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Both interpretations have a scholastic aspect, however, and the very fact that there are two interpretations, justifies the suspicion that neither furnishes the real explanation why the number seven was chosen. It by no means follows from the names borne by the zikkurats at Lagash and Uruk that they actually consisted of seven stories.
Shamashnapishtim, king at this time in Shurippak, was saved miraculously in a great ship. Concerning him and his voyage strange fables are recorded. After the deluge, 86 kings ruled during 34,080 years. One of these was Nimrod, the mighty hunter of the Bible, who appears as Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, and is the hero of extraordinary adventures.
Hostilities with Elam are frequent before and after the days of Hammurabi. If Gilgamesh, as seems certain, is a Cassite, the conflict between him and Khumbaba would represent a rivalry among Cassitic or Elamitic hordes for the possession of Uruk and of the surrounding district.
A 'local' goddess who retains rather more of her individuality than others, is Nanâ. Her name is again playfully interpreted by the Babylonians through association with Nin as 'the lady' par excellence. She was the chief goddess of the city of Uruk. Her temple at Uruk is first mentioned by Ur-Gur, of the second dynasty of Ur.
The great goddess of Uruk, Nanâ, absorbs the smaller ones, and hence Nin-akha-kuddu survives chiefly in incantation texts as 'the lady of shining waters, of 'purification, and of 'incantations. Lastly, a passing reference may be made to several deities to whom sanctuaries are erected by Uru-Kagina in the great temple of Bau at Uru-azaga, and whom Amiaud regards as sons of Bau.
First published by Pinches, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1891, pp. 393-408. Clay, it will be recalled, was the building material in Babylonia. The word in the text is generally applied to "a mass" of animals, but also to human productions. See Delitzsch, Assyr. Handwörterbuch, p. 467. Bel's temple at Nippur. Temple of Ishtar at Erech or Uruk. I.e., Apsu.
Shamash and Gilgamesh promise Eabani royal honors if he will join friendship with them. Come, and on a great couch, On a fine couch he will place thee. He will give thee a seat to the left. The rulers of the earth will kiss thy feet. All the people of Uruk will crouch before thee. Eabani consents, and in company with Gilgamesh proceeds to the fortress of Khumbaba.
We are in a position now to institute this comparison for a period which is certainly some centuries earlier than Gudea. The date of the reign of Lugal-zaggisi, king of Uruk, who has been several times referred to in a previous chapter, is fixed by Hilprecht at c. 4500 B.C., but it is doubtful whether so high an age will be accepted by scholars.
All is lost! Gilgamesh sits down and weeps bitter tears. He pours out his woe to Ardi-Ea, but there is nothing left except to return to Uruk. He reaches the city in safely. His mission the search for immortality has failed. Though healed from his disease, the fate of mankind old age and death is in store for him. With the return to Uruk the eleventh tablet ends.
His subordinate position, however, is indicated by his being called the 'servant, generally of En-lil, occasionally also of Anu, and as such he bears the name of Pap-sukal, i.e., 'divine messenger. Rim-Sin builds a temple to Nin-shakh at Uruk, and from its designation as his 'favorite dwelling place' we may conclude that Rim-Sin only restores or enlarges an ancient temple of the deity.
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