Gilgamesh, seeking a cure for death, has found Uta-Napishtim, an ancient man who somehow found the secret of immortality. Uta-Napishtim relates the story of an ancient flood.

This translation is of a text from about 2700 BCE, that is, about two thousand years older than the oldest parts of the Hebrew Bible.

Gilgamesh said unto him, to Uta-Napishtim the remote:
"I am looking at you, Uta-Napishtim. Your person is not altered; even as am I so are you. Truly, nothing about you is changed; even as am I so are you. A heart to do battle makes you complete, yet at rest (?) you lie upon you back. How then have you stood the company of the gods and sought life?"

Uta-Napishtim said unto him, to Gilgamesh:
"I will reveal to you, O Gilgamesh, a hidden mystery, and a secret matter of the gods I will declare unto you. Shurippak, a city which you yourself know, on [the bank] of the river Puratti (Euphrates) is situated, that city is old; and the gods [dwelling] within it, their hearts induced the great gods to make a windstorm. There was their father Anu, their counsellor, the warrior Enlil, their messenger En-urta [and] their prince Ennugi. 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 your life, bring all seed of life into the ship. The ship which you shall build, its dimensions shall be measured, its breadth and the length shall be the same. Then launch it upon the ocean.'

"I understood and I said unto Ea, my lord:
'See, my lord, that which you ordered, I regard with reverence, and will perform it. But what shall I say to the town, to the multitude, and to the elders?'

"Ea opened his mouth and spoke and said to his servant, myself:
'Thus, man, you say say to them:
"Ill-will has the god Enlil formed against me, therefore I can no longer dwell in your city, and never more will I gaze upon the soil of Enlil. I will descend into the ocean to dwell with my lord Ea. But upon you he will rain riches: a catch of birds, a catch of fish. . . . an [abundant] harvest,. . . . the sender of . . .. . . . shall make hail [to fall upon you]."'

"As soon as [something of dawn] broke . . .

[Lines 49-54 broken away.]

"The child . . . brought bitumen, the strong [man] . . . brought what was needed. On the fifth day I laid down its shape. According to the plan its walls were 10 gar, (i.e. 120 cubits) high, and the width of its deck (?) was equally 10 gar. I laid down the shape of its forepart and marked it out (?). I covered (?) it six times.. . . . I divided into seven; its interior I divided into nine, caulking I drove into the middle of it. I provided a steering pole, and cast in all that was necessary. Six sar of bitumen I poured over the hull (?), three sar of pitch I poured into the inside. The men who bear loads brought three sar of oil, besides a sar of oil which the tackling (?) consumed, and two sar of oil which the boatman hid. I slaughtered oxen for the [work]people, I slew sheep every day. Beer, sesame wine, oil and wine I made the people drink as if they were water from the river. I celebrated a feast as if it had been New Year's Day. I opened [a box of ointment], I laid my hands in unguent. Before the sunset (?) the ship was finished. [Since] . . . was difficult. The shipbuilders brought the . . . of the ship, above and below,. . . . two-thirds of it.

"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. I made to go up into the ship all my family and kinsfolk, the cattle of the field, the beasts of the field, all handicraftsmen I made them go up into it. The god Shamash had appointed me a time (saying):

'The sender of . . . . . will at sunset make a hail to fall; then enter into the ship and shut your door.'

"The appointed time drew near; the sender of . . . . . made a hail to fall at sunet. I watched the aspect of the [approaching] storm. Terror possessed me to look upon it. I went into the ship and shut my door. To the pilot of the ship, Puzur-Enlil the sailor I committed the great house (i.e., ship), together with its contents.

"As soon as something of dawn shone in the sky a black cloud from the foundation of heaven came up. Inside it the god Adad thundered, the gods Nabû and Sharru (i.e., Marduk) went before, marching as messengers over high land and plain, Irragal (Nergal) tore out the post of the ship, En-urta went on, he made the storm to descend. The Anunnaki brandished their torches, with their glare they lighted up the land.  The whirlwind (or, cyclone) of Adad swept up to heaven. Every gleam of light was turned into darkness. . . . . . the land . . . . . as if had laid it waste. A whole day long [the flood descended] . . .

"Swiftly it mounted up . . . . . [the water] reached to the mountains. [The water] attacked the people like a battle. Brother saw not brother, men could not be known (or, recognized) in heaven. The gods were terrified at the cyclone. They shrank back and went up into the heaven of Anu..The gods crouched like a dog and cowered by the wall. The goddess Ishtar cried out like a woman in travail. [Ishtar's lament is given here]

"The gods, the Anunnaki wailed with her. The gods bowed themselves, and sat down weeping. Their lips were shut tight (in distress) . . . For six days and nights the wind, the storm raged, and the cyclone overwhelmed the land.

"When the seventh day came the cyclone ceased, the storm and battle which had fought like an army. The sea became quiet, the grievous wind went down, the cyclone ceased. I looked on the day and voices were stilled, and all mankind were turned into mud. The land had been laid flat like a terrace. I opened the air-hole and the light fell upon my cheek, I bowed myself, I sat down, I cried, my tears poured down over my cheeks. I looked over the quarters of the world, (to] the limits of ocean. At twelve points islands appeared. The ship grounded on the mountain of Nisir. The mountain of Nisir held the ship, it let it not move. The first day, the second day, the mountain of Nisir held the ship and let it not move. The third day, the fourth day, the mountain of Nisir held the ship and let it not move. The fifth day, the sixth day, the mountain of Nisir held the ship and let it not move.

"When the seventh day had come I brought out a dove and let her go free. The dove flew away and [then] came back; because she had no place to alight on she came back. I brought out a swallow and let her go free. The swallow flew away and [then] came back; because she had no place to alight on she came back. 1 brought out a raven and let her go free. The raven flew away, she saw the sinking waters. She ate, she waded (?), she rose (?), she came not back.

"Then I brought out [everything] to the four winds and made a sacrifice; I set out an offering on the peak of the mountain. Seven by seven I set out the vessels, under them I piled reeds, cedarwood and myrtle (?). The gods smelled the savor, the gods smelled the sweet savor. The gods gathered together like flies over him that sacrificed...."

Text adapted from the digitized translation of E. A. Wallis Budge, found at http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/gilgdelu.htm