• DOI:10.2307/1359980
• Corpus ID: 162334425

The Solution of the Dream: A New Interpretation of Bilgames' Death

@article{Veldhuis2001TheSO,
  title={The Solution of the Dream: A New Interpretation of Bilgames' Death},
  author={Nicolaas Christiaan Veldhuis},
  journal={Journal of Cuneiform Studies},
  year={2001},
  volume={53},
  pages={133 - 148}
}

• N. Veldhuis
• Published 1 January 2001
• History
• Journal of Cuneiform Studies

The excavations in Tell Haddad (ancient Meturan) have added significantly to our knowledge of the Sumerian Bilgames narratives.1 The fragments of Bilgames’ Death from Tell Hada (Meturan) were recently published and edited by and Cavigneaux and Al-Rawi (2000).2 Since Kramer’s publication of some Nippur fragments (1944), little progress had been made on this composition for more than half a century. Although the Meturan version differs in many details from the Nippur fragments, Cavigneaux and Al-Rawi succeeded in establishing the correct order of all scenes and in presenting some version of the text for nearly all passages. Notwithstanding the dramatic progress in textual reconstruction, the basic story line remains largely unclear. Given our imperfect knowledge of the grammar and lexicon, the reconstruction of a Sumerian literary text is always fraught with uncertainties. In the present case, however, the fragmentary nature of some of the pivotal passages and the unusual orthography of the Meturan texts render all interpretations provisional. I hope to demonstrate that my reading is plausible from a philological point of view and produces a coherent story line. I will begin with my conclusions: the plot (§1). This new reconstruction of the narrative is justified through the discussion of some key passages in §2. Finally, the new translation (§3) is meant as a general orientation aid for the reader, and as a means to demonstrate my understanding of the narrative. The Appendix presents a previously unrecognized fragment that could be joined to the main Nippur source. In many ways this article takes the edition of Bilgames’ Death by Cavigneaux and Al-Rawi (2000) as its point of departure, or as the giant’s shoulder on which to stand. The editors have provided a solid textual basis from which every future discussion has to start. Moreover, they have collected and edited the most important texts and passages that elucidate one or another aspect of the composition. If in the following pages one encounters more criticism than praise, this does not adequately represent my appreciation of the book.