ADAPA. - In Assyro-Babylonian mythology A. is the son of the god Ea and is "the seed of humanity," that is, the first man. From his father he obtained wisdom, but not immortality. A lesser deity, he served as a priest in the sanctuary of Ea in Eridu. He prepared for the god's table the bread, the drinks, the game and the fish. One day, while he was fishing in the sea, the south wind arose, capsized the boat and the hero fell into the water. To avenge himself, he broke the wings of the wind. Anu, the supreme god, came to know of the misdeed and summoned A. to appear before his tribunal. The counsels of his father Ea dispose the guardians of heaven, Timmuz and Ningidzida, to defend A. before the tribunal of Anu, who not only pardons A. but wishes to shower him with benefits and grant him immortality. This is subject to the condition of eating and drinking what is set before him. A., however, previously advised by his father Ea, does not eat and does not drink, and so loses the gift of immortality.
The fragments that contain this legend were for the most part found in Egypt, where this text served Egyptian students as a Babylonian reading book in 1400-1300 B.C. A small part comes from the library of Ashurbanipal. The etymological comparison of A. with the Adam of the Bible is not acceptable.
Bibliography
Giustino Boson