Enuma Elish and Genesis

EnumaElish

Genesis

Recap

• Early Mesopotamian culture (6000-4000 BCE)

– Agricultural Revolution (8,000-4,000 BCE)

– Population boom

– “Culture” develops

• Sumerians become prosperous civilization

– Cuneiform (3100 BCE)

– Prosperous trade

• Pottery and imagery found in Egypt, India, and Iran

Gebel el-Arak ivory knifeNaqada II

3600-3200 BCE

Enuma Elish~1600 BCE

• Mesopotamia at this time– Series of independently run city states that shared similar values

and beliefs• Led by priest kings

– Rivalries between city states• Alas! That day of mine, on which I was destroyed

For on it he came hither to me in my houseThe foe trampled with his booted feet into my chamber!That foe reached his dirty hands toward me…made me die with fear.That foe stripped me of my robe, clothed his wife in it,That foe cut my string of gems, hung it on his child,I was to tread [the walks of] his abode.

– Ancient cities included Ur, Uruk, Nineveh, and Babylon• By 1600 BCE, Babylon was strongest city and “united” region

– Code of Hammurabi

The CastThe Bad Guys

Apsu – Fresh water, husband of Tiamat

Tiamat – Salt water, wife of Apsu

Mummu – First son of Apsu and Tiamat

Kingu – Second husband of Tiamat, leader of serpent army

The Good Guys

Anu – Sky god, grandfather of Marduk

Ea – Water god, father of Marduk

Marduk – Thunder god, eventual king

Igigi and Anunnaki-Assembly of gods

Enuma Elish• Tiamat mixes with Apsu, and Tiamat gives birth to the

godsWhen heaven above was not (yet even) mentioned,

Firm-set earth below called by no name;

(when) but primeval Apsu, their begetter,

And the matrix, Tiamat – she who gave birth to them all – were mingling their waters into one;

When no bog had formed, (and) no island could be found;

When no god whosoever had appeared,

Had been named by name, had been determined as to (his) lot:

Then were gods formed within them.

Enuma ElishGenealogy of Early Gods

Apsu Tiamat

Mummu Lahmu Lahamu

KisharAnshar

KiAnu

DamkinaEa

Marduk

Why Order the Gods That Way?

Apsu (Fresh Water)

Tiamat (Salt Water)

Real-World Creation

Apsu (Fresh Water)

Tiamat (Salt Water)

Lahmu & Lahamu (Silt)

Real-World Creation

Apsu (Fresh Water)

Tiamat (Salt Water)

Lahmu & Lahamu (Silt)

Anshar & Kishar (horizons)

Real-World Creation

Apsu (Fresh Water)

Tiamat (Salt Water)

Lahmu & Lahamu (Silt)

Anshar & Kishar (horizons)

Anu (Sky)

Ki (Earth)

Enuma Elish

• Apsu finds their “children” noisome and wants to kill them.

Tiamat, when she heard this,

became upset, cried out against her husband,

cried out, hurt, the only one indignant.

She took the evilness (thereof) to heart:

“How could we destroy

what we (ourselves) have brought into being?

Though their ways be noisome,

let us bear it in good part!”

• However, Mummu plots with Apsu to kill them.

Enuma Elish

• Gods find out, start to panic - not Ea, though.He of supreme intelligence, skillful, capable,Ea, comprehending everything,

sought a strategem against them.He formed, yea, he fixed against him

the configuration of the All,Skillfully made his overpowering sacred spell.He recited it so that he quieted down

in the waters,Poured slumber over him,

so that he soundly slept.

• Ea kills Apsu, then builds his home above him. Ties up Mummu.

Ea’s Temple at Eridu, Iraq- Temple built on a lagoon

- Lagoon = Mummu

Enuma Elish• Marduk is born

– Robust was his build,

flashing the glance of his eyes,

full-grown he came forth,

mightiest from the first.

• Marduk creates quite the raucous when he plays– Anu begot, engendered, the four winds,

gave them into his hand (saying), “Let my

grandson play!”

He fashioned dust, had the south-storm carry it,

caused a wave to be, roiling Tiamat.

Roiled was Tiamat, day and night the gods were astir,

suffering restlessness with each storm.

Enuma Elish• Noise becomes too much for gods again. Anonymous group

of gods appeal to Tiamat– “When they killed Apsu, your husband,

you did not march at his side, you sat still.Apsu, your husband, what not in your heart,nor Mummu, who was bound! You kept apart!You are no mother, you stir roiled around,and we, who cannot go to sleep, us you do not love!”

• Tiamat gives birth to a massive serpent army to kill Ea and his allies– Angry, scheming, resting not day or night, they were

bent on fighting, raged and prowled like lions, gathered in council they devised the strategy.Mother Hubur – molding everything –added irresistible weapons, bore monster serpents, sharp-toothed, with

fang unsparing, filled their bodies with poison for blood.Fierce dragons she clothed in terrors, crowned them with glories

and made them like gods...

Enuma Elish• Younger gods don’t know what to do. Turn to Marduk for protection

If I am to be your champion, vanquish Tiamat , and save you, then assemble and proclaim what I decree supreme.Sit down together joyfully in Ubsuukkinna;let me as your representative, by word of mouth

determine destiny,so that whatever I decide shall not be altered,my spoken order not revoked, not countermanded.

• After deliberation over food and drink, gods agree to grant Mardukkingship (“Security and Obedience”).

We gave you kingship, power over all and everything.

Take your seat in the council, and may your word prevail.May your weapon not yield,

may it smite your foes.Grant breath of life, O Lord,

to whomever is trusted by you, but if a god embraces evil, shed his life.

Enuma Elish• Showdown between Marduk and Tiamat

– Charges her with crimes“Against Anshar, king of the gods,

you seek evil,and have proved your evil (intent)

against the gods, my fathers;Verily your forces are ranged,

they are girt with weapons (of) your (making).Set to! Let me and you do battle!”

– Marduk kills Tiamat, imprisons her followers and Kingu. Secures Tablet of Destinies.

Tiamat opened her mouth as far as she could; he drove in the tempest

lest she close her lips.The fierce winds filled her belly, her insides congested

and retching she opened wide her mouth: he let fly and arrow, it split her belly, cut through her inward parts

and gashed the heart.He held her fast, extinguished her life.

Enuma Elish• Marduk creates the universe from Tiamat’s body

– The Lord trampled the lower part of Tiamat,

With his unsparing mace smashed her skull,

Severed the arteries of her blood,

And made the North Wind carry if off as good news...

He divided the monstrous shape and created marvels (from it).

He sliced her in half like a fish for drying:

Half of her he put up to roof the sky.

• Gods extend kingship because of all the great things Mardukhas accomplished (Benefits and Obedience)

When they gave kingship to Marduk,

They spoke an oration for him, for blessing and obedience.

Henceforth you shall be the provider of shrines for us.

Whatever you command, we shall perform ourselves.

Enuma Elish

• Marduk creates humans from Kingu’s blood– They bound him, held him before Ea, inflicted penalty on him, severed his

arteries; and from his blood he formed mankind, imposed toil on man, set the gods free.

• Marduk assigns administrative duties to the gods, some presiding in heaven, some over earth.

• Gods so thankful that they build a temple for Mardukin Babylon

Tower of BabelEtemenanki

18th Century BCE

Enuma Elish

• Appoint Marduk permanent kingship– The great gods assembled

and made Marduk’s destiny highest; they themselves did obeisance.

They swore an oath for themselves,

And swore on water and oil, touched their throats.

Thus they granted that he should exercise the kingship of the gods

And confirmed for him mastery of the gods of heaven and earth.

Enuma Elish

How does the Enuma Elish reflect the shift in Ancient Mesopotamia from a peaceful, agrarian society to a more violent, warlike one?

Enuma Elish

• Nature of Gods changes

– Early Gods

• Stand for rest and inactivity (Apsu, Tiamat)

– New Gods

• Active, noisy, warriors valued (Marduk)

– Reflects the increasing violence in Mesopotamia

• Old Gods = Early agricultural villages

• New Gods = Warring city states

Explains how Sumeriangovernments developed

Enuma Elish

Minor themes

• Generation gap– Suggestions on collaboration?

– Power shift to men

• Historical parallel– Babylon's conquering of

Sumer

– Sumer = “Land of Tiamat”

• Parricide– Related to historical parallel

Ritual Purposes

• Performed annually at New Year’s celebration (April)

– King had his mandate to rule renewed by the gods

• Ceremony included governors, ambassadors, courtiers, top officials, army officers, so on, come to renew loyalties

• Swear allegiance to king just like the gods swore allegiance to Marduk.

– Could also have been recited to control flooding

• Represented as battle between Tiamat and Marduk

Genesis

First...historical context

Hebrews• Tribal people

– 2,000 BCE when Abraham of Ur takes them West to Canaan• Get out of your country, from

your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you...(Gen 12:1)

– Covenant formed• Also I give to you and your

descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. (Gen 17:8)

Hebrews cont...

– 1,700 BCE move to Egypt• Droughts were a problem,

likely moved to Egypt because of food surplus there, reliability of Nile

– 1,250 BCE move out of Egypt, settle in Sinai desert• Exodus story? Other

theories?

• Ten Commandments revealed

Israel

• Joshua leads Hebrew army to Canaan and expel Philistines

• Establish Hebrew state “Israel”

– Saul (1040 – 1000 BCE)

– David (1000 – 960 BCE)

– Solomon (960 – 920 BCE)Merneptah Stele: “The princes are prostrate, saying: “Mercy!” Not one raises his head among the Nine Bows. Desolation is for Tehenu; Hatti is pacified; plundered is the Canaan with every evil; carried off is Ashkelon; seized upon is Gezer; Yanoam is made as that which does not exist; Israel is laid waste, his seed is not; Hurru is become a widow for Egypt.

Samaria

Jerusalem

Babylonian Captivity

• Nebuchadnezzar (630-562 BCE)– 586 BCE: Babylonian

armies destroy Jerusalem and expel Jews for 50 yrs of exile (Diaspora)

– Many Jews sent to live in Babylon

– Others scatter into Egypt and other parts of the Middle East• Cyrus the Great (Persians)

ends captivity • Allows Temple of

Solomon to be rebuilt

Genesis

• Dates of composition– Combination of oral and written traditions

– Began to be written down around 10th century BCE

– Other parts written during Babylonian exile (6th

century BCE) and postexilic periods

• Authorship issues– Jehovist-Elohist (JE)

• Monarchial period in Israel (10th century BCE)

– Priestly (P) sources• Postexilic (6th century BCE)

Gather in groups

• JE Source (dated around Kingdom of Israel)

– Primordial world is dry (God creates garden for man)

– God is more “hands on,” actively breathing life into man

– Man and woman sin against God

• Priestly Source (Babylonian Captivity and postexilic)

– Primordial world is wet

– God is detached from creation

– Emphasis on attributing everything’s creation to God

– Breaks down creation day by day (rests on 7th)

Questions to consider

1) How do the historical circumstances surrounding the authors of Genesis (JE vs P) affect their versions of creation? What is the primary focus or intention of each version?

2) How has the nature of “God” changed by now. What makes the Hebrew God unique compared to the gods in the Enuma Elish?