By: Owen Kelly

People were noisy and causing disturbances through out the town of Shurrapuk. Enlil, the counselor of the gods, was angered by the loud and rowdy humans. He complained that he could not get enough sleep because of the noise, so all the gods agreed to exterminate the human race.

Ea did not think killing everything was the right choice, so he warned Utnapishtim of the events that are about to occur. Ea told him to build a boat and out the seed of all living creatures on it. It then took seven days to create the boat.

Utnapishtim had all creatures on the boat. After everything was on the boat Shamash told Utnapishtim to wait until the storm comes and then batten the boat down. All the gods brought torrential rain down on the people. Everyone was scared, even the Gods themselves were afraid of the flood.

All the gods wept for the humans because of this awful storm. On the seventh day of the storm, the rains let up, but the world was a huge ocean. Utnapishtim also then wept.

For six days after the storm ended the boat held fast on the mountain of Nisir. On the seventh day Utnapishtim sent out a dove, but it came back because it fund no resting place. He then sent out a swallow and it did the same thing. Lastly, he let out a raven and it did not return.

Utnapishtim sent an offering out to the gods. Ishtar said that she will never forget the flood and all gods can have the offering except Enlil.

Enlil was furious that a human survived. Ea calmed him down. He asked Enlil “How could you so senslessly bring down the flood?”. Anything would have been better than the flood.

Enlil went up to Utnapishtim and his wife and gave them a blessing. He told Utnapishtim to live in the distance at the mouth of rivers.