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89 deeming Mankind as his "Created Ones," schemes to save it through a chosen family. The Deluge, furthermore, was not a universal calamity brought about by an angry god, but a natural calamity seized by an upset Enlil to attain the desired goal. It was preceded by a long period of a worsening climate, increasing cold, reduced precipitation, and failing crops—conditions that we have identified in The 12th Planet as the last Ice Age that began circa 75,000 years ago and ended abruptly some 13,000 years ago. We have suggested that the accumulating mass of ice atop Antarctica, causing by its sheer weight some of the bottom layers to melt, was nearing a point where the whole mass could slip off the continent; this would have caused an immense tidal wave that, surging from the south, could engulf the land masses to the north. With their IGI.G1 ("Those Who Observe and See") orbiting the Earth and with a scientific station at the tip of Africa, the Anunnaki were well aware of the danger. And as the next orbital proximity of Nibiru to Earth was due, they well realized that the heightened gravita- tional pull on this passage could well trigger the calamity. Throughout the mounting human suffering as the Ice Age became more severe, Enlil forbade the other gods from help- ing Mankind; it is evident from the details in the Epic of Atra-hasis that his intention was to have Mankind perish by starvation. But Mankind somehow survived, for in the ab- sence of rains crops still grew by dint of a morning mist and a nighttime dew. In time, however, "the fertile fields became white, vegetation did not sprout." "People walked hunched in the streets, their faces looked green." The starvation led to fraternal strife, even cannibalism. But Enki, defying Enid's command, found ways of helping Mankind sustain itself, mainly by ingenious catches of fishes. He was _ especially helpful to his faithful follower Atra-hasis ("He who is most wise"), a demigod charged with acting as the go-between to the Anunnaki and their human servants in the settlement of Shuruppak—a city under the patronage of Ninmah/Ninharsag. As the various texts reveal, Atra-hasis, seeking Enki's guidance and assistance, moved his bed into the temple so as to receive the divine instructions by means of dreams. Keeping constant vigil in the temple, "every day he wept; texts The Deluge