GILGAMESH EPIC, the story of the tra ditional hero of Babylonia, found in the library of Ashurbanabal. It originally included 12 tablets and 3,000 lines, about half of which are now available. The name of the hero was at first rendered °Izdubar,* until a key was dis covered by Pinches which indicated that "Gil was the proper equivalent. The story has as its basis a mingling of mythological mat ter with historical tradition, just as one finds in various national epics. Gilgamesh is evidently regarded as a demigod and as a great ruler at the same time. The scene of the story centres about the city of Uruk or Erech in Babylonia. The first tablet describes various misfortunes which have fallen on the city. In the second, Gilgamesh comes forward as the hero into whose hands the place has fallen. To resist his ruthless treatment, the goddess Aruru, the creator of the hero, is appealed to to create a creature to resist the mighty conqueror. Ac cordingly, Eabani, a wild man, is made. But Gilgamesh, by the use of Ukhat, a courtesan, succeeds in winning over Eabani, who becomes his valuable assistant in all of his enterprises, chronicled in the third and fourth tablets. They conduct a campaign against Khumbaba, and succeed in capturing the wonderful grove there. Very little of the fifth tablet has been pre served, but in the sixth, a new phase is de veloped. The wily goddess, Ishtar, the °crea tor° goddess, who has become notorious for de stroying those whom she has made to love her, endeavors to induce Gilgamesh to wed her. This he refuses, and for this insult loses his chance for immortality. Ishtar, angered, seeks the aid of her father, Anu, the ruler of heaven,' in gaining retribution. Anu creates a huge bull to destroy Gilgamesh, but this plot is unsuc cessful. Eabani and the hero vanquish the bull, and his horns are sent to Lugal-Marada, the patron of the hero, amid general rejoicing. However, here the climax of the hero's glory is reached. A grave calamity befalls him in the death of Eabani, and his great strength be gins to decline. Fearing lest the same disease
destroy him also, Gilgamesh goes forth in search of Parnaphistim, son of Kidin Marduk, to seek the gift of immortality. The way to the god lies first through a vast desert, in habited by scorpion men, and thence across a mighty sea, guarded by the goddess Sabitum, who refuses Gilgamesh passage, except on the condition that he gain the guidance of Ardi-Ea, the ferryman of Parnaphishtim. Gilgamesh is successful in securing the services of the boat man and together they come to the dwelling place of the immortal god. Here, however, the hero is told that no mortal may.escape death, and though sympathy is offered, nothing is ac complished. The long story of how Parnaphis tim gained immortality is interposed at this point, in answer to the queries of Gilgamesh. At the advice of Ea, Parnaphistim escaped a dangerous flood by building a houseboat for himself and his family, and when the storm ceased, Bel, who was the author of it, endowed Parnaphistim and his family with immorality, permitting him to live forever at the con fluence of the four rivers, where lay the tradi tional Paradise of the Babylonians and Hebrews. The parallel between this storm story and the narrative of the deluge in the Hebrew Bible is obvious. Probably both were derived independently from separate in terpretations of the narrative of the destruc tion of a great city or district. The wife of Pamaphistim prepares, at her husband's bid ding, a magic food which partly cures Gi mesh of his disease; and then, after bathing in the waters of the fountain of life, he finds himself completely restored. Before he sets out to return to his native land, the hero is informed of a certain thistle-like plant which will restore his youth. His search for this is successful; but just as he is about to take pos session of the wonder-working herb, an evil demon disguised as a serpent steals it from him. He returns to his native city, weary and penitent,— and thus the eleventh book ends.