In another unplaced fragment of the Assyrian text [11] Enkidu rejects his mistress also, apparently on his own initiative and for ascetic reasons. This fragment, heretofore assigned to the second book, probably belongs to Book III. The tablet of the Assyrian version which carries the portion related on the new tablet has not been found. Man redeemed from barbarism is the major theme of Book II.
The newly recovered section of the epic contains two legends which supplied the glyptic artists of Sumer and Accad with subjects for seals. Obverse III 28-32 describes Enkidu the slayer of lions and panthers. Seals in all periods frequently represent Enkidu in combat with a lion. The struggle between the two heroes, where Enkidu strives to rescue his friend from the fatal charms of Ishara, is probably depicted on seals also. On one of the seals published by Ward, _Seal Cylinders of Western Asia_, No. 459, a nude female stands beside the struggling heroes. [12] This scene not improbably illustrates the effort of Enkidu to rescue his friend from the goddess. In fact the satyr stands between Gilgamish and Ishara(?) on the seal.
it-bi-e-ma iluGilgamis su-na-tam i-pa-as-sar. iz-za-kar-am [13] a-na um-mi-su um-mi i-na sa-a-at mu-si-ti-ia sa-am-ha-ku-ma at-ta-na-al-la-ak i-na bi-ri-it id-da-tim ib-ba-su-nim-ma ka-ka-'a [14] sa-ma-i ki-?-?-rum [15] sa a-nim im-ku-ut a-na si-ri-ia ás-si-su-ma ik-ta-bi-it [16] e-li-ia ilam [17] is-su-ma nu-us-sa-su [18] u-ul el-ti-'i ad-ki ma-tum pa-hi-ir [19] e-li-su id-lu-tum ú-na-sa-ku si-pi-su ú-um-mi-id-ma pu-ti i-mi- du ia-ti as-si-a-su-ma at-ba-la-ás-su a-na si-ri-ki um-mi iluGilgamis mu-u-da-a-at ka-la-ma iz-za-kar-am a-na iluGilgamis mi-in-di iluGilgamish sa ki-ma ka-ti i-na si-ri i-wa-li-id-ma ú-ra-ab-bi-su sa-du-ú ta-mar-su-ma [sa(?)]-ap-ha-ta at-ta id-lu-tum ú-na-sa-ku si-pi-su [20] te-it-ti-ra-su(?) ... su-ú-zu ta-tar-ra-['a]-su a-na si-[ri-i]a [is-(?)] ti-lam-ma [21] i-ta-mar sa-ni-tam [su-na-]ta i-ta-wa-a-am a-na um-mi-su [um-m]i a-ta-mar sa-ni-tam [su-na-ta a-ta]mar e-mi-a i-na zu-ki-im [i-na?] Unuk-(ki) ri-bi-tim [22] ha-as-si-nu na-di-i-ma e-li-su pa-ah- ru ha-as-si-nu-um-ma sa-ni bu-nu-su a-mur-su-ma ah-ta-ta a-na-ku a-ra-am-su-ma ki-ma ás-sa-tim a-ha-ap-pu-up el-su el-ki-su-ma ás-ta-ka-an-su a-na a-hi-ia um-mi iluGilgamish mu-da-at ka-la-ma [iz-za-kar-am a-na iluGilgamish] ...................................