Babylonian Flood Tablet from Megiddo

Found in 1955 by archaeologist Yigal Yadin at Tel Megiddo. The location is identified with the ancient city of biblical Megiddo. The fragment is small—only a portion of the original tablet survives—but its significance is enormous, as it is one of the most important cuneiform discoveries ever made in Israel, containing a fragment of the Epic of Gilgamesh, including part of the famous Flood narrative.

It dates back to the 14th century BCE (Late Bronze Age), making it one of the oldest literary texts ever discovered in the Land of Israel.

Cross-referenced with better-preserved Mesopotamian copies, a scholarly reconstruction of the preserved passage is approximately:

"... the storm ...

... the deluge ...

For six days and seven nights

the wind blew, the flood and the storm flattened the land.

When the seventh day arrived,

the storm and flood ceased their battle,

which had fought like an army.

The sea grew calm, the evil wind fell still,

and the flood stopped ..."

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