The Evolution of the Gilgamesh Epic

408 Pages·2002·16.02 MB·English

by  Jeffrey H. Tigay

T HE E V O L U T I ON OF
T HE G I L G A M E SH E P IC

Jeffrey H. Tîgay
T HE
E V O L U T I ON
OF T HE
G I L G A M E SH
E P IC
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.
Wauconda, Illinois USA
Cover design
Adam Phillip Velez
Translations of selected ancient Near Eastern texts, often in modified form, are
cited passim from James B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the
Old Testament, 3d ed. with Supplement. Copyright © 1969 by Princeton University
Press. Extracts reprinted by permission of Princeton University Press.
The selection from the inscription of Naram-Sin in chapter 7 is from O. R. Gurney,
Anatolian Studies 5:106-9, and is reprinted by permission.
Selections from Sumerian temple hymns in chapter 7 are from Â. Sjöberg and E.
Bergmann, The Collection of the Sumerian Temple Hymns, and G. G. Gragg, The
Keš Temple Hymn. TCS 3 (Locust Valley, N. Y.: Augustin, 1969) and are reprinted
by permission.
The Evolution of the Gilgamesh Epic
by Jeffrey H. Tigay
Reprint of the 1982, University of Pennsylvania Press edition
© 2002 Jeffrey H. Tigay
Published by
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.
1000 Brown Street
Wauconda, IL 60084
www.bolchazy.com
Printed in the United States of America
2002
by United Graphics
ISBN 0-86516-546-7
Library of Congress Catloging-in-Publication Data
Tigay, Jeffrey H.
The evolution of the Gilgamesh epic / Jeffrey H. Tigay.
p. cm.
Originally published: Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press,
1982.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-86516-546-7
1. Gilgamesh. 2. Epic poetry, Assyro-Babylonian—History and
criticism. I. Title.
PJ3771.G6 T5 2002
892M-dc21
2002038540
For my mother and father
Philo, On the Decalogue, §§ 107, 118-20

Contents
Foreword xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Abbreviations: Terminology xviii
Symbols and Special Characters xx
Mesopotamian Chronology xxii
INTRODUCTION 1
The Aim of the Present Study 1
The Story and Its Structure 3
The Versions of the Epic 10
The Historical Background 13
Critical Methods in the Study of The Gilgamesh Epic 16
1 THE SUMERIAN SOURCES OF THE AKKADIAN EPIC 23
The Known Sumerian Sources 23
The Possibility of Unknown Forms of the
Sumerian Sources 30
The Historical Background of the Sumerian Tales 34
The Function of the Sumerian Tales 35
The Theoretical Approach in the Light of the
Empirical Evidence 37
2 THE INTEGRATED EPIC IN THE OLD BABYLONIAN
PERIOD 39
The Old Babylonian Texts 39
The Derivation of the Old Babylonian Narratives from
Their Sumerian Forerunners 40
The Author 42
The Integration of the Epic 43
The Contents of the Old Babylonian Version 48
The Outline and Message of the Old Babylonian
Version 49
The Function of the Old Babylonian Version 51
The Old Babylonian Version and the Sumerian
Compositions 52
3 THE OLD BABYLONIAN VERSION AND THE LATE VERSION:
SMALLER CHANGES 55
A. Different Grammatical and Lexical Forms of the
Same Word 58
B. Synonyms or Words Functioning Similarly 58
C. Added Words or Phrases 59
D. Characteristic and Noncharacteristic Variants 60
E. Expansion by Parallelism 61
F. Telescoping of Parallel Lines 62
G. Beformulation with Negligible Change in Meaning
62
H. Beformulation with New Idea Added 63
I. Beformulation with Meaning Changed Completely
63
The Significance of the Changes in Wording 65
Changes Due to Editors' Taste 71
4 THE OLD BABYLONIAN VERSION AND THE LATE VERSION:
LARGER CHANGES 73
J. Restructured Sections 73
K. Changes in the Roles of Characters 76
L. Assimilation 81
The Significance of the Assimilation 100
M. Major Additions 103
On Theological Changes 108
5 THE FRAGMENTS OF THE MIDDLE BABYLONIAN PERIOD 110
The Hittite Version (s) 111
The Hurrian Fragments 119
The Akkadian Fragments 119
6 THE LATE VERSION 130
A. Substitution of Single Words 132
B. Plusses and Minuses: Words, Suffixes, Phrases,
and Lines 134
The Significance of the Variants 137
7 THE INTRODUCTION AND FRAMEWORK OF THE
LATE VERSION 140
The Prologue: Section A 143
The Prologue: Section Β 146
Effect of the Prologue 149
Section C: The Hymn 150
A Sumerian Hymn to Gilgamesh 158
8 TRADITIONAL SPEECH FORMS, LITERATURE, AND RITUALS RE-
FLECTED IN THE EPIC 161
Wisdom Sayings 163
Blessings, Curses, and Threats 169
Marriage Literature and Ceremonies 174
9 THE OPPRESSION OF URUK 178
The Pattern of Oppression, Outcry, Divine Response 180
The Nature of the Oppression 181
10 THE CREATION OF ENKIDU 192
11 THE EARLY LIFE OF ENKIDU 198
Possible Models for the Early Life of Enkidu 198
Enkidus Early Life and the Values of the Epic 209
12 THE FLOOD STORY 214
The Origin of the Flood Story 214
Differences between the Atrahasis and Gilgamesh Versions
of the Flood Story 218
Harmonization of the Flood Story with the Rest of
Gilgamesh 229