CHAPTER I AN EPIC OF THE CREATION WHICH CIRCULATED IN BABYLON AND ASSYRIA IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY BEFORE CHRIST1 TEXT OF THE EPIC. COMPARISON OF THE EPIC WITH THE FIRST CHAPTER of Genesis. THE EPIC AND OTHER PArts of the Bible. 1. Text of the Epic. 1. Time was when above 2. Below to the earth 3. Then the primeval Abyss. 4. The roaring Sea 5. Their waters Tablet I heaven was not named 6. No field had been formed, no marsh-land seen. 7. Time was when gods 8. No name was named, had not been made, no destiny [determined]; 9. Then were created the gods in the midst [of heaven]. 10. Lakhmu and Lakhamu 11. Ages multiplied, were formed [together]. 12. Anshar and Kishar were created, and over them. Other translations of this epic have been made. The most important are as follows: Zimmern, in Gunkel's Schöpfung und Chaos, pp. 401, ff.; Delitzsch, Das Babylonische Wellschöpfungsepos (Abhandlungen der sächsischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, Bd. XVII, 1896); Muss-Arnolt, in Assyrian and Babylonian Literature, Aldine ed., edited by R. F. Harper; Jensen in Schrader's Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek, Bd. VI; L. W. King, The Seven Tablets of Creation; Dhorme, Choix de textes religieux assyrobabyloniens; Ungnad, in Gressman's Altorientalische Texte und Bilder zum Alten Testament; Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament. A fragment of this tablet is shown in Fig. 290. That is, Sea and Abyss, mentioned in lines 3 and 4. Apsu was the waters underneath the dry land and Tiamat the salt sea. 28. Their way was not good; they themselves prospered. 29. Then Apsu, the begetter of the great gods, 30. Cried to Mummu, his minister, and said, 31. O Mummu, my minister, who delightest my heart, 32. Come, unto Tiâmat [let us go]. 33. They went, before Tiâmat they lay down, 34. A plan they formed against the gods [their offspring]. 42. She was angry and spoke against them [a curse]; 46. Let their way become difficult.' 47. Mummu answered, Apsu [he counseled] 48. not favorable was the counsel of the Roarer: 49. "Their way is strong, but do thou confound [it], 50. By day thou shalt be calm, by night thou shalt lie down." 51. Apsu heard and his face brightened, 52. [Since] he planned evil against the gods, his sons, 53. ..[clasped, his neck], 54. [He took him on] his knees and kissed him. 55. [They undertook, the evil which] together they had planned. 60. Ea the wise went up, he saw their horrors. (?), (More than thirty lines here are too broken for connected translation.) 109. They separated themselves, to the side of Tiamat they came; 112. Their assemblage was formed and they began war. 113. Mother Khubur, who formed all things, 114. Made unrivaled weapons, spawned great serpents, 115. Sharp of tooth, unsparing of fang; 116. With poison instead of blood their bodies she filled. 117. Fierce dragons with terror she clothed, 118. Luster she made abundant, to loftiness made them equal. 119. Whoever beheld them, terror (?) overcame him; 120. Their bodies they reared up without turning their breast. 121. She established vipers, serpents, and Lakhami,1 122. Hurricanes, raging hounds, scorpion-men, 123. Mighty storms, fish-men, and rams (?); 124. They bore merciless weapons, fearless of battle. 125. Her behests were mighty; without rival were they. 126. Moreover eleven such as these she created. 127. Among the gods, her firstborn, who at her side gathered, 128. She exalted Kingu, made him great in their midst, 129. To march before the forces, to lead the host, 130. To raise the conquering weapon, to lead the attack, 131. To direct the battle, as commander-in-chief; 132. To him she entrusted it, made him sit in purple (?): 133. "Thy spell I have uttered; in the assembly of gods I have made thee great. 134. The sovereignty of all the gods, I have placed in thy hand 135. Surely thou art exalted, my only spouse! 136. May they magnify thy name over all the Anunnaki." 137. She gave him the tablets of destiny, on his breast she laid them: 138. Thy command shall be unalterable, established, thy word." 139. Now Kingu was exalted, he received the highest rank, 140. Among the gods, his sons, he fixed fate: 141. "The opening of your mouth shall quench the fire-god; 142. Who so is exalted in excellence, let him increase in might." Tablet II 1. Tiamat made mighty her work 2. [Evil] she cherished against the gods, her offspring. 3. [To avenge] Apsu, Tiâmat planned evil. 4. Her [forces] how she joined, to Ea was divulged. 5. Ea [hearkened] to this thing, 6. He was thrown into [great] straits, he sat in silence. 7. [The days] went by; his anger was appeased, 8. [To the place] of Anshar, his father, he proceeded. 9. [He went] before the father who begat him, Anshar, 10. [All that] Tiâmat had planned he repeated unto him. 11. "Tiâmat, our mother, has come to hate us; 12. Her assembly is set; with rage she is hot; 13. Turned unto her are the gods, all of them, 14. With those ye created, they walk at her side. 15. They have separated themselves; at the side of Tiâmat they go; 16. They rage, they plan; they rest not day or night." (Lines 17-48 continue the literal repetition of lines 109-142 of the first tablet which was begun in lines 15, 16. After this the narrative continues:) 1I. e., the spirits of earth. 49. [When Anshar heard how Tiâmat] was greatly in disorder, 50. [He smote his breast], he bit his lip, 51. [His mind was disturbed], his heart was not at rest, 52. his cry was wrung from him. 53. [Away Ea, my son, go forth to] battle! 54. .my work (?) thou shalt establish! 55. [Mummu and] Apsu thou hast already struck down. 56. [Kill also Kin]gu who comes up before her 57. 58. deliberation. .gods Nudimmud. (A break of ten or twelve lines occurs at this point in the tablet.) 72. [Anshar] spoke to his son [a word]: 73. "Thou, this [son of mine], my warrior, 74. [Whose strength is mighty], whose attack irresistible, 75. [Go], stand before Tiâmat, 76. [That] her wrath [may be appeased], her heart softened, 77. [But if] she will not hearken to thy word, 78. Our [word] shalt thou speak to her, that she may be appeased." 79. [He heard] the utterance of his father Anshar, 80. He took the straight path to her, he entered the way. 81. Anu [drew near], he beheld the terror (?) of Tiâmat, 82. [He did not ascend to her presence], but turned back, 83. [Then turned he to Ea and called] him, he, Anshar, 84. [Opened his mouth] and spoke to him, 85. ["Hateful are the ways of Tiâmat] to me." (Some twenty lines here are too fragmentary for translation.) 111. " 108. [Ea opened his mouth (?)] and spoke to him: 120. Verily I will go, I will attain the wish of thy heart. 121. Who is the man, who would bring thee out to his battle? 122. [And now] shall Tiâmat, a woman, come against thee with weapons? 123. . rejoice and exult; 124. On the neck of Tiâmat thou shalt shortly tread. 125. ... rejoice and exult; 126. On the neck of Tiâmat thou shalt shortly tread." 127. "My son, who knows all wisdom, 128. Tiâmat pacify with thy pure incantation. 129. Thy way speedily take; 130. thou shalt not fear, thou shalt use a spell afterward.” 131. Then the lord rejoiced at the word of his father, 132. His heart exulted and to his father he spoke: 1 Another name for Tiâmat. |