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 divinity, he served as priest in the sanctuary of Ea at Eridu. He prepared for the god’s table bread, beverages, game, and fish. One day, while fishing at sea, the south wind arose, overturned the boat, and the hero fell into the water. In revenge, he broke the wings of the wind. Anu, the supreme god, learned 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 that he eat and drink what is offered to him. A., however, previously advised by his father Ea, neither eats nor drinks, and thus loses the gift of immortality.
The fragments containing 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 portion comes from the library of Assurbanipal. The etymological comparison of A. with the Adam of the Bible is unacceptable.