There is even an earlier story from Sumerian which is very fragmentary.
The Flood story
Segment A
approx. 36 lines missing
1-10. …… sets up ……. "I will …… the perishing of my mankind; for Nintur, I will stop the annihilation of my creatures, and I will return the people from their dwelling grounds. Let them build many cities so that I can refresh myself in their shade. Let them lay the bricks of many cities in pure places, let them establish places of divination in pure places, and when the fire-quenching …… is arranged, the divine rites and exalted powers are perfected and the earth is irrigated, I will establish well-being there."
10-14. After An, Enlil, Enki and Ninursaĝa had fashioned the black-headed people, they also made animals multiply everywhere, and made herds of four-legged animals exist on the plains, as is befitting.
approx. 32 lines missing
Segment B
1-3.
3 lines fragmentary
4-5. "I will oversee their labour. Let …… the builder of the Land, dig a solid foundation."
6-18. After the …… of kingship had descended from heaven, after the exalted crown and throne of kingship had descended from heaven, the divine rites and the exalted powers were perfected, the bricks of the cities were laid in holy places, their names were announced and the …… were distributed. The first of the cities, Eridug, was given to Nudimmud the leader. The second, Bad-tibira, was given to the Mistress. The third, Larag, was given to Pabilsaĝ. The fourth, Zimbir, was given to the hero Utu. The fifth, Šuruppag, was given to Sud. And after the names of these cities had been announced and the …… had been distributed, the river ……, …… was watered, and with the cleansing of the small canals …… were established.
approx. 34 lines missing
Segment C
1-27. ……seat in heaven. …… flood. …… mankind. So he made ……. Then Nintur ……. Holy Inana made a lament for its people. Enki took counsel with himself. An, Enlil, Enki and Ninḫursaĝa made all the gods of heaven and earth take an oath by invoking An and Enlil. In those days Zi-ud-sura the king, the gudug priest, ……. He fashioned ……. The humble, committed, reverent ……. Day by day, standing constantly at ……. Something that was not a dream appeared, conversation ……, …… taking an oath by invoking heaven and earth. In the Ki-ur, the gods …… a wall. Zi-ud-sura, standing at its side, heard: "Side-wall standing at my left side, ……. Side-wall, I will speak words to you; take heed of my words, pay attention to my instructions. A flood will sweep over the …… in all the ……. A decision that the seed of mankind is to be destroyed has been made. The verdict, the word of the divine assembly, cannot be revoked. The order announced by An and Enlil cannot be overturned. Their kingship, their term has been cut off; their heart should be rested about this. Now ……. What ……."
approx. 38 lines missing
Segment D
1-11. All the windstorms and gales arose together, and the flood swept over the ……. After the flood had swept over the land, and waves and windstorms had rocked the huge boat for seven days and seven nights, Utu the sun god came out, illuminating heaven and earth. Zi-ud-sura could drill an opening in the huge boat and the hero Utu entered the huge boat with his rays. Zi-ud-sura the king prostrated himself before Utu. The king sacrificed oxen and offered innumerable sheep.
12-17.
six lines fragmentary
approx. 33 lines missing
Segment E
1-2. "They have made you swear by heaven and earth, ……. An and Enlil have made you swear by heaven and earth, ……."
3-11. More and more animals disembarked onto the earth. Zi-ud-sura the king prostrated himself before An and Enlil. An and Enlil treated Zi-ud-sura kindly ……, they granted him life like a god, they brought down to him eternal life. At that time, because of preserving the animals and the seed of mankind, they settled Zi-ud-sura the king in an overseas country, in the land Dilmun, where the sun rises.
12. "You ……."
approx. 39 lines missing
the characters are called by their sumerian names An, Enlil, Enki Zi-ud-sura etc
it also features some early akkadian names so is a revision of an older tales where the original names were left in because during this period people still used the old names
Nintur is a case in point
she is an early akkadian mother Goddess
her sumerian name is Ninursaĝa
both the names Nintur and Ninursaĝa appear in the text which means that this story can only date from around 2800-2500bce
at least 2000 years before it appears anywhere in Hebrew
and around 500 years before it is reused again in Gilgamesh as a central theme where the flood hero is called purely by his epithet Atrahasis (extra wise)
