Adapa (man) In Near Eastern mythology, Babylonian hero who lost the gift of immortality for humankind through a trick of the gods. The myth of Adapa is found in various texts, all incomplete, the earliest dating from the 14th century b.c.e. and found at El-Amarna, Egypt. Adapa was “wise like one of the gods,” being under the special protection of his father, the god Ea. Ea gave Adapa “intelligence enough to comprehend the design of the world: but he made him a dying man.” One day Adapa went fishing. While he was in the middle of the sea, a storm caused by the south wind capsized Adapa’s boat. In a fit of rage Adapa cursed the south wind. “O south wind,” he cried out, “you have overwhelmed me with your cruelty. I will break your wings.” (The south wind is often pictured as a winged bird or monster in Babylonian art.) As Adapa finished his curse, the wings of the south wind were destroyed. For seven days (a number to indicate a rather long though indefinite period) the wind did not blow over the sea or earth. When Anu, the god of heaven, discovered this, he called his god Illabrat to see why the south wind did not blow. “Why has the south wind not blown for seven days across the land?” the god asked Illabrat. “My lord, Adapa, the son of Ea, has broken the wings of the south wind,” Illabrat replied.

Anu commanded Adapa to appear before him, and Ea prepared his son Adapa for the questioning from the god. “When you come before Anu, you will be offered the food of death,” he said. “Do not eat it. You will also be offered the waters of death. Do not drink. You will be offered a garment. Put it on. You will be offered oil. Anoint yourself. Do not forget now what I have told you.” When Adapa appeared before Anu, he did as his father had told him and refused the food and drink offered, even though Anu said to him it was the food of life and the water of life. Anu looked at Adapa after he refused and said, “Why did you not eat and not drink? Now you cannot live forever, for you refused the food and water of everlasting life.” “Ea, my lord,” replied Adapa, “commanded me not to eat and not to drink.” Then Anu laughed, for Ea had tricked his own son, Adapa, keeping for the gods the gift of immortality.

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Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow– Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante