FOOTNOTES: (continued 1)
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Jastrow, Morris
But Bel must not come to the sacrifice;
Since, without consultation,[974] he caused the rain-storm,
And handed over my creation[975] to destruction.
Bel thus appears to be the one who alone knew of the extent which the destruction was destined to reach. The annihilation of all mankind was his work, undertaken without consulting his associates. The latter were aware only of the intended destruction of a single place,—Shurippak.
At this moment Bel approaches. He does not deny his deed, but is enraged that the planned destruction should not have been complete, since Parnapishtim and his household have escaped.
As Bel approached
And saw the ship, he was enraged,
Filled with anger against the gods—the Igigi.
'What person has escaped (?)?
No one was to survive the destruction.'
Ninib reveals the fact of Ea's interference:
Ninib opened his mouth and spoke, spoke to the belligerent Bel:
"Who but Ea could have done this?
For is it not Ea who knows all arts?"
Ea appeals to Bel:
Ea opened his mouth and spoke, spoke to the belligerent Bel:
"Thou art the belligerent leader of the gods,
But why didst thou, without consultation, bring on the rainstorm?
Punish the sinner for his sins,
Punish the evil-doer for his evil deeds,
But be merciful so as not to root out completely,
Be considerate not to destroy everything."
The terrors inspired by the deluge are well portrayed in the continuation of Ea's speech. He tells Bel that he should have brought on anything but a deluge.
Instead of bringing on a deluge,
Let lions come and diminish mankind.[976]
Instead of bringing on a deluge,
Let tigers come and diminish mankind.
Instead of bringing on a deluge,
Let famine come and smite the land.
Instead of bringing on a deluge,
Let pestilence[977] come and waste the land.
Ea then confesses that through his instigation Parnapishtim was saved.
While I did not reveal the decision of the great gods,
I sent Adra-Khasis[978] a dream which told him of the decision of the gods.
It is a misconception to regard this answer of the god as equivocal. Ea means to say that he did not interfere with the divine decree. He simply told Parnapishtim to build a ship, leaving to the latter to divine the reason. Ea, it is true, tells Parnapishtim of Bel's hatred, but he does not reveal the secret of the gods. After Ea's effective speech Bel is reconciled, and the scene closes dramatically, as follows:
Bel came to his senses,
Stepped on board of the ship,
Took me by the hand and lifted me up,
Brought up my wife, and caused her to kneel at my side,
Turned towards us, stepped between us, and blessed us.