According to Ancient Histtory, et cetera,
The new T.1447 tablet, according to the article Back to the Cedar Forest: The beginningand end of Tablet V of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgameš published
in June, 2014 is:
- The
revised reconstruction of Tablet V yields text that is nearly twenty lines
longer than previously known.
- The
obverse (columns i-ii) duplicates the Neo-Assyrian fragments which means
the Epic tablet can be placed in order and used to fill in the gaps
between them. It also shows the recension on Tablet V was in Babylonia, as
well as Assyria and that “izzizūma inappatū qišta” is the same
phrase that other tablets being with.
- The
reverse (columns v-vi) duplicates parts of the reverse (columns iv-vi) of
the late Babylonian tablet excavated at Uruk that begins with the
inscription “Humbāba pâšu īpušma iqabbi izakkara ana Gilgāmeš”.
- The
most interesting piece of information provided by this new source is the
continuation of the description of the Cedar Forest:
- Gilgamesh
and Enkidu saw ‘monkeys’ as part of the exotic and noisy fauna of the
Cedar Forest; this was not mentioned in other versions of the Epic.
- Humbaba
emerges, not as a barbarian ogre, and but as a foreign ruler entertained
with exotic music at court in the manner of Babylonian kings. The chatter
of monkeys, chorus of cicada, and squawking of many kinds of birds formed
a symphony (or cacophony) that daily entertained the forest’s guardian,
Humbaba.
- The
aftermath of Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s slaying of Humbaba is now better
preserved.
- The
passages are consistent with other versions and confirm what was already
known. For example, Enkidu had spent some time with Humbaba in his youth.
