rose twelve measures high. To the land of Nizir steered the ship;
the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship, and it was not able to pass over
it. The first day, the second day, the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship.
The third day, the fourth day, the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship. The
fifth day, the sixth day, the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship. The
seventh day when it approached I sent forth a dove, and it left. The dove
went and returned, and found no resting-place, and it came back. Then I
sent forth a swallow, and it left. The swallow went and returned, and
found no resting-place, and it came back. I sent forth a raven, and it
left. The raven went and saw the carrion on the water, and it ate, it
swam, it wandered away; it did not return. I sent (the animals) forth to
the four winds, I sacrificed a sacrifice. I built an altar on the peak of
the mountain. I set vessels [each containing the third of an ephah] by
sevens; underneath them I spread reeds, pine-wood, and spices. The gods
smelt the savour; the gods smelt the good savour; the gods gathered like
flies over the sacrifices. Thereupon the great goddess at her approach
lighted up the rainbow which Anu had created according to his glory. The
crystal brilliance of those gods before me may I not forget;

(Col. IV) "those days I have thought of, and never may I forget them. May
the gods come to my altar; but may Bel not come to my altar, since he did
not consider but caused the flood, and my people he assigned to the abyss.
When thereupon Bel at his approach saw the ship, Bel stopped; he was
filled with anger against the gods and the spirits of heaven: 'Let none
come forth alive! let no man live in the abyss!' Adar opened his mouth and
spake, he says to the warrior Bel: 'Who except Ea can form a design? Yea,
Ea knows, and all things he communicates.' Ea opened his mouth and spake,
he says to the warrior Bel: 'Thou, O warrior prince of the gods, why, why
didst thou not consider but causedst a flood? Let the doer of sin bear his
sin, let the doer of wickedness bear his wickedness. May the just prince
not be cut off, may the faithful not be (destroyed). Instead of causing a
flood, let lions increase, that men may be minished; instead of causing a
flood, let hyaenas increase, that men may be minished; instead of causing a
flood, let a famine happen, that men may be (wasted); instead of causing a
flood, let plague increase, that men may be (reduced). I did not reveal