Sumerian Flood Story

Name Class Date
Ancient Civilizations of the
Middle East—Mesopotamia Primary Source
Sumerian Flood Story
ABOUT THE READING Ancient Sumerians
developed the world’s first system of writing.
They used reeds to mark characters on clay
tablets. About 4,000 years ago, Sumerian
writers recorded a story of a great flood that
covered the earth. This flood story became
part of the long poem called “The Epic of
Gilgamesh,” but the story itself is much older.
As you read think about why this story might
have been passed down over the centuries in
different parts of the world.
A very old man called Utnapishtim tells this story. He
had been told by the god of wisdom to build a wooden
ark large enough to hold himself, his family, and the
living things of the earth.
All my family and kin I made go aboard the ship.
The beasts of the field, the wild creatures of the
field,
All the craftsmen I made go aboard.
Shamash had set for me a stated time:
“When he who orders unease at night,
Will shower down a rain of blight,
Board thou the ship and batten up the entrance!”
That stated time had arrived:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The weather was awesome to behold.
I boarded the ship and battened up the entrance.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
With the first glow of dawn,
A black cloud rose up from the horizon.
“The Sumerian Flood Story” from Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited
by James B. Pritchard. Copyright 1950, © 1955 by James B. Pritchard.
Reproduced by permission of Princeton University Press.
VOCABULARY
batten up to seal or close
submerging covering in
water
tempest violent storm
ceased stopped
hatch a small opening
diminished became less
Utnapishtim was told by the sun
god that he should board the ark
when a storm comes with
damaging rain.
Copyright © Holt McDougal. All rights reserved.
Chapter 6 109 Resource File

Name Class Date
Sumerian Flood Story, continued Primary Source
Inside it Adad thunders,
While Shullat and Hanish go in front,
Moving as heralds over hill and plain.
Erragal tears out the posts;
Forth comes Ninurta and causes the dikes to follow.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For one day the south-storm [blew],
Gathering speed as it blew, [submerging the
mountains],
Overtaking the [people] like a battle.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Six days and [six] nights
Blows the flood wind, as the south-storm sweeps
the land.
When the seventh day arrived,
The flood(-carrying) south-storm subsided in the
battle,
Which it had fought like an army.
The sea grew quiet, the tempest was still, the flood
ceased.
I looked at the weather: stillness had set in,
And all of mankind had returned to clay.
The landscape was as level as a flat roof.
I opened a hatch, and light fell upon my face.
Bowing low, I sat and wept,
Tears running down my face.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
On Mount Nisir the ship came to a halt.
Mount Nisir held the ship fast,
Allowing no motion . . .
When the seventh day arrived,
I sent forth and set free a dove.
The dove went forth, but came back;
Since no resting-place for it was visible, she turned
round.
Then I set forth and set free a swallow.
The swallow went forth, but came back;
Since no resting-place for it was visible, she turned
round.
Various gods and angels create a
great storm. They break the dam
of the world to release a great
amount of water.
The great storm, which had fought
like an army, slows down.
Anyone not on the ark has
died.
Copyright © Holt McDougal. All rights reserved.
Chapter 6 110 Resource File

Name Class Date
Sumerian Flood Story, continued Primary Source
Then I sent forth and set free a raven.
The raven went forth and, seeing that the waters
had diminished,
He eats, circles, caws, and turns not round.
Then I let out (all) to the four winds . . .
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
1. Why does Utnapishtim sit down and cry?
The third bird that Utnapishtim
sets free from the ark finds food,
flies in a circle, cries out, and does
not return. It is time to leave the
ark.
2. The writer compares the great storm to a war. Do you think this is a good
description? Why or why not?
3. Why might such a story have been retold for centuries in different parts of the
world?
Copyright © Holt McDougal. All rights reserved.
Chapter 6 111 Resource File