My babylonian is a bit rusty.
i got the name wrong...Utnapishtim, ([pronounced - Oot-Nafishteem])
simple mistake, no...
anyways, looking up utnapishtim gives a huge wealth of knowledge...
the "approximate" translation is here:
http://www.piney.com/Gil11.html
(I had to look up a few before finding a good one, but this one takes the cake)
there, Petey, ya happy? /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
btw: xen, I can count over thirty flood legends which appear in my book shelf alone. Sumatra, China, Hawaii (a no-brainer, if you ask me), Wales, Scotland, *The Nordic Edas have evidence*, Egypt, India, Peru, Vietnam, and at least 6 of the indigeous peoples of North America!
Of note, is a good deal of them involve the release and return of a dove (or similar bird) to signify that there is again dry land.
Examples:
Africa, in Southwest Tanzania
Once upon a time the rivers began to flood. The god told two people to get into a ship. He told them to take lots of seed and to take lots of animals. The water of the flood eventually covered the mountains. Finally the flood stopped. Then one of the men, wanting to know if the water had dried up let a dove loose. The dove returned. Later he let loose a hawk which did not return. Then the men left the boat and took the animals and the seeds with them.
Sumerian
Finally things calmed and the ship settled on the top of Mount Nisir. After the ship had rested for seven days Utnapishtim let loose a dove. Since the land had not dried the dove returned. Next he sent a swallow which also returned. Later he let loose a raven which never returned since the ground had dried. Utnapishtim then left the ship
China
The Chinese classic called the Hihking tells about "the family of Fuhi," that was saved from a great flood. This ancient story tells that the entire land was flooded; the mountains and everything, however one family survived in a boat. The Chinese consider this man the father of their civilization. This record indicates that Fuhi, his wife, three sons, and three daughters were the only people that escaped the great flood, and came out of their boat when they released a song bird that returned. It is claimed, that he and his family were the only people alive on earth, and repopulated the world.
Aztec-
A man named Tapi lived a long time ago. Tapi was a very pious man. The creator told Tapi to build a boat that he would live in. He was told that he should take his wife, a pair of every animal that was alive into this boat. Naturally everyone thought he was crazy. Then the rain started and the flood came. The men and animals tried to climb the mountains but the mountains became flooded as well. Finally the rain ended. Tapi decided that the water had dried up when he let a dove loose that did not return.
The Ojibwe natives
There came a time when the harmonious way of life did not continue. Men and women disrespected each other, families quarreled and soon villages began arguing back and forth. This saddened Gitchie Manido [the Creator] greatly, but he waited. Finally, when it seemed there was no hope left, Creator decided to purify Mother Earth through the use of water. The water came, flooding the Earth, catching all of creation off guard. All but a few of each living thing survived. Then it tells how Waynaboozhoo survived by floating on a log in the water with various animals.
Of all of these, the oldest (as far as we know) is the "deluge which devoured the world" sent by Ea, the Sumerian god of music, to destroy all mankind, and in particular the City of Ur (where Enoch, grandfather of Noah, was born in the Torah, mind you... see how its all connected), that only Utnapishtim, his family and crew, and his cubic boat full of "mating pairs and the seed of all that you need to live" (including plants, i imagine.) We know Ur is the oldest city (properly called as such) in recorded histroy, or physical evidence... so, why is this still a debate, when it is at least *planetary*, IF NOT UNIVERSAL, that it happened.
vertical,
raum