Skip to main content

The Babylonian Story of the Deluge as Told by Assyrian Tablets from Nineveh by E.A. Wallis Budge



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.

Popular Posts

Deities and Mythical Beings of the Davao Tribes

Note: I don't claim to be an expert in the mythology and religion of the six tribes featured here. My source for this information is Fay-Cooper Cole's The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao. This entry is solely a list for future references. The deities and mythological creatures here are from Fay-Cooper Cole's The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao . This is a list of the gods, goddesses, and spirits/spirit classes of the Bagobo, Bila-an, Kulaman, Tagakaolo, Ata, and Mandaya. I retained the spelling of the names found in the book. For full accounts of the myths and customs of the tribes, I recommend reading the book. BAGOBO Eugpamolak Manobo/Manama/Kalayagan  - first and greatest creator whose home is in the sky. Offerings for him should be white. Tolus ka balakat - name means "dweller in the balakat"; loves blood but not the flesh of humans and is one of the three deities for whom the yearly sacrifice is made. Mandarangan and Darago - husba...

An Analysis of the Enuma Elish (The Epic of Creation) or The Seven Tablets of Creation, A Babylonian Creation Myth

*Note: This was a term paper for a class. Since I don't know what grade the professor gave me (or of she even read the paper at all), I decided to post it here. The Enuma Elish is also called The Seven Tablets of Creation. It documents the Babylonian creation epic. It was recorded in seven clay tablets found at various locations including the infamous library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh, discovered by Austen Henry Layard. The name of the hero of the epic varies depending on where the tablet is found. The most common version tells of Marduk as the hero. In other versions, the god of the city is considered the hero. Introduction The title of the epic is taken from its opening line “When in the height, heaven was not named...” The epic chronicles Marduk’s war against Tiamat. He leads the other gods against the old divinity who had turned against her children. Besides Marduk’s exploits, the epic also tells about the birth of the gods and goddesses and the creation of the universe....

The Ghost of Sparta: A Review of the God of War Series

Several adaptations of Greek Mythology in media have appeared over the years. Some were successful while the others have failed to represent the ancient Greeks. Among the most memorable I've encountered is this series. Not only was it able to illustrate the heroes, monsters and gods in myths, but also brought to the fore the often ignored question - what happens to the Greek pantheon after they defeated the Titans? It is unique because the hero in this game is not a hercules-achilles-jason clone. The protagonist is a minor figure in Greek mythology. Kratos (Cratos) is a servant of the gods and one of Zeus' children, which is close enough to the real version (Cratos is not a child of Zeus, but one of his servants along with Nike). And unlike most heroes, he does not carry weapons to save humanity. He seeks revenge to cleanse his past. The series began when he sought to kill Ares, the God of War.  He was finally able to kill Ares with the help of the other gods. The portrayal...

Literary Theory and Criticism

Note: This is my final paper for Adv. Literary Theory and Criticism, one of my classes in MA in Literature.  October 2015. I'm posting this here as a backup in case I lose my copy and I need a guide in the future. Literature is the soul of a civilization. It is the collection of dreams, ideas and experiences of a people. It is what separates us from animals. It is an examination of our aspirations, happiness, fears and sadness, ideas and opinions. As a student of literature, I have learned that to get the most out of a poem, short story, novel, play or film, I must go beyond simple reading and observation. To do this however, I have to answer first the question "how do we fully appreciate a literary piece?" This essay is divided into four sections, namely; what is literature for me; the literary theories and criticism; Heneral Luna: a film review using the poststructuralist approach; and what makes a good literature? In the first part, I will recall my experiences a...