Utnapishtim

Ea warned Utnapishtim, whom he called the man of Shuruppak and son of Ubara-tutu, to destroy his house and build a boat. He told him to abandon wealth, seek life, and take aboard the seed of all living things. The vessel had to be as wide as it was long and covered like the Apsu. Utnapishtim accepted the order, but he wondered what he should tell the people of his city.

Ea gave him an explanation for the city. Utnapishtim then organised the work. The people brought materials, and by the fifth day the boat’s hull stood ready. It had a large square plan, high sides, six layers, seven decks, and many cabins. Utnapishtim sealed its openings with plugs and fixed its equipment. He coated the boat with tar and pitch. He supplied the workers with meat, beer, oil, and wine while they built it.

When the weather turned threatening, Utnapishtim boarded and sealed the hatch. He gave his palace and its wealth to the shipwright who had closed the hatch from outside. At dawn, a black storm cloud appeared. The Storm God roared, thunder and lightning came before him, and the waters rose as the dikes broke. The sky darkened, and the storm battered the land. Utnapishtim’s escape later shocked Enlil, who believed that no mortal should have survived.

After the Flood, Utnapishtim prepared an offering. He set up seven cauldrons and burned wood and fragrant materials. The gods gathered for the smell of the sacrifice, but the goddess excluded Enlil because he had caused the destruction. Enlil arrived, saw the boat, and became angry. Ea defended Utnapishtim and argued that the punishment had been imposed without proper counsel.

Enlil then entered the boat with Utnapishtim and his wife. He blessed them and changed them from mortals into beings who lived far away, at the mouth of the rivers.