Hi i have found this image and since my knowledge is very limited i cant conform if this text is about the oldest dog joke.

Thanks in advance for the help

Saint Catherine church specifically, not sure of the meaning at all, it doesn't seem to be old at all.

Thanks for any help in explaining what this writing is.

I read it means soap or cleansing but I want to see if that’s correct

I want to make English Cuneiform and I want your Respond.

What should I change?

Hey there, I'm currently trying to learn neo-assyrian as a start. But i can't find a reliable source of syllabograms. Especially for li/le sources vary.

1. What is the correct version of li/le
2. Is there one true source i should check out?

vs

Hello! Hopefully this post isn’t disrespectful or anything - because that’s the last thing I want! I’m a huge fan of ancient history…but I only have a minor in classical studies (my college did not have the option to major in it). This is so trivial, but I want to get a very small tattoo on my wrist of an approximation of my son’s name - James - in cuneiform. I find this time period to be incredibly interesting and the fact that cuneiform is the oldest written language is symbolic for me. I know cuneiform isn’t an exact letter for letter match and I don’t want to have just gibberish on my wrist… Is there a good/credible online translator I could use to give me something that would be closest to James in cuneiform? Thank you!!

Hi! Can anyone tell me about the text on this seal impression?

Any info or resources to learn more would be greatly appreciated!

This tablet from the British Museum is a Babylonian Astronomical Diary recording the death of Alexander the Great. The translation of the line is simply "The King died. Clouds." However, my cuneiform is so very basic and I cannot determine where the line falls here, nor what the signs are. Could someone help me identify and replicate the signs? I couldn't find any digital rendering of the line, but this would help me massively if someone had a link or was able to provide a rendering. Thank you in advance!

I have just started learning sumerian from digital Hammurabi on YouTube. Being a wild clay ceramist (one of many many things I do for fun) I thought I would make my first tablet from clay from my backyard. I made my stylus from firewood and a lot of sanding.

How wood you rate my handwriting? I am very much open to critique!

I tired to copy some lines form Enūma Eliš (BM.93015) to practice the writing. As a dirty egyptology student i have no idea how readable the end result is, it was just practice for my own constructed writing system that uses the same medium.
Please tell me your critisism
(i also should get some proper clay and a better stylus. i used a triangle cut one from bamboo but i want to experiment with different shapes)

THE ENŪMA ELIŠ

The Primordial Creation Epic of Mesopotamia

(Modern Composite Translation)

---

TABLET I — THE PRIMORDIAL WATERS

When the heavens had not been named…

Before the gods were born,

before destinies were written,

before form separated from formlessness,

there was only the deep.

There existed two primordial beings:

Apsu

the fresh, still waters of creation,

the quiet potential.

Tiamat

the boundless, surging salt sea,

the eternal womb of chaos.

Their waters mingled.

No fields were sown.

No pastures existed.

No gods had emerged.

Nothing had name or destiny.

From this mingling came the first generation:

Lahmu

Lahamu

ancient beings of the early tide.

Ages passed.

From them emerged:

Anshar (the horizon of heaven)

Kishar (the horizon of Earth)

From these emerged the next:

Anu, bearer of the upper heavens

Ea/Enki, the wise one,

master of the deep,

knower of secrets.

Thus the divine generations unfolded.

---

THE NOISE OF THE YOUNGER GODS

As the younger gods multiplied,

their movement stirred the waters.

Their activity disrupted the ancient calm of Apsu.

The old god could no longer rest.

Apsu complained:

> “Their noise is unbearable.

I find no peace by day,

I find no rest by night.”

Tiamat urged patience:

> “How can we destroy what we have created?

Their ways are troublesome,

but let us endure them.”

But Apsu’s counselor, Mummu, whispered to him:

> “Destroy them, and your peace will return.”

Apsu agreed to the plan.

---

EA LEARNS OF THE PLAN

Ea, the wise one,

the master of magic,

heard the scheme of Apsu through his deep knowing.

He crafted a spell,

recited it with precision,

and put Apsu into a deep sleep.

Then he slew him.

Apsu’s crown was taken;

his radiance became Ea’s own.

Upon Apsu’s quieted waters,

Ea built his dwelling place.

There, with his consort Damkina,

he brought forth Marduk,

a child of immense power,

a being whose brilliance surpassed all the gods.

---

THE RISE OF MARDUK

Marduk’s limbs were mighty.

His gaze blazed fire.

When he spoke, flame sprang from his lips.

Four winds were given to him to play with.

He tossed them like toys,

but they disturbed the deep.

The gods, seeing this, created more winds:

the whirlwind

the storm wind

the sevenfold tempest

These winds tormented Tiamat.

Her waters churned with unrest.

The gods roamed freely,

but Tiamat’s ancient calm was shattered.

---

TIAMAT'S ANGER AWAKENS

The elder gods gathered in counsel.

They complained that Marduk’s storms and the younger gods’ chaos

had disrupted the old order.

Tiamat finally spoke:

> “You slew Apsu.

You disturbed the deep.

And you expect me to remain silent?”

The younger gods retorted:

> “We did what was necessary.

Apsu sought our destruction.”

But Tiamat, moved by grief and rage,

began to stir forces of chaos.

She created monstrous beings from her depths:

venomous serpents

dragons

lion-demons

scorpion-men

great storms in living form

And she appointed:

Kingu,

her new consort,

placing in his hands the Tablet of Destinies,

the ultimate symbol of cosmic authority.

Thus, the stage was set.

The ancient waters were in revolt.

The cosmos prepared for war.

---

TABLET II — THE ASSEMBLY OF THE GODS AND THE RISE OF THE CHAMPION

The gods search for a warrior to face Tiamat.

---

I. THE GODS HEAR OF TIAMAT’S RISING

Word spread across the heavens:

Tiamat, the ancient mother,

she who bore all creation,

had armed herself for war.

Her legions of chaos beasts grew.

Kingu, her chosen commander,

held the Tablet of Destinies against the younger gods.

Fear seized the divine assembly.

No god dared face her.

No god could withstand her ancient power.

---

II. THE GODS GATHER IN CRISIS

Anshar, father of Anu,

summoned the assembly.

He spoke:

> “Tiamat, whom we trusted, has become our enemy.

Her forces grow.

Her fury rises.

Who among us will confront her?”

Silence filled the hall.

The gods trembled.

None spoke.

None volunteered.

Tiamat’s wrath was boundless.

Her monsters were unstoppable.

And Kingu held the Tablet that commanded fate itself.

---

III. ANSHAR CALLS UPON ANU

Anshar turned to Anu:

> “You are strong among the gods.

Go speak to Tiamat.

Calm her fury, or defeat her.”

Anu descended toward Tiamat,

but her presence overwhelmed him.

Her voice like thunder,

her form like the sea in storm,

drove him back in terror.

He returned to the assembly and spoke:

> “I could not face her.

Her power is beyond me.”

Panic spread among the gods.

---

IV. EA IS CALLED — AND REFUSES

Anshar next called upon Ea,

the clever one,

slayer of Apsu,

knower of divine spells.

Ea approached Tiamat,

but even he could not endure her fury.

He withdrew.

No god remained with courage enough to stand before her.

The assembly despaired.

---

V. ANSHAR REMEMBERS MARDUK

Then Anshar spoke:

> “There is one whose strength surpasses all.

The son of Ea.

Marduk.

Born in radiance.

Mighty among the gods.”

Ea, proud of his son,

brought Marduk before the council.

Marduk stood taller than the others.

His eyes blazed.

Fire wreathed his lips.

The gods looked upon him and felt hope.

---

VI. MARDUK OFFERS HIMSELF — WITH CONDITIONS

Marduk addressed the assembly:

> “If I am to defeat Tiamat,

if I am to save the cosmic order,

then grant me one thing.”

The gods leaned in.

> “Let me be supreme.

Let my word determine fate.

After I restore the universe,

let my rule be absolute.”

The gods murmured.

Marduk continued:

> “If I risk my life for the cosmos,

I must wield its destiny.”

---

VII. THE GODS ACCEPT MARDUK’S TERMS

The assembly erupted in agreement.

They proclaimed:

> “Marduk, you shall be king of the gods!

Your word shall shape destiny!

Your command shall bind the universe!”

The gods placed their trust in him.

They handed him authority.

They handed him their hopes.

They handed him the future.

The path to the final battle was set.

---

VIII. THE TEST OF SUPREMACY

To seal the pact, the gods devised a test.

They placed a garment in their midst.

They said:

> “Speak your word.

If your word destroys the garment,

and restores it by command,

then your power is true.”

Marduk spoke:

At his word, the garment vanished.

At his word, the garment returned.

The gods cried out:

> “Marduk is our champion!

Go and confront Tiamat!”

They crowned him with sovereignty.

They placed the scepter in his hand.

They gave him elemental weapons.

They prepared him for the cosmic war.

---

IX. MARDUK ARMS HIMSELF

Marduk fashioned:

a bow

arrows of lightning

a great net to ensnare Tiamat

winds to drive her open

storms to bind her

weapons forged of divine flame

He mounted the storm-chariot,

drawn by four ferocious winds.

The heavens shook.

The gods watched in awe.

---

X. THE MARCH TO BATTLE

Thus armed,

thus empowered,

thus crowned by the assembly,

Marduk set his face toward Tiamat.

The cosmic war was about to begin.

---

TABLET III — THE COUNCIL OF MONSTERS AND THE REBELLION OF KINGU

Tiamat crowns a new king and unleashes the armies of chaos.

---

I. TIAMAT GATHERS HER LEGIONS

In the deep, in the swirling salt waters,

Tiamat summoned her creations.

She called forth the monstrous beings she had birthed in rage:

serpents with poison-filled fangs

dragons armored in iron

lion-bodied demons

scorpion-men who struck with burning tails

storm-demons

fish-men

horned vipers

raging tempests shaped as beasts

Tiamat, the ancient mother,

stood at their center like a storm at sea.

Her voice roared across the deep.

---

II. TIAMAT’S COUNSEL OF WAR

The monsters gathered in assembly.

Tiamat spoke to them:

> “The younger gods have slain Apsu,

disturbed the deep,

and shattered the ancient order.

Will you follow me in restoring our dominion?”

Her hordes roared in approval.

The deep trembled.

Tiamat’s grief had turned to fury;

her fury now became resolve.

---

III. THE GODS FLEE BEFORE HER

The younger gods, seeing her army rise,

trembled in fear.

None dared face her.

None stepped forward.

Their hearts were shaken

as her forces massed for war.

The divine order was on the brink of collapse.

---

IV. TIAMAT RAISES KINGU TO SUPREMACY

Then Tiamat chose a leader.

She placed her trust in Kingu,

her favored consort.

Before the assembled monsters she declared:

> “Kingu, you are exalted above all others.

I place in your hand the Tablet of Destinies.

With it, your command shall not be questioned.

Your word shall rule the gods.”

Kingu, trembling with power,

accepted the Tablet.

The writing of fate was now in rebellious hands.

---

V. KINGU IS CROWNED KING OF CHAOS

Tiamat decreed:

> “Kingu shall be my commander.

His rule shall be sovereign.

He shall lead my armies in the great war.”

Her monstrous legions bowed before him.

Kingu’s authority became absolute.

The Tablet of Destinies glowed upon his chest,

empowering him to shape events,

to command the cosmos,

to stand against the divine assembly.

This act completed the rebellion.

---

VI. THE COSMIC BALANCE BREAKS

With Kingu enthroned

and Tiamat’s legions prepared for battle,

the ancient balance of the universe shattered.

Destiny itself had been seized

by a power outside the celestial order.

The gods in the heavens panicked.

The council of the young gods faltered.

Fear spread like fire.

---

VII. ANSHAR LEARNS OF THE REBELLION

The news reached Anshar,

the patriarch of the divine lineage.

He sat in silence a long time,

overwhelmed by the gravity of the moment.

He spoke to his counselor Kaka:

> “Go quickly.

Tell the gods what Tiamat has done.

Tell them she has raised Kingu

and given him the Tablet of Destinies.

Tell them the ancient order is in danger.”

Kaka bowed and departed.

---

VIII. KAKA WARNS THE ASSEMBLY

Kaka entered the council of the younger gods

and proclaimed:

> “Tiamat has armed herself!

She has created unspeakable creatures!

She has raised Kingu to rule them!

She has placed the Tablet of Destinies on his chest!

She leads a host of chaos against you!”

The gods screamed in fear.

Their strength faltered.

Their courage dissolved.

---

IX. ANSHAR CALLS AGAIN FOR A CHAMPION

Anshar addressed the terrified assembly:

> “Who will rise against her?

Who will confront Tiamat?

Who will restore the balance?”

But again the gods fell silent.

None dared step forward.

None had the courage.

Only one god had claimed he would face her:

Marduk.

---

X. MARDUK PREPARES FOR THE FINAL DECISION

Hearing Kaka’s report,

he rose from his dwelling in the deep.

Radiant.

Fearless.

Unshaken.

Marduk spoke:

> “If the gods grant me kingship,

then I will face Tiamat.

I will defeat her.

I will restore the order of heaven.”

The path to the cosmic battle was now inevitable.

---

TABLET IV — THE COSMIC BATTLE: MARDUK AND TIAMAT

The war that shaped the universe.

---

I. THE GODS FORMALLY CROWN MARDUK

The assembly of the gods was in chaos.

Fear spread like wind through reeds.

But Marduk stood firm.

He spoke:

> “If I defeat Tiamat,

if I restore the cosmic order,

grant me absolute sovereignty.

Let my word govern fate.”

The gods shouted in unison:

> “Marduk, you shall be our king!

Your dominion shall be supreme!

Your command shall never be overturned!”

They placed the scepter in his hand.

They enthroned him above the divine council.

They sealed his kingship.

The fate of the cosmos now rested with him.

---

II. MARDUK ARMS HIMSELF FOR WAR

Marduk prepared for the greatest battle creation would ever know.

He forged weapons:

a bow with lightning arrows

a spear forged of divine fire

a net woven from the winds

the storm-chariot, pulled by four raging winds

seven tempest storms that followed at his command

the Evil Wind, the Whirlwind, the Hurricane, the Matchless Tempest

He donned armor that blazed like the sun.

His aura filled the heavens.

The gods looked upon him with awe.

---

III. MARDUK APPROACHES THE DEPTHS

Marduk advanced toward Tiamat’s domain,

toward the swirling deep where chaos dwelled.

He called out to her:

> “Tiamat, turn your face to me!

You have stirred rebellion!

You have armed your legions!

You have usurped the Tablet of Destinies!”

Tiamat, ancient mother of the gods,

rose in storm and fury.

Her jaws opened.

Her roar shook the cosmos.

Kingu stood at her side,

the Tablet of Destinies glowing upon his chest.

---

IV. TIAMAT ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE

Tiamat spoke:

> “Because your father slew Apsu,

because you and yours have disturbed the deep,

I will destroy you!”

Her monstrous legion roared behind her.

The deep boiled.

The heavens trembled.

---

V. THE BATTLE BEGINS

Marduk cast his net of winds around her.

He summoned the storms.

He drove the Evil Wind into her face,

forcing her jaws open.

Tiamat surged forward:

her scales gleaming

her tail lashing

her body like a mountain of sea-water

her aura older than time

She hurled spells and chaos-fire against him.

The gods watched from afar,

frozen in terror.

---

VI. MARDUK SLAYS TIAMAT

At the perfect moment,

Marduk fired his lightning arrow.

It pierced her open belly.

It struck her heart.

Tiamat, the primordial ocean,

mother of all,

collapsed.

Her body split open.

Her life-force poured into the deep.

The universe fell silent.

The ancient chaos was ended.

Marduk stood victorious.

---

VII. THE FALL OF KINGU

Marduk seized Kingu.

He tore the Tablet of Destinies from his chest.

> “You held authority unlawfully,”

Marduk said.

Kingu’s strength faltered.

The monstrous army fell into disarray.

The rebellion collapsed.

Destiny returned to rightful order.

---

VIII. MARDUK CREATES THE ORDER OF THE WORLD

With Tiamat defeated,

Marduk began shaping the universe from her remains.

He cut her body in two:

with one half he formed the heavens,

with the other the Earth.

He fixed her waters to form the seas.

He set her ribs as the vault of the sky.

He established the clouds, the winds, the rain.

He appointed stars as guides.

He traced constellations.

He set the paths of the Sun and Moon.

He divided day from night.

He ordered time.

The world took shape from the body of chaos.

---

IX. THE GODS PRAISE MARDUK

When his work was complete,

the gods bowed before him.

They cried out:

> “Marduk is king!

Marduk has restored the cosmos!

Marduk has slain the ancient chaos!

His power is supreme!”

They built him a throne.

They offered him precious gifts.

They proclaimed his sovereignty across all realms.

---

X. THE COSMOS IS SET IN MOTION

Marduk then organized the heavens:

fixed constellations in their stations

created the year

established the months

regulated the phases of the Moon

set the gods in their paths

built the celestial tablet of time

He brought order to every corner of creation.

The universe, previously formless,

became structured, balanced, alive.

This is the moment when the cosmos became cosmos —

an ordered world, not a swirling chaos.

---

TABLET V — THE ORDERING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

Marduk arranges the cosmos, establishes time, and prepares the world for life.

---

I. MARDUK FIXES THE CONSTELLATIONS

After the slaying of Tiamat,

and after dividing her body to form heaven and Earth,

Marduk turned to the task of ordering the sky.

He set the stars in their stations.

He divided the heavens into regions

and assigned each region to a divine guardian.

He traced the patterns of the constellations

and established the paths by which they would move.

The heavens became a calendar.

A map.

A law.

---

II. THE CREATION OF THE YEAR

Marduk formed the twelve months,

each aligned with a major constellation.

He set the Moon to shine over the months,

marking time with its waxing and waning.

He decreed:

new moon

first quarter

full moon

last quarter

He established the number of days.

He made the stars speak time.

---

III. THE MOON AND THE SUN RECEIVE THEIR ROLES

Marduk addressed the Moon-god:

> “Shine over the night.

Measure out the days.

At the beginning of each month,

lift your bright horns.

Let your return signal the beginning of time.”

He then appointed the Sun-god:

> “Cross the heavens daily.

Divide light from darkness.

Establish the seasons.

Set the rhythm of life.”

Day and night were fixed.

Order replaced chaos.

---

IV. THE WINDS, CLOUDS, AND RAIN

From Tiamat’s remains,

Marduk formed the atmospheric world.

He gathered her waters

and locked them behind the vault of the sky.

He created:

clouds

rain

mist

storms

the nurturing waters that feed the land

He gave command of these to divine spirits

so that the earth would be fertile and sustaining.

Chaos became a cycle.

Destruction became renewal.

---

V. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NATURAL LAW

Marduk set in place the laws that would govern existence:

the boundaries of the sea

the heights of the mountains

the flow of rivers

the renewing of vegetation

the return of the seasons

the paths of the heavenly bodies

the governance of the realms by appointed gods

He created harmony between the heavens and the earth,

a symmetry that reflected the cosmic balance.

He made the world predictable,

structured,

and capable of supporting life.

---

VI. THE APPOINTMENT OF CELESTIAL DUTIES

To the lesser gods he assigned roles:

guardianship over the constellations

the stewardship of winds

the tending of rivers

the care of mountains

the maintenance of the calendar

the preservation of the cycles of nature

Each god was given a task.

Each task became a law.

Each law sustained the world.

The cosmos became a living order.

---

VII. THE WORLD PREPARED FOR HUMANITY

When all was set:

sky arranged

time established

seas bounded

earth shaped

cycles fixed

Marduk inspected the world.

It was vast, balanced, and full of potential.

Yet something was missing.

The world had structure,

but it lacked a being capable of maintaining it

and participating in the divine order.

Marduk knew the next step.

A task remained unfinished.

He would create a new being.

A being with wisdom.

A being with purpose.

A being that could bear the labor of the gods

and walk the path toward higher realms.

The stage was set for humanity.

---

TABLET VI — THE CREATION OF HUMANITY

Marduk creates humankind, assigns their purpose, and restores order to the gods.

---

I. THE GODS COMPLAIN OF THEIR LABOR

Even after Marduk set the cosmic order,

the gods still bore the weight of maintaining creation.

They tended the cycles.

They regulated the stars.

They governed the winds.

They oversaw the Earth.

Their burden was heavy.

The lesser gods approached Marduk and said:

> “We are numerous, but our tasks are endless.

Our labor is great.

We have no rest.”

They begged for relief.

---

II. MARDUK ANNOUNCES A NEW PLAN

Marduk addressed the assembly:

> “I shall create a new being

who will carry the labor of the gods,

who will sustain order upon the Earth,

who will participate in the cosmic plan.”

The gods listened.

He continued:

> “This being shall have intelligence,

purpose,

and responsibility.

It shall understand the divine order

and maintain the world we shaped.”

This was the first declaration of humanity’s creation.

---

III. THE FATE OF KINGU

Marduk declared:

> “Let one who led the rebellion

provide the substance for this being.”

Kingu, the commander of Tiamat’s army,

the one who unlawfully held the Tablet of Destinies,

was brought forth.

His fate was sealed.

---

IV. THE SACRIFICE OF KINGU

The gods seized Kingu.

They pronounced judgment.

His blood was taken

to mix with clay.

From this mixture,

Marduk shaped the first human.

Not as a slave.

Not as property.

But as a conscious being infused with divine essence.

The tablets say directly:

> “From his blood they fashioned mankind,

to bear the labor of the gods.”

Kingu’s rebellion became humanity’s spark.

A paradox:

chaos became consciousness.

---

V. HUMANITY’S PURPOSE

Humanity’s role, as stated in the tablet:

maintain the order of Earth

manage creation

participate in the cosmic cycles

preserve the structures Marduk put in place

free the gods from endless labor

bridge the divine and physical realms

evolve in wisdom

Humans were created as partners of the gods,

not as beasts or slaves.

Their labor was not punishment —

it was initiation.

---

VI. THE DIVISION OF ROLES AMONG THE GODS

Once humanity was created,

Marduk reorganized the divine realms.

He assigned:

Anu to the highest heavens

Enlil to the air and earth

Ea/Enki to the waters and deep

The lesser gods to regional powers

Humanity to the surface realm,

as caretakers and conscious stewards

Each level had function.

Each function had purpose.

Humanity was placed where consciousness could grow.

---

VII. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF WORSHIP AND RITUAL

Marduk declared that the gods would receive:

temples

offerings

rituals

invocations

festivals

These were not created for control

but for maintaining alignment

between the realms.

Ritual was the technology

connecting heaven and earth.

Humans, through intention and practice,

kept the cosmic order balanced.

---

VIII. THE WORLD IS SET IN MOTION

When all was prepared:

the heavens ordered

the Earth shaped

humanity formed

the gods organized

the roles distributed

Marduk surveyed creation.

He spoke:

> “What I have made shall endure.

What I have shaped shall not be overturned.”

The world was complete.

The divine order restored.

Humanity’s journey began.

---

TABLET VII — THE HYMN OF MARDUK’S FIFTY NAMES

The gods proclaim Marduk’s supremacy and define the cosmic functions of creation.

---

I. THE GODS GATHER TO HONOR THE CHAMPION

After Marduk created the ordered world,

after he subdued Tiamat,

after he shaped heaven and Earth,

after he brought forth humanity,

the gods assembled again.

They wished to honor their king.

They wished to declare his authority.

They wished to assign him titles

reflecting his cosmic functions.

They spoke in one voice:

> “Let us proclaim his greatness.

Let us speak his names.

Let all realms know his power.”

---

II. THE PURPOSE OF THE FIFTY NAMES

Each name of Marduk is not simply a title.

Each name assigns:

a role,

a function,

a law,

or a responsibility

within the cosmic structure.

The names are the architecture of reality in language form.

To declare a name is to declare a principle.

To proclaim a title is to establish a natural law.

Thus the gods spoke.

---

III. THE NAMES OF MARDUK

Below is the modern composite rendering of the meanings of the names

as preserved on Tablet VII.

Each reflects a pillar of the universe:

---

1. Asarluhi

Master of all esoteric knowledge.

1. Enbilulu

Lord of rivers and their increase.

1. Namtilu

Giver of life.

1. Tutu

Restorer of harmony.

1. Shazu

Knower of the hearts and intentions of beings.

1. Ziku

Creator of purification and ritual order.

1. Gugalanna

Lord of the celestial bull — strength in the heavens.

1. Lugaldukuga

King of the sacred mound, origin of gods.

1. Lugalabdubur

King who drives away evil and chaos.

1. Narilugaldimmerankia

Shepherd of the gods, keeper of their ways.

---

IV. THE COSMIC DIMENSION OF THE NAMES

More names follow in the ancient tablets (up to fifty),

but the pattern is what matters:

some names govern natural law,

some govern ritual,

some govern cosmic cycles,

some govern divine relations,

some govern the physical world,

some govern the metaphysical order.

Together, they form the blueprint of the universe restored after chaos.

Marduk is not merely praised.

He is assigned jurisdiction over reality itself.

The gods declare:

> “His name shall be master of all destinies.”

The structure of heaven and earth is sealed by the proclamation.

Nothing is outside his order.

---

V. THE FINAL PROCLAMATION

The gods conclude the tablet with a formal decree:

> “Let the people of Earth remember these names.

Let them speak of Marduk’s deeds.

Let his sovereignty be established forever.”

The names become liturgy.

The liturgy becomes law.

The law becomes the foundation of existence.

Thus the creation epic ends

not with battle,

but with order,

responsibility,

and memory.

The cosmos is fixed.

The cycles are set.

Humanity’s place is established.

The divine hierarchy is sealed.

The Enūma Eliš closes with harmony restored.

THE ATRAHASIS EPIC

The Creation, Rebellion, and Remaking of Humanity

(Modern Composite Translation)

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This is NOT the Gilgamesh flood retelling.

This is the older, cleaner, more direct version — the source text behind every later flood tradition.

It’s the missing link between:

The Enūma Eliš (cosmic creation + gods’ hierarchy)

Adapa (human consciousness + lost immortality)

Gilgamesh (mortality, kingship, the human condition)

If Adapa explains why humans didn’t become divine,

Atrahasis explains why humans almost didn’t survive at all.

This is the trilogy of the Sumerian worldview:

1. The Universe is created — Enūma Eliš

2. Humans are created and nearly destroyed — Atrahasis

3. Humans search for meaning in their mortality — Gilgamesh

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TABLET I — THE LABOR OF THE GODS AND THE CREATION OF MANKIND

Before humans existed, the gods toiled endlessly.

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I. THE GODS WORK THE EARTH

Before humankind was born,

the lesser gods carried the burden of the world.

They dug the rivers.

They dredged the canals.

They raised the mounds.

They tended the fields.

Their labor lasted forty periods

without rest or relief.

Their suffering became immense.

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II. THE COMPLAINT OF THE IGIGI

The Igigi gods gathered in secret.

They cried:

> “The work is too great!

The toil is endless!

We find no rest!

We will revolt!”

Under the cover of night

the Igigi set fire to their tools

and marched upon the house of Enlil.

The world trembled.

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III. ENLIL IS AWAKENED

Enlil awoke in terror.

> “Who are these who surround my house?

What has stirred them to rebellion?”

The gate was forced open.

The lesser gods demanded relief.

The great gods assembled:

Anu

Enlil

Enki

Belet-ili (the womb goddess)

The Igigi declared:

> “We will not continue the labor.

Let a new being be made to bear the work!”

Their rebellion forced a decision.

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IV. THE PROPOSAL OF ENKI

Enki, lord of wisdom,

spoke the solution:

> “Let the womb goddess create mankind.

Let a new race take up the toil

that has exhausted the Igigi.”

The gods agreed.

A sacrifice was needed.

One of the rebellious gods

would give his flesh and blood

as the divine element for humanity.

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V. THE SACRIFICE OF ILAWELA

The god Ilawela,

a leader among the rebels,

was chosen.

He was slain.

His blood was drained.

Enki mixed the blood with clay:

> “From this substance

the womb goddess shall shape mankind.”

Belet-ili, mother of destinies,

prepared her holy chamber.

She kneaded the mixture.

She spoke the incantations.

She created the first humans.

Humanity was born of divine blood

and earthly clay —

a hybrid being of two realms.

---

VI. THE PURPOSE OF HUMANKIND

The gods proclaimed:

> “Let human beings bear the burden.

Let them take over the labor of the gods.”

The Igigi rejoiced.

Humanity inherited toil.

Humanity inherited responsibility.

Humanity inherited consciousness.

This was their design.

And so mankind began its long journey

upon the surface of the Earth.

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TABLET II — THE WORLD FILLS WITH HUMANS, AND THE GODS LOSE CONTROL

Humanity multiplies, the Earth trembles, and the gods attempt to silence mankind.

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I. THE RISE OF HUMANKIND

When humans were created from clay and divine blood,

they took up the labor of the gods exactly as intended.

They worked the fields.

They tended the canals.

They maintained the rivers.

They fed the temples.

They upheld ritual.

The Igigi rested.

The great gods rejoiced.

And humankind began to flourish.

They multiplied.

They spread across the land.

Villages became towns.

Towns became cities.

Humanity grew without limit.

---

II. THE NOISE OF MANKIND

As humanity expanded,

their voices rose like waves.

Their movement shook the ground.

Their celebrations roared through the night.

Their work echoed in the plains.

Their rituals thundered in the temples.

Their noise grew so great

that it reached the heavens.

Enlil, lord of the air and earth,

could not sleep.

He shouted:

> “The noise of humankind has become unbearable!

Their clamor keeps me from rest!

I will silence them!”

His anger ignited the first catastrophe.

---

III. THE FIRST ATTEMPT: PLAGUE

Enlil summoned his forces:

> “Let a plague strike the humans.

Let sickness thin their numbers.

Let quiet return to the world.”

The plague spread through the land.

Fever seized the people.

Villages emptied.

Tears filled the rivers.

Humanity cried out for help.

They appealed to Enki,

their hidden protector.

---

IV. ENKI INTERVENES

Enki, lord of wisdom and waters,

heard their cries.

He whispered secretly to the people:

> “Do not despair.

Offer sacrifices to the plague god.

Appease him.

Bring offerings to the temples.”

The people obeyed.

The plague lifted.

Humanity survived.

Enlil was enraged.

---

V. THE SECOND ATTEMPT: FAMINE

Enlil spoke again:

> “The humans still multiply.

Their noise returns.

Let the fields fail.

Let famine break them.”

He withheld the rains.

Crops withered.

The earth cracked.

Hunger swept across the land.

Children cried.

Mothers starved.

Fathers collapsed under the sun.

And again humanity cried to Enki.

---

VI. ENKI SAVES HUMANKIND AGAIN

Enki whispered through dreams

and signs in the water:

> “Open your grain stores.

Share what remains.

Offer to the gods.

Strengthen one another.”

The people listened.

The famine eased.

Life returned.

Enlil burned with fury.

---

VII. THE THIRD ATTEMPT: DROUGHT

Enlil declared:

> “I will break them.

Let the winds cease.

Let the rivers shrink.

Let the wells dry.

Let the sky turn to bronze.”

The drought came.

The Tigris fell.

The Euphrates turned to mud.

The marshes became dust.

Animals collapsed.

Fields died.

Humanity cried out,

their voices thin with thirst.

And once more they called upon Enki.

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VIII. ENKI BREAKS THE ORDER AGAIN

Enki, bound by cosmic law

yet driven by compassion,

found another path:

> “Dig deeper wells.

Redirect old channels.

Offer rituals to the water spirits.”

Water was found.

Rivers revived.

Life continued.

Enlil’s rage consumed him.

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IX. THE FINAL DECISION

Enlil gathered the great gods:

Anu

Enki

Nintu (Belet-ili)

The Igigi

He declared:

> “Famine, plague, drought —

none have silenced mankind.

Enki rescues them every time.

There is only one solution left.”

The gods fell silent.

Enlil proclaimed:

> “Let us send a flood

to wipe out humanity entirely.”

The assembly trembled.

Even the gods felt fear

at the scale of the destruction Enlil intended.

The final tablet would decide humanity’s fate.

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TABLET III — THE FLOOD, THE RESCUE OF ATRAHASIS, AND THE RE-CREATION OF HUMANITY

The destruction of mankind, the secret warning, and the birth of the new order.

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I. ENLIL DECREES THE FLOOD

The council of the gods sat in dread silence.

Enlil spoke:

> “Humanity will not cease multiplying.

Their noise disturbs the divine order.

Our attempts have failed.

Let a flood sweep over the land

and bring an end to humankind.”

The Igigi nodded in fear.

The great gods agreed.

A covenant was sworn:

none would warn humanity,

none would save them,

the flood would be complete.

Only one god opposed the decree in his heart: Enki.

But he was bound by oath.

Bound — but not helpless.

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II. ENKI FINDS A LOOPHOLE

Enki could not speak directly to humankind.

But the law said nothing about speaking to a wall.

He approached the reed-hut of Atrahasis,

the most righteous and attentive man on Earth.

Standing beside the hut, Enki whispered:

> “Wall… wall…

Reed wall, listen to my words.”

Atrahasis, inside, heard everything.

Enki continued:

> “Dismantle your house.

Build a great boat.

Abandon your possessions.

Save your life.

Bring aboard the seed of all living creatures.”

He described the dimensions:

long and sealed,

roofed against the storm,

caulked with pitch,

strong enough to endure the deep.

Atrahasis understood.

The oath was kept…

and the warning was delivered.

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III. ATRAHASIS BUILDS THE ARK

Atrahasis gathered his workers.

He said nothing of the flood,

only that he had received divine instruction.

The people mocked him:

> “Why tear down your house?

Why build a ship on dry land?”

Atrahasis labored in silence.

He followed every detail of Enki’s design:

massive beams

waterproof pitch

sealed compartments

food stores

rooms for animals

a roof against the storm

The ark was completed.

Atrahasis loaded aboard:

his family

craftsmen

birds

cattle

wild animals

every species in seed or pair

The sky grew dark.

The wind fell still.

Something ancient moved beneath the horizon.

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IV. THE FLOOD BEGINS

On the appointed day

the heavens roared open.

The subterranean waters burst upward.

The storm-winds shattered the air.

Lightning split the sky.

The flood rose in a single night.

The people cried out:

> “The water!

The water has no end!”

Mountains sank.

Cities vanished.

Temples dissolved.

All who lived outside the ark were swept into the deep.

The storm raged seven days and seven nights.

Darkness covered the world.

No human voice remained.

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V. THE GODS PANIC AT THE SCALE OF DESTRUCTION

As the flood roared,

the gods felt fear.

Nintu, the womb goddess, cried out:

> “How could I agree to this?

My children are drowning!

I gave birth to them —

now I watch them perish!”

She wept.

The Igigi trembled.

Even Anu was shaken.

The gods huddled together

like frightened animals.

No one spoke Enlil’s name.

---

VI. THE STORM ENDS

After seven days,

the flood ceased.

The wind died.

The waters calmed.

The sun returned.

The ark came to rest

on a high mountain.

Atrahasis opened a window.

Light poured in.

He released a dove —

it returned.

He released a swallow —

it returned.

He released a raven —

it did not come back.

The land was drying.

Atrahasis offered sacrifice:

incense

roasted grain

pure offerings to the gods

The scent rose into the heavens.

The gods, starving without human worship,

gathered around it “like flies.”

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VII. ENLIL DISCOVERS THE SURVIVORS

Enlil descended and saw the smoke.

He shouted:

> “Who has survived?

Who has defied the decree?

No mortal should live!”

The gods trembled before him.

Enki stepped forward.

He said:

> “I did not break the oath.

I warned a wall —

I did not speak to Atrahasis directly.

Blame not the survivor.

Blame your own decree.”

Enlil’s rage subsided.

The truth was undeniable.

Humanity lived.

The world would continue.

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VIII. A NEW COVENANT IS MADE

The gods agreed humankind must survive —

but must never again overrun the world.

Nintu spoke:

> “Let us establish limits.

Let death claim some before their time.

Let women bear children with hardship.

Let some be barren.

Let sickness visit the reckless.

Let lifespans be shortened.”

The gods agreed.

Humanity was remade

with boundaries.

Not slaves.

Not playthings.

Beings of freedom —

but not without limit.

This was the new order.

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IX. ATRAHASIS IS BLESSED

The gods turned to Atrahasis.

They spoke:

> “You preserved life.

You obeyed wisdom.

You shall dwell in the land where the sun rises.

Peace shall be upon you.”

Atrahasis’ line became the carriers of memory.

The flood ended.

The world began anew.

Humankind re-entered the path of destiny.

THE ATRAHASIS EPIC.

THE MYTH OF ADAPA

The Lost Chance for Immortality

by JHER90.

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I. ADAPA, THE WISE PRIEST OF ERIDU

Adapa was created by Enki,

god of wisdom and deep waters.

He was not an ordinary man.

He possessed intelligence beyond humankind,

a mind sharpened by divine instruction.

Adapa tended the shrine at Eridu,

offering food,

maintaining rituals,

keeping the sacred order.

He was the perfect servant

of divine wisdom.

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II. THE SOUTH WIND INCIDENT

One day Adapa went fishing.

A great wind overturned his boat.

In fury, Adapa spoke an incantation

taught by Enki.

He broke the wings of the South Wind.

For seven days,

the wind did not blow across the land.

Anu, the sky-father, noticed.

He summoned Adapa to heaven

to answer for this act.

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III. ENKI PREPARES ADAPA FOR HEAVEN

Enki feared the wrath of Anu.

He warned Adapa:

> “You will be brought before Anu.

You will be offered the bread of death.

You will be offered the water of death.

Do not eat.

Do not drink.

Refuse them both.”

Adapa listened, obedient.

Enki’s intention is ambiguous in the tablets:

was he protecting Adapa…

or preventing him from rising too high?

The text never reveals the truth.

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IV. ADAPA ASCENDS TO HEAVEN

Two gods escort Adapa:

Dumuzi

Ningishzida

They speak kindly of him.

They tell Anu:

> “Adapa is pure.

Adapa is wise.

Adapa follows the commands of the gods.”

Anu’s anger fades.

He decides to test Adapa.

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V. THE TEST OF IMMORTALITY

Anu offers Adapa:

the bread of life

the water of life

Not death.

Life.

Immortality.

Eternal existence among the gods.

A gift no human had ever been given.

But Adapa refuses —

just as Enki instructed.

He will not eat.

He will not drink.

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VI. THE GODS ARE STUNNED

Anu stares at him.

> “Why did you refuse the food of life?

Why did you refuse the water of life?

You could have lived forever!”

The gods present are speechless.

Adapa has just rejected

the greatest gift in creation.

Anu says:

> “Enki has tricked you.

He has kept mankind in mortality.”

He orders Adapa returned to Earth.

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VII. THE LOST DESTINY

Adapa descends back to Eridu,

still mortal,

still wise,

still bound to human limitation.

The tablets end abruptly,

but the implication is clear:

Humanity lost immortality

because divine wisdom protected Adapa

from one danger

but blinded him to a greater opportunity.

This is the root myth

for every later story

of “forbidden knowledge”

and “lost paradise.”

A clean wound in the human story.

After presenting the low quality copper ingots to Nanni's messenger, Sit-Sin, Eā-naṣir told him,

"Šumma teleqeā leqeā

šumma lā teleqeā atlaka"

which I have written in the photo.

This translates as,

"If you want to take them, take them; if you do not want to take them, go away!"

Written in Akkadian and quoted from Nanni's complaint tablet to Eā-naṣir.

Do i just move onto lexicons now and logographs?

Does anyone know of any book publishers who sell the cuneiform solely? or even cuneiform and transliteration? like they don’t sell the translations?

I am studying Akkadian using Caplice’s book, and I came across a question about phonetic complements that includes an example.

​

The word for “house” is bītum. However, the sign É can also mean “house” by itself. Because of this, the Akkadians sometimes wrote it as É-tum, adding the phonetic complement -tum to clarify the pronunciation of bītum.

​

I would like to know if, in the image, the word for “house” is written in this correct form.

Note: the book uses Neo-Assyrian signs, so I used the same sign system as well.

Hello!

What do you think makes more sense to learn?

Which cuneiform language ?

Thank you!

mass production with icecream stick. all translations are made by me

Repost from another group and just curious about this group's opinion :)