The Sumer letter

Babylon. The legend of Gilgamesh. 20 centuries B.C.
With everything that I possessed I loaded it (i.e., the ship).
With everything that I possessed of silver I loaded it.
With everything that I possessed of gold I loaded it.
With all that I possessed of all the seed of life I loaded it.
I made to go up into the ship all my family and kinsfolk,
The cattle of the field, the beasts of the field, all handicraftsmen I made them go up into it.
The god Shamash had appointed me a time (saying)
The sender of . . . . . will at eventide make a hail to fall;
Then enter into the ship and shut thy door.
The appointed time drew nigh;
The sender of . . . . . made a hail to fall at eventide.
I watched the aspect of the [approaching] storm,
Terror possessed me to look upon it,
I went into the ship and shut my door.
To the pilot of the ship, Puzur-Enlil the sailor
I committed the great house (i.e., ship), together with the contents thereof.
Babylon. The legend of Gilgamesh. 20 centuries B.C.


The Sumer letter developed since 30 centuries B.C.
in an epoch Vavilono-Assyrian cultures. It developed in the Dvurechja states - Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, Assyria. In the Sumer letter began to add syllabic denotations to the ideographic signs designating words. I the third millenium B.C. there was a verbally-syllabic letter. With development of the Sumer letter a linear figure of ideographic signs 30-40 degrees with their subsequent roasting therefore in clay remained wedgeview deepenings began to be played back by cave-in by an edge of a rectangular stick in tiles from crude clay at an angle. Step-by-step signs became simpler, and concrete maps of hieroglyphs had turned to conditional compositions from wedges. The letter direction at first was vertical (from right to left), became horizontal (at the left on the right) later. Application of clay boards speaks that in the cities of Dvurechija clay was the main material for manufacture of almost all household goods. In 18 century "the Code of Hammurapi" - the code of laws of tsar Hammurapi (1792-1750) BC has been written. The code represents dyorit column covered wedgeview with the text. This unique monument is the major source of studying of a social order of Babylon. Sumer-Babylon culture it is possible to name civilization writings. Up to now were saved hundred thousand clay wedgeview tiles. These are business documents, mathematical compositions, the epos, dictionaries, religious and magic texts. The Sumer letter has been decrypted in 19 century.

I was horribly afraid . . .
I was afraid of death, and therefore I wander over the country.
The fate of my friend lieth heavily upon me,
Therefore am I travelling on a long journey through the country.
The fate of my friend lieth heavily upon me,
Therefore am I travelling on a long journey through the country.
How is it possible for me to keep silence? How is it possible for me to cry out?
My friend whom I loved hath become like the dust.
Enkidu, my friend whom I loved hath become like the dust.
Shall not I myself also be obliged to lay me down
And never again rise up to all eternity?