This later Akkadian version of the flood story and the creation of humanity and
fits between the Sumerian version and the Babylonian version in the Epic of
Gilgamesh. This following outline is from "The Treasures of Darkness" by

When ILU (that is ENLIL) was the boss they (the gods) were burdened with toil, lugged the work basket; the god's work basket . . . was big, so that the toil was heavy, great the straits.

ENLIL, having charge of the earth put the other gods to work digging the
Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Tired of their condition and at the instigation of one
of the gods they burned their tools one night and surrounded ENLIL's house.
ENLIL was alarmed and sent for AN and ENKI. After the striking gods told
them that the work was killing them and that they would not continued ENLIL
burst into tears and offered his resignation. ENKI then proposed a compromise.
They would create man to bear the burden to that the gods would be free.

With the birth goddess, NINTUR, ENKI used the flesh and blood of the strike's
ringleader (killed by the other gods) to fashion clay into 7 male and 7 female
embryos in the "house of destiny". After 9 months humanity was born and put
to work.

After 1,200 years thenoise of the growing human population kept ENLIL
awake nights. So ENLIL and the gods sent a plague which was ended when
ENKI told the human Atrahasis to shift all offerings to the god of the plague,
NAMTAR who became to abashed to harm the people further.

After another 1,200 years the noise was back so ENLIL and the gods sent a
drought. ENKI advised Atrahasis to shift all offering to ADAD, the god causing
the drought, and the drought stopped.

Soon the noise returned so the gods ceased to perform their duties so all of
natures bounty disappeared. This was only ended when ENKI let large
quantities of fish into the rivers (accidentally, he maintained).

Atrahasis by speaking not to him but to the reed hut in which he was lying.
Atrahasis built a large boat explaining to the town elders that he was leaving
because of the bad blood between his personal god, ENKI, and ENLIL in
whose domain his town of Shuruppak lay. After having loaded the boat with all
kinds of animals and his family the flood came.

The gods were horrified at the destruction of the flood which lasted 7 days and
nights. In addition they became hungry as no offerings were made to sustain
them. When Atrahasis left the ship he prepared a sacrifice around which the
hungry gods gathered like flies.

ENLIL was the exception. He was enraged and ENKI had to defend himself.
He blamed ENLIL for punishing the innocent and guilty alike. Eventually a
compromise was reached to keep the human population from getting to large.
The gods introduced a type of barren woman, created a demon, PASHITTU,
who kills children at birth, and established several categories of priestesses for
whom childbearing was taboo.

The following excerpt is taken from "Myths From Mesopotamia: Gilgamesh, The Flood, and Others" Translated by Stephanie Dalley. It is related here for educational purposes only.

When the gods instead of man
Did the work, bore the loads,
The gods' load was too great,
The work too hard, the trouble too much,
The greatAnunnaki made theIgigi
Carry the workload sevenfold.
Anu their father was king,

Their counselor warrior Ellil,
Their Chamberlain was Ninurta,
Their canal-controller Ennugi.
They took the box of lots
Cast the lots; the gods made the division.

Was assigned to far-sighted Enki.
When Anu had gone up to the sky,
And the gods of the Apsu had gone below,
The Annunaki of the sky
Made the Igigi bear the workload.

The gods had to dig out canals,
Had to clear channels, the lifelines of the land.
The gods dug out the Tigris river
And then dug out the Euphrates.

...in the deep
...they set up
...the Apsu
...of the land
...inside it
...raised its top
...of all the mountains
They were counting the years of loads
...the great marsh,

They were counting the years of loads.
For 3,600 years they bore the excess,
Hard work, night and day.
They groaned and blamed each other,
Grumbled over the masses of excavated soil:

Let us confront our Chamberlain
And get him to relieve us of our hard work!
Come, let us carry the Lord
The counselor of the gods, the warrior from his dwelling.

Come, let us carry
The counselor of the gods, the warrior, from his dwelling.
Come, let us carry Ellil,
The counselor of the gods, the warrior, from his dwelling.
Now, cry battle!
Let us mix fight with battle!

The gods listened to his speech,
Set fire to their tools,
Put aside their spades for fire,
Their loads for the fire-god.
They flared up.