Two versions of the Deluge Legend is given in this book. One is taken from Berosus' account in which the name of the survivor is Xisuthrus. The other version is related to Gilgamesh by Utnapishtim and was included in the tablets of Epic of Gilgamish.
The circumstances do not differ much but the details vary. The Utnapishtim version, for example, gives the number of days it took for the water to recede.
The introduction given by Budge is sufficient for casual readers and students alike. He gives an account of the discovery of the tablets; description of the palaces of Nineveh and the library; physical description of the tablets; and a brief introduction of Ashur-bani-pal, to whom the famed library was credited. Budge's writing is easy to understand.
The Gilgamish epic is also retold here in the last part of the book. He does not give a transliteration of the tablets but divides the story by tablet and informs the reader which parts of the narrative are undecipherable. The glossary is helpful for first-time readers who are not familiar with some of the Babylonian and Sumerian deities and heroes mentioned in the Deluge Legends and the epic.
I recommend this to any reader who is interested in reading about the Deluge Legends and the Epic of Gilgamish. I'm giving this a 10 out of 10 rating.
