Babylonian Flood Tablet

Babylonian Flood Tablet

Tablet

Also referred to in the Archives as the "Langdon text." Flood Tablet. Lower third of tablet with 6 columns of text; 3 on each side. Preserved columns each have 10-15 lines and the compete tablet would probably have had ca. 260 lines. Text, written in Sumerian deals with the creation of humans, prediluvian cities and their rulers, and the flood. Preserved passages: A) Divine instructions to man include the building of cities under the protectorship of specific deities. 5 city names preserved including the port town of Eridu to Ea, god of water B) Enki reveals the gods' plan to destroy the human race by means of a flood to Ziusudra, the king, and urges him to heed his advice. Wind and storms come and with them the flood, which lasts for 7 days and 7 nights before the sun returns. Ziusudra emerges from his boat and offers sacrifices. After Enki mollifies their fury, An and Enlil grant Ziusudra eternal life. Text dated to 17th century BC by script.

Courtesy of the Penn Museum. Penn Museum Online Collections.

17th century BC

Clay

Technique: Baked

Iconography: Eridu, Flood, Enki

Length: 13.3cm
Width: 10.16cm
Thickness: 1.9cm

Sumerian

Cuneiform

Object

B10673

Nippur, Iraq

Babylonian