25 Nudimmud1 created the ocean, his dwelling, He created the god of bricks to renew [the He created reed and forest for building work [. He created the god of carpenters, the god of smiths and Arazu3 to complete building work, 30 He created mountains and seas for all [. .] He created the god of goldsmiths, the god of smiths, the god of masons, and the god of miners for .] and their rich produce for sacrificial work [. He created Ashnan, and Lakhar,' Siris, Nin-gishzida, 1 A form of Ea. Ea is here creator of men, who are formed out of clay. In the same way Aruru made Engidu in the Gilgamesh epic (col. ii, line 34), see p. 82. These form interesting parallels to the account in J, Gen. 2. 7. 2 The names of these gods are written in Sumerian, which are here literally translated. Arazu, an unknown god, the word means "prayer," and Ungnad suggests that it may be prayer personified. Ashnan and Lakhar are gods of vegetation, Siris probably god of wine. Ningishzida is the earlier days (time of Gudea), one of the chief gods, but he sank later to be the servant of the gods. He is known also as the father of Tammuz. Unknown god, the reading of the name, as also of the following one being quite uncertain. Ungnad suggests that they may be the gods of brewing and of cooking, but there is no evidence for this. 25 Nu-dim-mud ib-nu-u apsû šú-bat-su (ilu) Ea ina apsi ik-ru-sa ti-ta-[am] ib-ni il libitti ana te-diš-ti [..] ib-ni (iṣu) ķanû u (iṣu) kištu (?) ana ši-pir nab-ni-ti (?) [...] ib-ni (ilu) NIN-IGI-NANGAR-GID (ilu) NIN-DÉ u (ilu) A-Ra-zu ana mu-šak-lil ši-pir na[b-ni-ti 30 ib-ni šá-di-i u ta-ma-a-ti ana mim-ma šum ziri (?) du-[. ib-ni (ilu) Guškin-banda (ilu) NIN-á-GAL (ilu) NIN-ZADIM (ilu) NIN-KURRA ana ip-še-ti u hi-sib-šú-nu du-uš-ša-a ana nin-da-bi ki-ra-bu (?) ib-ni (ilu) Ás-na-an (ilu) La-har (ilu) Siri (ilu) NIN-GIŠ-ZI-DA (ilu) NIN-SAR (ilu) [. 35 ib-ni (ilu) U-MU-TA-A-AN mu-kil nin-da-[bi-e?] He created Azag-suga, the high priest of the great ib-ni (ilu) azag-SUD-GA Šangam-mah ilâni rabûte ana mu-šak- [ešrêti ilâni?] ana i-bi-š[ú? te-'-e [. [. (ilu)] A-nim (ilu) Ellil (ilu) With this line is to be compared the Creation story, vi, 8 (see p. 36), which makes the restoration of this line probable, if not, indeed, certain. 4. THE CREATION OF THE MOON (AND THE SUN)1 When the gods Anu, Ellil and Ea, the [great] gods, Through their unchangeable counsel and powerful commands, Fixed the crescent of the moon, To cause the new-moon to shine forth, to create the month, 5 Signs for heaven and earth they fixed. The new moon, which was created in heaven with majesty, In the midst of heaven arose. Version. When Anu, Ellil and Ea The great gods, through their unchangeable counsel, 1 The text is published and translated by King, The Seven Tablets of Creation, i, pp. 124ff., and ii, pl. xlix. The tablet is a student's practice, or exercise, and contains on one side seven lines extracted from some Sumerian composition, and on the other seven lines from a similar Babylonian composition, which is called "Version," though it is not a version or translation of the Sumerian text. The passages are also translated by Ungnad in Gressmann, Altorientalische Texte und Bilder, i, 26. The translation here given, especially the Sumerian, is indebted to Langdon for useful suggestions. ud an-na (dingir) En-lil-lá (dingir) En-ki dingir-[gal-gal] û-šar šar-šar-da itu ù-tu-ud-da 5 u-iti an-ki-a mu-un-gi-ne-eš má-gúr an-na im-sig-è ag-a-ne šag an-na igi-bar-ra ta-è š[a]-n[i]-[e] e-nu-ma (ilu) A-num (ilu) Ellil (ilu) E-a 10 Fixed the forms (?)1 of heaven and earth, And to the hands of the great gods entrusted (them,) To create the day and to renew the month, as signs for mankind; (Men) saw Shamash in the gate of his going forth In the midst of heaven and earth they commanded2 him faithfully. 1 The word is doubtful in meaning. King translates "bounds"; Ungnad, "Bilder." 2 The signification here is uncertain. King translates "created"; Ungnad, "erglänzen." 10 ušurâti šamê(e) u irșitim (tim) iš-ku-nu a-na kâtê ilâni rabûti u-kin-nu û-mu ba-na-a arha ud-du-šu ittati1 a-me-lut-tum (ilu) Šamaš ina libbi bâb aşî-šu i-mu-ru 1 nig-igi-tah. 5. ANOTHER VERSION OF THE CREATION OF THE WORLD BY MARDUK (SO-CALLED "BILINGUAL OF CREATION")1 This interesting text formed merely the introduction to an incantation which was intended to be recited in honor of Ezida, the great temple of Nabû at Borsippa" (King). It was found, in 1882, in the ruins of AbuHabba by Hormuzd Rassam, and is preserved both in Sumerian and in Assyrian. Though so different from the main story of the creation, it belongs to the same set of political ideas which made use of ancient religious material to justify the position of Marduk at the head of the Babylonian pantheon. The text is published by King, in Cuneiform Texts, xiii, pp. 35ff. It is translated by Pinches, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, xxiii (new series), pp. 393ff.; Zimmern, in Gunkel's Schöpfung und Chaos, pp. 419f.; Jensen, Keilinschrijuiche Bibliothek, vi, p. 38f.; King, The Seven Tablets of Creation, i, pp. 130ff.; Dhorme, Choix de Textes Religieux AssyroBabyloniens, pp. 83ff.; Winckler, Keilinschriftliches Textbuch zum Alten Testament, 3te Auf., pp. 91, 92; Ungnad, in Gressmann, Altorientalische Texte und Bilder, i, pp. 27, 28. The holy house, the house of the gods, in the holy place had not yet been made; No reed had sprung up, no tree had been created. 5 No city had been made, no creature had been established. Nippur had not been made, E-kur had not been built; Erech had not been made, E-ana had not been built; The Deep had not been made, Eridu had not been built; The holy house, the house of the gods, the dwelling had not been made, 10 All lands were sea. When the middle of the sea was a water basin; In those days Eridu was made, E-sagil was built, Babylon was made, and E-sagil was finished, 15 The gods, the Anunaki, he made at one time; The holy city, the dwelling of the heart's desire, they proclaimed supreme. bîtu el-lim bît ilâni ina aš-ri el-lim ul e-pu-uš1 ka-nu-u ul a-și i-și ul ba-ni li-bit-ti ul na-da-at na-al-ban-ti2 ul ba-na-at bîtu ul e-pu-uš alu ul ba-ni 5 alu ul e-pu-uš nam-maš-šu-u ul ša-kin 10 nap-har ma-ta-a-tu tam-tum-ma i-nu ša ki-rib tam-tim ra-tu-um-ma ina û-mi-šu Eridu e-pu-uš E-sag-ila ba-ni [E-sag-ilja ša ina ki-rib ap-si-i ilu Lugal-dul-azag-ga ir-mu-u Babilu (ki) e-pu-[uš] E-sag-ila šuk-lul 15 ilâni (ilu) A-nun-na-ki mit-ha-riš i-pu-uš alu el-lum šu-bat tu-ub lib-bi-šu-nu și-riš im-bu-u 1 The Sumerian text has been omitted. Compare 2 Sam. 12. 31 Q. Nah. 3. 14. Marduk laid a reed-work1 upon the face of the waters, He formed dust and poured it out upon the reedwork. To cause the gods to dwell in a habitation of their heart's desire, 20 He formed mankind. The goddess Aruru, with him, created the seed of mankind, The beasts of the field and living things in the field he created. He created the Tigris and the Euphrates, and set them in their place, Their names he did well declare. 25 The grass, the rush of the marsh, the reed, and the forest he created, The green herb of the field he created, The lands, the marshes, and the swamps; The wild cow and her young, the wild calf; the ewe and her young, the lamb of the fold; Gardens and forests; 30 The he-goat and the mountain goat him. The lord Marduk filled in a dam by the side of the (ilu) Marduk a-ma-am ina pa-an me-e ir-ku-us e-pi-ri ib-ni-ma it-ti a-mi iš-pu-uk ilâni ina šu-bat țu-ub lib-bi ana šu-šu-bi 20 a-me-lu-ti ib-ta-ni (ilu) A-ru-ru zi-ir a-me-lu-ti it-ti-šu ib-ta-nu bu-ul şêri ši-kin na-piš-ti ina și-e-ri ib-ta-ni (nâru) Diglat u (nâru) Purattu ib-ni-ma aš-ri iš-ku-un šum-ši-na ta-biš im-bi 25 uš-šu di-it-ta ap-pa-ri ka-na-a u ķi-šu ib-ta-ni ur-ki-it și-rim ib-ta-ni ma-ta-a-tum ap-pa-ri a-pu-um-ma lit-tu pu-ur-ša me-ru la-ah-ru pu-had-sa im-mir su-pu-ri ki-ra-tu u ki-ša-tu-ma 30 a-tu-du šap-pa-ri is-sa-as-ru-šu be-lum (ilu) Marduk ina pa-at tam-tim tam-la-a u-mal-li [...] a-pa na-ma-la iš-ku-un |