Atrahasis: Account of the Great Flood
The relationship between gods and humanity in Atrahisis: The Account of The Great Flood seems to carry great irresponsibility. Most of the gods display the weak characteristics of humans. They whine about work, constantly complain, selfishly create humans and then wish them dead. Enki and Atrahasis, two of the main characters in the flood story (one god and one human), gain a mutual respect that displays the proper relationship between humans and the divine. A relationship of prayerful ‘calling out’ to the gods, followed by a merciful response toward humankind, is the healthy and correct picture this story shows us. A correct relationship between gods and humans carries the possibility of eternal life …show more content…

They used “disease; headache, suruppu, asakku” again, and this time, several years passed and the people were suffering greatly. When the sixth year arrived They served up a daughter for a meal, Served up a son for food. Only one or two households were left. Their faces were covered with scabs like malt.
People stayed alive by…life. (PFP 10)

Enki and Ellil were furious with each other; why did they create a race of people, just to wish to have them destroyed? They had created an entire race of people to do the chores that the gods no longer wished to do themselves. In their fickle way, the gods simply tortured the human people when the slightest disturbance occurred.
In a more drastic form of demolition, the gods cause a huge flood to “roar across the land” (PFP 12) and destroy all in its path. Enki sent a dream to Atrahasis after he heard about the plan, and through Atrahasis’ intervention and wisdom of that dream, a few humans were warned and told to build a boat with nourishments and shelter enough to survive for the seven days and seven nights of flooding. The land was devastated, and in this account, the gods basically abolished human kind; with their all mighty power, leaving only those few that were warned in time. Enki’s effort made to warn Atrahasis of this flood shows that there is a relationship building between god and human, still not between all gods, but it does exist. Enki obviously appreciates the hardships that the humans are