nted. devoted and most dutiful in religion were the people of shurupuk, honouring well the lord that made them and all the shedim that watched over them and guided to ever more gloried destinies the empire of shurupuk. great among the lands of men was regal shurupuk, envy of all the nations of the earth. of all the men that walked on earth, of that race of heroes, the greatest of the nephilim was utanapishtim, august emperor of proud shurupuk, beneficent and wise. strong was his arm, swift his feet, none was there to best him, unconquered were his chariots, unbroken the ranks of shields. the prows of his navy were painted with the blood of enemies. great was utanapishtim and great was his nation. yet of the nations of the nephilim he had foes that he had not quelled. shurupuk that shone li
e ranks of shields. the prows of his navy were painted with the blood of enemies. great was utanapishtim and great was his nation. yet of the nations of the nephilim he had foes that he had not quelled. shurupuk that shone like the sun amongst nations was rich with gold and silver and a myriad treasures and the elohim had taught greed to the children of the shedim. to conquer shurupuk, to conquer utanapishtim and win the gold that filled high his treasuries, many tried and all that did made fat the crows for the hosts of shurupuk were mighty in battle and put all before them as leaves before the winds and swelled further the coffers of utanapishtim, carrying back the battle's spoils and the booty of the cities that had, in error, strived against utanapishtim. west of the kingdom between tw
ace. thither and thither went the columns of lamech and returned with rich tributes to the king. tributes though he called them though they were extorted at the spear's point and not all the shedim were satisfied at his deeds but he was not as his father had been and some lesser evils must be borne if the greater wrongs must be cast aside. thus did the kingdom of lamech become great. in this time utanapishtim ruled in bright shurupuk and lamech heard of the fame of that great state and, as had princes before him, became jealous of that city. proud lamech resolved in his heart that by his hand would the shining walls of shurupuk be cast down and by his torch would her towers burn. thus arrayed in the hides of lion and battle-dress, ash-shafted spear in his hand and shield upon his arm, pain
hant does she go upon the earth and those who stand against the hosts of shurupuk are crushed as though beneath the foot of a beast so great as an elephant. yet i, lamech, am resolved upon this course that i should be conqueror of shurupuk and win the treasures of that city for myself. the people of lamech shall be ever remembered as those who ended shurupuk's greatness and replaced the towers of utanapishtim with those higher and more brilliant, more enduring, and upon the ruined stone of shurupuk built the foundations of the nephilim's kingdom that, it is so foretold, shall surpass chadel and heaven in majesty and great duration. let us then rouse our armies to battle to contest the earth with great shurupuk that our children shall be the chief of the nephilim that shall rule the world h
rits of battle, the shedim hunt that fight at the side of worthy men, they gathered up their hosts of war and made ready their horses before the chariots, then, taking up their spears, went forth to battle, marching to the tattoo of heart and drum. from the furthest towns of shurupuk's empire 217 came the messengers and heralds from the west, reporting war and despoilment upon that frontier. kingutanapishtim saw their coming from his high tower and descended from there to hear what news they brought, the swift-riding messengers of his realm. bowing low before their king they told the tidings and related all that had passed on the western boundary "mighty king, lord of shurupuk, from the western extent of the empire we come with news of war against our revered domain. king lamech, bandit o
ering of hosts, he ascended the high ziggurat to my shrine to pour upon the shedim's altar a libation of lion's blood to win the alliance of the shedim for his campaign. wide swung the gates of shurupuk as the armies passed through and it seemed to those that watched from the wall that the ranks of spears were without end and that the gate would disgorge an eternity of warriors and at the van was utanapishtim, god amongst men, beneath standard of the temple's seal, the flamingeye. upon the western horizon, apparent to the beholders, a column of the black smoke of pillage rose and the wind brought the war-cries and the drums of the yet distant foes to the walls of shurupuk. now lamech marched also at the column's head and, perceiving in the east the flags upon the towers that made fast the
nheeded and lamech's people were as gazelle in the lion's jaw. lamech himself could not draw his gaze from the white stallion and its rider, throwing up a froth, as the dread king came across the river to meet him, the iron sceptre raised high like the tail of the scorpion that has within its claws its prey. all courage then left the heart of lamech. in the shallows of the river, before the king, utanapishtim, lamech fell upon his knees, casting aside his spear and holding up open hands. the emperor in green dismounted from his horse and crossed the remainder of the distance by his own feet to stand in triumph before the prostrate lamech, raising up once more with two hands the great mace of meteoric iron. now weeping lamech made entreaty to the victor, though the battle was newly joined
sting aside his spear and holding up open hands. the emperor in green dismounted from his horse and crossed the remainder of the distance by his own feet to stand in triumph before the prostrate lamech, raising up once more with two hands the great mace of meteoric iron. now weeping lamech made entreaty to the victor, though the battle was newly joined, and implored mercy of the king of shurupuk "utanapishtim, monarch more terrible than god, i pray you be more merciful than the king of heaven 220 in dealing with those that await your whim. i beg you spare my life and i shall serve you well. i have no more taste for death now that my own is threatened. see that i make myself abased before you and that i am no more threat to your realm. slaughter my armies if you must and make most humble he
realm. slaughter my armies if you must and make most humble he that was once king of men but strike me not to the earth. my kingdom is yours if you would take it and the lives of my subjects i give to you willingly if you would but spare me your mace. what can i now do to you to harm the meagrest hair that grows upon your scalp. i implore you then, my lord, spare me" hearing these words of lamech utanapishtim frowned upon him. all about fell the army of lamech, cut down as if they were a field of wheat, their broken spears falling like the sheared stalks. everywhere was there death. now utanapishtim took his turn to speak, looking in scorn upon the subdued lamech. with a regal voice he spoke and in anger he intoned these words "kneel not! thus is it written upon stone. thus is it written u
erable pleas and bargains. you have asked me to spare you and to take as payment the lives of your tribesmen. i shall spare them and take in payment the life of yours that, in shame, is forfeited by false king lamech. this is the penalty of the treachery that you would wreak to save yourself. find then honour in death upon the field of battle. i shall tell none that you died upon your knees" then utanapishtim brought down his mace and struck lamech upon the head and thus bereft him of his life. thus fell lamech at the euphrates. now utanapishtim, king of the nephilim, instructed his horns and flags signal a retreat that the thegns of lamech might sue for peace. retiring then to the eastern bank the unconquered armies of shurupuk left the broken ranks of dead lamech to rally from their rout
course to drive into the dragon's very jaws or else make suit for the mercy of shurupuk and thus escape the lands that they had violated. as the sun descended behind the vanquished and the moaning of those who returned to me, grew faint and yet fainter until all breath within their demolished frames was spent, three thegns of fallen lamech came forth 222 to plead their case and ask mercy of great utanapishtim. as the ravens came they spoke as one before the beneficent monarch of famous shurupuk "o potent king, terrible in wrath" so spoke the barons "have mercy. lamech is slain by your own rod and his armies are driven before your charge or else are crushed beneath. what hope is left to the people of lamech, son of methuselah, but none? against your strength none can prevail. we then submit
o we come before you. we ask that you spare us for you are noble though we be base and foolish. treat kindly with us and it does become you. let us retire from the kingdom between two rivers and return to our western homes. never more shall we come in array for battle to the lands of shurupuk. we submit to the authority of the most potent of kings. no more are we lamech's people but the people of utanapishtim" upon the repentant thegns of lamech did utanapishtim smile in mercy. putting down his great mace he spoke not thunderously but with magisterial aspect, wisest and most noble of all kings was he. to the knights he addressed these words "i know you to be noble men for you have submitted all to me and placed yourself within my reach to spare the people of your army. not base and foolish
ed all to me and placed yourself within my reach to spare the people of your army. not base and foolish is it to preserve but it is both wise and honourable. 223 the warrior is not the taker of life but he is the one that does defend it. you are true warriors that surrender rather than press the battle that cannot be won. there is no shame for you in this way and you have earned the admiration of utanapishtim. as mercy does become the victor so does discretion so become the defeated side. both armies thus benefit from the wisdom that you show upon this day. come! you shall help me bring the wounded to shurupuk where my healers shall tend them that have won heroic scars in the glorious fray. well have you fought in battle against shurupuk, unknowing of her might, and, in defeat we begrudge
u show upon this day. come! you shall help me bring the wounded to shurupuk where my healers shall tend them that have won heroic scars in the glorious fray. well have you fought in battle against shurupuk, unknowing of her might, and, in defeat we begrudge you not the help that we can render to the afflicted that they might return with you to tend once more the pasture and the tillage. thus does utanapishtim show himself as noble as those that petition him on this night. noble friends, i salute you" so did noble utanapishtim speak. bearing the wounded upon rough litters, some third of the army that remained of the western barbarians that contended against the unconquered armies of utanapishtim went with the king to shurupuk. those that did not go eastward went to the west, bringing the ne
ends, i salute you" so did noble utanapishtim speak. bearing the wounded upon rough litters, some third of the army that remained of the western barbarians that contended against the unconquered armies of utanapishtim went with the king to shurupuk. those that did not go eastward went to the west, bringing the news of the battle and lamechs's death back to their towns and families. in triumph did utanapishtim enter at the gates, thrown wide to receive his hosts and the vanquished also, bearing their comrades whose wounds were rudely bound up. to the palace of utanapishtim were brought the men of the west where his physics and magicians tended them and, as the sun went upon the lower passage, made whole those made unwhole in battle. at dawn utanapishtim went forth by day, leading from his t
anapishtim went forth by day, leading from his tower the march of victory. 224 declaring from the procession's head that no work was for that joyous day but celebration of victory and reconcile with the westerners. dancers, then, and singers, acrobats and fools, went out to delight the cheering throngs that resounded loud their general's name that had brought glory again to shurupuk's high walls "utanapishtim! utanapishtim" was the cry and as he went about the streets upon his steed, leading in his train the armies of bright shurupuk the happy people of the city cast flowers upon him, blooms of many colours and fragrances, and brought forth wine and meat to him that he might feast and toast the city. with games was that day of joy celebrated, with wrestling and casting of stone and spear
at to him that he might feast and toast the city. with games was that day of joy celebrated, with wrestling and casting of stone and spear, with race on foot, on horse, or in gay pennoned chariots each drawn by four stamping horses abreast made swift by the snapping of the whip as the multitudes exhorted those that won their favour with some display or brave flourish. as the sunset upon the city utanapishtim went once more to the height of the ziggurat and there poured out new libations to thank the shedim for their favour and share with them the people's joy. raising his voice in the dome of the temple, standing at the wetted altar, utanapishtim and his priests from all sides hymned their joy and thanks though they kneeled not in supplication. no king am i over men but in battle i fight
ren not in the way that adonaiyahweh has claimed, not condescending from some high place to bestow whimsical mercies upon the nephilim, but i have guided and protected as is the parent's duty and thus have earned of men the respect due to parents who so fulfil what is asked of them though, led astray by heaven's lies, i have been reviled. 225 in such a spirit are the libations poured out. so did utanapishtim honour the shedim and the ancientshades of his great ancestors. from a bowl of gold was the wine poured out upon a great table of marble, carved from the stone of mountains, set with grooves to drain what was offered down into the earth and to chadel. as the night grew dark after day the streets were lit with great braziers of steel, filled with charcoal and incense and even to the r
demons from the door. thus was the manner of lamech's homecoming. now caravans were sent forth from the city's gates to bear to far shurupuk a wealth of riches by which to by the favour of the new king and thus honour the mercy he had shown to the armies that he had vanquished. a hundred mules bearing on their backs grain and wine, gold and silver and the hides of beasts. thus was the kindness of utanapishtim so repaid. from the tower of the barbican that guarded the gates of the city, the son of lamech watched the tribute-bringers go far from the city walls with the riches of his treasury to bestow upon a foreign land that which his father's spear had one. for this wept noah, son of lamech 227 and spoke thus, looking back into the city and upon the barrow-gate, now sealed by the hands of
e lost days? not grateful for methuselah's devotion was abaddon and not with favour did he repay the king's homage. rather he came as a lion upon his servant and even before such a terror, was methuselah ever defiant and strong, demonstrating those very qualities that the shedim would themselves boast and advance. thus abaddon struck down methuselah and showed the mettle of the shedim's vows. now utanapishtim has struck down my father, he that is the favourite of chadel, 228 high shurupuk's king, and thus do they again betray the ancestors of noah, those dwellers in darkness, and deliver my kingdom to the thrall of those they would love above me. mightiest in battle was great lamech. how then could those soft people of shurupuk have slain him in the fray when his spear is sharp and his arm
e earth with words that i rejoice to speak and tell to the king of heaven such good things do they tell of. it is of noah, son of lamech, of whom the words of michael tell who, with his own voice, cursed the accursed one and reviled the deeds of shedim. his kingdom having been conquered by shurupuk, favoured of satan of all the tribes of men for high honour and brave endeavour, and by the hand of utanapishtim his father being slain, he reviles 236 the shedim, believing in his sorrow that they do contend against him. his grandsire's fall at the destroyer's sword, havoc the ruiner that bleeds the blood of knights, but makes double strong his conviction. in truth, wretched noah has lost all due to his father's own rash contention and the cowardice of lamech upon the field. yet for these thing
SCHLAGER NEIL WORLD RELIGIONS REFERENCE LIBRARY
but unsure of 62 worldreligions: primary sources the epic of gilgamesh the meaning of the passage. other sections of the epic, however, remain forever lost. tablet i introduces gilgamesh, the heroic king of uruk in babylonia, who lived around 2700 bce. many legends grew up around gilgamesh, some of which were recorded in other poems. in tablet xi, gilgamesh is speaking to an immortalhuman named utanapishtim, asking him why he cannot die. utanapishtim reveals to the hero the secret of his immortality by telling his story. utanapishtim says that in the city of shuruppak, on the banks of the euphrates river, the gods held a meeting and decided to destroy humans though written about in a legendary story in the epic of gilgamesh, gilgamesh was a real-life king. his likeness is shown in this s
f gilgamesh, gilgamesh was a real-life king. his likeness is shown in this stone statue from the palace of sargon in khorsabad, modern-day iraq. the art archive/ musee du louve paris/ dagli orti (a. worldreligions: primary sources 63 the epic of gilgamesh with a great flood. the gods agreed not to reveal their plan, but ea, one of the gods who created humans, whispered the secret to the walls of utanapishtim s house. ea told the walls to build a great boat and to gather all living things into it, and utanapishtim overheard. utanapishtim built the boat, loaded it with silver, gold, and living things, and launched it. soon a storm, with the thunder god adad inside, broke out, lasting for seven days and seven nights. after the storm ended, utanapishtim opened a window on the boat to discover
godenlil, a normally kind god who made the land fertile and gave the sumerians the plow. enlil, however, was at times terrifying, forced to carry out the wishes of other gods when they were displeased with humans. enlil was also known as the punisher. there were also many other gods that sumerians recognized. excerpt from the epic of gilgameshtablet xi: the story of the floodgilgamesh spoke to utanapishtim, the faraway: i have been looking at you, but your appearance is not strange you are like me! you yourself are not different you are like me! my mind was resolved to fight with you (but instead) my arm lies useless over you. tell me, how is it that you stand in the assembly of the gods, and have found life! utanapishtim spoke to gilgamesh, saying: i will reveal to you, gilgamesh, a th
suffering of others. lest: in order to prevent something from happening. pestilent: damaging or deadly. erra: form of erragal as a thunder god. atrahasis: hero of an akkadian epic (c. 1700 bce) that also tells the story of the flood. worldreligions: primary sources 69 the epic of gilgamesh now then! the deliberation should be about him! what happened next. in the remaining portion of tablet xi, utanapishtim gives gilgamesh a chance at immortality. he tells the hero that if he can stay awake for six days and seven nights, he, too, will be immortal. gilgamesh agrees to try, but as soon as he sits down, he falls asleep. utanapishtim is convinced that all humans are liars. if gilgamesh falls asleep, utanapishtim believes gilgamesh will say he stayed awake. to prove that gilgamesh will lie, u