No More Learning

"Oh harlot, take away the man," says the lord of Erech. Once again
the faithful woman instructs her heroic lover in the conventions
of society, this time teaching him the importance of the family
in Babylonian life, and obedience to the ruler. Now the people of
Erech assemble about him admiring his godlike appearance. Gilgamish
receives him and they dedicate their arms to heroic endeavor. At this
point the epic brings in a new and powerful _motif_, the renunciation
of woman's love in the presence of a great undertaking. Gilgamish
is enamoured of the beautiful virgin goddess Ishara, and Enkidu,
fearing the effeminate effects of his friend's attachment, prevents
him forcibly from entering a house. A terrific combat between these
heroes ensues, [10] in which Enkidu conquers, and in a magnanimous
speech he reminds Gilgamish of his higher destiny.

In another unplaced fragment of the Assyrian text [11] Enkidu rejects
his mistress also, apparently on his own initiative and for ascetic
reasons. This fragment, heretofore assigned to the second book,
probably belongs to Book III. The tablet of the Assyrian version which
carries the portion related on the new tablet has not been found. Man
redeemed from barbarism is the major theme of Book II.

The newly recovered section of the epic contains two legends which
supplied the glyptic artists of Sumer and Accad with subjects for
seals. Obverse III 28-32 describes Enkidu the slayer of lions and
panthers. Seals in all periods frequently represent Enkidu in combat
with a lion. The struggle between the two heroes, where Enkidu strives
to rescue his friend from the fatal charms of Ishara, is probably
depicted on seals also.
On one of the seals published by Ward, _Seal
Cylinders of Western Asia_, No. 459, a nude female stands beside the
struggling heroes. [12] This scene not improbably illustrates the
effort of Enkidu to rescue his friend from the goddess. In fact the
satyr stands between Gilgamish and Ishara(? ) on the seal.




TRANSLITERATION


it-bi-e-ma iluGilgamis su-na-tam i-pa-as-sar.
iz-za-kar-am [13] a-na um-mi-su
um-mi i-na sa-a-at mu-si-ti-ia
sa-am-ha-ku-ma at-ta-na-al-la-ak
i-na bi-ri-it id-da-tim
ib-ba-su-nim-ma ka-ka-'a [14] sa-ma-i
ki-? -? -rum [15] sa a-nim im-ku-ut a-na si-ri-ia
as-si-su-ma ik-ta-bi-it [16] e-li-ia
ilam [17] is-su-ma nu-us-sa-su [18] u-ul el-ti-'i
ad-ki ma-tum pa-hi-ir [19] e-li-su
id-lu-tum u-na-sa-ku si-pi-su
u-um-mi-id-ma pu-ti
i-mi- du ia-ti
as-si-a-su-ma at-ba-la-as-su a-na si-ri-ki
um-mi iluGilgamis mu-u-da-a-at ka-la-ma
iz-za-kar-am a-na iluGilgamis
mi-in-di iluGilgamish sa ki-ma ka-ti
i-na si-ri i-wa-li-id-ma
u-ra-ab-bi-su sa-du-u
ta-mar-su-ma [sa(? )]-ap-ha-ta at-ta
id-lu-tum u-na-sa-ku si-pi-su [20]
te-it-ti-ra-su(? ) . . . su-u-zu
ta-tar-ra-['a]-su a-na si-[ri-i]a
[is-(? )] ti-lam-ma [21] i-ta-mar sa-ni-tam
[su-na-]ta i-ta-wa-a-am a-na um-mi-su
[um-m]i a-ta-mar sa-ni-tam
[su-na-ta a-ta]mar e-mi-a i-na zu-ki-im
[i-na? ] Unuk-(ki) ri-bi-tim [22]
ha-as-si-nu na-di-i-ma
e-li-su pa-ah- ru
ha-as-si-nu-um-ma sa-ni bu-nu-su
a-mur-su-ma ah-ta-ta a-na-ku
a-ra-am-su-ma ki-ma as-sa-tim
a-ha-ap-pu-up el-su
el-ki-su-ma as-ta-ka-an-su
a-na a-hi-ia
um-mi iluGilgamish mu-da-at ka-la-ma
[iz-za-kar-am a-na iluGilgamish]
.