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Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet I (Gilgamesh and the creation of Enkidu): tablet K.8584

        
Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet I (Gilgamesh and the creation of Enkidu): tablet K.8584

        
Epic of Gilgamesh, Nineveh tablets (7th c. BCE, British Museum), 

        
British Museum K.8584 photograph via eBL + eBL manuscript ATF (L.1.4 SB I) + R. Campbell Thompson 1928 · Electronic Babylonian Library manuscript transliteration (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

        
      


      
      
      

      

        
Introduction

        
Tablet I of the Epic of Gilgamesh (Standard Babylonian version, attributed to Sin-leqi-unninni) as it survives on one physical object: British Museum tablet K.8584 (K.8584, columns i-ii), excavated at Nineveh from the library of Ashurbanipal (7th c. BCE). It is manuscript F₃ in A. R. George's 2003 edition. The photograph is the British Museum's, showing the inscribed face(s) and edges; column(s) i, ii are preserved (24 lines).
Three criteria are met for every section:
  1. Manuscript scan: the British Museum photograph of K.8584 itself (served by the Electronic Babylonian Library, LMU Munich). Each section names the column and face (obverse = columns i-iii, reverse = columns iv-vi) and the tablet's own line numbers, so the reader can find the lines on the photograph.
  2. Original text: the eBL manuscript-level ATF transliteration of the signs on this tablet (not the composite text). Brackets [ ] mark broken signs, x an illegible sign, # a damaged sign. Superscript numbers are the modern line numbers of George 2003 / eBL.
  3. Public-domain English: R. Campbell Thompson, The Epic of Gilgamish (London, 1928), verbatim, with his marginal line numbers as T n.
On line numbers. Thompson's 1928 numbering is not George's. For Tablet I the eBL edition records Thompson's 1930 column/line number for each modern line, and that concordance is used here. Where the tablet's text begins or ends inside a Thompson block, the whole block is given and the section says so. Thompson's readings reflect the state of knowledge in 1928: modern editions (George 2003; the eBL edition, updated continuously) supersede him and are not public domain, so they are not reproduced here beyond the transliteration of this tablet's signs.

      


      

        

          How was this verified? (Provenance)
          

            
Manuscript: Epic of Gilgamesh, Nineveh tablets (7th c. BCE, British Museum) — page scan from British Museum K.8584 photograph via eBL + eBL manuscript ATF (L.1.4 SB I) + R. Campbell Thompson 1928.

            
Original text: Electronic Babylonian Library manuscript transliteration (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) (public domain).

            
English translation: R. Campbell Thompson (1928) (public domain).

            
Verify: The scan image is the physical evidence. The original-language text is verifiable against the scan. The English translation is checkable against the original. Click any Greek, Hebrew, or Latin word for morphological analysis.

            
Challenge: Submit a correction to contact@theosislibrary.com.

          

        

      

    


    
    


      
      

        Verify this translation: view the original Akkadian (transliteration) / English text →
      

      

      

        Akkadian (transliteration) / English original and English translation, with manuscript scans.
        

          
          
          
          
        

      


      

        
        


          

            §SB I 3-11 · K.8584 col. i (obverse) ll. 1'-9' = SB I 3-11 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. i 1 to 9 (Thompson 1928 numbering)
            

              
              
              
            

          


          
          

            
Manuscript

            
            Scan gilgamesh/gilgamesh-K.8584.jpg
            
          

          

          

            
Akkadian · eBL transliteration

                    
3[x x x x x nag-b]a i#-[mu-ru x x x x]

4[x x x x] i-du-u₂# [x (x) x]

5[x x x x mit]-ha-riš [x x x]

6[x x x x x] ša₂ ka-la-ma i#-[de]

7[x x x x x x] ka-tim-tu₂ i[p-te]

8[x x x x x x l]a-am a-bu#-b[i]

9[x x x x x il-li-ka]m₂-ma a-ni-ih u₃ šup-[šu-uh]

10[x x x x na-re]-e ka-lu ma-na#-ah#-t[i]

11[x x x š]a₂ UNUG#{ki} su-pu₂-ri#

            
          


          

            
English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

            
(The Argument).


T i 1He who (the heart of) all matters hath proven let him [teach] the nation,

[He who all] knowledge possesseth, therein shall he [school] all the people,

[He shall his wisdom impart (?)] and (so) shall they ]share it] together.

[Gilgamish(?)] —he was the [Master] of wisdom, with [knowledge of all things,


T i 5He ’twas discovered the secret concealed . . . . . . . . .

(Aye), handed down the tradition relating to (things) prediluvian,

Went on a journey afar, (all) aweary and [worn with his toiling(?)],

          

        

        
        


          

            §SB I 12-14 · K.8584 col. i (obverse) ll. 10'-12' = SB I 12-14 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. i 10 to 14 (Thompson 1928 numbering)
            

              
              
              
            

          


          
          

            
Manuscript

            
            Scan gilgamesh/gilgamesh-K.8584.jpg
            
          

          

          

            
Akkadian · eBL transliteration

                    
12[x x x x x x x x x x] el-li₃#

13[x x x x x x x x x ni-i]p-š[u?]

14[x x x x x x x x x x u₂-maš-ša₂]-lu# [x x]

            
          


          

            
English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

            
T i 10[Graved] on a table of stone all the travail.

Of Erech, the high-wall’d,

He (it was) built up the ramparts; (and) he (it was) clamp’d the foundation,

Like unto brass, of [E]-Anna , the sacred, the treasury hallow’d,

[Strengthen’d] its base to grant wayleave to no [one] . . . . . .

. . . . . the threshold which from [of old (?)] . . . . . .

. . . . . [E]-Anna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Thompson's numbered block(s) extend after the lines preserved on this tablet; the whole block is given so that no English line is cut mid-block.

          

        

        
        


          

            §SB I 61-63 · K.8584 col. ii (obverse) ll. 8-10 = SB I 61-63 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. ii 7 to 9 (Thompson 1928 numbering)
            

              
              
              
            

          


          
          

            
Manuscript

            
            Scan gilgamesh/gilgamesh-K.8584.jpg
            
          

          

          

            
Akkadian · eBL transliteration

                    
61i#-[na x x x x x x x x x x x]

62u[g-da-aš₂-ša₂-ar₂ x x x x x x x x x]

63ul# i#-šu [x x x x x x x x x x x]

            
          


          

            
English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

            
T ii 7". . . . . . . . of Erech ’tis he who hath [taken],

. . . . . . . . . (while) tow’reth [his] crest like an aurochs,

          

        

        
        


          

            §SB I 64-72 · K.8584 col. ii (obverse) ll. 11-18 = SB I 64-72 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. ii 10 to 19 (Thompson 1928 numbering)
            

              
              
              
            

          


          
          

            
Manuscript

            
            Scan gilgamesh/gilgamesh-K.8584.jpg
            
          

          

          

            
Akkadian · eBL transliteration

                    
64ina pu#-uk-ku [x x x x x x x]

65u₂#-ta#-ad-d[a-ru x x x x x x x x x]

66ul u₂-maš-[šar x x x x x x x x]

67[ur-r]a u₃ [mu-ši x x x x x]

68[{d}GIŠ-gi]m₂-maš L[UGAL? ...]

69šu#-u₂# SIP[A-ma x x x x x x]

70ul# u₂#-ma[š-šar {d}GIŠ-gim₂-maš x x x x x]

71[x x x x x x x x x x x]

72ta#-z[i-im-ta-ši-na ...]

            
          


          

            
English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

            
T ii 10Ne’er hath the shock of [his] weapons (its) [peer]; are driven [his] fellows

Into the toils , while cow’d are the heroes of Erech un- . . . . .

Gilgamish leaveth no son to [his] father, [his] arrogance swelling

(Each) day and [night]; [aye, he] is the shepherd of Erech, the high-[wall’d],


T ii 15He is [our(?)] shepherd . . . . [masterful, dominant, subtle] . . .

[Gilgamish] leaveth no [maid to her mother, nor] daughter to [hero],

[(Nay), nor a spouse to a husband]"

(And so), to (th’ appeal of) their wailing

[Gave ear th’ Immortals]: the gods of high heaven address’d the god Anu],


Thompson's numbered block(s) extend after the lines preserved on this tablet; the whole block is given so that no English line is cut mid-block.

          

        

        
      


    

    

    

      

      

        
Cite

        

          
          
        

        
      


      

        
Source & Cross-References

        
    
          
  • Source text: British Museum K.8584 photograph via eBL + eBL manuscript ATF (L.1.4 SB I) + R. Campbell Thompson 1928 — view original
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  • Critical edition: Electronic Babylonian Library manuscript transliteration (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
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