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ENUMA ELISH
The Babylonian Creation Epic
also includes ‘Atrahasts’

thefirst Great Flood myth
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TIMOTHY J. STEPHANY
ISBN-13: 978-1493775033
ISBN-10: 1493775030
Printed in the United States of America by Createspace |
Copyright © 2013, 2014 Timothy J. Stephany

All Rights Reserved
Second Edition
No part of this publication may be used or reproduced by any

method whatsoever without the prior written permission of the
copyright holder.
http://www.timothyjstephany.com
Contents
Introduction
‘ENUMA ELISH’
TABLET 1: War Plans
TABLET 1]: Marduk the Hero
TABLET Ill: Preparations
TABLET IV: Single Combat
TABLET V: Order from Chaos
TABLET VI: Creation ofMan
TABLET VII: The 50 Names
‘"ATRAHASIS’
TABLET 1: Burden ofthe Gods
TABLET Il: The Plight ofMan

TABLET III: The Great Flood
Bibliography 108
Endnotes 109
other books by TIMOTHY J. STEPHANY
The Gilgamesh Cycle
The Sources Bible: Genesis through Kings (ASV)
The Holy Bible Revealed I: Genesis through Kings with Sources
The Holy Bible Revealed Il: Compositional History
The Yahweh Document: The Holy Bible’s First Edition
The Levi Document: The Earliest Biblical Source
The Eden Enigma: A Dialogue
Roar of the Tempests: A Dialogue
The Death of King David: A Dialogue
The Zodiac Mysteries
Blood & Incest: The Unholy Beginning of the Universe

Introduction
The Babylonian Creation story, known in ancient times by its opening words ‘Enuma
Elish’ (meaning ‘when the heavens above’) is a concise presentation of Mesopotamian
lore concerning the origins of the gods, the universe, and mankind. Although it is not
certain just how far back the fundamental conceptions of this creation were first
comprehended, they no doubt far precede this particular version of the Babylonian
Creation, which was uncovered as tablets from the ancient city ofNineveh dating to the
7 century BC. Yet these tablets hold within them a composition which may have arisen
towards the close ofthe 2™ millennium BC, made up ofearlier material dating from the
Bronze Age.
Apart from its age and provenance, what is of interest tn cons idering this creation
myth and other Mesopotamian myths is the same which holds for any story that deals
with essential human concerns—which have remained unchanged through time and
history. Thus such myths, dealing with the origins of humanity, also emphasize basic
human preoccupations; acting as a means to explain the origin of our collective
existence. Likewise, they stretch back as far as we are capable ofreaching in reviewing
the earliest written works of humanity; and containing beliefs, concerns, and the
manner of life of men in the early phases of civilization. Likewise, their importance
ranges wide based upon how far such seminal myths were shared among humanity,
with characters who infuse world mythology, and which are still known to us today, even
ifunder different names. Thus while the characters ofApsu, Tiamat, and Marduk are
not widely familiar in the modem world, some of these have found their way via other
Near Eastern myths to become known to us, specifically through the pages ofthe Bible.
Most conspicuous among these is the name of Marduk, the great Babylonian sky
god, who appears in the book of EstherasMordecai the Benjaminite—as also does the
goddess Ishtar appear as Esther herself. The deity Apsu represents the watery abyss
which was believed, since before the Classical Age, to underlie the earth; and this
conception holds in references to the Abyss. But the name of Tiamat is also retained
within the Genesis chapter 1 word for the ‘deep’, which is ‘tehom; also used in the book
of Isatah:'
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient
days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded
the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep
[tehom]; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?
(Isaiah 51:9-10, KIV)
"See Blood & Incestand The Eden Enigma:A Dialogue

And it is Isaiah who also forecasts the future display of Yahweh's might, recalling the
deeds ofhis past, in saying:
In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish
leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay
the dragon that 1s in the sea. (Isaiah 27:1, KJV)
Thus in this sense the two gods of the ie alas and salt-water, Apsu and Tiamat,
might be most easily identified with the male and female Leviathans. And this
primordial deep, at first enshrouded in darkness, also acts as the cauldron from which
the creation of Genesis takes place. This cosmic sea was then populated by Leviathan
and a number ofother denizens from which the world was fashioned by God, just as it ts
with Marduk’s creation found in Enuma Elish’:
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in
the waters. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat
to the people inhabiting the wilderness. (Psalms 74: 13-14, KJV)
The conflict between the sky god and primordial serpent is often viewed in myth as
being perpetual between the two, as long as the world endures; illustrated in thebattle
between Thor and the Midgard Serpent or Krishna and the dragon, Kalli Naga’:
Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine
enemies with thy strong arm. The heavens are thine, the earth also ts thine: as for
the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. (Psalms 89:9-11, KJV)
This likewise is related to God setting the boundary ofthe sea, which is mentioned in the
Apocryphal Prayer ofManasseh (2-3). In other words, God assured that the sea was not
allowed to exceed its limits, which would otherwise obliterate lifeon land.
This correspondence between ‘Enuma Elish’ and the Biblical creation, however, goes
far deeper, in the recognition that the very order of the creation of Genesis chapter 1 ts
reflected in the generations of gods in ‘Enuma Elish’, which is enumerated in the
following table:
’ The female Leviathan was killed and pickled, while the male Leviathan will be attacked by angels in the
final days before Leviathan and Behemoth engage in a contest which claims both their lives. (‘Haggadah’;
see Barnstone 1984: 22) The role of providing food for the righteous is also taken by Leviathan and
~ Behemoth.
T See Roar ofthe Tempests: ADialogue

the silt-lands
gods relieved fromlabors) |

Correspondences between Genesis creation and Enuma Elish creation”
And here, just as Yahweh in resting upon the seventh day establishes henceforth the
holiness of that day, the Sabbath Day, so too in ‘Enuma Elish’ is the creation of man
followed by their construction of a temple called Esagila (Tablet 6); Akewise, with the
establishment of religious rituals, sacrifices, and practices; and even the seven ranks of
cultic initiation.
This underscores the importance of ‘Enuma Elish’ at the mythological level, but on
the level of paleoastronomy, or searching out stellar knowledge, the creation myth
associates the defeat of Apsu and Tiamat with the establishment of cosmic forces as
designated in Tablet 53 which is like the forces of order overcoming the forces of chaos,
even as a personified Chaos. However, the most useful section in this regard is lacking,
due to breaks in the tablet itself; and thus it has been ‘restored’ through the utilization
of information from astrological tablets—which are plentiful, however—to simulate what
these missing verses might have been like. But the end result remains yet unsatisfying,
because the meaningfulness of the passages ts lost even ifits content and style might be
mimicked in the cause ofreconstructing the complete tale. But preceding this gap there
is enough to provide some basic information about their calendar: of a 12-month year
with each month being 30 days, and this is made clear through its definition of the
character ofthe moon, as it waxes and wanes through the month.
Beyond this the Babylonian creation epic proceeds to its inevitable conclusion, with the
conflict of cosmic forces leading to the eventual creation of the world and ofmankind.
And this latter is itself taken up in the myth following, ‘Atrahasis’, which is one which
runs similarly to the Noah story of Genesis. But while the name ofNoah and some ofthe
tale’s other details arise from Apamea in Phrygia,” the survivor ofthe Great Flood in the
“Yahweh performs his creation by daylight: “And then was the spirit, and darkness and silence were on
every side; the sound of man’s voice was not yet formed. Then commandedst thou a fair light to come
forth ofthy treasures, that thy work might appear.” (Il Esdras 6:39-40)
original Hebrew version appears to have been rather the patriarch Abraham! This is
both apparent from the similarity between their two names (Atrahasis/Abraham), but
likewise the words which God speaks to Abraham, as the only remaining segment to be
retained, are not unique among other world flood myths:
And the LORD said unto Abram... Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place
where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all
the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will
make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that ifa man can number the dust of the
earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk, through the land in the
length of it and in the breadth of it; for Iwill give it unto thee. (Genesis 13:14-17,
KJV)
Here the god tells the lone survivor of the flood that the earth he sees stretching out
around him henceforth belongs to himself and all of his descendants; given that beasts
and giants ofthe prior age (evidenced by the bones ofMesozoic reptiles and Pleistocene
mega-fauna) have all been wiped out. This has been transmogrified completely by the
Biblical editors into the conferring of the land of Canaan unto Abraham and his
descendants through Isaac and Jacob, which served a more immediate political purpose
ata far later time.
Yet there remained the trouble mankind caused for the gods, which arose from his
incessant noise, exponential increase, and unlimited lifespan. Thus the gods must take
steps to assure that man does not come to grow so numerous yet again, and thus the
gods bring mortality to mankind, along witha range ofother plagues to beset him. And
thus is the stage set for the following history ofmankind.
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is
flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. (Genesis 6:3, KJV)
Although the gods are at the same time convinced that humankind must never come to
an end, due to the delight they enjoy from the sacrifices made to them. And this is even
included in the conclusion of the Noah flood, where he makes his sacrifices, a pleasing
odor to God, which causes him to pledge that he will never destroy the entire earth
again:
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took

of every clean beast, and of
every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled
a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground
any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth;
neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the
"See Roar ofthe Tempests:ADialogue and Blood & Incest

earth remaineth, seedtime and fdeoadt: and cold and heat, and summer and winter,
and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:20-22, KJV)
He subsequently leaves his bow (rainbow) as an indicator of this, symbolic of the

covenant made with mankind; just as in ‘Enuma Elish’ the bow Marduk uses to slay
Tiamat, to still the raging sea, is hung up in the heavens as the ‘Bow Star’ (Canis Major)
by the sky god Anu. Then in the case of‘Atrahasis’ the rainbow is depicted rather as the
necklace ofNintu/Belet-ili. And the rainbow is commonly held to be the necklace of the
mother goddess;* as in the case of the retrieval of the Norse goddess Freyia’s necklace
after a battle isfought between its thief (Loki) and its rescuer (Heimdall), the gods offire
and water, in the form ofacloudburst. Yet it must also be that the Mother Goddess was
known to wear an actual necklace made in the shape offlies, which were apparently
created by Anu and were henceforth to decorate her chest in eternal memory of the
Great Flood. Thus there appears to be some intermingling of conceptions, as here the
necklace which appears is one no doubt familiar and particular to Nintu, rather than
the goddess setting forth the rainbow as an eternal reminder of the flood; associated
with her own covenant with mankind, which she makes clear when she declares, “He
must now save me from any harm, by offering sacrifice.”
Although it is not likely that the ‘Book of Genesis’ stories of the creation and flood were
immediately aware of or based upon these original Mesopotamian myths, they certainly
would have been inheritors ofthe various mythological traditions ofthe Near East when
the Biblical books were in the process of being composed during the 6" through 2 2
centuries BC. But these episodes are not important merely from their having close
Biblical parallels, rather it is beneficial to view them within the very same context of
theological conceptions and comprehensions of any other period of time, since these
verses once served the very purpose ofproviding explanations for the ways of the world
and the experiences ofman. This theological and sociological significance can be seen in
how the poem ‘Enuma Elish’ was utilized annually at the New Year’s festival at Babylon,
where it would be openly recited or even acted out; as a symbolic recurrence of the
creation coincident with the ‘creation’ ofthe new year.
And it is known that the semi-historical work ofBerossus (Babyloniaca) is a product
of Hellenistic times, which is precisely the period when the so-called ‘Priestly’ (‘P’)
document was being composed or brought together. This is recognizable in the
correspondence between Berossus’ 432,000 years given for the rule of the ten
antediluvian kings, which in Genesis is given as a duration of 1,656 years. But 432,000
years is 86,400 x 5, while 1,656 years is 86,400 weeks, and thus there remains a clear
uniformity between them.’ But this does not insist that the writers of ‘P’ were aware of
Berossus’ work—though they may have been—only that they would have had access to
some of the very materials which were knocking about the Near East during that
See The Holy Bible Revealed, Volume 2: Compositional History

antiquarian age. For instance, in the Biblical flood story the chief character is named
Noah, while in Berossus it is Ziusudra who is the Sumerian character. And the name of
this Ziusudra is related to that ofAtrahasis through his epithet ‘the faraway’ ((‘sudra).”
While the name Utnapishtim also appears to be related to Noah through the syllable
‘nah’. Likewise, there exist parallels with the releasing of a dove and a raven, as well as
the boat coming to rest upon a mountain top (provided from the ‘Gilgamesh Cycle’),
although the detail of the olive branch would have arisen from Palestine rather than
Mesopotamia.’
The received form of ‘Atrahasis’ is also older than that of ‘Enuma Elish’, and dated
to around 1700 BC, thus it also precedes its Biblical doppelganger by at least 1,000 years.
Likewise, the story of Atrahasis surely held a prominent place in Bronze Age
Mesopotamia—if we can permit ourselves for a moment to tmagine an Earth prior to the
period of Biblical prominence—from its similar emphasis upon both the creation and
plight ofman; so that it was even included as an episode within the ‘Gilgamesh Cycle’.
iathis story the man who survived the flood, Utnapishtim, was the only one to have
gained or retained his immortal ity.ore Yet there is a sweeping connection between these
formative events ofthe world, as performed by the gods, and conceptions ofeternity and
immortality, which established the fom distinction between the realm of heaven and
that of earth. Though it is still made clear in the creation story that humanity ista
product of the divine, and must be reminded that although his body is mortal that his
spirit is immortal (Tablet 1).
Taken together, these two stories ought to be viewed in the same manner that any
ancient myths ought to be, downplaying the necessity for a unified and continuous
narrative as the Holy Bible follows, since it must be viewed that these Biblical myths too
once existed in this same form as did their Babylonian counterparts before they were
collected and assembled together as we have inherited them in the Biblical canon. Yet
the same thing could have been done with these Babylonian myths, or indeed any
mythological tradition, ifthe right dynamics and motives had coincided at a particularly
propitious moment, as it did among the Hebrews beginning in the on century BC. Yet
given their force, starkness, and even archetypical familiarity, these Mesopotamian
myths can still be given the breath of life anew, and serve a purpose greater than that of
mere historical value, but rather to be taken as works of imaginative literature to be
considered, felt, and enjoyed.
"See The Gilgamesh Cycle

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At a time when even the glories above had yet to be named,
And unuttered was the word for the world which lay beneath
It was then that the first being, Apsu, who was their source,
And the progenitor Tiamat, the mother who gave birth to all,
Intermingled their waters, producing neither field nor marsh
At a time when no divine beings had yet come into existence,
There were no names to be spoken, and no fates pronounced,

But the gods were given birth within those intermixing waves
The first were Lahmu and Lahamu,' their names were spo ken
But once they had fully grown and become mature of‘form,
Then were born Anshar and Kishar, and they outshone them
And so many days passed by, and many years were counted
Their first son was Anu, being as great as any ofhis forebears
And Anshar caused his son Anu to become just like himself
From Anu came Nudimmud, who was also his spitting image
And Nudimmud proved to be even greater than hisforebears*
Profoundly wise and full of insight, with strength in his limbs
More infused with might than even his grandfather Anshar
; Compare with Il Esdras 6:4 — ‘before the measures ofthe firmament were named’
" These are Ea and Damkina according to the Assyrian version (Dalley 2000: 274). The word
lahmu means ‘muddy’, usually describing the men who inhabit the watery abyss, the Apsu.
* This is the god Ea, also known as Enki, lord ofthe Apsu
Enuma Elish
With none among the gods who could be considered his equal
That generation ofgods would gather together for wild revels
So they proved bothersome to anaes their hullabaloo echoed
All this commotion proved unsettling to Tiamat’s inner being,
And she was bothered by all oftheir activity within Anduruna

There was nothing Apsu could do to mitigate their carousing
But there was nothing Tiamat would say to quiet them down,
And no matter how troublesome their conduct became to her,
Regardless ofhow rowdy things were, she just put up with it

This kept up until divine Apsu, the source ofthe mighty gods,
Summoned to him and spoke to his officer Mummu, saying,
“Hear me Mummu, my trusted officer who | can rely upon,

Come with me, and together we will go to speak with Tiamat!”
Thus they went together and seated themselves before Tiamat,
And they conversed with her about their children, the gods,
Apsu raised his voice to be heard, speaking heartily to Tiamat,
“| have been very troubled by the manner oftheir conduct,
So that 1 cannot relax during the day, nor sleep well at night
Therefore 1 shall bring it to a halt, and get rid ofthem all!
Then silence shall reign, and thus we might get some sleep.”
But as soon as Tiamat heard his words she became incensed,

Overcome with ire, she screamed intensely at her husband,
But then she soothed the fury that raged within her breast,
at dwelling place ofthe gods

Tablet I
“Could we permit our own offspring to be thus eradicated?

Despite their troublesome ways, we ought to put up with it.”
Then the officer Mummu provided his own answer to Apsu,
But he spoke at odds with the advice ofhis mother, the earth,
“Father, you ought to put an end to their annoying behavior,
That one might relax during the day and sleep well at night.”
Apsu was in full agreement with what he said, and satisfied
With thoughts ofdevising a vile plan for his sons, the gods,
His officer Mummu put his arms around him, hugging him,
And fell down at his knees and enthusiastically kissed him
Yet what they planned was conveyed to their sons, the gods,
For they heard everything and were troubled, pacing about,
They all grew quite quiet, and sat around without speaking
Until the god with the giftfor wisdom and understanding,
Ea, the god who is insightful, recognized their intentions,
And he formulated a solution for it all, planning it out well

He concocted it with superlative skill, his spell was perfect,
For when he chanted it, he calmed the turbulent waters
And abounding sleep overcame Apsu; he became pacified

He caused him to enter a deep sleep, seeped in tranquility
While the officer Mummu, his advisor, was left in a trance
Then Ea removed his belt and took his crown from his head,
And took his Mantle ofBrilliance and dressed himself in it
Then he forced Apsu down under his feet and crushed him
Enuma Elish
And bound Mummu, laying him down over him crosswise,

Then he established his own residence on top ofthe Apsu,
And he then took Mummu, holding him by a nose-leash,
And after he had subdued and then killed all ofhis foes,
Then Ea raised a declaration ofvictory over his adversaries
Then he could rest easy within his own personal chambers
And these he named ‘Apsu’, and established temples there
Making it his home, Ea lived in luxury with his wife Damkina
There within the House ofFate, there in the Hall ofPurpose
Then the Lord came, who among all was the most judicious,
There within the watery Apsu did Marduk take his shape,
Within the unsullied waters ofthe Apsu was Marduk born,
From his father Ea, his mother Damkina gave birth to him
He was suckled on the milk ofthe goddess’s own breasts
And she who breastfed him embodied him with excellence,
So that he had a lofty stature; the look ofhis eyes was intense,
Mature from the veryfirst, and mighty even at a young age
Compare with the Prayer of Manasseh 1:3 — “who hast bound the sea by the word of thy
commandment; who hast shut up the deep, and sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name”;
and Revelations 20:2-3 — “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil,
and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut
him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand
years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”
Tablet I
When his grandfather Anu looked upon him, he was glad,

His face shone greatly, his heart was exceedingly pleased,
So perfect that his head was twice as lofty as any other god
Rising high above them, he was the better by every measure
Both his arms and legs were well-formed beyond comparison

So that it could not be fathomed, almost incomprehensible,
Moreover he possessed four ears to hear and four eyes to see,

And red flames leapt forth whenever he opened his mouth,
His four ears were also considerable, ofvoluminous size,
As were his eyes, which were capab le ofperceiving anything
Being unsurpassed among the gods, ofexceptional build,
Having limbs which were mighty, anda body terrifically tall
Then Anu cried, “Mariutu, my son, you are king ofthe gods!”
Dressed ina shining robe fitfor ten gods, rising beyond him,
There were five almighty beams which surmounted his head

And Anu invented the four winds and then fashioned them,
These he set in Marduk’s hand, saying “Free them, my son!”
Then he formed dust and caused the tornado to bear it away,
Then he invented the tidal swell, which aggravated Tiamat
And Tiamat was agitated and unsettled both day and night
The gods, meanwhile, were distressed and forced to endure,
Mariutu (‘son’), mean ing Marduk

Enuma Elish
So with vile thoughts on their minds, they spoke to Tiamat,
“Because at the time that they killed your husband Apsu,

And you failed to stand by his side but rather sat by silently,
Thus did Anu invent the four strong winds and tidal swell,
So as to intentionally agitate you, so that we have no peace!

Did you not hold your husband Apsu within your heart?
And likewise the officer Mummu who was also captured?
It’s not surprising you're forsaken! Are you not a mother?
You are unsettled both day and night, but look at our plight
Are we not distressed; have a heart, do you not care for us?
Look, we lack strength in our limbs, and our eyes are hollow
Free us from this distress ing burden, that we might get sleep!
Raise the war cry; make them pay for what they have done!
Destroy this enemy; eradicate him entirely from offthe earth!”

Tiamat listened to what they said, and she agreed with them,
“Yes, 1 think that we ought to do just as you have suggested,
The gods who dwell within the Apsu will suffer great misery, '
For they chose to do evil to those gods that gave them birth!”
And they gathered about and stood in proximity to Tiamat
They were brutal and planned endlessly both day and night
Grumbling and fuming, all done in the cause ofmaking war
“ Tiamat’s demon brood, rather than the gods who dwell in heaven with Anu or the Apsu with
Ea
"The gods who are with Ea

Tablet I
They called together a council ofwar to consider battle plans

Lady Hubur, who made all, produced an unfailing weapon,
She brought big snakes with piercing teeth and vicious fangs,
Their bodies she had infused with poison rather than blood
And she caused these raging dragons to emit deadly beams,
And to wear Mantles ofBrilliance, so that they were like gods
(Then the Lady Hubur raised her voice, verbalizing the curse,)
“Anyone who gazes at them will be stricken down with horror!

They will always raise up their bodies and never back down!”
Then Tiamat enlisted a horned snake, a mushussu-dragon,
A lahmuchero, an ugallu-devil, a mad dog, and scorpion-man,

Brutal wmiedevils, a half-man half-fish, a half-man half-bull,
Carrying ruthless weaponry, and who reveal no fear in battle
Her commands were so portentous that none could be ignored

And in addition to these, she recruited eleven more likewise,
And above all ofher children, ofthe gods who had assembled
She conferred upon Kingu the chief rank amongst them all,
Bestowing the generalship ofher army and rule ofthe congress,
To hold aloft the spear to signify battle, to gather the warriors,

She had given him high command ofthe entire combat force,
And placed him to be seated upon the throne ofrule, saying,
“| have conjured a spell in your name, making you foremost

Among the gods ofcongress! Younow rule all ofthe gods!
You will reign supreme, forfurther you will be my sole mate!
Your orders shall not be disregarded amongst the Anukki!”

Enuma Elish
She conveyed to him the Tablet ofFate, clasping it at his chest,

“What you say will not be altered, and you will speak the law!”
So after Kingu had received his rank, been given Anu-power,
And had pronounced the fates of his sons, the gods, he said,
“What comes from out ofyour lips would obliterate flames!
Your potent poison would serve to incapacitate the mighty!”
lO
TABLET I
Tiamat then called together the legions ofher demon army

Assigning divisions to wage war against her sons, the gods
Tiamat caused more harm forfuture generations than Apsu

It was related to Ea that she was making war preparations
And Ea took heed ofthat communication upon receiving tt
But he was left speechless and sat without uttering a word
After he considered it at length, however, his ire subsided,
He went to Anshar; stood before the one who fathered him,

And repeated to him everything relating to Tiamat’s plans,
“O Father, Tiamat who gave all birth is set on destroying us!
She called together a congress and is like a deranged maniac
And the gods have all gone over to her side, every one ofthem
Even those which you gave rise to, have also joined her force
They have gathered around Tiamat and champion her cause

She brought big snakes with plercing teeth and vicious fangs,
And she caused these'raging dragons to emit deadly beams,
Enuma Elish
‘Anyone who gazes at them will be stricken down with horror!

They will always raise up their bodies and never back down’
Then Tiamat enlisted a horned ney a mushussu-dragon,
A lahmu-hero, an ugallu-devil, a mad dog, and scorpion-man,
Brutal wmu-devils, a half-man half-fish, a half-man half-bull,
And above all ofher children, ofthe gods who had assembled,
To hold aloft de spear to signify battle, and gather the warriors,
‘| have conjured a spell in your name, making you foremost
Among the gods ofcongress! You now rule all ofthe gods!
Your orders shall not be disregarded among the Anukki!’
‘What you say will not be altered, and you will speak the law!’
‘What comes from out ofyour lips would obliterate flames!
Your potent poison would serve to incapacitate the mighty!”
Tablet II
Anshar heard every word and found the news distressful,

“How awful!” were hisfirst words, afterwards biting his lip,
And he was filled inside with anxiety, his muscles tightened
Yet the outburst at his son Ea proved anything but feeble,

“Son, you began this conflict, So you are responsib lefor it
For you went forth and killed Apsu, making Tiamat mad
Having done so, need we look any further for her enemy?”
The lord ofprudence, source ofwisdom, unsure what to do,
Nudimmud, with allaying words, replied well to Anshar,
“O my great father, incomprehensibly do you set destinies!

Ho ding in yourself the powers ofcreation and destruction!
O Anshar, incompre hensibly do you determine destinies!
Holding in yourself
the powers ofcreation and destruction!
Please refrain from interrupting while ] speak as 1 intend to
And keep in mind that my actions were right and justified
For before 1 killed Apsu, who was there for him to rely upon?
Whereas now there has emerged this assortment ofdemons

And before 1 could even approach and defeat him, Kingu,
He would already have annihilated me, and what then?”
Anshar heard every word and they were agreeab le to him

And he was motivated thereby to speak to Ea, saying to him,
“Yes, son, your deeds were without doubt praiseworthy,
You can initiate your own attack, strong and determined
Ea, indeed your deeds were without doubt praiseworthy,

You can tnitiate your own attack, strong and determined
I3
Enuma Elish
Go out and confront Tiamat, bring an end to her rebellion
May we pray only that her rage will subside from your spell.”
And he heard the words spoken by his grandfather Anshar,
Then he went upon the roadway, veering neither right nor left
Ea continued on, keeping a lookout for Tiamat’s battle-lines
But he did not make his voice heard, and instead returned
He went before Anshar, the king, and humb lybeseeched him,
“Father, the ways ofTiamat are far too potent for me to handle
l went in search ofher route, but my spell was inferior to hers
She holds powers that are alarming, and she is utterly horrific!
The forces about her are supreme, none could stand against her
Her great din never subsides, being too much for me to take
Her voice struck me with terror, so much that 1]headed back
Yet do not refrain, father, rather dispatch another against her
No matter how strong a woman, she still cannot equal aman
Thereby dispers ing her legions, and confounding her orders;
This you must do before she overwhelms us with her powers.”

Anshar spoke anxiously, addressing himself to his son Anu:
“My dependable son, who is as valiant as the kasusu-weapon,

Who possesses formidable power, and an unbearable charge,
Proceed to face Tiamat, and never fail to hold your position!
Cause her fury to withdraw and reduce her rage into stillness
But ifshe fails to listen, then beseech her so as to appease her.”
And he heard every word that was spoken by hisfather Anshar,
Then he went upon the roadway, veering neither right nor left
I4
Tablet II
Anu continued on, keeping a lookout for Tiamat’s battle-lines
But he did not make his voice heard, and instead returned
He went before Anshar, the king, and humbly beseeched him,
“Father, the ways ofTiamat are far too potent for me to handle
] went in search ofher route, but my spell was inferior to hers
She holds powers that are alarming, and she is utterly horvific!
The forces about her are supreme, none could stand against her
Her great din never subsides, being too much for me to take
Her voice struck me with terror, so much so that 1 headed back
Yet do not refrain, father, rather dispatch another against her
No matter how strong a woman, she still cannot equal aman
Thereby dispers ing her legions, and confounding her orders;
This you must do before she overwhelms us with her powers.”

Anshar could not find words, but cast his eyes unto the floor
He ground his teeth and could give no encouragement to Ea

So that all the ]gig gathered together, and all ofthe Anukki,
For a time they sat without speaking, lips closed, then spoke:
‘Will not any god step forward, or is our fate predetermined?
Will not anyone go to confront Tiamat with force ofarms?”
Then from his secluded abode, Ea sent forth a declaration,
"Bold text is used throughout to indicate the restoration ofa gap in the tablet due to damage;
ifwithin brackets it is borrowed from within the same text; otherwise it is based upon
guesswork,
Enuma Elish
To the faultless one ofAnshar, father ofthe mighty gods,
Him with a true heart, like a fellow citizen or countryman,
That formidab le heir who was destined to defend hisfather,
Who strikes fearlessly into the fray, Marduk the Champ ton!
And he related to him the plans he had formulated, saying,

“Marduk, heed my counsel, give ear to your father’s words,
The son ofhis who brings him confidence, go before Anshar,
Move in near to him, and make resolute declarations to him
All ofhis anxieties will take flight once you are before him.”
And Lord Marduk was well pleased with his father’s words,
Thus he went and approached, to stand in front ofAnshar,

And Anshar gazed upon him, and his heart filled with glee
Then he kissed him upon the lips, and put aside his fears
(And Marduk raised his voice to be heard, saying to Anshar,)
“Father, you must not remain silent, but rather speak to me,
And permit me to go; let me do that which you wish me to do
Anshar, you must not remain silent, but rather speak to me,
And permit me to go; let me do that which you wish me to do.”

(And Anshar raised his voice to be heard, saying to Marduk)
“What sort ofman would be willing to send you offto this war?
Son, this is Tiamat, a female, and she it is who will attack you.”
(And Marduk raised his voice to be heard, saying to Anshar,)
“O Father, you brought me to life, be glad and ofgood cheer,
For soon your foot will be resting upon the very neck ofTiamat!
O Anshar, who brought me to life, be glad and ofgood cheer,
lo
Tablet II
For soon your foot will be resting upon the very neck ofTiamat!”
(Then Anshar raised his voice to be heard, speaking to Marduk)
“Go then, son, with my blessings, with all your superior wisdom!
And cut Tiamat down to size with your perfect incantations!
Go on your way at once, within the chariot ofthe storm-clouds
So that her men cannot advance, but rather make them retreat!”
And he was gladdened and spoke to his grandfather, saying,
‘Ruler ofthe gods, deviser ofthe destinies ofthe high gods,
if am to be your defender, and defeat Tiamat to preserve you,
Then assemble a commission, and proclaim a singular destiny,
And rest content among the others within Ubshu-ukkinakku

For my own words rather than yours will determine destiny
Whatever | accomplish will not be undone, never overturned,
And the verdict that issues from my lips never be rescinded!”
’ The hall ofthe divine congress

TABLET Il
Then Anshar raised his voice to be heard, to his officer Kakka,

“Hear me Kakka, my trusted officer who | can depend upon,
1am sending you on a journey to go to Lahmu and Lahamu,
For you are good at ascertaining, a superlative communicator,
So that the gods, who are my fathers, will gather here to me

So that all ofthe gods will be assembled here in my presence
That we might then have a discussion; gather them for a feast
And give them plenty ofbread to eat and the best ofthe wine
Then after have them declare a destiny for Marduk the Hero
So you must go soon, Kakka, and place yourself before them,
And convey to them everything that | will now relate to you:
Your son, Anshar, is the one who sent me to speak to you,
And he asked me to convey his own inner thoughts, saying,
Behold, Tiamat who gave all birth is determined to destroy us!

She called together a congress and is like a deranged maniac
Even those which you gave rise to have also joined her force
They were brutal and planned endless lyboth day and night
IS
Tablet III
They will always raise up their bodies and never back down!’
A lahmuchero, an ugall-devil, a mad dog, and scorpion-man,

Brutal wnw-devils, a half-man half-fish, a half-man half-bull,
To hold aloft the spear to signify battle, and gather the warriors,
| have conjured Lrspell in your name, making you foremost
Your orders shall not be disregarded among the Anukki!’

l9
Enuma Elish

Your potent poison would serve to incapacitate the mighty!’
So ] sent forth Anu, but he was not able to stand up to her,
While Nudimmud was panic-stricken and merely came back

Until Marduk, your son, most capable ofthe gods, emerged
And he wished, ofhis own accord, to stand against Tiamat

He raised his voice to be heard, and spoke these words to me:
Tf am to be your defender, and defeat Tiamat to preserve you,

Then rest content among the others within Ubshu-ukkinakku
Whatever 1 accomplish will not be undone, never overturned,
And the verdict that issues from my lips never be rescinded!

So act in haste, and declare a destiny for him with all speed,
That he might then go and confront your overwhelming foe 1”
Thus Kakka went forth to carry out the mission given to him,
And in front ofthe gods Lahmu and Lahamu, his forebears,

He knelt down, kissing the ground which lay before them,
Then raised himselffully to stand, and related these words,
“Your son, Anshar, is the one who sent me to speak to you,

And he asked me to convey his own inner thoughts, saying,
Behold, Tiamat who gave all birth is determined to destroy us!
She called together a congress and is like a deranged mantac
20
Tablet III
Even those which you gave rise to have also joined her force,

They catled together a council ofwar to consider battle plans

They will always raise up their bodies and never back down’
A lahmuchero, an ugallu-devil, a mad dog, and scorpion-man,

Brutal wmu-devils, a half-man half-fish, a half-man half-bull,


To hold aloft the spear to signify battle, and gather the warriors,
2|
Enuma Elish
‘| have conjured a spell in your name, making you foremost
Your orders shall not be disregarded among the Anukkil’

She conveyed to him the Tablet ofFate, clasp ing it at his chest,

Your potent poison would serve to incapacitate the mighty!’
So 1 sent forth Anu, but he was not able to stand up to her
While Nudimmud was panic-stricken and merely came back
Until Marduk, your son, most capable ofthe gods, emerged
And he wished, ofhis own accord, to stand against Tiamat
He raised his voice to be heard, and spoke these words to me:
‘If1am to be your defender, and defeat Tiamat to preserve you,

Then rest content among the others within Ubshu-ukkinakku
Whatever | accomplish will not be undone, never overturned,
And the verdict that issues from my lips never be rescinded!’
So act in haste, and declare a destiny for him with all speed,
That he might then go and confront your overwhelming foe!”
Yi
Tablet II
And Lahmu and Lahamu heard every word, and cried out,
And every one ofthe |gigi were overcome with sad moaning,
“But this is awful! For before Anshar sent us this intelligence,

We had not the least idea ofwhat Tiamat was planning to do.”
They made their way and gathered, the high gods who fixfate,
And they came into Anshar’s company, being at once cheerful,
Greeting one another with kisses, and there in the meeting hall
They discussed among themselves, sitting together for a feast,

And they ate plenty ofbread and imbibed the best ofthe wine
So that they slurped up flavorful beer through drinking straws
And were made full through the consumption ofthe alcohol
As a result ofthis they became cheerful, their hearts rejoiced,
And then they pronounced a destiny for Marduk their Hero.
23
TABLET IV
Then for his use they constructed for him a royal palace,
And he occupied it as ruler ofhisforebears, who declared,
“You, who are most revered among all ofthe high gods,
Your lifeis magnificent; your speech has the force ofAnu!
Marduk, you are the most revered ofany ofthe high gods,
Your life is magnificent; your speech has the force ofAnu!
From henceforth your commands will never be distorted,
You hold the power to both raise up and to compel down,
Let your proclamations be law, and let your words be true
And nota single god will supersede the boundaries you set
Let there be an account created in support ofyour estate,
Like those required for the gods’ temples, where they stand
You Marduk are our defender! You, lord, are our defender!
We must bestow upon you rule over the entire cosmic order
When seated in the council your words are second to none!
Let it be that your weapons never stray from their targets,
But rather let it be that your weapons crush your enemies!
Lord, be merciful towards the one who puts his faith in you
But also diminish the life ofany god who is a worker ofevil!”
Then they placed amongst themselves a single constellation,
And raised their voices to be heard, to Marduk, their son,
“Lord, may your proclamations be miraculous to the gods!
Speak orders for both destruction and for renewal, Amen!
24
Tablet [IV
So proclaim to it that the constellation may then disappear!

Proclaim to it yet again that the constellation be seen again!”
Upon speaking, at his utterance the constellation disappeared
Speaking again, at his utterance the constellation reappeared
When his forebears, the gods, observed the power ofhis words,
Then they cried out in jubilation, declaring, “Marduk is King!”

Then bestowed unto him the scepter, throne, and staff ofrule
And into his hand an unbeatable weapon to destroy his enemy

Then they cheered, “March forth, and sever the life ofTiamat!
May the winds carry her blood here to declare good tidings!”
Then his forebears, the gods, pronounced the fate ofthe Lord
Encouraging him to embody ideals ofmeasure and restraint
Marduk created a bow and this he fashioned to be his weapon

Then fletched the arrow with feathers, and set it onto the string
Raising aloft a mace that he held within his rigid right hand
Slinging the bow over his arm, setting the quiver at his side
With lightning before him, eternal flame burning within him
He also fashioned a net which he could use to encircle Tiamat

He mastered the four winds so that she might have no escape
South Wind, North Wind, East Wind, and West Wind he took
Gifts from his father Anu that were kept at hand with the net
He generated the terror-gust, the tempest, and the whirlwind
Four gales and seven winds, the tornado and the hurricane
Setting forth the seven he had made, they followed behind
aD
Enuma Elish
The Lord raised his mighty mace called the Flood-weapon

Before mounting his awesome, fear-rearing storm chariot
Harnessed to it was a quartet that had been strapped to tt:
One called Killer, another Merciless, also Fleet and High-flyer
And their ‘Jaws were lowered, their teeth filled with venom,
They knew nothing ofgiving up, they knew only ofattack

To the right ofhim he positioned both Blitzkrieg and Clasher,
And on the left he put another named Total Extermination!

Then dressed ina drapery ofthe most formidab le armoring,
Upon his head was a halo blazing forth with a blinding glow
So the Lord thus set forth and travelled upon the roadway,
Heading in the direction ofTiamat, who rampaged wildly
Upon his tongue he held a spell, an incantation on his lips,

Holding within his hand a herb for protection against toxins
They all gathered about him, the gods amassed around him,
His forebears, gathered about him, they amassed around him
Then the Lord came near, setting his sights on Tiamat’s heart
And attempted to divine the stratagem ofKingu, her partner

But as Kingu gazed out at him, his mind became bewildered
And his fortitude fell to pleces, his actions became awkward
As for his allies, the gods, those who had gone along with him,
When looking at this chief, the contender, they grew anxious
But Tiamat worked her magic, with no need to avert her gaze
Within her mouth there resided lies, deception, and cunning,

“Just how strong is this army you have with you, lord ofgods?
26
Tablet IV
The whole collection ofthem holds near to your own location!”

But the Lord held up hisfearsome weapon, the Flood-weapon,
Conveying his words to Tiamat, who feigned kindness, saying,
“For what reason do you display this superficial benevolence,

When in your heart ofhearts you generated a force for war?
Only because your sons, the gods, were making such a noise
Only because they have been inconsiderate oftheir forebears
But why ought you, who gave them birth, not forgive them?
You chose Kingu to be your partner, and also your war leader,
Bestowing unto him the Anu-power which he does not deserve,
And acted in enmity towards Anshar, honored king ofgods
Thus you have multiplied the evils done against my forebears!

So make your army ready, equipped with what arms you have!
Or step forward yourself, that we might engage one on one!”
As soon as Tiamat had heard this speech that he had given,
She went ballistic, and flew into a wild and unstoppable rage,
With no little emotion, Tiamat bawled at the top of her lungs
And her viscera trembled all together to her very foundation

Undeterred in discharging her magic, she then spoke spells
At the same time, the warriors were busy honing their blades
Tiamat and Marduk, defender ofthe gods, faced one another
Moving towards each other, preparing for the coming clash
The Lord unleashed his net, and cast it out to entrap Tiamat
He called from behind him the terror-gust to fly in her face

Tiamat figured to open her mouth so as to swallow the wind
BY,
Enuma Elish
But the great force ofthe terror-gust kept her mouth open
The raging winds bloated her belly, she spread her jaws wide
Marduk released an arrow which sted her distended middle
Then he cleaved her into two pleces and cut open her heart,
Having defeated her, thus bringing her hateful lifeto an end
Tossing her down onto the dirt and setting his feet upon her
And after this, when he had killed their war leader, Tiamat,
He caused their legions to disperse, her army was in disarray
And the gods who were her allies, who had stood beside her,
All ofthem shook in fear, were struck with terror, and fled
Yet he allowed them to give themselves up, sparing them,
Since they were at once encircled, and not allowed to escape

So he had them bound and destroyed all oftheir weaponry
And they were trapped within a net and there they remained
Then they shrank back, overcome as they were by despair
But they endured this affliction, ofbeing held incarcerated,
And concerning the several demons emitting deadly beams,
These being the army ofcreatures who passed to her right,

He attached onto them nose-leashes and bound their limbs
Then he crushed underfoot their foul instruments ofwarfare
Regarding Kingu, who was the highest ranked among them,
He ruined him, adding him to the tally ofthe other defeated,
Seizing from him the Tablet ofFate, which he did not deserve,
And impressed upon tt his own seal, clasping it at his chest
Then after he had overcome and destroyed his adversaries,
28
Tablet IV
Announcing that the defeated enemy were now his slaves,

He provoked a song ofvictory ofAnshar over all ofhis foes,
Realizing the plans which were formulated by Nudimmud
The warrior Marduk now dominated the incarcerated gods
To Tiamat he now turned his attention, the one he had caught
And the Lord Marduk trod upon the lower parts ofher body
Raising his merciless hammer high he pulverized her skull
Then sliced open the arteries that carried her watery blood
He caused the North Wind to take it, to convey good tidings
When his forebears saw it they were jubilant and all sang out,
Then made plans to meet him with presents, gifts ofgreeting
The Lord took a moment to rest and looked over her corpse
He split the monster's cadaver and made marvelous things
Severing it up the middle, flaying it in half like a drying fish
One ofwhich he thrust up to make the vault ofthe heavens

He drew a gate in front of it, put into the care ofa guardian
Her waters were bounded, so that they might not surge free
And he went forth traversing the sky, seeking a ho lyplace,
He made the Apsu, Nudimmud’s dwelling, entirely smooth,

And the Lord then measured out the Apsu’s total dimensions
The immense shrine which he built to resemble it was Esharra,
And in the temple Esharra, which he made to resemble heaven, _
There he placed the centers ofveneration for Anu, Ellil, and Ea.
DY
TABLET V
He constructed various stations for every one ofthe high gods

And concerning the stars, he placed constellations for each one
Then he established the year and set forth its subdivisions

He assigned three stars to signify each ofthe twelve months
And as he formulated his intentions for every day ofthe year,
He set forth the station ofNeberu to delineate their movement!
That not one ofthem would veer from its appointed course
In addition, he established the stations made for Ellil and Ea?
And made passages which passed through the two rib-racks,
Likewise forming a hatch both to the left and to the right®
While her liver was placed so as to locate the highest point
He brought into existence the crescent moon to rule night
And he assigned this night-gem to be an indicator ofdays,
“Never failfrom proceeding each month in a circle of light,
Upon the first ofthe month, spread your light to all lands
You arise bright with your horns, as an indicator ofsix days
"Known as ‘three stars each’
" Nebernis the planet Jupiter
* Probably the two hemispheres, for the stars of the northern hemisphere were those of Ellil
and the stars of the southern hemisphere were those of Ea, while the equatorial ones were
those ofAnu.
: That is, to the east and to the west
30
Tablet V
And upon the seventh day your crown ts half in darkness.

The fifteenth day will be halfway, at every month’s midpoint!
A time when Shamash faces you from the opposite horizon

Then slowly begin to diminish in appearance as you wane,
Make the day you are invisible near the track ofShamash,*
Upon the thirtieth day, perform calibrations for the year,”
Because Shamash ultimately determines the year’s length

Whenever there is an indicator, proceed over its own course
Then do not fail to enter the hall of‘judgement and decide:

Make your selection ofthe Bow Star ‘for robbery and war,
Make your choice Ninmah for pregnancy and the unborn,

Make your choice the Harrow for the fertility ofthe field,
"The waxing moon, now as a half-moon
"Thet 5" ofthe month is called the ‘shabattw’, ofthe same origin as ‘sabbath’.
* The New Moon, which occurs when the moon lies in the same direction as the sun
* This specifies a year oftwelve months of30 days each.

” The significant lacuna here is assumed to contain a designation of12 mansions ofthe moon,
or something like it, which would then be constellations nearer to the horizon rather than the
ecliptic: identifying the location at which the moon rises during each month throughout the
year. But the only clue for this reconstruction is the preserved identification ofthe fist as the
‘Bow Star’ (Sirius). Thus twelve reconstructed Babylonian constellations have been utilized
from White (2008), with proxy associations given for each constellation based upon
astrological omens, which help tdillustrate but not necessarily duplicate the original “fanhenda
Also added here is the creation of the ‘Star Cluster’ or the Pleiades, the appearance of which
heralded the Babylonian New Year.
3]
Enuma Elish
Make your choice the Wild Boar for growth and productivity,
Make your choice the Mad Dog for cleansing and purification,
Make your choice the Scorpion for the overthrow ofkingdoms,
Make your choice Pablisag to bring death and destruction,
Make your choice the Goatfish for disease, plague, and famine,
Let your choice be Gula as a source ofwealth and prosperity,
Make your choice Lulal and Latarak for defense and security,
Make your choice the Bull ofHeaven for ruin and desolation,
Make your choice the True Shepherd for revolt and occupation
Include likewise the Star Cluster for conquest and domination,
The Star Cluster will rise at the time ofthe New Year’s Festival,
Year after year it will be the most festive day among the people,
Then may all restrictions be lifted, and all ways be made clear,
The latch ofthe way out will be loosened to give free ingress
Beginning with these days until the coming close ofseasons,
Both the watches and day and night will be property assigned
Now will the dribble ofTiamat be the next thing to be utilized.”
Marduk collected together all ofthedribble that had spilled,

He collected it into clusters and made the scurrying clouds,
These stars are Canis Major (Bow Star), Argo (Ninmah), Crux (Harrow), Centaurus (Wild
Boar), Lupus (Mad Dog), Scorpius (Scorpion), Sagittarius (Pablisag), Capricornus (Goatfish),
Aquarius (Gula), Cetus (Lulal & Latarak), Tavrus (Bull of Heaven), Orion (True Shepherd),
and Pleiades (Star Cluster).
32
Tablet V
G wing rise to the winds and making it a source for the rains,
By gathering together her venom, he caused mists to swell
These he managed himself; to be controlled by his own hand

He set her head out and heaped up deep mounds ofterrain
Severing open bursting springs, from which streams poured
He made the Tigris and Euphrates rivers pour from her eyes
Sealed up her nostrils, so that the baleful river would not flow
He gathered together from her udder the treeless mountains
And drilled out holes so as to drain away the stagnant waters
Spanned her tail across, fixing itfast to tie up the heavens
And established the waters ofthe Apsu underneath his feet
Then he placed her thigh so as to bolster up the sky’s vault
Half ofher body was used to make the sky, half the earth
He twirled the creation, so that the insides ofTiamat spun
He spread out his net so that it spanned the entire world

Then fixed its end points to places upon heaven and earth
Binding them with knots after looping them around pillars
Then after he had set forth religion, designating its rituals,
He then tossed down the reigns, which were taken up by Ea.
He then took up the Tablet ofFate that Kingu had taken,
And he delivered it to Ea, to be used at the initial reading
Then the prisoners ofwar he’d shackled were rank-ordered;

And he marched them in enslavement before hisforebears
"In other words, he relinquished his oversight which was then taken up by Ea
si
Enuma Elish
As for the eleven demons Tiamat had spawned, he took them,
Destroyed their arms, and had them bound beneath his feet,
Then he had pictures made ofthem and fixed at Apsu’s gate,
“Let these be an indication that are recalled in future years!”
The gods all gazed, and their hearts were glad because ofhim
Then Lahmu, Lahamu, and his forebears clasped him fondly
And King Anshar declared they hold a celebration in his name

Then each ofthe gods Anu, Ellil, and Ea gave him many gifts,
And his mother Damkina likewise spoke joyous words to him;
And caused him to become bright within his splendid place

He assigned Usmu, who conveyed his giftas good tidings,
To serve as officer ofthe Apsu, and to manage the temples
Then the lgigi gathered and each ofthem bowed before him
Then every single one ofthe Anunnaki fell to kiss his feet
And thus the entire throng came to pay obeisance to him
Standing before him, they inclined, saying, “Truly, the King!”
The gods, his forebears, supped the full measure ofthe man,
Removing his ordinary clothes, besmirched with battle filth
And the gods, hisforebears, took due care ofhis every need
Showering his body with water imbued with cypress wood
Donning a regal raiment and aspect, anda fabulous crown,
He then picked up the mace and held it in his right hand

He then picked up the scepter and held it in his left hand,
And was led by Ellil to be seated upon the imperial throne,
aby
Tablet V
Who had afoot-rest placed there to accommodate his feet

Anu set upon his lap the bow which had pierced Tiamat,
And placed a rod ofpeace at his side, and one ofobligation
When the Mantles ofBrilliance were brought before him,
While his net was being used to hold fast dreadful Apsu,
Then a bull was led by Ea and slaughtered for the banquet
There within the innermost chamber ofhis throne room
And within his cellar were placed stocks ofwine and liquors
The gods and every living thing in existence revered him,
Lahmu and Lahamu paid their undivided homage to him,
They raised their voices to be heard, speaking to the lgigi,
“Until now Marduk has only been our own cherished son,
Yet now he also stands as your monarch, obey him truly!”
Then they raised their voices to be heard, speaking together,

“LUGAL-DIMMER-ANKIA is his name, put reliance in him! mt
And when Marduk was the recipient oftheir stately honors,
They declared splendid words ofpraise and service to him,
“From this time forward you will construct our holy temples
And everything you request ofus, we will always act to fulfill!”
So Marduk raised his voice to be heard, intending to speak,
The king raised his voice to speak to his forebears, the gods,
The task ofsubduing Apsu was performed by the god Ea, or Nudimmud; supra.
t This name means ‘ruler ofthe gods of heaven and earth’.
BD
Enuma Elish
“Above the sea-green dwelling, the Apsu, near to Esharra,

Which ] made for you, afterfirming the earth for a temp le,
There will 1 build my own personal abode, to solidify my rule,

At the times that you arise from the Apsu to havea congress,
Accommodating all ofyou, you will spend your nights there,

At the times that you descend from heaven to have a congress,
Accommodating all ofyou, you will spend your nights there,
From now on it will be called Babylon, the high gods’ place,
And we will cause it to be the locus ofall religious practices.”

And his forebears, the gods, heard every word ofhis decree,
“None but you, sire, could have devised such a worthy thing
Who could exceed your ability, beyond what you have done?
Who could exceed your works, beyond the lands you made?
The name you have just now enunciated, which is Babylon,
We will have found there our night's lodgings, forevermore!
As for the people, they must bring to us their usual offerings,
So that
man will be the one who must labor daily in thefield
And for every kind ofexertion that we do for his own benefit,
There will the product ofhis own labors be laid before us.”
And all shouted gleefully for the product ofhis great work
The gods will be their lords and have supremacy over them,
Who among them knows by what power they give him light?
He raised his voice to be heard, making his orders known,
His sovereignty was to be established over them henceforth

He was established upon the throne ofeverlasting honors
Tablet V
And they bowed to him in praise, then the gods said to him,
Speaking their words to their Lord, Lugal-dimmer-ankia,
“Until now Marduk has only been our own cherished son,
Yet now he also stands as your monarch, obey him truly.
The god Anu bestowed unto him long life and abundance,
The god Ellilgave Mantles ofBrilliance, mace and scepter,
The god Ea made known to him all the wisdom ofthe ages,
While we dedicate ourselves to defending his rule, forever!”
av
TABLET VI
Once Marduk heard the words that the gods had declared,
He was then determined to accomplish unparalleled deeds
Directing his words to Ea, ofthe plan he was mulling over,
“My thought is to collect blood, and construct bones also,

My thought is to create a primitive human, to be called Man
So thus ] am well inclined to give rise to primal humanity
And the work which is now done by the gods, he will do,
So that the gods will not be required to labor for evermore
Through this | will alter dramatically life among the gods,
So that they might be viewed as one, even ifin two camps.”
Ea replied to him, and said these words to him, to Marduk,
Relating to him what he thought would bring the gods rest,

“Then have one who has been rebellious be brought forward,
That he might be slain, so that people might thus be made
And then bring together a council ofall ofthe high gods,
Have the offender handed over, and convicted ofhis offence.”
So thus Marduk brought together a council ofthe high gods,

And related to them, without trouble, the details ofthe plan,
Passing on his commands, and the gods listened attentively,
And they heard everything which he communicated to Hem

Thus the king directed his words to the Anunnaki, saying,
“The decision you have made to crown me king shall endure,
May it not be superseded! And 1 will forever speak the law,
38
Tablet VI
And declare every statute on matters | have dominion over

Who is the one who is responsible for provoking this war,
And encouraging Tiamat to gather together a battle force?
Have this one who gave rise to the war brought before me,
So that he might be judged and sentenced for his offence,

So that you, the gods, will no longer be troubled by him.”
Then the gigi, the high gods, provided their answer to him,
To Lord Lugal-dimmer-ankia, judge ofthe gods, saying,
“The one you seek is Kingu, it ts he who provoked this war,
It was he who encouraged Tiamat to gather a battle force!”

And thus they chained him and brought him before Ea;
And they judged and sentenced him, and spilled his blood
From this Ea made humankind, from out ofhis lost blood
To him they gave the labor ofthe gods, thus freeing them
Then after the knowledgeable Ea had made humankind,
He had him do the labor ofthe gods, a deed beyond words,

For Nudimmud did it with the wondrous power ofMarduk
King Marduk then caused the gods to be separated into two,
Each ofthe Anunnaki was to be assigned above or beneath

And he spoke a pronouncement that Anu be the guardian,
And designated three-hundred gods to guard the heavens
Thus Kingu in his rebellion is not unlike Satan, and so this becomes the source of the innate
‘rebelliousness’ within mankind. (see George 2003; xl-xliii)
59
Enuma Elish
Then did Just the same in his declaration concerning earth,
So that the entire six-hundred resided on earth or in heaven
Then after he had finished making all ofhis declarations,

Having made the Anunnaki reside in either heaven or earth,
The Anunnaki raised their voices to Lord Marduk, saying,
“Since you have now liberated us from our work, O Lord,

What manner ofkindnesses might you now bestow unto us?
For we would like to construct a temp le ofgreat distinction,
To have our sleeping quarters alongside yours, so as to rest,
Thus permit us to build a temple where we might find shelter,

So that whenever we gather to you, we might lounge there.”
Once Marduk heard their words, his face shone like sunlight,
“Then build Babylon, to be the construction project you seek!

Have there be mud-bricks cast, and construct a lofty temple!”
Thus the Anunnaki excavated, making bricks for a full year,
And when the following year came, they had erected it high,
Raising aloft the peak ofEsagila, which was nearby the Apsu;
Thus they had constructed a lofty ziggurat fitfor the Apsu
There were also built places ofresidence for Anu, Ellil, and Ea
Highest among any edifice, it was established before them,
Where its towers gaze down upon the foundations ofEsharra

After they had completed their work on the temple Esagila,
Thus the ziggurat ofBabylon, or the ‘Tower ofBabel’
40
Tablet VI
And each ofthe Anunnaki made his own personal temple,

Then the three-hundred Igigi gods, who inhabited heaven,
Together with the Anunnaki gods ofthe Apsu, came together
Then the Lord invited his forebears, the gods, to afeast,
There in the vast palace he had made as his own residence,
“Truly, this ‘Gate ofGod’ will now likewise be your home!
And so let there be singing and festivity, and be content!”
Thus the high gods took their places there at the tables,
Beer mugs were set out, and they took part in the banquet
Then after having enjoyed themselves there for some time,
They all went to grand Esagila to make a show-offering
Thus every one ofthese orders and aims were established

And each god had been given a place in heaven or on earth
And fifty high gods set forth the seven echelons ofthe cult
And the Lord took his bow up and placed it before them,
His forebears, the gods, also examined the net he had made,
Inspecting the bow, gazing upon its wondrous workmanship,
And his forebears extolled all ofhis fine accomplishments
Then Anu lifted her up and addressed the divine council,
Kissing the bow, and saying, “Let her have unrivaled range!”
And declared for the bow what she would be called, saying,
’ This phrase, also meaning ‘she will be my daughter’, is a reference to the goddess Ishtar,
Anv’s daughter, associated too with the Bow Star. (Dalley 2000: 276)
4]
Enuma Elish
“Thus ought ‘Long and Far’be primary, ‘Victory’ secondary,

And her third name is ‘Bow Star’, for its glow in the heavens.”
And he secured her a place amongst her associates, the gods,
Then after Anu had declared the rank ofthe bow henceforth,
He located her throne, “Of all gods your place will be highest!”
Anu caused her to be seated at the divine council ofthe gods
The high gods congregated and made Marduk foremost ofall
Bowing themselves before him, they swore oaths ofallegiance,
And it was sworn by water and oil, motioning to their necks,
In doing so they thus affirmed that he be the gods’ overlord,
And certified his rule over every god in both heaven and earth
Then Anshar declared that Marduk be known as ASARLUHI,

“Then when his name is pronounced we will all bow ourselves!
And the gods are well advised to give due notice to his words
His declarations shall have precedence both above and beneath,
And there will be none higher than the son who is our avenger!
With his authority second to none, he shall have no challenger!
He will be a shepherd to the entire people ofhis own making,
May all his acts be spoken of in the future, never to be forsaken
He will begin the grand food-offering in honor ofhis forebears
He will be their guardian, and will be protector oftheir temples
He will cause them to breathe deeply ofthe smoke-offering,
’ Probably a reference to suffering punishment by behead ing ifthey did not honor their oath
42.
Tablet VI
As such he will cause their utterances to be joyous and mirthful

May his breath be as freely taken on earth as it is in heaven
May he cause the entire people ofearth to give him reverence,
So that humankind will remember him, and call him their god
May their mediating goddess give heed whenever he speaks,

May these food-offerings be made to both god and goddess
So that they never be forsaken! So that they abide by their god
So their nation is supreme, never ceasing from erecting temp les
Even as the entire people each chooses his own among the gods
For us, under whatever name he might be called, he is our god!
So gather round, and let us all call him by all his fifty names!
May all his manners be recalled in the future, all he does also!
MARDUK ~ as Anu, his father, chose at the time he was born
To guard pastures, lakes, and springs; so that herds increase,
Who overpowered the rebels with his awesome Flood-weapon

And released his forebears, the gods, from their anguishes
May his name be declared to be ‘The Son, King ofthe Gods!’

Might they walk henceforth in the glow ofhis pervading aura,
The humans that he made ofmortal life,who must breathe,
He set them to do the gods’ work, that they might have leisure
Both creation and obliteration, both sentence and absolution,
These he might always call upon, so they ought to defer to him

MARUKKA — is the name ofthe god that made humankind
Bringing blessings to the Anunnaki, freeing the lgigi from toil
45
Enuma Elish
MARUTUKKU — is benefactor ofthe land, town, and peop le
He is the one that humankind will give reverence for all time
MERSHAKUSHU — is severe but kind, forceful but forgiving
He is magnanimous ofheart, and is not ruled by his emotions

LUGAL-DIMMER-ANKIA — the name we gave him together
His decrees we made superior to those ofhisforebears, the gods
There is no doubt he is BEL ofevery god ofheaven and earth,

A king whose words are revered by the gods above and beneath
NARI-LUGAL-DIMMER-ANKIA — is his name as leader ofgods,
Who gave us homes in heaven and earth, despite the challenges,

And who assigned the various duties ofthe lgigi and Anunnaki
At the utterance ofhis names the gods rightly shudder at home
ASARLUHI — is the name given to him by his grandfather Anu!
May he provide guidance to the gods, and be the best chief,
Who, true to his name, is guardian ofboth divinity and nation,
Saving our homes from the tide ofwar, desp ite the challenges
Also, they refer to Asarluhi as NAMTILA, given he is god of life

He healed each ofthe injured gods as though he’d made them
He is Bel, who brings the dead gods back with his perfect spell,
Defeating all his challengers, and conquering all his enemies

The third name ofAsarluhi is NAMRU, given for this reason:
He is the god ofpurity who cleanses the pathways before us.”
Bel means ‘Lord’
" Asarluhi means first’
44
Tablet VI
Anshar, Lahmu, and Lahamu shouted out his three names;
They declared them openly before all their children, the gods,
“We have des ionated him to be known by these three names,
So then you too must shout these names out just as we have!”
And the gods were pleased and did as they were commanded
In Ubshu-ukkinakku there was a discussion in their assemb ly,
“We ought to do something to honor the son, the hero’s name,

Him who is our defender, and is our guardian and savior!”
They took seats at the council and started to proclaim fates

And they voiced his name during every one oftheir rituals
45
TABLET VII
“ASARE, giver offarmland, and he who defines its limits

Inventor ofcereals and flaxseed, who brings plant growth
ASAR-ALIM, whose sage words ofadvice are well regarded
Within the Hall ofthe Congress, esteemed above all others,

Among the gods, even the fearless ones give heed to him
ASAR-ALIM-NUNA, who is much honored and praised,
Who is the shining light ofhis forebears, his progenitors,
Who manages the decrees ofAnu,Ellil, Ea, and Damkina
Yes, itis he who sustains them, and gives them livelihood,
His own farm provides enough to bring surplus to the land
He is known as TUTU, having brought their restoration
And he will cleanse their temples that they need not work
And he will create a spell so that the gods will live in peace
If any ofthem should become enraged, he will quell him
He will be utmost at the congress ofhis forebears, the gods
And there will emerge no god who could surmount him
He as Tutu is also ZI-UKKINA, who enlightens his people
Who set furmly into place the flawless heaven for the gods,
Who determined their manner and established their order
Let him not ever be forsaken by the multitude ofhumanity
So that they may always recall a ll of his accomplishments
Tutu ts thirdly known as ZIKU, who insists upon cleanliness
46
Tablet VII
God ofsweet scents, and lord ofadherence and agreement,

Giver ofwealth and plenty, who produces beyond his needs,
He who can transform short supply into great abundance
When beset by the worst calamity, we smell his sweetness!
Let them speak utterances ofpraise and glorify him in song!
Fourth, may humankind worship Tutu by the name AGAKU,
He being lord ofthe immaculate spell, bringing resurrection

He is compassionate even to the gods who are captives ofwar
He relieved the burden placed upon the gods, even his rivals,
He who made humankind to release them from their labors,
Being filled with blessings, and one who can bring even life!
He will speak words as durable as stone that will not be lost
When the body ofpeople speak, who he made with his hands
Fifth, they will refer to Tutu as TUKU, of‘flawless incantations,
Eradicating all the malevolent through his immaculate spell
Call him SHAZU, fully aware ofthe gods’ plans and feelings
He will not permit the workers ofevil to fleefrom his clutches,
Founder ofthe divine council, who fulfills what pleases them,
Bringing the haughty to their knees under his broad shelter
Overseer ofjustice, and who recognizes deception in speech,
And from where he plainly differentiates a liefrom the truth
Let them also praise Shazu as ZISI, who stifles the aggressive,
Who banishes doom from the bodies ofhisforebears, the gods
Third, Shazu is SUHRIM, who eradicates all enemies in war,
47
Enuma Elish
Bringing an end to their plans, banishing them far and wide,

Bringing an end to all who are evil, no matter where they are
That the gathered gods may forever remember his victories!
Fourth, he as Shazu should too be known as SUHGURIM,
Having charge ofthe compliance ofhis forebears, the gods

Who eradicates the enemy and obliterates their descendants
Who ended their designs, so that nothing remained ofthem
May his name be praised and declared throughout the land
Fifth, let the descendants ofman know Shazu as ZAHIRIM,
Who brings every enemy, given to haughtiness, to an end
And all the gods, who had been driven out, to their temp les
So may it be instituted, that he might be known by this name

Sixth, have them all likewise worship Shazu as ZAHGURIM,
Who brought an end to every enemy by his fortitude in war
Call him ENBILULU, the master, and the bringer ofwealth;
They have a potent god, who rules the portents ofsacrifice,

Who guards pastures, lakes, and springs; for the land’s sake
Who releases springs and gives out water in plentiful supply
Second, they ought to know Enbilulu likewise as EPADUN,
As the master ofthe land and farming, bringer offurrows,
Who manages the canals which are in both heaven and earth
Who sustains the unsullied farmland throughout the country
Who makes the trenches and canals flow, and makes furrows
48
Tablet VI
Third, to praise Enbilulu as GUGAL of irrigation ofthe gods
And Lord ofplentitude and the abundances ofheaping grain

Who brings about wealth, who distributes his excess to others,
As the provider ofgrains, and as the cultivator ofcereal crops
Fourth, that he as Enbilulu is also known by them as HEGAL, |
As he who gathers into piles the spare supply for the peop le,
Who is the provider ofplentiful rains across the wide earth,
And who brings about the burgeoning ofallvegetative life
He is called SIRSIR, who heaped the mountains atop Tiamat,
Who captured, among the spoils ofwar, the cadaver ofTiamat
He is ruler ofthe land, and is likewise their good shep herd,
Who has given freely agriculture, garden land, and plow land
Who struck out into the wide Sea ofTiamat, when provoked
And he was spread over the entire field ofbattle, like a bridge
Second, that Sirsir is known as MALAH, and let her, Tiamat,’
Act as his barge from henceforth, and let him be her boatman
He is called GIL, who collects great piles and masses ofgrains,
Bringing both grain and herds; supplier ofthe land’s fertility

He is called GILIMA, for the divine force binding the cosmos,
Gugal means ‘canal manager’
t Hegal means ‘plenty’
* Malah means ‘boatman’
4
Enuma Elish
He brought order, the encircling band, which brings goodness

He is called high AGLIMA, who banished the flood and frost,
Made the land sit upon the waters, and formed soaring peaks
He is called ZULUM, who assigned plots of land for the gods,
Who diwied up what he had made, and bestowed temples,
Acting as both the giver of livelihood and the supplier offood,

He is called MUMMU, the maker ofboth heaven and earth,
Serving as controller oftheir forces, instiller oftheir energies

And ZULUM-UMMU, as god who purges heaven and earth,
There are none among the divinities who equal him in might
He is called GISH-NUMUN-AB, the one who made humanity,
And who likewise established the four divisions ofthe earth,

Who ended Tiamat’s divine force, and made man exclus ively
He is likewise known as the monarch, LUGAL-AB-DUBUR,
Who dispersed the offspring ofTiamat, and took her weapon
He put fortitude into both the rearguard and the vanguard

He ts PAGAL-GUENA, chief oflords, ofunsurpassed power
Being matchless among his kinsmen, the gods; their prince

He is LUGAL-DURMAH, the sovere ign, and the divine force,
And is likewise the lord ofthe binding force ofthe cosmos,
Being second to none in the palace; indisputably supreme
Compare with I] Esdras 16:58 — ‘He hath shut the sea in the midst ofthe waters, and with his
word hath he hanged the earth upon the waters.’
50
Tablet VII
He is ARANINA, Ea’s advisor, rock ofhisforebears, the gods,
Who remains unsurpassed in every one ofhis regal manners

He is DUMU-DUKU, whose pristine house sits on a holy hill,
Judgement would not be without Dumu-duku, LUGAL-DUKU.
He is king LUGAL-SHUANNA, ofunrivalled divine influence
Lord, strength ofAnu, foremost as the rightful heir ofAnshar
He is IRUGA, who set forth to draw them from Tiamat’s sway
Who unifies all wisdom, and holds a comprehensive insight
Call him IRKINGU, since he made Kingu a prisoner ofwar,

He pronounces rulings for all, and proclaims imperatives
Call him KINMA, as ruler ofallgods and source ofwisdom,

His uttered name makes gods shudder like an earthquake
Named E-SIZKUR, he has the foremost place at the temple,
The gods will arrive bringing gifts to place before his feet,
For as long as he accepts the dedications they give to him
There are none who could do sorcery without his backing
No other god will determine what is due the entire people,
Apart from his aid; nor the designation oftheir life-spans
Call him GIBIL, who determines the effectiveness ofarms,

He who worked wonders in his confrontation with Tiamat
Of deepest wisdom, and supreme in his comprehensions,
So deep it is beyond the grasp ofother gods to understand

His name will be ADDU, may he forever span the heavens,
Let his tremendous voice be heard booming above the earth
Let him discharge the rains which fall freelyfrom the clouds,
5I
Enuma Elish
Which are the source ofnourishment for humanity beneath
He is ASHARU, who, true to his name, rules the gods ofFate;

Truly he watches over every living person who lives on earth
Call him NEBERU, who secures the ways ofheaven and earth
Neither up nor down will they pass, but only with his consent
His star is Neberu, which is a dazzling light in the furmament
He secures the passages, thus they must seek his permission,
Saying, ‘He who incessantly passed within Tiamat without stop
will carry the name ofNeberu, for ho ding fast at her center
Let him be the one who sets the stars ofheaven on their way,
Let him be the shepherd ofthe gods, who will be his sheep
May he bring down Tiamat, strangle her and end her days
So, until the end oftime, she remains far‘from our children.’
Since he was the one who both made the heavens and earth,
Call him ENKURKUR, which his forebear Ellil called him,
Ea heard this name, and he was so known among the |gigi
And Ea was overcome with happiness, and spoke, saying,

‘He who has been given such a fine name by his forebears,
Deserves to be known by the name ‘Ea’, being my own name
He will rule over the particulars ofevery one ofmy rituals,

And will administer any matter which | have proclaimed.”
Thus with these fifty did the high gods give his fifty names )
Granting him preeminence; may they always be honored!
52
Tablet VII
And might the elder enlighten the younger concerning them

May men ofwisdom and instruction talk among themselves,
So the father might recall them, and pass them on to his son
And may both the shepherd and the herdsman be amenable,
That he not forget the wise counselor ofthe gods, Marduk,
So that his lands will remain productive, and himself secure
He speaks words ofstone, and commands beyond reproach
There are none among the gods who should alter his words
Even when overcome with anger, he does not avert his gaze;
But in his greatest ferocity and annoyance, the gods back off
His thinking is profound, and his feelings highly developed;
Both criminals and offenders are made to stand before him
And he had a scribe transcribe the unwritten commandments,
That had been repeated to him by the elderly amongst them,

Having this set forth in writing for men to read into the future
Might mankind, the people ofMarduk, made by the Igigi gods,
Invoke the story, utter his name, recalling the Song ofMarduk
Of him who struck down mighty Tiamat, and was made king!
53
ATRAHASIS
* 4h
mea bd
Pati,
f
ae
i= Bu Pe
ms* rs : =
ie ee‘i
TABLET |
When gods, not men, performed the work, bore the burdens
The weight was too great, the work too taxing, a sore plight
So the seven great Anunnaki made the lgigi to take the load
The king was their father, Anu; their counselor ofwar, Ellil,
The chamberlain, Nimrod; and their canal manager, Ennugi,
Taking up the container they cast lots, the gods diwied up,
So that Anu took his home in the heavens, to live in the sky
While Ellil went to make his abode among the men ofearth
And astute Enki acquired for himself the entire sea’s crater
After Anu was in the sky, and the Apsu gods did descend,
Then the heavenly Anunnaki made the Igigi take the load
They caused the gods to carve out the many water canals
They had to open up conduits, the sustenance ofthe bea
They caused the gigi to carve out the many water canals
They had to open up conduits, the sustenance ofthe land
So the immortals carved out the channel ofthe river Tigris

And the divinities carved out the channel ofthe Euphrates
Boring a chamber at the lowest depths, setting stanchions
In the deep waters ofthe Apsu, beneath a covering ofland
They placed braces within, situating these to raise it aloft,
Those which stand at the peaks, underlying all mountains
And they kept track ofevery long year that they worked
oY
Atrahasis
The excess water drained down to fillup the great swamp

And they kept track ofevery long year that they worked
It was 3,600 years in which they carried the heavy loads,

The work was burdensome; they were busy night and day
So they grumbled and blamed one another often enough,
They complained over the piles ofsoil they had dug up,
“We should go to the chamberlain, to our chief overseer,
So that he might bring us rest from our unrelenting labors!
Let us go and bring out the lord, as the supreme authority,
As the counselor ofwar, bring him forth out ofhis house,
Let us go there and collect Ellil, as the supreme authority,
As the counselor ofwar, bring him forth out ofhis house.”

Among them Alla raised his voice to speak and be heard
Making a speech to his brothers, to all ofthe high gods,
“We've kept track ofevery long year that we've worked
It has been 3,600 years we have carried the heavy loads,
The work is burdensome; we remain busy night and day
So we've grumbled and blamed one another often enough,
We complain over the piles ofsoil thatwehave dug up,
We should go to the chamberlain, to our chief overseer,
So that he might bring us rest from our unrelenting labors!
Let us go and bring out the lord, as the supreme authority,
As the counselor ofwar, bring him forth out ofhis house,
Let us go there and collect Ellil, as the supreme authority,
58
Tablet I
As the counselor ofwar, bring him forth out ofhis house

So let us raise up our battle cry and bring war to the fore!”
The gods listened to every word as he made his speech,
They placed their implements in piles and set them aflame
Their troubles dispatched to the fire god, consumed infire
When they arrived at the gate ofEllil, wise war counselor,

It was already nighttime; it was already the middle watch
His house was already encircled, but the god did not know
It was already nighttime; it was already the middle watch,
Ekur had already been encircled, but Ellil did not know it
But his servant Kalkal had the good sense to close the gate
He secured the lock and then kept an eye on the entryway
Kalkal went and woke Nusku, and they observed the lgigi,
Nusku then went to wake up his lord, got him out ofbed,
“Master, you must know that your house is surrounded,
And a raucous mob has already gathered about your door!

Master Ellil, you must know your house is surrounded,
And a raucous mob has already gathered about your door!”
So Ellil had weapons he kept for his residence brought out
Ellil raised his voice to be heard, saying to his officer Nusku,
“Nusku, first you must go and suitably secure the door,
Then pick up your weapons and set yourself before me.”
So Nusku went and sought to suitably secure the door,
Then picked up his weapons and took his place before Ellil
Nusku raised his voice to be heard, speaking to chief Ellil,
59
Atrahasis
“My lord, behold your feeshas become pale as a tamarisk!

For what reason do you show such fear ofyour own clan?
Ellil, behold, your ‘face has become pale as a tamarisk tree!
For what reason do you show such fear ofyour own clan?
Make an announcement that Anu might come to your aid,
And do so that Enki will have cause to stand by your side.”
So a herald was sent with word that Anu might come to him,
And so that Enki had cause to journey and stand at his side,
So that now the king ofthe wide heavens, Anu, had arrived,
And so too the king ofthe mighty abyss, Enki was there too
Also, there gathered the great Anunnaki to be in attendance
Ellil stood up to make his case, raising his voice to be heard,
He spoke to the entire assembly ofthe high gods gathered,
“Have they raised up in armed rebellion so as to depose me?
Ought | now raise my weapons to go against my own clan?
For what did | behold here with my own eyes when 1 looked,
But that there was an angry mob assembled about my door!”
Anu raised his voice to be heard, speaking to the chief Ellil,

“Then command Nusku to go, to divine the Igigi’s purpose
Have him establish the will ofthose gathered at your door
A word from you and this whole thing could be cleared up
To find out for what reason they have gathered at your door.”
“Nusku, go first to open the door, then pick up your weapons
60
Tablet I
And take your place before me! Then go out among the gods
First prostrate yourself, then rise up and speak to them thus:
‘Your father Anu, supreme authority Ellil, the lord Nimrod,
And the manager ofyour canals Ennugt, wish me to request:
Who is the one among you who is leader ofthis heated mob?
Who is the one among you who is organizer ofthis uprising?
Who among you has tuned his face unto the arena ofwar?
Who are you that have come here hastily to the door ofEllil?”
So Nusku went and opened the door, picked up his weapons
Then took his place before Ellil, in the presence ofthe gods
After prostrating himself, he rose and spoke to them thusly,
“Your father Anu, supreme authority Ellil, the lord Nimrod,

And the manager ofyour canals Ennugi, wish me to request:
Who among you has turned his face unto the arena ofwar?
Thus Nusku spoke to carry out the duty given to him by Ellil
Now Alla raised his voice to be heard, speaking to Nusku,
“Every one ofthe gods is ready to come to blows over this!
And we have thus stopped partaking in our endless digging,
The burden isfar too heavy for us, and it was diminishing us
The weight is very great, the work too taxing, a sore plight!
And so each god sought to bring his discontent before Ellil.”

Nusku hefted up his weapons, turned and came back to Ellil
61
Atrahasis
“My lord, | performed my mission to disclose the situation

] went tofind an answer as to why your door issurrounded
Having explicated the things you gave me charge to convey,
This then iswhat response they gave me in reply;they said,
‘Every one ofthe gods is ready to come to blows over this!
So Ellil listened to everything he said, and became tearful,
Ellil chose words with care, speaking to the conqueror Anu,
“Wise judge, return with this verdict to your heavenly realm
Flex your muscles before the Anunnaki gathered about you,
Declare one god from among them, allocate him tb perish!”
Anu raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his fellow gods,

“For what reason would we have to criticize their comp laints,
The weight was too great, the work too taxing, a sore plight!
Every day the earth re-echoed the sounds oftheir agonies

This was a warning which we all heard, it was clear enough,
There is only one course open tous, and a single
thing to do
We must create a creature who can carry the burden ofgods
When you are there with the Anunnaki gathered around you,
And so too is Belet-ili the womb-goddess in your presence,
Declare one ofthe gods among them, allocate him to perish!”
62
Tablet I
Anu raised his voice to be heard, saying to his officer Nusku,
‘Nusku, go first to open the door, and pick up your weapons

Then go out and prostrate yourself before the gathered gods
Then rise and raise your voice to be heard, and say to them:
‘Your ‘father Anu, supreme authority Ellil, the lord Nimrod,
And the manager ofyour canals Ennugi, wish me to request,

So when Nusku heard everything, he picked up his weapons,
Then after prostrating himself before the gathering ofgods,
He rose, and rais ing his voice to be heard, said this to them,
“Anu, your father, supreme authority Ellil, the lord Nimrod,
And the manager ofyour canals Ennugi, wish me to request,
Who are you that have come here hastily to the door ofElli?”
[This Nusku spoke to carry out the duty given to him by Ellil
The burden is fartooheavy
forus,and itwas diminishingus
63
Atrahasis

“My lord, 1 performed my mission to disclose the situation
1 went to find an answer as to why your door is surrounded
This then iswhat response they gave me in reply; they said,
And so each god sought to bring his discontent before ElliL”
Ellil chose words with care, speaking to the combatant Anu,
Declare one godfrom among them, allocate him to perish!”
Ea raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his brother gods,
“For what reason would we have to criticize their complaints,

There is only one course open to us, and a single thing to do
(We must create a creature who can carry the burden ofgods)
Belet-ili the womb-goddess is here to make a primitive man

That he be made to bear the yoke and to carry the burdens
64
Tablet I
[Let him be the one to bear the yoke, who does Ellil’s work,
And so man will be the one who performs the labor ofgods!”
Ea raised his voice to be heard, saying to his officer Nusku,

“Nusku, go first to open the door, and pick up your weapons
Then go out and prostrate yourself before the gathered gods
Then rise and raise your voice to be heard, and say to them:
‘Your father Anu, supreme authority Ellil, the lord Nimrod,
Who among you has turned hisface unto the arena ofwar?
So when Nusku heard everything, he picked up his weapons,
Then after prostrating himself before the gathering ofgods
He rose, and raising his voice to be heard, said this to them,
“Anu, your father, supreme authority Ellil, the lord Nimrod,
Who is the one among youwho is leader ofthis heated mob?
Who among you has tuned hisface unto the arena ofwar?
This Nusku spoke to carry out the duty given to him by Ellil
65
Atrahasis

“My lord, 1 performed my mission to disclose the situation
1 went tofind an answeras to why your door is surrounded
This then is what response they gave me in reply; they said,
Ellil chose words with care, speaking to the combatant Anu,
Declare one godfrom among them, allocate him to perish!”]
Ellil raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his brother gods,
[“For what reason would we have to criticize their complaints,
There is only one course open to us, and a single thing to do
66
Tablet I
We must create a creature

who can carry
the burden ofgods]
Belet-ili the womb-goddess is here, have her bear offspring
That man will be the one who performs the labor ofgods!”
They called the goddess, the midwife, shrewd Mami, saying,

“You are the womb-goddess, give rise to the species ofman!
Give rise to a primitive human, to perform the labor ofgods!
Let him be the one to bear the yoke, who does Ellil’s work,
So that man will be the one who performs the labor ofgods!”
Nintu raised her voice to be heard, speaking to the high gods,
“It is not best that |fashion him, this is better done by Enki
For it is by his efforts that things are made free from error
But ifhe provides me with clay, Iwill certainly carry tt out.”
Enki raised his voice to be heard, speaking to the high gods,
“Know that on the first, seventh, and fifteenth ofthe month

Iwill conduct a water-purification, and one god will be slain
Thus the gods will be cleansed through these holy ablutions

Then Nintu will combine the clay with his flesh and blood
So that a being, divine and mortal, will come from the clay
Then we will hear the heart-beat rhythms from henceforth

Let the spirit arise into being from out ofthe divine flesh,
But let her relate to man, while he is alive, ofhis condition
So they will never forget that the spirit is eternally made.”
" Enki is another name for Ea, the water god.
67
Atrahasis
And all gathered in the assemblage gave their affirmation,

Of the holy Anunnaki who were the determiners ofdestiny
Then it was on the first, seventh, and fifteenth ofthe month
That he conducted a water-purification through immersion
The wise god llawela was chosen to be slain at the congress
Nintu combined together the clay with his flesh and blood
So that they heard the heart-beat rhythms from henceforth
And the spirit arose into being from out ofthe divine flesh,
Nintu related to man, while he was alive, of his condition
So they would never forget that the spirit is eternally made

Then after having done this she combined together the clay,
Then she convened the high gods, both Anunnaki and Igigi
And she caused her sp ittle to dribble onto the heap ofclay
Then Mami raised her voice, speaking to the high gods,
“1 have done precisely the task that was given to me to do

And you have slain a god altogether along with his mind
Now | have brought you release from your tiresome tasks
And have caused your burdens to be shifted onto mankind
While you have given humanity the capacity for speaking
Thus | have released the bonds and brought you freedom!”
Hearing every word spoken with relief, they kissed her feet
“Until now we have referred to you by the name ofMami,
But henceforth you shall be called ‘Mistress ofall the Gods!”

Then astute Enki and wise Mami went to the abode ofFate
There the womb-goddesses had already gathered together
68
Tablet I
And there he stomped upon the clay pile while she stood by
So she chanted the spells Enki, who was there, asked her to
When she had finished, she pulled offfourteen bits ofclay
Setting out seven bits on her right and seven bits on her left,
And midway between the columns she set there a mud-brick
And then she slit open a stiffreed and severed the umbilical
Then called over the clever and worldly womb-goddesses,
Here, seven and seven, were seven males and seven females,
For the womb-goddesses were the determiners ofdestiny
So he covered each pair, Enki covered them, as she looked
And Mami set forth the following customs for the people:
Within the dwelling ofthe woman who is the one bearing,
Then shall the mud-brick be placed there for seven full days
Then there will be a tribute to Belet-ili, the sagacious Mami,
And joy in the midwife’s heart within the new mother’s home
After bearing her baby, then the mother will separate herself
Thus the man will be paired with the girl, who is yet a virgin,
Only after maturing, when her bosom has fully developed,
And when the young man’s beard is seen upon his cheek
Within the gardens and paths will she find her husband.”
And the womb-goddess came together there with Nintu,
And they counted every one ofthe months as they went by

Assigning the tenth month to be the designated duration
Then after one full term, upon arrival ofthe tenth month,
She would deftly manage a measure and open the womb
69
Atrahasis
And her expression would be one ofJoy and satisfaction

And she would drape her head and take the role ofmidwife
She would then secure her belt, and speak aloud a blessing
Then spread flour into a picture, and set out a mud-brick
“I was the one who created, my hands the ones which made
The midwife will be joyous in the nursing-priestess’s house
Anywhere a woman gives birth, and the mother is separated,
Then there shall the mud-brick be placed forfully nine days

And the womb-goddess Nintu shall receive her due honors
Then she will utter the name oftheir undying mother ‘Mami’
And likewise will she speak the name ofthe womb-goddess,
And spread out a cloth oflinen when the house bed is made
The wife and the husband will select each other for partners
And Ishtar will be gladdened by the wedding ofman and wife,
Where it will take place within the dwelling ofthe father-in-law

And there shall be celebrations which last forfully nine days
Where they will call upon Princess Ishtar by the name ‘Ishhara’
Then on thefifteenth day, as has been determined by destiny,
She will call the bride and the groom togethertothe bridal bed®
The man and wife will then live together, bound to one another
And shall carry out the work for their existence, acting in virtue
Never straying from the honorable, bringing the gifts ofgods,
To live according to the ways established forthem by the gods:
70
Tablet I
To livefreefrom adulterous acts or satisfying homosexuality,

To livefreefrom shameful acts or what brings hands to guilt
Do not attain your wealth unduly, but gain by upright means
Be satisfied with your own things and do not take from others
Do not engage in deceit, but declare all truthfully and honestly
Above all honor the gods, and after them honor your parents
Perform labors so you can manage through your own efforts,
Because the one who is idle makes his livelihood from stealing
Learning a skill gives a man his living, the slothful go hungry
Do not find yourself eating what another man has left behind,
Rather obtain your food properly from the fruit ofyour labors
But ifhefails to acquire a skill, in its place he must ply the hoe
There is no shortage ofwork for one who is agreeable to labor
Become a marine merchant, ifwishing to sail; the seas are vast
Ifyou prefer to plow cultivatable land, the countryside is wide
Nothing worthwhile comes without toil,for men or for gods
Likewise, through work one enlarges his own righteousness
When ants leave their nests, unseen deep within the earth,
Driven by their requirement that they provender themselves,
When the field has filled the threshing floor with its bounty
After reaping, they carry loads ofthe newly threshed grain
' These 28 lines are from Pseudo-Phocylides (3-8, 153-174), provided as a vague substitute for
the absent instructional lines.
71
Atrahasis
Be it wheat or barley, one hauler follows behind the other,

It isfrom summer’s harvest that they stock up winter’s food
Not given to rest, these minute ones do afair share oflabor
While too the bee works, through the air, toiling tirelessly,
Be it within the cleft ofan empty rock or amongst reed-beds,
Or be it within an old hollow oak tree; there inside their nests,
Swarming in their combs ofinnumerable cells, making wax
Thus man will seek his work and continue until the twilight
Prepare the home for his arrival, when his day's work is done
The father’s son learns this from him, remaining at his side.”
The gods went out to look upon the tasks being done nearby
They remained there a while and then went to the god Ellil,
And he gathered up the things which were required to forge

He then saw the father and his son and walked up to them
Ellil showed them the way to smelt iron and to work steel
And they took up the metal implements from the ash pile
From these they produced new picks and spades to utilize
To dig long channels to provide food and please the gods”
And the water fed the lands well, food became abundant
People harvested their fields ofgrain, made bread, and ate,
They performed then for the first time the many sacrifices:
So they prepared a flour-offering to the gods, their patrons
And they prepared a food-offering to the gods, their patrons
They prepared a present-offering to the gods, their patrons
They prepared a show-offering for the gods, their patrons
ae
Tablet I
They prepared a smoke-offering to the gods, their patrons

They prepared a disperse-offering to the gods, their patrons
They prepared an incense-offering to the gods, their patrons
In addition to this they made their daily sacrifices to the gods
And the gods enjoyed their offerings, and were contented
But man gathered, going about their business in the towns
They ate their bread and drank their beer and had offspring
And their numbers became more and more; greater byfar
Six-hundred years, not even six-hundred years went by
The inhabited land sprawled and the people grew plentiful

And the inhabited lands raised a howl like a bellowing bull
But the god was annoyed by all the noise that they made
Ellil had to put up with all oftheir loud clamor and clatter
Ellil raised his voice to be heard, speaking to the high gods,
“The noise which is made by man has become too great,
All ofthis clamor and clatter has kept me from my sleep

Therefore command an outbreak ofthe shivering disease
And thus the divine Namtara was summoned by the gods
Then the divine Namtara unleashed the shivering disease,
And all of thepeople were beset by the plague outbreak
There was one man among them who was named Atrahasis
And he heeded diligently the words spoken by his god Enki
He often communed with his god, recetving the god’s reply
Atrahasis raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his lord,
73
Atrahasis
“How long are we going to be beset by this terrible disease?

Is it their intention that we bear this syndrome for all time?”
Enki raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his servant,
“Bring together the elders; gather to you the men ofrank
So as to instigate a rebellion within your own community!
Send out messengers to announce this within every district
And cause them to raise a loud cry throughout all lands
That you no longer will pay fitting homage to your gods
That you no longer beseech the favor ofyour goddesses
But rather find your way to the door ofthe god Namtara
Present him a loaf ofbaked bread, leave a flour offering,
And let him feel his own shame upon receiving these gifts
So that he might remove from you his discredited hand.”
Atrahasis did as he was told, bringing the elders i his door
And he raised his voice to be heard, speaking to the elders,
“| have brought together the elders, and the men ofrank,
So as to instigate a rebellion within our own community

But rather find your way to the door ofthe god Namtara
Present hima loafofbaked bread, leave a flour offering
The hand ofthe god, meaning his influence, the plague
t
Tablet I
That he might remove from offofus his discredited hand.”
And the elders paid heed to his prudently spoken advice
Thus they built a temple in the city dedicated to Namtara,
Sent out messengers to announce this within every district
And caused them to raise a loud cry throughout all lands
So they no longer would pay fitting homage to their gods
So they no longer beseeched the favor oftheir goddesses
But rather found their way to the door ofthe god Namtara
Presented him a loaf ofbaked bread, left a flour offering,
Such that he himselffelt shame upon receiving these gifts
So that he removed from offofthem his discredited hand
And the shivering disease was no longer a menace to them
Then after this the gods received again their daily offerings
Though their numbers were no less, but became even greater
While the racket, their clamor and clatter, grew ever louder!
75
TABLET 1]

Ellil had to put up with all oftheir loud clamor and clatter

Now let us make it so the humans will be denied their food!
So that growth will not be great enough to cure their hunger!
Let it be so, that in the heavens Adad will withhold his rain,
And beneath no subterranean water will gush from springs

Cause the winds to be unleashed and rage, denuding the soil
Let there be clouds aloft in the sky, but which bring no rain
So the farmers’ fields will yield hardly any crop to speak of
Let Nissaba hold back the nourishing flow from her breasts
There are to be no blessings which are bestowed unto them
So that their lives will be wretched and filled with misery.””
[Then thegods sent messengers toAdad towithhold hisrain,
To Nissaba to withhold the nourishing flow ofher breasts,
And the winds were unleashed and raged, denuding the soil
There were clouds aloft in the sky, but they brought no rain
So the farmer's fields yielded hardly any crop to speak of
76
Tablet I
There were no blessings which were bestowed unto them

So that their lives became wretched and filled with misery
Atrahasis raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his lord,
“How long are we going to be beset bythis terrible famine?
“Bring together the elders, gather toyou the men of rank!
So as to instigate a rebellion within your own community
And cause them to raise a loud cry throughout all lands,
But rather find your way to the door ofthe rain god Adad
Present him a loafofbaked bread, leave a flour offering,
So that he might remove from you his discredited hand.”
Atrahasis did as he was told, bringing the elders to his door
And he raised his voice to be heard, speaking to the elders,]
“| have brought together the elders, and the men ofrank,
So as to instigate a rebellion within our own community
But rather find your way to the door ofthe rain god Adad
77
Atrahasis
Present him a loaf ofbaked bread, leave a flour offering,

That he might remove from offofus his discredited hand
To condense a misty haze that will appear in the morning,
So during the night he will go and beckon droplets ofdew,
As patron, to restore the fruitfulness ofthe land nine-fold.”
Thus they erected a temple in the city dedicated to Adad,
Sent out messengers to announce this within every district
And caused them to raise a loud cry throughout all lands,
So they no longer would pay fitting homage to their gods
So they no longer beseeched the favor oftheir goddesses
But rather made their way to the door ofthe rain god Adad
Presented him a loaf ofbaked bread, left a flour offering,
Such that he himselffelt shame upon receiving these gifts
So that he removed from offofthem his discredited hand
And condensed a misty haze that appeared in the morning,
So during the night he went and beckoned droplets ofdew
As patron, he restored the fruitfulness ofthe land nine-fold,
So that the days ofdryness passed, and the drought ended

Then after this the gods received again their daily offerings
But in less than three periods oftime, then it came to pass,

So the gods were bothered by all the noise that they made
78
Tablet II

“The noise which is made by man has become too great, —
Let it be that Anu and Adad shut the sky above their lands
Let it be that Sin and Nergal seal shut the middle region
And regarding the barrier which defines the limits ofOcean
It will be for Ea and his 4ahmuemen to assure it’s kept closed
So Anu and Adad went and shut the sky above their lands
Sin and Nergal assured that a seal secured the middle region
And regarding the barrier which defines the limits ofOcean,
Ea and his ahmu-men assured that this too was kept closed
And that man ofgreat wisdom, Atrahasis, cried every day
He would walk the riverside grass with an incense-offering

Even though there was not a murmur from the canal waters
Still, at midnight he dutifully made the sacrificial offering
And even as the lassitude ofsleep was getting hold ofhim,
Still he spoke to the irrigation waters in the canal channels,
“May the irrigation waters carry it away, the river convey it,
Let this gift offering find its way to the feet ofmy lord, Ea
So that when Ea looks upon it that he will not forsake me!

So that when |sleep | might experience a portentous dream.”
After this, and he’d conveyed his package upon the waters,
He sat down with his face to the river and began to weep,
And the man cried as he remained by the side ofthe river

There he wept while looking over the surface ofthe waters,
79
Atrahasis
As his entreaty was making its way down into deep Apsu
And Ea heard what he had spoken, and having heeded him,
He called together his AAmu-men, addressing them thusly,
“Go and seek out the man who has sent this bequest to me
And when you find him, learn what plight has befallen him
Have him tell you everything which goes on in their lands.”

So theyjourneyed across the magnificently broad oceans
Until they went the entire way to the Apsu water’s shore
Conveying to Atrahasis the message they brought from Ea,
“Are you the weeping man who sent his plea into the Apsu?
Know that Ea has heard you and that we were sent by him.”
And Atrahasis raised his voice, speaking to the AAmu-men,
i it is true that Ea has heard me, then what did he receive?”

The AAmumen raised their voices, speaking to Atrahasis,
“We know that even as you were being overcome by sleep,
The irrigation waters carried your gift, the river conveyed it,
And your offering found its way to the feet ofyour lord, Ea
So when Ea looked upon it he remembered you and sent us.”

He lowered himself to the ground and kissed it before them
Then the ahmu-men went back across the waters ofOcean
Ea raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his officer Usmu,
“Go forth and seek out Atrahasis, and convey my decision:
That the state ofyour lands arises from the people’s actions.”
And thus Usmu, Ea’s officer, raised his voice to Atrahasis,
“The state ofyour lands is the result ofthe people’s actions
80
Tablet II
Ifthere is no water to speak ofand fields engender no longer,

This has come about because there is very little that 1can do
Ifthe gods have abandoned you this is why you are forsaken
The land is like a youth who has fallen down upon hisface
And having fallen no longer gets succor from the sky’s teats
The land has fallen like a fig which is lying upon the ground
The teats ofheaven are closed up and are not given to stream
The waters ofthe Abyss below are dammed and will not flow
Thus from this have the dark plowed lands become blanched
From this the pastures liefallow, unadorned by rising grain.”
So from on high, no rain descended to fill the canal works

Below, subterranean waters no longer gushed from springs,
There was no delivery which sprung from the earth’s womb

Nothing green took root and no plants grew into fruition
The folks no longer gazed over the bands ofgrowing wheat
The black soil ofthe countryside had been blanched white
The landscape everywhere lay encrusted with a salty dust
For the first year they consumed any grain that was in store
For the next there was none left to take from the storerooms
In the third year they were showing the signs ofstarvation
So that their faces were a matrix ofsores, like malted grain,
And they remained alive only by clinging urgently onto life
Their faces became sunken; they walked bent-over in public
Their shoulders, once steadfastly set, were now slouching
Their former bearing, once raised aloft, was now drooping
81
Atrahasis
So they conveyed the message from Atrahasis to the gods

Setting the matter forth before the gathering ofthe high gods,
They convened, prepared to address the situation facing them
The words which had been sent by Atrahasis were conveyed

Setting the matter forth before the gathering ofthe high gods,
[“How long are we going to be beset by this terrible distress?

Then Ellil raised his voice, speaking to his children the gods,
“No longer shall the diseases be unleashed upon mankind,
Though their numbers are no less, but are even greater still!
Though| amjustas annoyed by the racket that they make,
And am yet unable to sleepfrom all their clamor and clatter!
Then let us make it so the humans will be denied their food!
Make it so that there is not enough corn tofilltheir stomachs!
And make it so that Adad in heaven will hold back his rains,
Beneath will he act to assure waters do not gush from springs!
So that thefarmer’s fields no longer produce in abundance
So the black soil ofthe countryside becomes blanched white
So the landscape everywhere is encrusted with a salty dust
Let earth deny her succor, so nothing grows, not even grain
Make it so that people are plagued by the horrible disease,
Constrict the birth channel so as to deny a prosperous birth!”
Thus they made it so the humans would be denied their food
Making it so there was not enough corn to filltheir stomachs
82
Tablet II
Made it so that Adad in heaven would hold back his rains,

Beneath he acted to assure waters did not gush from springs
So that the farmer’s fields no longer produced in abundance
And Nissaba held back the nourishing flow from her breasts,
So the black soil ofthe countryside became blanched white
So the landscape everywhere lay encrusted with a salty dust
And earth denied her succor, so nothing grew, not even grain,
Made it so the people were plagued by the horrible disease,
Constricting the birth canal so as to deny a prosperous birth
Ea with his mu-men were watchful at the bolt ofthe sea
On high, Adad made itso that his rains were in short supply
Below, subterranean waters no longer gushed from springs
And Nissaba held back the nourishing flow from her breasts]

The inhabited land sprawled and the peop le grew plentiful,
(And the inhabited lands raised a howl like a bellowing bull)

And could get no sleep with all oftheir incessant clamor
Ellil convened a congress, speaking to his children the gods,

So that ] have become agitated from their eternal racket,
And 1am denied sleep from all oftheir incessant clamor
We'll have Namtar put an end to this din without delay!
83
Atrahasis
And bring on malaise, the shivering, and horrible diseases
To be unleashed in a fury, with the violence ofa hurricane.”

So the order was given, the shivering disease was unleashed
And they had Namtar put a stop to their din without delay
Malaise, shivering, and horrible diseases came like a storm
But the upright man Atrahasis heard the word of his lord Ea
Atrahasis raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his god,
And in answer he heard the word spoken by his master Ea
“My master, the people are overcome with groans ofagony!
The disease outbreak ofthe gods is obliterating the country!
Master Ea, the people are overcome with groans ofagony!
The disease outbreak ofthe gods is obliterating the country!
As you made man, you should put an end to these maladies,
Bring an end to the diseases: malaise, shivering, and horrible
Then Ea raised his voice to be heard, speaking to Atrahasis,
“Bring together the elders, gather to you the men ofrank!
[Discontinue the performance ofthe holy rites ofNamtar!

Present hima loaf
of baked bread, leave a flour offering,
Find your way to the door of Namtar and beseech to him,
That by these offerings he will remove his discredited hand.”]
34
Tablet II
Ellil convened a congress, speaking to his children the gods,
“No longer shall the diseases be unleashed upon mankind,
Though | am just as annoyed by the racket that they make,

And am yet unable to sleep from all their clamor and clatter!
Thus let us make it so the humans will be denied their food!
Make it so that there is not enough corn to fill their stomachs!

So that the farmer's fields no longer produce in abundance
Make it so that people are plagued by the horrible disease,

Making it so there was not enough corn to fill their stomachs
And earth denied her succor, so nothing grew, not even grain
85
Atrahasis

Ea with his 4ahmu-men were watchful at the bolt ofthe sea
On high, Adad made it so that his rains were in short supply


Thereby
the lands were beset byfamine, itspeople bymisery
[For the first year they consumed any grain that was in store]
For the next there was none left to take from the storerooms
By the fourth year their once steadfast shoulders slouched
Unlike previous years, they now walked bent-over in public
And these were the circumstances when the fifth year came:
The daughter looked with contempt on her mother’s arrival
And the mother would fail to invite her own daughter inside
The daughter kept her eye on the scales at her mother’s sale
The mother kept her eye on the scales at her daughter’s sale
By the time the sixth year came, the daughter was the meal
And the honorable son was distinguished as the main course
ale)
Tablet II
Thus were all the generations ofmankind consumed by Fate

Until there were only but one or two homes still left occupied

But the upright man Atrahasis, heard the word of his lord Ea
He removed himselffrom his god’s communication conduit
Instead he set his bed nearby to the canals, which spoke not
[Still, at midnight he dutifully made the sacrificial offering
And even as the lassitude ofsleep was getting hold ofhim,
Still he spoke to the irrigation waters in the canal channels,
“May the irrigation waters carry it away, the river convey it,
Let this gift offering find itswaytothefeet ofmy lord, Ea
So that when Ea looks upon it that he will not forsake me!
So that when 1 sleep 1 might experience a portentous dream. ”
AndEa heard what he had spoken, and having heeded him,

He called together his hmu-men, addressing them thusly,
“Go and seek out the man who has sent this bequest to me.”
So theyjourneyed across the magnificently broad oceans
Until they went the entire way to the Apsu water's shore
Conveying to Atrahasis the message they brought from Ea
He lowered himself to the ground and kissed it before them
Then the hmu-men went back across the waters ofOcean
Ea raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his officer Usmu,
“Go forth and seek out Atrahasis, and convey my decision,
87
Atrahasis
That the state ofyour lands comes from the people’s actions.”
And from on high, no rain descended tofill the canal works

There was no delivery which sprung from the earth’s womb
Nothing green took root and no plants grew into fruition
The folks no longer gazed over the bands of growing wheat
The black soil ofthe countryside had been blanched white
The landscape everywhere lay encrusted with a salty dust
For the first year they consumed any grain that was in store]
For the next there was none leftto take from the storerooms
By the fourth year their once steadfast shoulders slouched
Unlike previous years, they now walked bent-over in public
And these were the circumstances when the fifth year came:
The daughter looked with contempt on her mother’s arrival
And the mother would fail to invite her own daughter inside
The daughter kept her eye on the scales at her mother’s sale
The mother kept her eye on the scales at her daughter's sale
By the time the sixth year came, the daughter was the meal
And the honorable son was distinguished as the main course

Thus were all the generations ofmankind consumed by Fate
Until there were only but one or two homes still left occupied
88
Tablet II
So they conveyed the message from Atrahasis to the gods

They convened, prepared to address the situation facing them
The words which had been sent by Atrahasis were conveyed
“How long [are we going to be beset by this terrible distress?]
[Then Ellil raised his voice, speaking to his children the gods,
‘No longer shall the diseases be unleashed upon mankind,
Though1am justas annoyed by the racket that they make,
And am yet unable to sleepfrom all their clamor and clatter!
Make it so that there is not enough corn to filltheir stomachs!
Make it so that the people are plagued by the horrible disease,
Making it so there was not enough corn to fill their stomachs
89
Atrahasis

Eawith his Ahmue-men were watchful at the bolt ofthe sea
On high, Adad made it so that his rains were in short supply
And Nissaba held back the nourishing flow from her breasts]
[Ellil convened a congress, speaking to his children the gods,]

“Adad caused his rain to pour down in buckets abundantly,
So streaming water was plentiful throughout the meadowland

Clouds were so numerous that they nearly blotted out the sky
They must not feed on Nissaba’s grain, the comfort ofman.”
The god sat beset with nerves, troubled there in the congress,
Enki sat beset with nerves, and troubled there in the congress
There was a great amount oftension between Enki and Ellil
The warrior Ellil was aware that this breach was done by Enki
And that the other gods had repealed what they had decided
And he was stomping mad from his elevated ire at the lgigi,
“Every one ofus, ofthe great Anunna, consented to do this
90
Tablet II
The heavens were to be firmly secured by Anu and Adad,

While ] was respons ible for securing the earth down below,
And likewise, when Enki had arrived at his assigned place,
He was going to release the bonds and bring us liberation!

You were going to serve up an abundance unto the people!
You were supposed to take charge and manage the scales!”

“Go and gather fifty ofthe aamu-men here on my orders

Go and fetch them so they are standing here in front ofme.”
And so fifty hmu-men were brought together on his orders,
Then the chief warrior, Ellil, spoke to the ahmu-men, saying,
“Every one ofUS, ofthe great Anunna, consented to do this
The heavens were to be firmly secured by Anu and Adad,

While | was responsible for securing the earth down below,
And likewise, when Enki had arrived at his assigned place,
He was going to release the bonds and bring us liberation!

You were going to serve up an abundance unto the people!
You were supposed to take charge and manage the scales!”
But Ellil had toput up with allof the loud clamor

and clatter
So Ellil, the warrior, raised his voice to be heard, to the gods,
“| amjust asgreatly annoyed by the racket that they make!
[And am yet unable to sleep from all their clamor and clatter!
Make it so that there is not enough com to filltheir stomachs!
91
Atrahasis
Make it so the people are plagued by the horrible disease,
Making it so there was not enough corn tofill their stomachs
So that the farmer's fields no longer produced in abundance
Ea with his ahmuemen were watchful at the bolt of thesea
On high, Adad made itso that his rains were in short supply
So that the farmer's fields no longer produced in abundance
92
Tablet II
And Nissaba held back the nourishing flow from her breasts
Ellil convened a congress, speaking to his children the gods,]

“You are the ones who passed your burdens onto mankind
You are the ones who gave voice to man that he might speak
So you must do something about it and bring about a flood
You ought to utilize your power against your own people!
You have so far proceeded wrongly, thus do the opposite
We must give astute Enki an oath which he must swear to.”

Enki raised his voice to be heard, saying to hisfellow gods,
“Why on earth would you force me to swear to an oath?

Why too should 1 utilize my power against my own people?
And this great flood you speak of,what are you implying?
lm confused by what you mean, is it even in my power?
Rather this sort ofvandalism is something Ellil should do!

He himself should select the manner by which this happens
So that he will be the one who gets Adad to boom in the sky
With Shullat and Hanish walking ahead like chamberlains,
So Erralal will rip out every one ofthe pins from their bars,
While Nimrod will come on hard and breach every blockade”

The Great Ones, the Anunnaki, will be required to bear torches
That they might illuminate the country with their radiant light
’ These last two segments are essentially repeated again, but left out here.
OB
Atrahasis
So when Adad comes all light will be swallowed into darkness

He will rear up and then go about trampling the terror-stricken
On the first day a tempest will rise, blowing in an awful fury,
Unleashing the dreaded Flood-weapon; and rage like a war
The explosive annihilation-weapon will descend over the people
Who will lose sight ofone another in the sheets ofpouring rain
Even the gods will be alarmed by the fullforce oftheir flood
They will retreat to the safety of the highest heaven ofAnu
Where they will cower like dogs, kneeling by an outlying wall
There they will stay, brought to their knees, and crying tears,
Their lips will not utter and will befoaming over with spittle
Wind will rage six days and seven nights, the tempest prevail
And every man and woman will have been reduced to clay.”
[Then Ellil raised his voice, speaking to his children the gods,]
“The words you heard Enki speak are ofno significance to us,
You know the land isfull, and how much they have multiplied
And howwe have beenso annoyed by all the noise they make
So that we cannot get any sleepfrom all their incessant clamor
[You are the ones who passed your burdens onto mankind
You are the ones who gave voice to man that he might speak
So youmustdo something about it and bring about a flood
You ought to utilize your power against your own people!
You have so far proceeded wrongly, thus do the opposite.”
And the congress decided infavor ofthe flood Ellil desired
O4
Tablet II
Enki raised his voice to be heard, speaking to the high gods]

“This divine assembly has agreed to do something unfounded
You should not have listened to the justifications put forward
But you have made your commands strict and irrevocable,
And Ellil has achieved something horrendous for the people!”
95
TABLET Ill
Atrahasis raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his master,”

When he was at the reed hut where he spoke to his lord Enki,
“| have experienced a portentous dream, which was terrible,
The waters ofthe river began to surge, tuning up and rising,
Flooding its banks, and spreading over the entire landscape
There | struggled for breath, as though all lifewas ending
But as to what it might have meant, this was not made clear
It would be best ifit wasmade knownto me while dreaming.
So the meaning ofa dream received as an omen is certain.”
“| sent the dream to relate to you what you need to know.”
Atrahasis raised his voice to be heard, speaking to his master,
“Lord, please make known to me the meaning ofmy dream
Tell me plainly that ]might understand its implications.”

“You say, ‘It should be made known to me while dreaming’
So pay heed to the substance that | will pass along to you.

Wall, hear every utterance! Reed hut, attend to every word!
Take apart your house and with the timbers construct a boat
Put aside your property for the sake ofsaving living things
The boat you construct must be sized with proper proportion”*
The length of it and the width of it should be equivalent
Put a roof upon it, like that which covers the deep Apsu,
96
Tablet III
Cover it all so that even the sun might not peek inside!
Construct within it both upper decks and lower decks
The ropes must be made durable enough to endure strain,
The bitumen must be made strong, to lend it sturdiness
For | will make the rains fall upon you where you stand,
Descending like a wealth of‘fowl, like a treasure offish.”

Atrahasis opened up the sand timer to fill it with sand,
Enki told him the amount ofsand that would be required

Enough to last the duration of the flood, for seven nights
Atrahasis heard every word that Enki had spoken to him
He brought together the elders, who assembled at his door
Atrahasis raised his voice to them that he might be heard,
“My lord Enki is not popular right now with your lord Ellil
The two gods are in the midst ofa feud with one another
Thus they have caused me to be driven from my house
But because | have always treated Enki with devotion,
He spoke concerning this trial which 1 am to undergo
No longer will 1 be able to remain within your city walls
Never again might | set my feet upon Ellil’s dear land
But down into the Apsu must | travel, to be with Enki
This is what he spoke to me and this is what ]must do.”
If1do this then he will make it rain abundantly for you,
He will send down a wealth offowl and a treasure offish
He will shower a downpour in prosperity, a comucopia
In the morning it will spread over you like thick syrup
oF
Atrahasis
In the evening you will drown in an abundance ofheaps.”
Thus when the first sign of dawn appeared the next day
The elders assembled together the entire people there
The carpenter with his axe, the reed worker with his stone
The young children came with the stocks ofbitumen

The poor folks fetched everything else that was required
On the fifth day he was able to lay out theframe’s
form
It spanned over the area ofan acre, with walls ten poles high
Then he designed itsform, drew out the planfor her decks
To feed the workmen every week he slaughtered an ox
To feed them every day he slaughtered a finefat sheep
Giving them ale and beer as ifthere were no tomorrow
Pouring out oil and wine to the workers as ifit were water
Every day was like the feast at the New Year’s Day festival
When the sun appeared on the final day he gave them balm
By the time the sun had set that day the boat was complete
Everything that inhabited the meadows he had brought in,
Everything that inhabited the wild spaces he brought in:
Pure ones and impure ones, and tall ones and short ones
Fat ones and skinny ones, and large ones and small ones
He chose from among these and put them aboard the boat
Birds that are tn the skies, the moaning cattle ofShakkan
The savage beasts that roam throughout the wild expanses
He chose from among these and put them aboard the boat
98
Tablet Il
And he took with him every manner ofskilled craftsman
He then brought all ofhis people together within his barn

Inviting them tojoin him before disembarking, to feast
They were seated when he sneaked his family on board
While they were all eating and while they were drinking
He did not keep still, but kept going out and coming back in,
He was crushed, his heart was breaking, he was vomiting
Then the cast ofthe sky altered and the clouds rumbled
When he heard that sound he closed up the door with pitch
During that entire span, as he was sealing around the door,
He could hear the storm god booming within the clouds
The winds whipped around the ship, even as he climbed up,
When he cut through the mooring rope and freed his boat
The next day there came lowering gray clouds over the sky,
An ominous gloom arose and approached like a tempest,
And an unnatural darkness prevailed over the landscape
This brought the Anzu-bird forth, flapping and screeching
Overhead the sky resounded; all ofthe people gazed aloft
Anzu was scratching at heaven with his fearsome claws
Lightning blazed the sky and earthquakes struck the land
He broke through the firmament and formed a gaping hole
From this hole in thefirmament the torrent’s fury poured
The Flood-weapon was unleashed upon the people like a war
They lost sight ofone another within the cascading rain
99
Atrahasis
The storm surge roared like a charging, bellowing bull
The wind sounded like a howling ass in the wilderness

Thick dark enveloped the entire earth, the sun was not seen
The people became like a white-sheep offering to the gods

Every one ofthem was consumed by the turbulent purge
Even the gods were alarmed by the fullforce oftheflood
They retreated to the enfely ofthe hishestheaerlopAri
Where they cowered like dogs from the crash ofthe deluge
The flood surge wreaked havoc, was raging out ofcontrol,
Anu lost his mind; the gods, his sons, shook around him
The lips ofthe great mother goddess, Nintu, were salty
All the gods, the Anunna, were left hungry and thirsty
But the divine midwife, wise Mami, gazed out and cried,
“Bring sunlight back to them so that they might see!

How could 1,within the very assembly ofthe gods,
How could] ever have consented to their destruction?
Ellil had a callous enough nature to command this evil
He should have withdrawn that command, like Tiruru
They lash out with anguished curses directed at me

Now they have become like white lambs ofsacrifice,
Beyond my control, for how could 1 live with this loss?

My busy din upon earth has been reduced to silence
What must 1 do, must 1 hide myself beyond the sky?
"The mother goddess, Nintu
lOO
Tablet III
To live evermore in a cloister, cut offfrom my kith,

With what reason then did Anu accept this decision?
It came about from the command to his obedient sons
He didn’t deliberate the matter, he just ordered a flood
And brought the people to a sad and sorry destruction
He conspired to bring about their pitiless decimation
Now their shining faces will never again see the light.”
The gods cowered like dogs from the crash ofthe deluge
The flood surge wreaked havoc, was raging out ofcontrol,
Anu lost his mind; the gods, his sons, shook around him
Nintu was screaming and wailing like a woman in travail
“Would a genuine father have unleashed the wild waters
To meet their end clogging up the river like dragonflies?
Their bodies wash upon the banks like overturned boats
They bobble like a raft abandoned in the wilderness
] have seen them there, | have wept over their corpses!
Will there be an end to the tears that 1 shed for them?”

Nintu wailed and expressed her feelings ofgrieffully
The gods joined her in weeping for the vanished country
She was overcome with heartache, but could find no beer
The same spot where she wept, so the great gods did too
Managing in their speech only the sound ofbleating sheep

Parched with thirst, from their lips came only emptiness
For the duration ofseven entire days and seven nights
Whirling water, the storm wind, and the flood prevailed’
101
Atrahasis
When the next day arrived the tempest, flood, and fury,
Which had been thrashing like a mother straining in birth,
All suddenly expired, and the swirling sea became still,
The storm wind lessened, the raging torrent refrained
Atrahasis peeped out a gap to see what things were like,
All quiet, nowhere distinguishable a man from the mud
There was just the endless flood water, like a flat roof
He opened the window and light beamed onto hisface
He knelt down and sat, then cried with tears cascading
He looked for the hills and for the banks ofthe ocean
Then he saw areas of land breaking the surface ofwater
The boat settled itselfupon the mountain ofNimush
It took hold of the craft and would not let itwander
For the first and second day,for the third and fourth day
For the fifth and sixth day, the boat did notmove an inch
Then upon the seventh day Atrahasis released a dove—
Itflew out and came back, finding no place to perch,
Then he reached his hand forth and released a swallow—
The swallow flew here and there, then came back home
For there was no promising place it might alight upon
Then he reached his hand forth and released a raven—
The raven flew, and seeing that the waters were receding
It settled to eat, preen, fluff itself, and did not retum
He sent out everything in all directions, and sacrificed
Setting down the ritual offering on the mountain peak
IO2
Tablet II]
Setting out the jars in seven columns and in seven rows

And into them he poured the oils ofreed, pine, andmyrtle
The gods smelled the rising smoke, a pleasing fragrance
They gathered over the offering like a swarm offlies

After they consumed the offering, Nintu rose and spo ke,
“What could have come over Anu to make this decision?

And does Ellil have no shame coming to savor the smoke?
Without consideration the two ofthem sent down a flood
And brought the people to a sad and sorry destruction
They agreed to cause their dire and pitiless obliteration
Now their shining faces will never again look on the sun.”
She approached the great flies which Anu had fashioned
“From now on man’s burden will be a burden which | share
From now his fate will no longer be separated from my own
He must now save me from any harm, by offering sacrifice
And so let me rise every day in the morning for his sake
Recognize, O gods, that 1 will never forget this calamity!
May these bigflies become /apis lazul’upon my necklace
1 will eternally recall and never forget what happened here.”
Then Ellil, the warrior, caught hisfirst sight ofthe cargo boat,
And he was stomping mad from his elevated ire at the ]gigi,
“Every one ofUS, ofthe great Anunna, swore to carry this out —
We agreed there was not to be one thing left alive on earth,
So how is it that any man was able to survive this disaster?”
103
Atrahasis
Anu raised his voice to be heard, speaking to the warrior Ellil,

“There are none among the gods but Enki who would do so?
He made it so the reed-hut betrayed our plans beforehand.”
Enki raised his voice to be heard, speaking to the high gods,
“Yes, it was 1who did it, and thus did it against your wishes!
Since 1 worked to guarantee life was saved, not extinguished

] had this man construct
the boat, and take others with him,
To save allmanner oflife on earth, andtoreturn them safely
The one who does wrong is blameworthy for his own wrongs
And he who commits a crime is culpable for his own crimes
Thus 1 am not opposed to the exacting ofany punishments,
Rather ifany man acts contrarily to your commandments,
Then, by all means, exact due punishment ofthe offender,
Or against anyone else who contravenes your holy statutes

Ifyou have cause for complaint, then make your case justly
Exact your punishments with equanimity, and without ire
That a man may not suffer when not guilty ofwrongdoing
Rather have his numbers be reduced by the lion and wolf
Rather have his numbers be reduced byfamine and plague
Rather have his numbers be reduced by war and invasion
Only that you not bring destructionto every one ofthem
Only that they might never suffer extinction from aflood
Thus the gods will not be known for their maliciousness
Then man will continue to make his offerings to the gods
Yet ifhe continues to act against to your will, then so be it,
104
Tablet II
And bring punishments to the ones who sin against you

But only exacting punishment where punishment is due
There, | have now said everything that | wished to convey!”
And Ellil raised his voice to be heard, speaking to wise Enki,
“Then let us go, and bring the womb-goddess Nintu to us!
And we will hold a conference together at the meeting hall.”
Enki raised his voice to be heard, to the womb-goddess Nintu,
“Nintu, as womb-goddess you are the one who chooses fates,

You are the one who determines destinies for all the people
Have it be that a third ofall people are able to have children,
Which will assure the continuance ofthe population ofman
Have a third ofthem be unable to do so, due to youth or age,
Have there be a third ofthe people who have among them
Women who are capable ofgiving birth, but not properly,
May the pasittu-demon liftthe baby from its mother’s arms,
And further make the ugbabtu, entu, and egisitu-women:

Who are off-limits to men, to further reduce the birthrate”
Let hisfortunes
rise and fall, and hisfate be unknownto him
Let there be among mankind but few who are prosperous,
But let theremainder of them struggle daily
for survival
Sometimes mankind will be reduced from faci ine,
Sometimes mankind will be reduced from facing disease,
" Classes ofwomen whose holy association made them off-limits to childbirth.
105
Atrahasis
Sometimes mankind will be reduced from facing warfare,

And through these means his numbers will not burgeon
Through these means man will not become too powerful
Let it be that humankind not be allowed to live eternally
But onlyfor a duration oftime, a fixed number ofyears
This will be made the manner oflifefor all ofhumankind
Let there be no fixed duration for death, but onlyfor life
And thus there will not be so many humans upon earth
There must only be enough to perform the work ofgods
Let him live his life injoy and misery for his brief lifespan
May heforever enjoy only what is meant for man to enjoy
Therefore let him have a full stomach, live in mirth daily,
Plan delights for himself, celebrating both night and day
Dress infine clothing, bathe himself, and remain unsoiled
Let him be pleased by the product ofhis accomplishments
Let him be honored by the excellent quality ofhis children
Let him be content with the company ofa well-bred wife
And let him find comfort from his work in his latter years
Before he reaches his endless rest when life reaches its end
These alone are the things a mortal man might strive for
May he live alifefilled with righteousness, like Atrahasis
To serve the gods, honor his parents, and aid his people
Showing due regard for both equanimity and faithfulness
Such are the things which must determine his business
Thus set down for him the instructions for him to live by
lO
Tablet I
Such that man might recognizes the origin ofhis miseries,

And that man will be inclined to hold himselffrom evil,
With due regard for the gods through righteous conduct,
Never failing in making his regular offerings to the gods,
Performed at the requisite times, to incline away our wrath
Thus have them be recorded for all time to bear witness,
So that it be written forfuture generations to understand
Under what circumstances we brought on the Great Flood,
While a man among them was able to survive this disaster
You are the gods’ advisor; ] obeyed you in making discord
So have the lgigi give car to his song, meant to honor you,
That there might always be a testimony to your greatness
So 1 will chant the account ofthe Flood to everyone, Hear!”
107
Bibliograp hy
Barnstone, Willis, ed. The Other Bible. San Francisco: Harper, 1984.
Charlesworth, James H., ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Volume

2. 1983. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson, 2009.
Dalley, Stephanie, trans. Myths from Mesopotamia. 1989. New York:

Oxford, 2000.
George, Andrew, trans. The Epic of Gilgamesh. 1999, London: Penguin,

2003.
Romer, John. Testament: The Bible and History. 1988. New York: Henry
Holt, 1993.
Shinan, Avigdor and Yair Zakovitch. From Gods to God: How the Bible
Debunked, Suppressed, or Changed Ancient Myths and Legends. Trans.
Valerie Zakovitch. Lincoln: University ofNebraska, 2072.
Stephany, Timothy]. Blood & Incest: The Unholy Beginning of the

Universe. printed by Createspace, 2014.
Stephany, Timothy].Roar of the Tempests: A Dialogue. printed by

Createspace, 2014.
Stephany, Timothy].The Eden Enigma: A Dialogue. printed by

Createspace, 2014.
Stephany, Timothy]. The Gilgamesh Cycle. printed by Createspace, 2014.
Stephany, Timothy}. The Holy Bible Revealed, Volume 2: Compositional

History. printed by Createspace, 2014.
White, Gavin. Babylonian Star-Lore. London: Solaria, 2008.
108
Endnotes
'Shinan (2012), p.10.
* Romer (1988),pp. 35-37.

* Dalley (2000),p.7.
* Romer (1988), p- 32.
’ Dall ey (2000), p. 6.
: Dalley (2000), p. 2.
“Dalley (2000), p. 6.
* About 15 missing lines follow, consult footnote
” There follows an unrecoverable gap ofabout 25 lines, consult footnote.
” There follows an unrecoverable gap ofabout 15 lines.
"There follows a partly recoverable gap ofabout 45 lines.
” There follows a gap of35 lines, partly recoverable from the ‘Gilgamesh Cycle’,
Tablet X1.
* There is here a gap ofabout 10 lines.
* Many ofthe missing segments in the flood story are taken from the ‘Gilgamesh
Cycle’ Tablet X1.

° There follows a gap ofabout 15 lines.
There follows a significant gap ofabout 60 lines, partly recoverable from the
‘Gilgamesh Cycle’, Tablet XI.
” There follows a gap ofabout 35 lines, but their meaning is clear and is recoverable
in sentiment from the ‘G ilgamesh Cycle’.
109
Made in the USA
Middletown, DE
15 August 2020
15522731R00070
_ When the two primeval waters, the salt and fresh water, entered
into marriage, and brought into being the first of the gods, thus
the Babylonian Creation Epic begins its strange and incredible
tale with the words ‘ENUMA ELISH’ meaning “WHEN THE
HEAVENS ABOVE...’ Plunge into a mystic realm of dragons —
ranging the depths of the primordial sea, when god declared war —
on god, and the winner emerged as the powerful ruler of all men —
and matter. With formidable powers the gods set into motion
the universe, and made mankind to perform their work upon the _
earth, to shape the natural world and raise their glorious temples.
Hear the song of Marduk the Champion, the mighty slayer of the
creature Tiamat, and a tale of how one man came to survive the —
Great Flood, brought by the gods to wipe out humankind forever,
in two tales which underlie those which achieved such greatness
and magnificence 1in the pages ohthe Book ofGenesis.
iti|
|
p3l-YysA
iIN

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fay THORS Se.

"see also includes ‘ATRAHASIS’, _ | 4

also includes ‘Atrahasts’

Printed in the United States of America by Createspace |

Copyright © 2013, 2014 Timothy J. Stephany

No part of this publication may be used or reproduced by any

TABLET 1: War Plans

TABLET 1]: Marduk the Hero

TABLET Ill: Preparations

TABLET IV: Single Combat

TABLET V: Order from Chaos

TABLET VI: Creation ofMan

TABLET VII: The 50 Names

TABLET 1: Burden ofthe Gods

TABLET Il: The Plight ofMan

The Gilgamesh Cycle

The Sources Bible: Genesis through Kings (ASV)

The Holy Bible Revealed I: Genesis through Kings with Sources

The Holy Bible Revealed Il: Compositional History

The Yahweh Document: The Holy Bible’s First Edition

The Levi Document: The Earliest Biblical Source

The Eden Enigma: A Dialogue

Roar of the Tempests: A Dialogue

The Death of King David: A Dialogue

The Zodiac Mysteries

Blood & Incest: The Unholy Beginning of the Universe

"See Blood & Incestand The Eden Enigma:A Dialogue

T See Roar ofthe Tempests: ADialogue

gods relieved fromlabors) |

And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took

"See Roar ofthe Tempests:ADialogue and Blood & Incest

He subsequently leaves his bow (rainbow) as an indicator of this, symbolic of the

See The Holy Bible Revealed, Volume 2: Compositional History

"See The Gilgamesh Cycle

At a time when even the glories above had yet to be named,

There were no names to be spoken, and no fates pronounced,

All this commotion proved unsettling to Tiamat’s inner being,

And she was bothered by all oftheir activity within Anduruna

And no matter how troublesome their conduct became to her,

Regardless ofhow rowdy things were, she just put up with it

Summoned to him and spoke to his officer Mummu, saying,

“Hear me Mummu, my trusted officer who | can rely upon,

Apsu raised his voice to be heard, speaking heartily to Tiamat,

“| have been very troubled by the manner oftheir conduct,

But as soon as Tiamat heard his words she became incensed,

at dwelling place ofthe gods

“Could we permit our own offspring to be thus eradicated?

And he formulated a solution for it all, planning it out well

For when he chanted it, he calmed the turbulent waters

And abounding sleep overcame Apsu; he became pacified

And bound Mummu, laying him down over him crosswise,

When his grandfather Anu looked upon him, he was glad,

Both his arms and legs were well-formed beyond comparison

Moreover he possessed four ears to hear and four eyes to see,

His four ears were also considerable, ofvoluminous size,

As were his eyes, which were capab le ofperceiving anything

Being unsurpassed among the gods, ofexceptional build,

Having limbs which were mighty, anda body terrifically tall

There were five almighty beams which surmounted his head