Hitchhiker's Guide to Religion
Mesopotamian

Adapa

The First Sage

Mesopotamian Wisdom, Priesthood, Ritual, Lost Immortality
Portrait of Adapa
Attribute Value
Combat
ATK 35
DEF 50
SPR 90
SPD 45
INT 95
Rank First of the Seven Apkallu (Sages) / Priest of Enki
Domain Wisdom, Priesthood, Ritual, Lost Immortality
Alignment Mythological -- Wise / Tragic
Key Act Given wisdom by Enki; offered the bread and water of eternal life by Anu but tricked into refusing it
Source Adapa myth (Kassite period fragment, ~14th century BCE)

“Enki, the lord of wisdom, created him as a model of men. He gave him wisdom, but did not give him eternal life.”

Adapa is the inverse Adam: where Adam takes what he should not (the fruit of knowledge), Adapa refuses what he should accept (the food of immortality). Enki gives Adapa supreme wisdom (Adapa myth) and warns him that when he is summoned before Anu, he will be offered the “bread of death” and “water of death” — and must refuse. But Enki has deceived him (or tested him): what Anu actually offers is the bread and water of eternal life (Adapa myth). Adapa, trusting his god, refuses, and loses immortality forever. The parallel to Genesis 2-3 is devastating: in both stories, a divinely created man in a privileged relationship with god is tricked/deceived out of eternal life by the interplay of knowledge and obedience (Adapa myth; Genesis 2-3). Adapa obeys and loses immortality; Adam disobeys and loses immortality. The Mesopotamian and biblical traditions agree on one foundational point: wisdom and immortality cannot coexist for mortals (Adapa myth; Genesis 3).


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Combat Radar

ATK DEF SPR SPD INT
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