He made stations for the great gods, The stars, their counterparts, the twin stars he fixed. He fixed the year and divided it into divisions...

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1 One of the most famous of these ancient Mesopotamian myths is the creation epic of "Enuma Elish". The title "" is derived from its first words, "when on high". first came to light in the 3000-year-old library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. However the story was probably first recorded during the Old Babylonian Kingdom in the time of Hammurabi about 1700 BC. The epic unfolds on 7 Tablets containing 900 lines of Akkadian cuneiform. Tablet 1 begins: When on high, heaven had not been named, Below, the firm ground was not named. Apsu, their begetter, Mummu (and) Tiamat, the mother of all of them, Mingled their waters, The reed had not yet sprung forth, nor had the marsh appeared, None of the gods had yet come forth, They were still unnamed No destinies had been fixed; Then the gods were created in the midst of heaven... The begins with Apsu (god of fresh water) and Tiamat (goddess of salt water) giving birth to the other gods and goddesses. Note that the creation is connected with the mingling of fresh water and salt water. As we have seen, the land of the Euphrates valley was created as the river delta built its way further and further out into the Persian Gulf. The river is fresh water. The Persian Gulf is salt water. And where they mingle, the delta is created. Also, note that there seems to be a connection between the giving of a name and its existence. In the Ancient Near East names were considered an extension of the person (or object) to which it was given. Thus to know an object's (or person's) name, and to pronounce it correctly, gave one a magical control over that object or person. This may be the reason why pious Jews never spoke the name of God, "Yahweh", but instead used "Adonai" which means "lord" or "Master". After the grand opening in tablet 1, we find the newly created younger gods make far too much noise keeping their parents from getting any sleep. Somehow this part of the story is quite easy to believe, especially for those who have young children. Apsu, the father god, then plots to destroy the younger gods to keep them quiet, so he can get some sleep. Then Apsu, the begetter of the great gods, Cried out, to Mummu, to his messenger, he spoke: "Oh Mummu, joy of my liver, Come, unto Tiamat let us go." They went, and before Tiamat they crowed, Hatching a plan with regard to the gods... Apsu opened his mouth and spoke...

2 "By day I have no rest, at night I cannot lie down, I wish to destroy their course, So that clamor cease and we may again lie down to sleep." When Tiamat (heard) this, She raged and shrieked... Evil she conceived in her heart. "All we have made let us destroy, That their course may be full of misery so that we may have release."... Apsu (hearkened), and his face shone; Evil he planned against the gods, his sons... Mummu seems to be another god, but the text calls Mummu Apsu's messenger. Therefore, it is often concluded that Mummu is not necessarily another being, but rather the logos (word) or muse (creative principle) of Apsu. In any case, the sons of Apsu are not about to stand by and let their father destroy them. They counterplot against him. This counterplot succeeds as the god Ea slays Apsu with the help of a magic spell. Tiamat becomes enraged at the death of her consort and prepares an army for a crusade of vengeance. In fury and rage they devised plans night and day... They grouped themselves and ranged the battle array. Ummu-Khubur, creator of all things, Gathering invincible weapons, she brought huge monsters, Sharp of tooth and merciless fang. With poison instead of blood she filled their bodies. She clothed with terror the terrible dragons... Hurricanes, raging dogs and scorpion men, Mighty tempests, fish men, and rams, Bearing cruel weapons, fearless in combat, Mighty in command, irresistible... Tiamat finished her work, She contrived against the gods her offspring, To avenge Apsu, Tiamat planned evil. Tiamat's odd army is drawn up in battle array against Ea and her other offspring. Ea hears of the plan, goes to his father, the father asks his warrior son Marduk (presumably Ea's brother or son) to fight Tiamat. "Thou art my son of strong courage...draw nigh to battle!.. At the sight of thee there shall be peace." The Lord rejoiced at the word of his father... His heart exulted and he spoke to his father.

3 "Oh Lord of the gods, the fate of the great gods, If I become thy avenger, Conquering Tiamat, and giving life to thee, Call an assembly and proclaim the preeminence of my lot! That when in Upshukkinaku thou joyfully seatest thyself, My command in place of thine should fix fates... The great gods, all of them, who fix fates... Embracing one another in the assembly, They prepared themselves to feast at the banquet... Drunk, their bodies filled with drink, They shouted aloud, with their spirits exalted, For Marduk, their avenger, they fixed the destiny... "Oh Marduk, thou art mightiest among the great gods! Thy power of decreeing fate unrivalled, Thy word is like that of Anu! From now on thy decree will not be altered... None among the gods will transgress the limit... Oh Marduk, thou art our avenger! We give thee kingship over the entire universe... Oh lord, the life of him who trusts in thee will be spared, But pour out the life of the god who has planned evil."... He mounted the storm chariot, unequalled in power, He harnessed and attached to it four horses, Merciless, overwhelming, swiftly flying... Then the lord drew nigh, where Tiamat stood he set his face... From her lips there gushed forth rebellious words... And against Tiamat, who was foaming with wrath, thus sent forth (his answer)... "Let thy army be equipped, thy weapons be girded on; Stand; I and thou, let us join in battle." When Tiamat heard this, She was beside herself, she lost her reason. Tiamat shouted in a convulsion of fury, Trembling to the root, shaking in her foundations. She uttered an incantation, she spoke a magic formula... To the fight they advanced, to the battle they drew nigh. The lord spread his net and encompassed her, The evil wind stationed behind him he drove into her face. Tiamat opened her mouth to its full extent. He drove in the evil wind before she could close her lips. The terrible winds filled her belly,

4 Her heart was seized, and she held her mouth wide open. He drove in the spear and burst open her belly, Cutting into her entrails, he slit her heart. He overcame her and destroyed her life; He cast down her carcass and stood upon it. When he had thus subjected Tiamat, the leader, Her host was scattered, her assembly was dissolved... Taking to flight to save their lives. But they were surrounded and could not escape. He captured them and smashed their weapons... To Tiamat, whom he had bound, he came back, And the lord trampled under foot the legs of Tiamat. With unsparing mace he smashed her skull, He cut the channels of her blood, And made the north wind carry them to secret places... Then the lord rested and contemplated her corpse. He divided the flesh of the monster, and did skillful works. He split her like a fish flattened into two halves; One half he took and made it a covering for heaven. He drew a skin over it, stationed guards, Instructed that the waters be not permitted to flow out... He made stations for the great gods, The stars, their counterparts, the twin stars he fixed. He fixed the year and divided it into divisions... He opened his mouth and (spoke) to Ea He had conceived in his heart he imparted to him; "My blood I will take and bone I will (form). I will set up man... I will create man to inhabit (the earth), That the worship of the gods be fixed, That they may have shrines... SIMILARITIES Many scholars see tremendous similarities between the "" and the first chapter of Genesis. They point out such similarities as: 1. begins "when on high"; Genesis begins "in the beginning" 2. shows a connection between giving of names and existence; in Genesis, the naming of objects is of importance.

5 3. Both and Genesis imply primeval chaos in the beginning, that is, if you interpret darkness and emptiness as chaos. 4. In both, water is divided into upper waters and lower waters. 5. is recorded on seven tablets, and the Genesis creation is completed in seven days. 6. In the man is created in the 6th tablet, and in Genesis man is created on the 6th day. 7. In Gen. 1:2 the word translated "deep" is the Hebrew word "tehom." Some scholars equate it with the Babylonian goddess Tiamat. [Etymologically both words probably are derived from a root originally meaning "ocean" or "deep", yet it is clear that among the Hebrews the root never took on the mythological connotation that it did among the Babylonians.] These similarities are interesting. Yet, if all that is mentioned are the similarities it might give the impression that the writers of Genesis plagiarized a Babylonian creation epic. That is exactly what many, if not most biblical scholars, would like us to believe. Therefore, we must also consider the differences: 1. Genesis is monotheistic, while is clearly polytheistic. 2. is clearly mythological, but Genesis is not only non-mythological, but anti-mythical. It is a polemic against pagan mythology. Genesis makes clear that the things mankind worships as gods are little more than the creations of the one God. 3. In the, as almost all other near eastern creation myths, creation is accomplished through conflict and warfare with lots of noise. In the Genesis account, however, we find a profound sense of peace and quiet. The opposite of warfare and conflict can be seen in the instant obedience of God's divine fiat, "And God said "And it was so " 4. In the, magic incantations are the ultimate source of power. Thus making the gods subject to nature or magic. In Genesis, power is manifest in the commands (fiat) of God, and nature is one of His obedient subjects. 5. Babylonian gods are identified with nature, but God, in Genesis, is Creator of, and distinct from, all creation. 6. The Genesis account systematically includes all general realms of nature. The omits major aspects of creation such as vegetation, animals, the sun and light. 7. In Genesis, God forms the heavens and the earth on the first three days. This does not take place until the fourth tablet of. 8. In Genesis, man is created from clay to rule over the creation. In, man is created from a god's blood to be slaves of the gods. 9. The first chapters of Genesis are clearly a creation epic., within its historical context, was clearly not primarily a creation story, but rather a hymn of praise to Marduk. It was in essence mythological propaganda to put Marduk at the head of the pantheon so as to exalt the city of Babylon and enhance Hammurabi's power. *These notes were borrowed from ANCIENT OF DAYS: An Orientation in the World of the Old Testament by Professor Kirk Spencer of The Criswell College; and used with his permission. Copyrights Reserved October 14, 2003