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Adapa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ancient Mesopotamia |
|---|
 |
| Euphrates · Tigris |
| Cities / Empires |
| Sumer: Uruk · Ur · Eridu |
| Kish · Lagash · Nippur |
| Akkadian Empire: Akkad |
| Babylon · Isin · Susa |
| Assyria: Assur · Nineveh |
| Dur-Sharrukin · Nimrud |
| Babylonia · Chaldea |
| Elam · Amorites |
| Hurrians · Mitanni |
| Kassites · Urartu |
| Chronology |
| Kings of Sumer |
| Kings of Assyria |
| Kings of Babylon |
| Language |
| Aramaic |
| Sumerian · Akkadian |
| Elamite · Hurrian |
| Mythology |
| Enûma Elish |
| Gilgamesh · Marduk |
Adapa or Adamu son of Ea (according to Sayce) was a Babylonian mythical figure who accidentally rejected the gift of immortality. The story is first attested in the Kassite period (14th century BC).
Adapa was a mortal from a godly lineage, a son of Ea, god of wisdom and of the ancient city of Eridu, who brought the arts of civilisation to that city from Dilmun. He broke the wings of Ninlil the South Wind, who had overturned his fishing boat, and was called to account before Anu. Ea, his patron god, warned him to apologise humbly for his actions, but not to partake of food or drink while he was in heaven, as it would be the food of death. Anu, impressed by Adapa's sincerity, offered instead the food of immortality, but Adapa heeded Ea's advice, refused, and thus was cheated of the immortality that would have been his.
Adapa is often identified as advisor to the mythical first (antediluvian) king of Eridu, Alulim. In addition to his advisory duties, he served as a priest and exorcist, and upon his death took his place among the Seven Sages (Apkallū). He is also merged with the Kassite-period apkal ("sage", from Sumerian Abgallu (Ab=water, Gal=Great, Lu=man)) U-an, who is most familiar though Berossus' recounting of the myth of Oannes. It is possible he was also called Atrahasis "Exceedingly Wise", a Noah-like figure who built an ark to survive a flood and was rewarded with immortality.[citation needed] He was portrayed as a man wearing the skin of a fish.
- Black, Jeremy, Andrew George & Nicholas Postgate, eds. 1999: A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, SANTAG, 5 (ISBN 3-447-04225-7)
- Miller, Douglas & R Mark Shipp 1993: An Akkadian Handbook (ISBN 0-931464-86-2)
- Verbrugghe Gerald & John Wickersham 2000: Berossos & Manetho Introduced & Translated; Native Traditions in Mesopotamia & Egypt (ISBN 0-472-08687-1)
| History of Sumer: Notable Rulers of Sumer |
|
|---|---|
| Legendary Kings: | Alulim Dumuzid Ziusudra |
| First Dynasty of Kish: | Etana Enmebaragesi |
| First Dynasty of Uruk: | Enmerkar Lugalbanda Gilgamesh |
| First Dynasty of Ur: | Meskalamdug Mesannepada Puabi |
| Dynasty of Adab: | Lugal-Anne-Mundu |
| Third Dynasty of Kish: | Kubaba |
| Second Dynasty of Uruk: | Enshakushanna |
| First Dynasty of Lagash: | Ur-Nanshe Eannatum En-anna-tum I Entemena Urukagina |
| Third Dynasty of Uruk: | Lugal-Zage-Si |
| Dynasty of Akkad: | Sargon Enheduanna Manishtushu Naram-Sin Shar-Kali-Sharri Dudu Shu-turul |
| Second Dynasty of Lagash: | Puzer-Mama Gudea |
| Fifth Dynasty of Uruk: | Utu-hegal |
| Third Dynasty of Ur: | Ur-Nammu Shulgi Amar-Sin Shu-Sin Ibbi-Sin |