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Enuma Elish

Other Accounts: Dragon Myth
Mesopotamian trans. Leonard William King • c. 12th-7th century BCE
OBV.1
The cities sighed, men
OBV.2
Men uttered lamentation, [they
OBV.3
For their lamentation there was none [to help
OBV.4
For their grief there was none to take [them by the hand
OBV.5
Who was the dragon ?
OBV.6
Tiamat 2 was the dragon !
OBV.7
Bêl in heaven hath formed
OBV.8
Fifty kaspu in his length, one kaspu [his height], 3
OBV.9
Six cubits is his mouth, twelve cubits [his
OBV.10
Twelve cubits is the circuit of his [ears
OBV.11
For the space of sixty cubits he a bird
OBV.12
In water nine cubits deep he draggeth
OBV.13
He raiseth his tail on high
OBV.14
All the gods of heaven
OBV.15
In heaven the gods bowed themselves down before [the Moon-god
OBV.16
The border of the Moon-god's robe they hasti[ly grasped
OBV.17
"Who will go and [slay] the dragon, 1
OBV.18
"And deliver the broad land [from
OBV.19
"And become king [over ...]?"
OBV.20
"Go, Tishhu, [slay] the dragon
OBV.21
"And deliver the broad land [from
OBV.22
"And become king [over ...]?"
OBV.23
"Thou hast sent me, O lord, [to ...] the raging (creatures) 2 of the river
OBV.24
"But I know not the of the Dragon!" [The rest of the Obverse and the upper part of the Reverse of the tablet are wanting
REV.1
And ...] opened his mouth and [spake] unto the god 1
REV.2
"Stir up cloud, and storm [and tempest]!
REV.3
"The seal of thy life [shalt thou set] before thy face
REV.4
"Thou shalt grasp it, and thou shalt [slay] the dragon."
REV.5
He stirred up cloud, and storm [and tempest
REV.6
He [set] the seal of his life before his face
REV.7
He grasped it, and [he slew] the dragon
REV.8
For three years and three months, one day and [one night] 2
REV.9
The blood of the dragon flowed 3