NEWLY-DISCOVERED VEKSION OF THE STORY OF THE FLOOD. 137 



story of a noble Persian wha was likewise saved by an 

 eagle. 



There is nothing of this in the Babylonian legend of Gilgame^;? 

 but the details of his infancy may come to light at any time, 

 for the version which we possess refers mainly to his manhood, 

 unless there were references to his childhood in any of the 

 numerous gaps which the earlier tablets of the series, in 

 common with the others, display. 



The first tablet of the Gilgames series begins with the 

 words which form a kind of title by which the whole was 

 distinguished — the ancient method of naming books. The 

 words in question are : " He who saw all (things) " ; and to 

 this is added, " the Eecord "of Gilgames," this second phrase 

 being something of the nature of a real title in the modern 

 sense of the word. The beginning of the text is extremely 

 imperfect, but where it becomes again readable, we have what 

 is apparently a description of the hero, who knew the wisdom 

 of the whole world, saw secret and hidden things, and brought 

 news of the time before the Flood, travelling a distant road, 

 and suffering dire fatigue (?). All his journey ings and toils 

 were apparently inscribed on stone, and record of them thus 

 left for future ages. 



Gilgames, as we learn in the course of the narrative, was 

 king of the city called Uruh supuri, or " Erech the walled," 

 so-called, apparently, on account of the enclosures which 

 surrounded it. To all appearance, when Gilgames assumed 

 the reins of power, Erech was in a state of depression, and the 

 walls were so ruinous that enemies from without were able to 

 besiege the city for three years, when 



" The gods of Erech the walled 

 turned to flies, and hummed in the streets ; 

 the winged bulls of Erech the walled 

 turned to mice, and went out through the holes." 



What enemy it was who besieged the city so long does not 

 appear, but it would seem to be probable that the Elamites 

 under Humbaba, whom the hero afterwards slew, are intended. 



After this the text is mutilated, and the sense difficult to 

 follow, but in this mutilated portion there would seem to have 

 been a further description of the hero, who is said to have been 

 " two parts god, and the third part man." To all appearance 

 there was none in all his realm like him, and also no companion 

 suitable for him, though he collected to him all the young m-en 



K 2 



