Mesopotamian

Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet VI (Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven): tablet K.15193

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

British Museum K.15193 photograph via eBL + eBL manuscript ATF (L.1.4 SB VI) + R. Campbell Thompson 1928 · Electronic Babylonian Library manuscript transliteration (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Introduction

Tablet VI of the Epic of Gilgamesh (Standard Babylonian version, attributed to Sin-leqi-unninni) as it survives on one physical object: British Museum tablet K.15193 (K.15193 + Sm.401 + Sm.423 + Sm.2194 (joined)), excavated at Nineveh from the library of Ashurbanipal (7th c. BCE). It is manuscript Q₃ in A. R. George's 2003 edition. The photograph is the British Museum's, showing the inscribed face(s) and edges; column(s) ii, iii, iv, v are preserved (40 lines).

Three criteria are met for every section:

Manuscript scan: the British Museum photograph of K.15193 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.
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.
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 this tablet the correspondence was established one anchor per Thompson marginal number by reading his verse against the Akkadian; sections are cut only at those anchors, so each section's English is the block of Thompson's lines that renders exactly these Akkadian lines. 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.15193 photograph via eBL + eBL manuscript ATF (L.1.4 SB VI) + 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.

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

§SB VI 52-57 · K.15193 col. ii (obverse) ll. 1'-6' = SB VI 52-57 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. 50 to 59 (Thompson 1928 numbering)

Manuscript

Akkadian · eBL transliteration

⁵²[x x x x x x x šu-ut-ta-a-t]e
⁵³[x x x x x x x x x x qab-l]a
⁵⁴[x x x x x x x x x x tal-ti-meš]-šu₂#
⁵⁷[x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x]

English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

^{T 50}Breaking his wing: in the grove doth he stand, crying kappi 'my wing!'
Lovedst thou also a Lion, in (all) the full strength of (his) vigour,
(Yet) thou didst dig for him seven and seven (deep) pits (to entrap him).
Lovedst thou also a Stallion, magnificent he in the battle,
Thou wert the cause of a bridle, a spur, and a whip to him: (also)

^{T 55}Thou wert the cause of his fifty miles galloping; thou wert the cause, too,
(Eke), of exhaustion and sweating (?); (thereafter), ’twas thou who didst (also)
Unto his mother Silili give cause for (her deep) lamentation.
Lovedst thou also a Shepherd, a neatherd, for thee without ceasing

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

§SB VI 80-89 · K.15193 col. iii (obverse) ll. 1'-9' = SB VI 80-89 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. 80 to 89 (Thompson 1928 numbering)

Manuscript

Akkadian · eBL transliteration

⁸⁰[{d}]iš-tar [x x x x x x x]
⁸¹{d#}iš-tar u[g-gat-ma x x x x x x x]
⁸²il#-lik#-ma {d}15# ana# [x x x x x x x x x]
⁸³a#-na# pa#-an an-tu₄ AMA-[ša₂ x x x x x x x]
⁸⁴[a-bi] {d}GIŠ-gim₂-maš it-t[a-na-az-za-ra-an-ni]
⁸⁵{d#}GIŠ-gim₂-maš un-den-na-a p[i-ša₂-ti-ia]
⁸⁶pi-ša₂-ti-ia u₃ [x x x x]
⁸⁷{d}a-nu KA-šu₂ DU₃-ma i-qab-bi
⁸⁸M[U-ra x x x x x x x x]
⁸⁹a-ba la at-ti tag-re-e L[UGAL x x x x]

English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

^{T 80}[Heard] this (then) Ishtar: she burst into rage and [went up] to Heaven,
Hied her (thus) Ishtar to Anu, [her father], to Antu, her mother,

^{T 85}Came she [to tell (them)]: "O father, doth Gilgamish load me with insult,
Gilgamish tale of my sins, my sins and iniquities telleth."
Anu made answer, (thus) speaking, and said unto Ishtar the Lady:
"Nay, thou didst ask him [to grant thee largesse of the fruit of his body],

§SB VI 90-98 · K.15193 col. iii (obverse) ll. 10'a-15' = SB VI 90-98 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. 90 to 99 (Thompson 1928 numbering)

Manuscript

Akkadian · eBL transliteration

⁹⁰{d}GIŠ-gim₂-maš u₂-man-na-a pi-ša₂-ti-ki
⁹¹[x x x x]
⁹²[{d}i]š-tar KA-šu₂ DU₃-ma i-qab-bi
⁹³M[U-ra a-na {d}x x x x]
⁹⁴[a-bi G]U₄.AN.NA bi-nam-ma
⁹⁵{d}[GIŠ-gim₂-maš x x x x x x x]
⁹⁶[x x] a-°\x°-la-a [x x x x x]
⁹⁷[x x x] x-ni-<na?> a-di# x [x x x x x x]
⁹⁸[x x x] x x [x x x x x]

English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

^{T 90}(Hence) he the tale of thy sins, thy sins and iniquities telleth."

(The Creation of the Divine Bull which is to destroy the heroes).

Ishtar made answer (thus) speaking, and said unto [Anu, her father]:
"Father, O make (me) a Heavenly Bull, which shall Gilgamish [vanquish],

^{T 95}Filling [its body] with flame . . . .
But if thou’lt [not] make [this Bull], then . . . .
I'll smite . . . ., I'll put . . . ., I'll . . . .

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 VI 111-121 · K.15193 col. iv (reverse) ll. 1'-11' = SB VI 111-121 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. 110 to 129 (Thompson 1928 numbering)

Manuscript

Akkadian · eBL transliteration

¹¹¹[x x x x x] x x [x x]
¹¹²[x x u]z-zu#? ša₂ a-le-e [...]
¹¹³[iš-me]-e#-ma {d}a-nu an-[na-a] qa#-[ba-a x x x]
¹¹⁴[x ṣer-r]et a-lim-ma a-n[a Š]U+MIN-ša₂ i[š-kun]
¹¹⁵[x (x) x]-ma i-red-da-[a]š₂-šu₂ {d#}[iš-tar]
¹¹⁶a-n[a? ma-t]u₄ ša₂ UNUG{ki} ina ka-ša₂-d[i-šu₂]
¹¹⁷u₂-tab#-bil# [{gi]š}TIR ap-pa-ra u qa-n[a-a]
¹¹⁸u₂-rid a-na# ID₂# [x 1.KU]Š₃ ID₂ [x x x]
¹¹⁹ina ni-ip-ši-š[u x x x x x x x x x x x x]
¹²⁰1 me GURUŠ-MEŠ š[a₂ x x x x x x x x x]
¹²¹[x] x x [x x x x x x x x x x x x]

English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

^{T 110}[If seven] years of (leer) husks [must needs follow after his onslaught (?)]
[I will for man] gather [corn and increase for the cattle] the fodder."

(Perhaps a small gap.)

(About seven lines are so badly mutilated that little can be gleaned from them except that the fight with the Heavenly Bull is about to take place in Erech. After these [a hundred men] descend [upon the Bull], but with his (fiery) breath [he annihilates them]. Then come two hundred with the same result, and then three hundred more, again to be overcome).

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

§SB VI 146-148 · K.15193 col. v (reverse) ll. 1'-3' = SB VI 146-148 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. 147 to 154 (Thompson 1928 numbering)

Manuscript

Akkadian · eBL transliteration

¹⁴⁶[x x x x x x x x x x x x] GIR₂-šu₂ [um-mid]
¹⁴⁷[iš-tu GU₄.AN.NA] i-na-r[u]
¹⁴⁸[x x x x x x x] {d#}UTU iš-tak-nu

English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

^{T 147}Chased him did Enkidu, . . . the Heavenly Bull . . .
Seized him and by [the thick] of his tail . . . .

(Gap of about fourteen mutilated lines in which the Bull is slain.)

^{T 153}(So), what time they the Bull of the Heavens had kill’d, its heart they removéd,
Unto the Sun-god they offer’d in sacrifice; when the libation

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

§SB VI 149-151 · K.15193 col. v (reverse) ll. 4'-6' = SB VI 149-151 (George/eBL numbering); English: Thompson ll. 155 to 159 (Thompson 1928 numbering)

Manuscript

Akkadian · eBL transliteration

¹⁴⁹[x x x x x x x x x x u]š-kin-nu
¹⁵⁰[x x x x x ki]-lal#-la-an
¹⁵¹[x x x x x x x x x x x x x su-pu-r]i

English · R. Campbell Thompson (1928)

^{T 155}Unto the Sun they had voided, they sate them down, the two brothers.

(The Frenzy of Ishtar).

(Then) mounted Ishtar (the crest of) the ramparts of Erech, the high-wall’d,
(So) to the roof-top ascended, (and there) gave voice to her wailing;

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.15193 photograph via eBL + eBL manuscript ATF (L.1.4 SB VI) + R. Campbell Thompson 1928 — view original
Critical edition: Electronic Babylonian Library manuscript transliteration (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

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