ADAPA’s ASCENT: The First Story

Four thousand years old, Mesopotamian poem Adapa’s Ascent is an epic work of narrative, religious and cultural value - being one of the very first stories ever written, certainly one of the earliest ever told. It is the tale of the ‘First Man’, Adapa, who is a survivor of the Great Flood and succeeds in setting up human civilization. However, all does not go well after Adapa is near-drowned by one of the Gods then strikes them down with a powerful curse. His presence is demanded before Anu - the God of all Gods - who shall offer him a choice that is capable of changing his life forever. Faced with his ultimate destiny, Adapa must decide whether or not to follow the stern advice of his father Enki, God of the Waters. - Appearing for the first time as a complete poetic work in English, this translation from Akkadian and Sumerian cuneiform tablets by contemporary poet Edouard d'Araille, brings the powerful myth of Adapa to life in new and unique ways. Written in modern English, the translator uses innovative verse-forms to achieve a literary reconstruction that presents the most complete version of this story. This new translation of Adapa’s Ascent allows readers to enjoy a vital work in World Literature and this volume includes a wide range of extra materials, including: bibliography, images of the cuneiform tablets, a translation of the earliest Sumerian version of the myth, character glossaries - plus the essays Recreating an Ancient Classic and The Birth of Fiction by Edouard d'Araille.

Adapa’s Ascent, from the same era as Gilgamesh, tells a timeless myth of man and Immortality - one that was buried for 2500 years. Discover this ancient tale today and learn more about its narrative, its meaning and its origins.