which he has come, he will retrace it in health of body; and the great gate through which he has come forth, he will return by it to his country.’  Shamashnapishtim spoke to his wife:  ’The misfortunes of this man distress thee:  very well, cook the broth, and place it by his head.’  And while Gilgames still slept on board his vessel, the material for the broth was gathered; on the second day it was picked, on the third it was steeped, on the fourth Shamashnapishtim prepared his pot, on the fifth he put into it ‘Senility,’ on the sixth the broth was cooked, on the seventh he cast his spell suddenly on his man, and the latter consumed the broth.  Then Gilgames spoke to Shamashnapishtim, the inhabitant of distant lands:  ’I hesitated, slumber laid hold of me; thou hast cast a spell upon me, thou hast given me the broth.’” The effect would not have been lasting, if other ceremonies had not followed in addition to this spell from the sorcerer’s kitchen:  Gilgames after this preparation could now land upon the shore of the happy island and purify himself there.  Shamashnapishtim confided this business to his mariner Arad-Ea:  “’The man whom thou hast brought, his body is covered with ulcers, the leprous scabs have spoiled the beauty of his body.  Take him, Arad-Ea, lead him to the place of purification, let him wash his ulcers white as snow in the water, let him get rid of his scabs, and let the sea bear them away so that at length his body may appear healthy.  He will then change the fillet which binds his brows, and the loin-cloth which hides his nakedness:  until he returns to his country, until he reaches the end of his journey, let him by no means put off the loin-cloth, however ragged; then only shall he have always a clean one.’  Then Arad-Ea took him and conducted him to the place of purification:  he washed his ulcers white as snow in the water, he got rid of his scabs, and the sea carried them away, so that at length his body appeared healthy.  He changed the fillet which bound his brows, the loincloth which hid his nakedness:  until he should reach the end of his journey, he was not to put off the loin-cloth, however ragged; then alone was he to have a clean one.”  The cure effected, Gilgames goes again on board his bark, and returns to the place where Shamashnapishtim was awaiting him.

Shamashnapishtim would not send his descendant back to the land of the living without making him a princely present.  “His wife spoke to him, to him Shamashnapishtim, the inhabitant of distant lands:  ’Gilgames has come, he is comforted, he is cured; what wilt thou give to him, now that he is about to return to his country?’ He took the oars, Gilgames, he brought the bark near the shore, and Shamashnapishtim spoke to him, to Gilgames:  ’Gilgames, thou art going from here comforted; what shall I give thee, now that thou art about to return to thy country?  I am about to reveal to thee, Gilgames, a secret, and the judgment of the gods I am about to tell it