the south wind's wing,Went up to heavenand so forth[...] what ill he has brought upon mankind,[And] the disease that he brought upon the bodies of men,These Ninkarrak will allay.[Let] malady be lifted, let disease turn aside[Upon] this [...] let horror fall,Let him [in] sweet sleep not lie down,[...]... joy of human heart(s). {remainder of tablet broken off}

TABLET NO. 4

...] Ele [...[Petrleo] comandou por ele e ele um [ointed prprio],[Uma ga] rment comandou por ele, e ele estava vestido.Anu riu em voz alta do fazer de Ea, [dizendo]:"Dos deuses do cu e da terra, como h, [J], quem deu tal comando a fim de fazer o seu prprio comando exceder o dommand de Anu?Como Adapa do horizonte do cu para o Znite do cuLanar um olhar, ele viu seu awesomenss.Pt [Th] Anu impostas Adapa [...];Para [cidade] da Ea ele decretou a libertao,Seu [pri] esthood para glofify no futuro ele [decretou] como destino.[...]... como para Adapa, a prole humana, [Quem...], como Senhor, quebrou a asa do vento do Sul,Subiu ao cu e assim por diante [...] o mal que ele trouxe para a humanidade,[E] a doena que ele trouxe sobre os corpos dos homens,Estes Ninkarrak ir dissipar.[Deixe] doena ser levantada, deixe a doena virar de lado[Esta queda de horror deixar [...], sobre]Decepcion-lo [em] doce sono no de mentira,[...]... alegria da heart(s) humana. {restante do tablet quebrado}