OF THE BABYLONIAN CREATION AND FLOOD STORIES. 317 



Flood like the account we find in Genesis and in the 11th tablet 

 of the Gilgames-series. Judging from the recurrence of the 

 period of nine months, represented, to all appearance, by nine 

 days or periods, it would seem as though three Floods were 

 referred to, though it must be admitted that one and the same 

 catastrophe only may be intended. With regard to the "divine 

 Tagtug,"* he would seem to correspond with the Biblical Noah, 

 called Ut-napisti' n and Athra-hasis in the other Babylonian 

 legends. 



With this we reach the end of the obverse, which is followed 

 by a damaged and illegible portion. Where the text is again 

 readable, we have, as Professor Langdon describes it, a reference 

 to Tagtug and his two pilots tending a garden. The watercourses 

 therein — e and pa = iku and palgu (the latter the Hebrew peleg 

 or " brook ") — words commonly met with in Babylonian inscrip- 

 tions referring to agriculture — meet us, and naturally stamp the 

 narrative characteristically. They build a temple for Enki and 

 irrigate the barren land. " The primaeval paradise has been lost, 

 the earth has become barren, and consequently man must toil." 

 He notes that in the Biblical account of the Flood there is an 

 exact parallel, for Noah, too, becomes a gardener, or, rather, an 

 orchard-keeper. We gather this from the fact that Noah 

 planted a vine. After this God communed with him, and gave 

 him power over the living creatures of the earth similar to the 

 authority conferred upon Adam. According to the learned 

 discoverer of the text, " we have something parallel to this in 

 our tablet, for now Enki summons Tagtug the gardener to the 

 temple which he had built : — 



Enki beheld him, a sceptre in his hand he grasped. 

 Enki for Taetuff waited. 



At his temple he cried ' Open the door, open the door — 

 Who is it that thou art 1 ' 



' I am a gardener joyful 



' fl will give unto thee.' 



The divine Tagtug with glad heart opened the temple's door. 

 Enki unto the divine Tagtug revealed secrets. 

 His he gave unto him gladly. J 



* Naturally, the question arises whether the name is rightly read. For 

 tag we might substitute sum, and for hug, ku or dur. If he was " the 

 iustitutor of sacrifice," his name should be Swn-hu, or, as the " intelligent 



V 



sacrificer," we might transcribe Sum-tug. Other readings are also 

 possible. 



t . . -masku su hurhurra. 



% Gladly his offering (?) unto him he presented. 



