madhuri said:
How old is the Sumerian story?
Is it older than the Hindu version?
I don't know about Hindu version. My knowledge is sadly lacking in Hinduism.
How old is the Hindu version? What is the oldest writing in India? When?
As to the Sumerian version.
The Sumerian began writing as far back as 3100-3000 BCE. Clay tablets and cuneiforms were their writing system, written on clay tablets, and inscriptions were written on stone, tablets, etc.
However much of their early writing were inventory, like accounting, and inscriptions about their kings. Sumerian literature on religious and mythological themes didn't flower until 2500 BCE and onward (hence 4500 years ago), until Sumerian literature died out about 1700 BCE. The Sumerian civilisation had actually died out earlier, around 2000 BCE, but Sumerian writing for religious or mythological matters, persisted centuries longer, before it was completely replaced by Babylonian language (Old Babylonian to be more precise).
However, much of these literature were based on oral traditions, and lots of their oral traditions predated their writings.
Gilgamesh seemed to be historical king, flourishing between 2700-2500 BCE. But the legends sprouted about this king, at first through oral traditions, before 5 Sumerian poems (could be more than 5, but 5 are still extant today).
Ziusudra, the original Flood hero, is mention several times, and the flood is alluded to in the Sumerian Gilgamesh poem, which is titled
The Death of Gilgamesh. These poems have been dated to around 2300-2100 BCE.
Death of Gilgames said:
After Lord Gilgame had arrived at the assembly, the pre-eminent place of the gods, they said to Lord Gilgame concerning him: "As regards your case: after having travelled all the roads that there are, having fetched cedar, the unique tree, from its mountains, having killed Huwawa in his forest, you set up many stelae for future days, for days to come. Having founded many temples of the gods, you reached
Zi-ud-sura in his {dwelling place} {(1 ms. has instead
place}. Having brought down to the Land the divine powers of Sumer, which at that time were forgotten forever, the orders, and the rituals, he (?) carried out correctly the rites of hand washing and mouth washing
.
Actual mentions of flood are found here:
Death of Gilgames said:
Enlil's advice was given to Enki. Enki answered An and Enlil: "In those days, in those distant days, in those nights, in those distant nights, in those years, in those distant years, after the assembly had made the Flood sweep over to destroy the seed of mankind, among us I was the only one who was for life (?), and so he remained alive (?) -- Zi-ud-sura, although (?) a human being, remained alive (?). Then you made me swear by heaven and by earth, and
that no human will be allowed to live forever (?) any more. Now, as we look at Gilgame, could not he escape because of his mother?"
Death of Gilgames said:
Gilgame
. Enlil's advice was given to Enki. Enki answered An and Enlil: "In those days, in those distant days, in those nights, in those distant nights, in those years, in those distant years, after the assembly had made the Flood sweep over to destroy the seed of mankind
, among us I was the only one who was for life (?). He remained alive (?); Zi-ud-sura alone, although (?) a human being, remained alive (?). Then you made me swear by heaven and by earth, and I swore that no human will be allowed to live forever (?) any more. Now, as we look at Gilgame, could not he escape because of his mother?"
It is not much, but this poem is the oldest mention (that we have currently) about Ziusudra and the Flood.
You will find the complete translation here:
I have translation of these 5 Sumerian poems of Gilgamesh in the book, called The Epic Of Gilagmesh: A New Translation, below is the detail:
Andrew George
The Epic Of Gilagmesh: A New Translation
Penguin Classics, 1999
This books have many different translations of Gilgamesh, but the best version is known as the
Standard Version, that has 10 tablets, but it was written in around Neo-Assyrian period (about 7th century BCE), and found in the Library of Nineveh.
There is also the Sumerian poem about the Flood legend, often known as the
Eridu Genesis. Translation of the
Eridu Genesis can be found here:
The Akkadian version or the Old Babylonian version of Ziusudra, where the hero is known Atrahasis, has a title called - the
Epic of Atrahasis. Gilgamesh is not mention at all, in this poem, but it would seem that the source for this epic, is most likely from the Eridu Genesis. Translation for Atrahasis is found here:
Again, I have translation in a book; details below:
Stephanie Dalley
Myths From Mesopotamia
Oxford World's Classics, 1989
Sorry, for the long post.
