In ancient Mesopotamian mythology, a sage or wise man who was given knowledge by the gods but denied eternal life.
From Akkadian 'Adapa,' a figure in Babylonian and Sumerian myths. The word refers to the legendary servant or attendant of the water god Ea, featuring in one of the oldest known mythological narratives.
Adapa's story is one of the oldest tragedies ever written—the gods offered him eternal life, but he refused thinking it was poison! It shows that ancient Mesopotamians were already exploring the theme of whether immortality is actually a blessing or curse, thousands of years before modern philosophy.
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