Unlike Utnapishtim, the Babylonian Noah from the Gilgamesh epic, who won eternal life for himself through his obedience to a god, in Adapa mankind was given the chance of eternal life, but lost it through obedience to a god.  Scholars still debate the meaning of this myth; answering the questions below will help you to participate in the discussion.

A strong connection to Genesis occurs in this story.  Guarding the Gate of Anu are two characters: Dumuzi (also called Tammuz) and Gizzida (also known as Nin-Gishzida or Nin-Gišzida).  Paired together, Gizzida was called the “Lord of the Tree of Truth,” and Dumuzi-Tammuz was “Lord of the Tree of Life,” a reference to trees that were stars planted in heaven.  These trees correspond to the two fabled trees from the Garden of Eden.

The Garden story in Genesis ends with the following line: “He [the LORD God] drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” (3:24).  These “cherubim” are the winged minions of God who may be based on the Mesopotamian myths: Dumuzi and Gizzida are associated with the cherubim, portrayed in Mesopotamian temples as two winged sphinxes, and were frequently portrayed with sacred trees in Canaanite and Phoenician art forms of the Iron Age (ca. 1200-587 BCE).
 

1. Why does Ea create Adapa?
 
 
 

2. What action by Adapa makes Anu upset?
 
 
 

3. Summarize Ea’s instructions to Adapa.
 
 
 

4. Why does Adapa tell Dumuzi and Gizzida that he is mourning for them?
 
 
 

5. What is Adapa’s reason for cursing the South Wind?
 
 
 

6. What do the “ways of heaven and earth” have to do with mankind receiving a “heavy heart”?
 
 
 

7. Anu offers Adapa the food and water of eternal life, but Adapa refuses these gifts.  Had he chosen instead to accept the offerings, what would have happened to him?  What’s the catch?
 
 
 

8. Stephanie Dalley asks three interesting questions in her introduction to the story (pages 182-183).  How would you answer these?

8a.  Did Ea deliberately trick Adapa out of immortality, or did he sincerely intend to help him (despite Adapa’s crime against him) and fail (despite Ea’s divine wisdom)?
 
 
 
 
 
 

8b.  Did Adapa defy the unwritten laws of hospitality by refusing food and drink in heaven, and thus oblige Anu to punish him?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sources:
http://www.bibleorigins.net/EdensTreeofKnowledgeLife.html
http://www.hope.edu/bandstra/RTOT/CH1/WINGED.JPG
http://www.firstplymouth.org/devotional/e-study_genesis/aa03.02.01_archive.html
http://www.bibleorigins.net/cherubim.html