03.012. A Reference to the Creation of the Cattle and the Beasts of the Field

II. A Reference to the Creation of the Cattle and the Beasts of the Field 1. When the gods in their assembly had made [the world], 2. And had created the heavens, and had formed [the earth], 3. And had brought living creatures into being [...], 4. And [had fashioned] the cattle of the field, and the beasts of the field, and the creatures [of the city],-- 5. After [they had ...] unto the living creatures [...], 6. [And between the beasts] of the field and the creatures of the city had divided [...] 7. [And had ...] all creatures, the whole of creation [...], 8. [And had ...], which in the whole of my family [...], 9. [Then did] Nin-igi-azag [fashion] two small creatures [...].

10. [Among] all the beasts he made [their form] glorious 11. [...] the goddess Gula ... [...] 12. [...] ... one white [and one black ...] 13. [...] ... one white and one black [...] 14. [...] ... [...] [The rest of the text is wanting.]

Footnotes

123:1 For the text, see Cuneiform Texts, part xiii, pl. 34, D.T. 41; for a previous publication, cf. Delitzsch, Assyrische Lesestücke, 3rd ed., p. 34 f.; and for previous translations, see George Smith, The Chaldean Account of Genesis, p. 76f., Zimmern in Gunkel’s Schöpfung und Chaos, and Jensen in Schrader’s Keilins. Bibl., vi, p. 42 f. This fragment, which George Smith suggested might be part of the Seventh Tablet of the Creation Series, does not belong to that series; it contains the introduction or opening lines of a text, and describes the creation of two small creatures by Nin-igi-azag, "The lord of clear vision." The reference to the creation of cattle and beasts of the field is merely incidental; it occurs in the long opening sentence and indicates the period at which the two small creatures were made; see further the Introduction.

123:2 It is probable, that the second section of the text also dealt with the two small creatures whose creation is described in the first paragraph.