An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic Part 14

Line 215. The kneeling att.i.tude of prayer is an interesting touch. It symbolizes submission, as is shown by the description of Gilgamesh's defeat in the encounter with Enkidu (Pennsylvania tablet, l. 227), where Gilgamesh is represented as forced to "kneel" to the ground. Again in the a.s.syrian version, Tablet V, 4, 6, Gilgamesh kneels down (though the reading _ka-mis_ is not certain) and has a vision.

Line 229. It is much to be regretted that this line is so badly preserved, for it would have enabled us definitely to restore the opening line of the a.s.syrian version of the Gilgamesh Epic. The fragment published by Jeremias in his appendix to his _Izdubar-Nimrod_, Plate IV, gives us the end of the colophon line to the Epic, reading ......... _di ma-a-ti_ (cf. _ib._, Pl. I, 1. ... _a-ti_). Our text evidently reproduces the same phrase and enables us to supply _ka_, as well as the name of the hero Gish of which there are distinct traces. The missing word, therefore, describes the hero as the ruler, or controller of the land. But what are the two signs before _ka_? A participial form from _pakadu_, which one naturally thinks of, is impossible because of the _ka_, and for the same reason one cannot supply the word for shepherd (_nakidu_). One might think of _ka-ak-ka-du_, except that _kakkadu_ is not used for "head" in the sense of "chief" of the land. I venture to restore _[i-ik-]ka-di_, "strong one." Our text at all events disposes of Haupt's conjecture _is-di ma-a-ti_ (_JAOS_ 22, p. 11), "Bottom of the earth," as also of Ungnad's proposed _[a-di pa]-a-ti_, "to the ends" (Ungnad-Gressmann, _Gilgamesch-Epos_, p. 6, note), or a reading _di-ma-a-ti_, "pillars." The first line of the a.s.syrian version would now read

_sa nak-ba i-mu-ru [d_Gis-gi(n)-mas i-ik-ka]-di ma-a-ti,

i.e., "The one who saw everything, Gilgamesh the strong one (?) of the land."

We may at all events be quite certain that the name of the hero occurred in the first line and that he was described by some epithet indicating his superior position.

Lines 229-235 are again an address of Gilgamesh to the sun-G.o.d, after having received a favorable "oracle" from the G.o.d (line 222). The hero promises to honor and to celebrate the G.o.d, by erecting thrones for him.

Lines 237-244 describe the arming of the hero by the "master"

craftsman. In addition to the _pasu_ and _patru_, the bow (?) and quiver are given to him.

Line 249 is paralleled in the new fragment of the a.s.syrian version published by King in _PSBA_ 1914, page 66 (col. 1, 2), except that this fragment adds _gi-mir_ to _e-mu-ki-ka_.

Lines 251-252 correspond to column 1, 6-8, of King's fragment, with interesting variations "battle" and "fight" instead of "way" and "road," which show that in the interval between the old Babylonian and the a.s.syrian version, the real reason why Enkidu should lead the way, namely, because he knows the country in which Huwawa dwells (lines 252-253), was supplemented by describing Enkidu also as being more experienced in battle than Gilgamesh.

Line 254. I am unable to furnish a satisfactory rendering for this line, owing to the uncertainty of the word at the end. Can it be "his household," from the stem which in Hebrew gives us MISEPOHOH "family?"

Line 255. Is paralleled by col. 1, 4, of King's new fragment. The episode of Gish and Enkidu proceeding to Ninsun, the mother of Gish, to obtain her counsel, which follows in King's fragment, appears to have been omitted in the old Babylonian version. Such an elaboration of the tale is exactly what we should expect as it pa.s.sed down the ages.

Line 257. Our text shows that _irnittu_ (lines 257, 264, 265) means primarily "endeavor," and then success in one's endeavor, or "triumph."

Lines 266-270. Do not appear to refer to rites performed after a victory, as might at a first glance appear, but merely voice the hope that Gish will completely take possession of Huwawa's territory, so as to wash up after the fight in Huwawa's own stream; and the hope is also expressed that he may find pure water in Huwawa's land in abundance, to offer a libation to Shamash.

Line 275. _On su-pa-as-su_ = _supat-su_, see above, to l. 115.

[Note on Sabitum (above, p. 11)

In a communication before the Oriental Club of Philadelphia (Feb. 10, 1920), Prof. Haupt made the suggestion that _sa-bi-tum_ (or _tu_), hitherto regarded as a proper name, is an epithet describing the woman who dwells at the seash.o.r.e which Gilgamesh in the course of his wanderings reaches, as an "innkeeper". It is noticeable that the term always appears without the determinative placed before proper names; and since in the old Babylonian version (so far as preserved) and in the a.s.syrian version, the determinative is invariably used, its consistent absence in the case of _sabitum_ (a.s.syrian Version, Tablet X, 1, 1, 10, 15, 20; 2, 15-16 [_sa-bit_]; Meissner fragment col. 2, 11-12) speaks in favor of Professor Haupt's suggestion. The meaning "innkeeper", while not as yet found in Babylonian-a.s.syrian literature is most plausible, since we have _sabu_ as a general name for 'drink', though originally designating perhaps more specifically sesame wine (Muss-Arnolt, a.s.syrian Dictionary, p. 745b) or distilled brandy, according to Prof. Haupt. Similarly, in the Aramaic dialects, _se_bha is used for "to drink" and in the Pael to "furnish drink". Muss-Arnolt in his a.s.syrian Dictionary, 746b, has also recognized that _sabitum_ was originally an epithet and compares the Aramaic _se_bhoyatha(p1) "barmaids". In view of the bad reputation of inns in ancient Babylonia as brothels, it would be natural for an epithet like _sabitum_ to become the equivalent to "public" women, just as the inn was a "public"

house. Sabitum would, therefore, have the same force as _samhatu_ (the "harlot"), used in the Gilgamesh Epic by the side of _harimtu_ "woman" (see the note to line 46 of Pennsylvania Tablet). The Sumerian term for the female innkeeper is Sal Gestinna "the woman of the wine,"

known to us from the Hammurabi Code ----108-111. The bad reputation of inns is confirmed by these statutes, for the house of the Sal Gestinna is a gathering place for outlaws. The punishment of a female devotee who enters the "house of a wine woman" (bit Sal Gestinna --110) is death. It was not "prohibition" that prompted so severe a punishment, but the recognition of the purpose for which a devotee would enter such a house of ill repute. The speech of the _sabitum_ or innkeeper to Gilgamesh (above, p. 12) was, therefore, an invitation to stay with her, instead of seeking for life elsewhere. Viewed as coming from a "public woman" the address becomes significant. The invitation would be parallel to the temptation offered by the _harimtu_ in the first tablet of the Enkidu, and to which Enkidu succ.u.mbs. The incident in the tablet would, therefore, form a parallel in the adventures of Gilgamesh to the one that originally belonged to the Enkidu cycle. Finally, it is quite possible that _sabitum_ is actually the Akkadian equivalent of the Sumerian Sal Gestinna, though naturally until this equation is confirmed by a syllabary or by other direct evidence, it remains a conjecture. See now also Albright's remarks on Sabitum in the A. J. S. L. 36, pp. 269 _seq._]

CORRECTIONS TO THE TEXT OF LANGDON'S EDITION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA TABLET. [157]

Column 1.

5. Read _it-lu-tim_ ("heroes") instead of _id-da-tim_ ("omens").

6. Read _ka-ka-bu_ instead of _ka-ka-'a_. This disposes of Langdon's note 2 on p. 211.

9 Read _u-ni-is-su-ma_, "I became weak" (from _enesu_, "weak") instead of _ilam is-su-ma_, "He bore a net"(!). This disposes of Langdon's note 5 on page 211.

10. Read _Urukki_ instead of _ad-ki_. Langdon's note 7 is wrong.

12. Langdon's note 8 is wrong. _u-um-mid-ma pu-ti_ does not mean "he attained my front."

14. Read _ab-ba-la-as-su_ instead of _at-ba-la-as-su_.

15. Read _mu-di-a-at_ instead of _mu-u-da-a-at_.

20. Read _ta-ha-du_ instead of an impossible _[sa]-ah-ha-ta_--two mistakes in one word. Supply _kima Sal_ before _tahadu_.

22. Read _as-su_ instead of _su_; and at the end of the line read _[tu-ut]-tu-u-ma_ instead of _su-u-zu_.

23. Read _ta-tar-ra-[as-su]_.

24. Read _[us]-ti-nim-ma_ instead of _[is]-ti-lam-ma_.

28. Read at the beginning _sa_ instead of _ina_.

29. Langdon's text and transliteration of the first word do not tally. Read _ha-as-si-nu_, just as in line 31.

32. Read _ah-ta-du_ ("I rejoiced") instead of _ah-ta-ta_.

Column 2.

4. Read at the end of the line _di-da-sa(?) ip-ti-[e]_ instead of _Di-?-al-lu-un_ (!).

5. Supply _d_En-ki-du at the beginning. Traces point to this reading.

19. Read _[gi]-it-ma-[lu]_ after _d_Gis, as suggested by the a.s.syrian version, Tablet I, 4, 38, where _emku_ ("strength") replaces _nepistu_ of our text.

20. Read _at-[ta kima Sal ta-ha]-bu-[ub]-su_.

21. Read _ta-[ra-am-su ki-ma]_.

23. Read as one word _ma-a-ag-ri-i-im_ ("accursed"), spelled in characteristic Hammurabi fashion, instead of dividing into two words _ma-a-ak_ and _ri-i-im_, as Langdon does, who suggests as a translation "unto the place yonder(?) of the shepherd"(!).

24. Read _im-ta-har_ instead of _im-ta-gar_.

32. Supply _ili_(?) after _ki-ma_.

33. Read _sa-ri-i-im_ as one word.