When Uta-Napishtim had finished the story of the Deluge, he said to Gilgamish, "Now as touching thyself: who will gather thee, that thou mayest find the life which thou seekest? Come now, do not lay thyself down to sleep for six days and seven nights." But as soon as Gilgamish had sat down, drowsiness overpowered him and he fell fast asleep.

Gilgamish asked his host what he should do and where he should go. He prepared to cross the sea on his way home. Uta-Napishtim told him of a plant which grew at the bottom of the sea, called "The old man becometh young again." Gilgamish tied heavy stones to his feet and let himself down into the sea, plucked the plant, and went up into the boat with it, and declared that he would eat of it in order to recover his lost youth, and take it to his fortified city of Erech. But on the way back they passed a pool the water of which was very cold, and Gilgamish dived into it and took a bath; and a serpent discovered the plant through its smell and swallowed it. Gilgamish sat down and wept, and the tears coursed down his cheeks as he lamented over the waste of his toil.

At length they arrived at the fortified city of Erech. Then Gilgamish told Ur-Shanabi to go up on the wall and examine the bricks from the foundations to the battlements.