The eleventh tablet of the Izdubar series is the one which first attracted attention, and is certainly the most important on account of its containing the story of the Flood. This tablet is the most perfect in the series, scarcely any line being entirely lost. A new fragment of it, belonging to another edition of the story, has been recently brought to the museum by Mr. Hormuzd Rassam.
1. (Izdubar) to him also speaks even to Xisuthrus afar off:
3. (why) dost thou not again (to me) as I (to thee)?
4. (why) dost thou not again (to me) as I (to thee)?
7. when thou didst take, and in the assembly of the gods didst obtain life. —–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–—
8. Xisuthrus to him also speaks, even to Izdubar:
9. Let me reveal to thee (Izdubar) the story of my preservation,
10. and the judgment of the gods let me relate to thee.
11. The city Surippak the city which thou knowest on the Euphrates is placed,
12. that city is ancient and the gods are within it.
13. To make a deluge [_or_ whirlwind] the great gods have brought their heart;
17. their minister, the lord of Hades, Nin-si-kha (wife of) Hea with them sat, and
18. their will he (_i.e._ Hea) repeated: to his minister the minister of the city of Kis, he declared what he had (in mind);[28]
19. his minister heard and proclaimed attentively:
21. build a house, make a ship to preserve the sleep of plants (and) living beings;
23. cause also the seed of life of every kind to go up into the midst of the ship.
25. 600 cubits (shall be) its measure in length,
26. 60 cubits the amount of its breadth and its height.
27. ... and on the deep cover it, even it, with a roof.
29. The building of the ship which thou commandest thus,
31. .... the sons of the host and the old men.
32. (Hea opened his mouth and) speaks and says to me his servant:
39. ... at the season which I will make known to you,
40. into it enter and the door of the ship turn.
41. Into the midst of it thy grain, thy furniture, thy goods,
42. thy wealth, thy woman slaves, thy handmaids, and the sons of the host,
43. (the beasts) of the field, the wild animals of the field, as many as I would protect,
44. I will send to thee, and thy door shall guard (them). —–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–———–—