A forgotten clay tablet, exhumed from the ruins of the ancient city of Nippur, in Mesopotamia, has intrigued researchers for over a century. Fragmentary, half illegible, this tablet known as At 12501 slept in the collections without ever having been completely analyzed. Thanks to the recent work of researcher Jana Matuszak, this vestige of the Sumerian era resurfaces, delivering the fragments of a fascinating mythological story: that of a god of rain imprisoned in darkness, and of a cunning fox who tries to save him. A story surprisingly rich for a civilization over 4,000 years old, which sheds new light on religious thought and the vision of the world of Sumerians.
A complex civilization in the heart of Mesopotamia
Around 2400 BCE, the region which today corresponds to the south of Iraq was the cradle of one of the first urban civilizations in human history: Summer. Organized in politically autonomous cities-states such as Ur, Uruk, Adab or Nippur, this civilization, however, shared religious practices, a written language (the Sumerian) and a common pantheon. Each city had its own tutelary divinity: in Nippur, it was Enlil, the god of the wind and supreme chief of the Pantheon.
It is in this context that the tablet was written At 12501dated to the dynastic period IIIB. It was probably created in Nippur, a major religious center of Sumer, in a ritual or educational setting. However, despite its discovery from the 19th century, this tablet had never been the subject of an in -depth study, partly because of its poor state of conservation. It was only recently that she was deciphered, revealing a singular mythological account.
A god of rain imprisoned in the depths
The heart of the story inscribed on the tablet At 12501
Based on the disappearance of a secondary but essential God: Ishkur, God of storm and rain. In a semi-arid region where agriculture depended mainly on irrigation, precipitation remained rare but precious. This means the symbolic importance of this God in the vision of the Sumerian world.
The story begins with an abundance scene: rivers populated by fish, pastures filled with colorful cows, belonging to Ishkur. Then, suddenly, everything changes. Ishkur is captured and taken to the
wherethe Sumerian underground world. With him, his cows are also removed. The text suggests that children are born but are immediately engulfed by the Kur, perhaps a metaphor for famine or drought that settles after the disappearance of the God of rain.
Enlil, the helpless gods, and the fox who dares
Faced with the disappearance of his son, Enlil summons an assembly of the gods to organize a rescue mission. But no God volunteers. Only an unexpected character accepts: the fox. To date,
At 12501 Contains the oldest known mention of this animal as a cunning figure in a literary story.
The fox ventures into the underground world and accepts the hospitality of its inhabitants – food and drink – but hides them discreetly without consuming them. This gesture, both cunning and prudent, seems to allow him to continue his mission without falling under the bewitchment of the Kur. The rest of the story is unfortunately lost, but the researchers assume that he managed to save Ishkur, making his return and the return of the rains.
Handwritten copy of Ni 12501. Credit: Jane Matuszak in Matuszak 2025
A myth with agricultural and cosmological resonances
Beyond its intrigue, this fragmentary story is rich in symbolic meanings. He probably reflects a myth of the death and return of the Rain God, modeled on the agricultural cycle: the disappearance of fertility, followed by his return thanks to the intervention of a mediator. Here we find a narrative structure close to many myths of the ancient Middle East, like those of Dumuzi or Inanna.
The figure of the fox also introduces a universal literary motif: that of the unexpected, cunning hero, who succeeds where powerful beings fail. This theme will experience long posterity in popular tales and global mythology.
A door ajar on Sumerian thought
Although very partial, this text sheds unique light on the richness of Sumerian mythology, often overshadowed by the large later Babylonian stories. He shows that even minor deities could be the subject of developed stories, and that the Sumerians had already developed complex stories to explain the natural and social cycles that punctuated their existence.
The rediscovery of At 12501 Also highlights the importance of patient work of deciphering and analysis of Mesopotamian tablets. Because beyond the fragments, it is a whole vision of the world that takes shape-a vision where gods, animals and natural elements are intimately linked in a fragile balance that only cunning or divine intervention can restore.
