Adapa

Adapa is an ancient figure from Sumerian Religion, who was preserved in historical records for over a thousand years.

It is not exactly clear what he was, or the exact role he played in ancient religion, because the accounts vary. On the one hand he was a mortal man, a priest of Enki at the temple in Eridu. In other accounts, Adapa might have been the first Apkallu, one of the Seven Sages. In that role he was an advisor to the first king of Sumer, or else a later king himself.

There are also many indications that the later Hebrew tradition of Adam — the first man created by God — is based on the Adapa tale, as they both missed the opportunity to achieve immortality for humanity, and whose actions caused humans to be afflicted by disease and suffering.

Background

The oldest traditions of Adapa are recorded in clay tablets written in the Sumerian language discovered in Tell Haddad, which date to the 19th-16th centuries (1800-1500) BCE. [1]

The myth “Adapa and the South Wind” is known from fragmentary texts discovered in Tell el-Amarna Egypt dated to around the 14th century BCE. These were the first to have been discovered, recovered from the extensive archives gathered at Amarna by pharaoh Amenophis IV — also known as the “Heretic King” Akenaten — a New Kingdom pharaoh who ruled 1377-1361 BCE. [1]

In addition to Egyptian records, and the older Sumerian and Babylonian versions of the tradition, the youngest texts were found at the Library of Ashurbanipal dating to the reign of Assyria during the 7th century BCE (668-626 BCE). [1]

Three different texts had been discovered at the Library of Ashurbanipal which contained parts of the story, which had all been translated and interpreted by 1912. [1] As of 2001, that number has increased to five total fragments. [1]

Due to the thousands of years that separate these texts, and the differences in language and culture of the peoples that preserved them, there various versions vary in detail.

The Myth of Adapa and the South Wind

Adapa was a mortal man, a wise sage and priest of Eridu — the city-state of the god Enki (according to one version). Adapa was blessed with comprehensive wisdom and intelligence, which was said to have been the gift of Enki / Ea of the Sumerian trinity.

After the flood, kingship resided in the Sumerian city of Kish. During this time, humanity was without guidance, which apparently led to the rise of Adapa as a leader of early humanity. In some accounts he was a king himself, while in others, he was an advisor to the first kings of Sumer.

Adapa was fishing one day at the Tigris river. Suddenly the waters became rough, capsizing his boat. In his anger Adapa “broke the wings of the south wind” so that it ceased to blow for seven days.

This garnered the attention of the gods. Anu, the patriarch of the tribe of Anuna (Akkadian: Anunnaki) sent for Adapa so that he may give an account of his actions. Upon hearing this, Enki was worried about how his father Anu might respond, and under the guise of assisting Adapa he instructed him on how to deal with this matter.

He told Adapa to first gain the sympathy of Dumuzid and Gishzida who are said to guard the gates of heaven. [1] Second, he made Adapa promise to eat or drink nothing while in heaven — not the “food of life” or the “water of life” — which could be lethal to mortal man. Last he taught Adapa to adorn himself with clothes and anoint himself with oil when offered.

Adapa then adorned his body in mourning clothes, and upon meeting Dumuzid and Gishzida at the gates of heaven, he told them that he was in mourning because they had left the land. Adapa is then offered the “food of life” and the “water of life”, which he promptly refused. When offered garments and oil, he applied them to his body as Enki (Ea) had instructed.

At last he was brought before Anu. August Anu on his throne gazed down on Adapa. He asked him why he had refused the food and water that was offered to him. Adapa told him the truth, that Enki had told him not to.

Upon hearing this, Anu laughed, apparently amused at the meddling of his son Enki. Almost to himself Anu asked “What ill had he, Adapa, brought on mankind?” As a consequence for Adapa’s actions (and also for his refusal of the food and water of life apparently) Anu decreed his punishment: humanity would be afflicted by disease.

Adapa is returned to Earth.

(The ending of the text is missing. The ancient name for this story might be Adapa Into Heaven. [1])

Identification With Uanna/Oannes

The name Adapa was also used for the first of the Apkallu — the Seven Sages of Ancient Sumer and Mesopotamia. (The Seven Sages are also central figures in Vedic, Hindu, and Egyptian religions.)

The first Apkallu is known as Adapa, but also sometimes as Uanna, and Oannes in the work of Berossus (written in Greek). In the version of the story where Uanna is the name used, he is described as half-fish. In the Adapa version, on the other hand, he is a fisherman. [1]

Nonetheless, both names occur as a compound name for the first Apkallu. In addition, ‘adapa’ was used as an appellative meaning “wise”, so it is not entirely clear if ‘adapa’ is an epithet of ‘uanna’, or the opposite. Moreover, they could simply be two names, which were combined in records (like I did above extensively for Enki-Ea).

If identified with the first Apkallu, then Adapa was the advisor for the first king in the Sumerian King List, the antediluvian king Alulim. [1] On the other hand, in other texts he is associated with the postdiluvian ruler King Enmerkar. [1] While in ancient Sumerian records of the Me-Turan/Tell Haddad tablet, Adapa is described as a postdiluvian ruler of Eridu. [1]

Identification With Adam

There are significant differences between the stories of Adapa from Sumerian (and greater Mesopotamian religion) and Adam from Hebrew Tradition (which itself is the youngest descendant of Mesopotamian Religion).

With that being said, the similarities are convincing. First, both Adam and Adapa are involved in myths dealing with the gift of immortality transmitted through the eating of food.

In the Adam story, his wife Eve convinces him to eat fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, but before they can eat of the Tree of Life and gain immortality, God visits the garden. As a consequence Adam and his wife are expelled from the garden, and humanity is cursed with disease and pain during childbearing.

In the Adapa tale from Sumerian myth, Adapa is brought to the heavens. The god Anu (who was probably the prototype of YHWY) offer him food that — unknown to him — would make him immortal. However, on the advice of Enki, Adapa refused to eat. As a consequence for Adapa’s deeds, humanity is afflicted with disease, apparently for the first time.

In both of these cases, there are extensive similarities. While there are definitive differences, there are also important similarities. First, both Adapa and Adam are entwined with the immortality of humanity, both of whom prevent humanity from becoming immortal by failing to eat food of some sort (or drink a special water also, in the case of Adapa), and the consequence for both of their actions is disease and suffering of humanity.

Resources

1. “Adapa”. Wikipedia. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adapa>. Accessed 01 Nov 2024.