Atrahasis also told of receiving the warning of a coming flood in a dream, from the god Enki. In the epic of Gilgamesh the warning vision came from Ea. The god who ordered the destruction was called Ellil by Atrahasis and Enlil by Gilgamesh. The god Anu is the same in both texts. In both texts the boat was built of material taken for houses and huts:
"Atrahasis made his voice heard And spoke to his master, ‘Indicate to me the meaning of the dream,[ ] let me find out its portent (?)’ Enki made his voice heardAnd spoke to his servant, ‘You say, “I should find out in bed (?)”. Make sure you attend to the message I shall tell you! Wall, listen constantly to me! Reed hut, make sure you attend to all my words! Dismantle the house, build a boat, Reject possessions, and save living things. The boat that you build."
"From the epic of Gilgamesh: Nin-igi-ku, Ea, was with them [in council] and reported their word to a house of reeds." O House of reeds, O House of reeds! O Wall. O Wall! O House of reeds, hear! O Wall, understand! O man of Shurippak, son of Ubar-Tutu, Throw down the house, build a ship, Forsake wealth, seek after life, Hate possessions, save thy life, Bring all seed of life into the ship."
The way that Utnapishim told it to Gilgamesh, Atrahasis took his wealth on board anyway.He did at least remember to take family and animals on board:
"With everything that I possessed I loaded it (i.e., the ship). With everything that I possessed of silver I loaded it. With everything that I possessed of gold I loaded it. With all that I possessed of all the seed of life I loaded it."
All of the texts have at least two things in common with the Bible. The flood was of such proportions that it could only have been sent by the gods. It was not caused by the flooding of the Tigres or the Euphrates, and was not simply an unusually heavy rain storm. They also agree that there were only a handful of survivors, who could have only escaped such a widespread disaster in a boat. Another similarity is that animals were taken on board the boat.
In the tale of Erra and Ishum, the king of the gods explained to Erra why the flood was sent:
"The king of the gods made his voice heard and spoke, Addressed his words to Erra, warrior of gods, ‘Warrior Erra, concerning that deed which you have said you will do: A long time ago, when I was angry and rose up from my dwelling and arranged for the Flood, I rose up from my dwelling, and the control of heaven and earth was undone. The very heavens I made to tremble, the positions of the stars of heaven changed, and I did not return them to their places. Even Erkalla quaked; the furrow’s yield diminished, and forever after (?) it was hard to extract (a yield). Even the control of heaven was undone, the springs diminished, the flood-water receded. I went back, and looked and looked; it was very grievous. The (remaining) offspring of living things was tiny, and I did not return them to their (former) state. … [some lines omitted] (As for) the people who were left from the Flood and saw the result of my action, Should I raise my weapons and destroy the remnant? I made those (original) Craftsmen go down to the Apsu, and I said that they were not to come back up."
Erkalla was a city of the dead in the lower region of Apsu. The craftsmen were the Seven Sages mentioned in other Sumerian texts. In the Forces of Light and Dark they were the Annunnaki, the Biblical Annakim and were called: "Evil Demon The Evil God The Evil Genius The Evil Ensnarer The Evil Phantom The Evil Devil The Evil Larvae”
In the Lugulbanda Epic the Anuna are called”gods of the mountain.” The Annakim wanted all life to be destroyed and were angry that Enki intervened:
‘We, the great Anunna, all of us, Agreed together on an oath! No form of life should have escaped! How did any man survive the catastrophe?’ Anu made his voice heard And spoke to the warrior Ellil, ‘Who but Enki would do this? He made sure that the [reed hut] disclosed the order.’ Enki made his voice heard And spoke to the great gods, ‘I did it, in defiance of you! I made sure life was preserved [ ]"
The Babylonians text known as Awaiting Battle also called the Anunna gods, craftsmen, who resided in the netherworld:
"O noble Marduk, while you enter the house, fire cleanses your apparel and you return to your palace, " For that time I will govern and keep strong the regulation of heaven and earth, " I will go up to heaven and issue instructions to the Igigi gods, " I will go down to the depths and keep the Anunna gods in order. " I will despatch the wild demons to the netherworld, " I will brandish my fierce weaponry against them, " I will truss the wings of the ill wind like a bird's. " At that house you shall enter, O noble Marduk, " I will station Anu and Enlil to the right and left, like bulls." Noble Marduk heard him, the words which Erra spoke pleased him."
The above text also tells of a plot by the Anunna gods, the Seven, warriors, to destroy the dark headed people, what the Sumerians called themselves:
"After Anu had ordained destinies for all of the Seven, He gave those very ones to Erra, warrior of the gods, saying: " Let them go beside you, when the clamor of human habitations becomes noisome to you, " And you resolve to wreak destruction, " To massacre the black-headed folk and fell the livestock “
The Forces of Dark and Light also hint at a past flood: "We have survived on tops of mountains And beneath the feet of mountains And have spoken with the Scorpions In allegiance and were betrayed. And TIAMAT has promised us nevermore to attack With water and with wind. But the Gods are forgetful."
References: The Ahora Covenant Inscription Edward E. Crawford, director of Project von Bora. The Epic of Gilgamesh Translated by Maureen Gallery Kovacs,Electronic Edition by Wolf Carnahan, I998 E. A. Speiser. "The Epic of Gilgamesh." James B. Pritchard. Editor. The Ancient Near East, An Anthology of Texts and Pictures. 1958 The Tale of Atrahasis W. G. Lambert and A. R. Millard, Atrahasis: The Babylonian Story of the Flood, Eisenbrauns, 1999
