But what are the two signs before
_ka_? A participial form from _pak?du_, which one naturally thinks
of, is impossible because of the _ka_, and for the same reason one
cannot supply the word for shepherd (_nakidu_). One might think of
_ka-ak-ka-du_, except that _kakkadu_ is not used for "head" in the
sense of "chief" of the land. I venture to restore _[i-ik-]ka-di_,
"strong one." Our text at all events disposes of Haupt's conjecture
_is-di ma-a-ti_ (_JAOS_ 22, p. 11), "Bottom of the earth," as also of
Ungnad's proposed _[a-di pa]-a-ti_, "to the ends" (Ungnad-Gressmann,
_Gilgamesch-Epos_, p. 6, note), or a reading _di-ma-a-ti_,
"pillars." The first line of the Assyrian version would now read
_s? nak-ba i-mu-ru [d_Gis-gi(n)-mas i-ik-ka]-di ma-a-ti,
i.e., "The one who saw everything, Gilgamesh the strong one (?) of
the land."
We may at all events be quite certain that the name of the hero
occurred in the first line and that he was described by some epithet
indicating his superior position.
Lines 229-235 are again an address of Gilgamesh to the sun-god, after
having received a favorable "oracle" from the god (line 222). The
hero promises to honor and to celebrate the god, by erecting thrones
for him.
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