Enuma Elish (The Epic of Creation)

¹When in the height heaven was not named,

²And the earth beneath did not yet bear a name,

³And the primeval Apsu, who begat them,

⁴And chaos, Tiamut, the mother of them both

⁵Their waters were mingled together,

⁶And no field was formed, no marsh was to be seen;

⁷When of the gods none had been called into being,

⁸And none bore a name, and no destinies were ordained;

⁹Then were created the gods in the midst of heaven,

¹⁰Lahmu and Lahamu were called into being...

¹¹Ages increased,...

¹²Then Ansar and Kisar were created, and over them....

¹³Long were the days, then there came forth.....

¹⁴Anu, their son,...

¹⁵Ansar and Anu...

¹⁶And the god Anu...

¹⁷Nudimmud, whom his fathers, his begetters.....

¹⁸Abounding in all wisdom,...'

¹⁹He was exceeding strong...

²⁰He had no rival -

²¹Thus were established and were... the great gods.

²²But Tiamat and Apsu were still in confusion...

²³They were troubled and...

²⁴In disorder...

²⁵Apru was not diminished in might...

²⁶And Tiamat roared...

²⁷She smote, and their deeds...

²⁸Their way was evil...

²⁹Then Apsu, the begetter of the great gods,

³⁰Cried unto Mummu, his minister, and said unto him:

³¹"O Mummu, thou minister that rejoicest my spirit,

³²Come, unto Tiamut let us go!

³³So they went and before Tiamat they lay down,

³⁴They consulted on a plan with regard to the gods, their sons.

³⁵Apsu opened his mouth and spake,

³⁶And unto Tiamut, the glistening one, he addressed the word:

³⁷...their way...

³⁸By day I can not rest, by night I can not lie down in peace.

³⁹But I will destroy their way, I will...

⁴⁰Let there be lamentation, and let us lie down again in peace."

⁴¹When Tiamat heard these words,

⁴²She raged and cried aloud...

⁴³She... grievously...,

⁴⁴She uttered a curse, and unto Apsu she spake:

⁴⁵"What then shall we do?

⁴⁶Let their way be made difficult, and let us lie down again in peace."

⁴⁷Mummu answered, and gave counsel unto Apsu,

⁴⁸...and hostile to the gods was the counsel Mummu gave:

⁴⁹Come, their way is strong, but thou shalt destroy it;

⁵⁰Then by day shalt thou have rest, by night shalt thou lie down in peace."

⁵¹Apsu harkened unto him and his countenance grew bright,

⁵²Since he (Mummu) planned evil against the gods his sons.

⁵³... he was afraid...,

⁵⁴His knees became weak; they gave way beneath him,

⁵⁵Because of the evil which their first-born had planned.

⁵⁶... their... they altered.

⁵⁷... they...,

⁵⁸Lamentation they sat in sorrow

⁵⁹..................

⁶⁰Then Ea, who knoweth all that is, went up and he beheld their muttering.

⁶¹[about 30 illegible lines]

⁶²... he spake:

⁶³... thy... he hath conquered and

⁶⁴... he weepeth and sitteth in tribulation.

⁶⁵... of fear,

⁶⁶... we shall not lie down in peace.

⁶⁷... Apsu is laid waste,

⁶⁸... and Mummu, who were taken captive, in...

⁶⁹... thou didst...

⁷⁰... let us lie down in peace.

⁷¹... they will smite....

⁷²... let us lie down in peace.

⁷³... thou shalt take vengeance for them,

⁷⁴... unto the tempest shalt thou...!"

⁷⁵And Tiamat harkened unto the word of the bright god, and said:

⁷⁶... shalt thou entrust! let us wage war!"

⁷⁷... the gods in the midst of...

⁷⁸... for the gods did she create.

⁷⁹They banded themselves together and at the side of Tiamat they advanced;

⁸⁰They were furious; they devised mischief without resting night and day.

⁸¹They prepared for battle, fuming and raging;

⁸²They joined their forces and made war,

⁸³Ummu-Hubur [Tiamat] who formed all things,

⁸⁴Made in addition weapons invincible; she spawned monster-serpents,

⁸⁵Sharp of tooth, and merciless of fang;

⁸⁶With poison, instead of blood, she filled their bodies.

⁸⁷Fierce monster-vipers she clothed with terror,

⁸⁸With splendor she decked them, she made them of lofty stature.

⁸⁹Whoever beheld them, terror overcame him,

⁹⁰Their bodies reared up and none could withstand their attack.

⁹¹She set up vipers and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,

⁹²And hurricanes, and raging hounds, and scorpion-men,

⁹³And mighty tempests, and fish-men, and rams;

⁹⁴They bore cruel weapons, without fear of the fight.

⁹⁵Her commands were mighty, none could resist them;

⁹⁶After this fashion, huge of stature, she made eleven [kinds of] monsters.

⁹⁷Among the gods who were her sons, inasmuch as he had given her support,

⁹⁸She exalted Kingu; in their midst she raised him to power.

⁹⁹To march before the forces, to lead the host,

¹⁰⁰To give the battle-signal, to advance to the attack,

¹⁰¹To direct the battle, to control the fight,

¹⁰²Unto him she entrusted; in costly raiment she made him sit, saying:

¹⁰³I have uttered thy spell, in the assembly of the gods I have raised thee to power.

¹⁰⁴The dominion over all the gods have I entrusted unto him.

¹⁰⁵Be thou exalted, thou my chosen spouse,

¹⁰⁶May they magnify thy name over all of them the Anunnaki."

¹⁰⁷She gave him the Tablets of Destiny, on his breast she laid them, saying:

¹⁰⁸Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established."

¹⁰⁹Now Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,

¹¹⁰Decreed the fate among the gods his sons, saying:

¹¹¹"Let the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god;

¹¹²Whoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!"

¹Tiamat made weighty her handiwork,

²Evil she wrought against the gods her children.

³To avenge Apsu, Tiamat planned evil,

⁴But how she had collected her forces, the god unto Ea divulged.

⁵Ea harkened to this thing, and

⁶He was grievously afflicted and he sat in sorrow.

⁷The days went by, and his anger was appeased,

⁸And to the place of Ansar his father he took his way.

⁹He went and, standing before Ansar, the father who begat him,

¹⁰All that Tiamat had plotted he repeated unto him,

¹¹Saying, "Tiamat our mother hath conceived a hatred for us,

¹²With all her force she rageth, full of wrath.

¹³All the gods have turned to her,

¹⁴With those, whom ye created, thev go at her side.

¹⁵They are banded together and at the side of Tiamat they advance;

¹⁶They are furious, they devise mischief without resting night and day.

¹⁷They prepare for battle, fuming and raging;

¹⁸They have joined their forces and are making war.

¹⁹Ummu-Hubur, who formed all things,

²⁰Hath made in addition weapons invincible; she hath spawned monster-serpents,

²¹Sharp of tooth, and merciless of fang.

²²With poison, instead of blood, she hath filled their bodies.

²³Fierce monster-vipers she hath clothed with terror,

²⁴With splendor she hath decked them; she hath made them of lofty stature.

²⁵Whoever beholdeth them is overcome by terror,

²⁶Their bodies rear up and none can withstand their attack.

²⁷She hath set up vipers, and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,

²⁸And hurricanes and raging hounds, and scorpion-men,

²⁹And mighty tempests, and fish-men and rams;

³⁰They bear cruel weapons, without fear of the fight.

³¹Her commands are mighty; none can resist them;

³²After this fashion, huge of stature, hath she made eleven monsters.

³³Among the gods who are her sons, inasmuch as he hath given her support,

³⁴She hath exalted Kingu; in their midst she hath raised him to power.

³⁵To march before the forces, to lead the host,

³⁶To give the battle-signal, to advance to the attack.

³⁷To direct the battle, to control the fight,

³⁸Unto him hath she entrusted; in costly raiment she hath made him sit, saving:.

³⁹I have uttered thy spell; in the assembly of the gods I have raised thee to power,

⁴⁰The dominion over all the gods have I entrusted unto thee.

⁴¹Be thou exalted, thou my chosen spouse,

⁴²May they magnify thy name over all of them

⁴³She hath given him the Tablets of Destiny, on his breast she laid them, saying:

⁴⁴'Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established.'

⁴⁵Now Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,

⁴⁶Decreed the fate for the gods, her sons, saying:

⁴⁷'Let the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god;

⁴⁸Whoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!'"

⁴⁹When Ansar heard how Tiamat was mightily in revolt,

⁵⁰he bit his lips, his mind was not at peace,

⁵¹..., he made a bitter lamentation:

⁵²... battle,

⁵³... thou...

⁵⁴Mummu and Apsu thou hast smitten

⁵⁵But Tiamat hath exalted Kingu, and where is one who can oppose her?

⁵⁶... deliberation

⁵⁷... the ... of the gods, -Nudimmud.

⁵⁸[A gap of about a dozen lines occurs here.]

⁵⁹Ansar unto his son addressed the word:

⁶⁰"... my mighty hero,

⁶¹Whose strength is great and whose onslaught can not be withstood,

⁶²Go and stand before Tiamat,

⁶³That her spirit may be appeased, that her heart may be merciful.

⁶⁴But if she will not harken unto thy word,

⁶⁵Our word shalt thou speak unto her, that she may be pacified."

⁶⁶He heard the word of his father Ansar

⁶⁷And he directed his path to her, toward her he took the way.

⁶⁸Ann drew nigh, he beheld the muttering of Tiamat,

⁶⁹But he could not withstand her, and he turned back.

⁷⁰... Ansar

⁷¹... he spake unto him:

⁷²[A gap of over twenty lines occurs here.]

⁷³an avenger...

⁷⁴... valiant

⁷⁵... in the place of his decision

⁷⁶... he spake unto him:

⁷⁷... thy father

⁷⁸" Thou art my son, who maketh merciful his heart.

⁷⁹... to the battle shalt thou draw nigh,

⁸⁰he that shall behold thee shall have peace."

⁸¹And the lord rejoiced at the word of his father,

⁸²And he drew nigh and stood before Ansar.

⁸³Ansar beheld him and his heart was filled with joy,

⁸⁴He kissed him on the lips and his fear departed from him.

⁸⁵"O my father, let not the word of thy lips be overcome,

⁸⁶Let me go, that I may accomplish all that is in thy heart.

⁸⁷O Ansar, let not the word of thy lips be overcome,

⁸⁸Let me go, that I may accomplish all that is in thy heart."

⁸⁹What man is it, who hath brought thee forth to battle?

⁹⁰... Tiamat, who is a woman, is armed and attacketh thee.

⁹¹... rejoice and be glad;

⁹²The neck of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly trample under foot.

⁹³... rejoice and be glad;

⁹⁴The neck of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly trample under foot.

⁹⁵0 my son, who knoweth all wisdom,

⁹⁶Pacify Tiamat with thy pure incantation.

⁹⁷Speedily set out upon thy way,

⁹⁸For thy blood shall not be poured out; thou shalt return again."

⁹⁹The lord rejoiced at the word of his father,

¹⁰⁰His heart exulted, and unto his father he spake:

¹⁰¹"O Lord of the gods, Destiny of the great gods,

¹⁰²If I, your avenger,

¹⁰³Conquer Tiamat and give you life,

¹⁰⁴Appoint an assembly, make my fate preeminent and proclaim it.

¹⁰⁵In Upsukkinaku seat yourself joyfully together,

¹⁰⁶With my word in place of you will I decree fate.

¹⁰⁷May whatsoever I do remain unaltered,

¹⁰⁸May the word of my lips never be chanced nor made of no avail."

¹Ansar opened his mouth, and

²Unto Gaga, his minister, spake the word.

³"O Gaga, thou minister that rejoicest my spirit,

⁴Unto Lahmu and Lahamu will I send thee.

⁵... thou canst attain,

⁶... thou shalt cause to be brought before thee.

⁷... let the gods, all of them,

⁸Make ready for a feast, at a banquet let them sit,

⁹Let them eat bread, let them mix wine,

¹⁰That for Marduk, their avenger they may decree the fate.

¹¹Go, Gaga, stand before them,

¹²And all that I tell thee, repeat unto them, and say:

¹³'Ansar, vour son, hath sent me,

¹⁴The purpose of his heart he hath made known unto me.

¹⁵The purpose of his heart he hath made known unto me.

¹⁶He saith that Tiamat our mother hath conceived a hatred for us,

¹⁷With all her force she rageth, full of wrath.

¹⁸All the gods have turned to her,

¹⁹With those, whom ye created, they go at her side.

²⁰They are banded together, and at the side of Tiamat they advance;

²¹They are furious, they devise mischief without resting night and day.

²²They prepare for battle, fuming and raging;

²³They have joined their forces and are making war.

²⁴Ummu-Hubur, who formed all things,

²⁵Hath made in addition weapons invincible; she hath spawned monster-serpents,

²⁶Sharp of tooth and merciless of fang.

²⁷With poison, instead of blood, she hath filled their bodies.

²⁸Fierce monster-vipers she hath clothed with terror,

²⁹With splendor she hath decked them; she hath made them of lofty stature.

³⁰Whoever beboldeth them, terror overcometh him,

³¹Their bodies rear up and none can withstand their attack.

³²She hath set up vipers, and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,

³³And hurricanes, and raging bounds, and scorpion-men,

³⁴And mighty tempests, and fish-men, and rams;

³⁵They bear merciless weapons, without fear of the fight.

³⁶Her commands are miahty; none can. resist them;

³⁷After this fashion, huge of stature, hath she made eleven monsters.

³⁸Among the gods who are her sons, inasmuch as he hath given her support,

³⁹She hath exalted Kingu; in their midst she hath raised him to power.

⁴⁰To march before the forces, to lead the host,

⁴¹To give the battle-signal, to advance to the attack,

⁴²To direct the battle, to control the fight,

⁴³Unto him hath she entrusted; in costly raiment she hath made him sit, saying:

⁴⁴I have uttered thy spell; in the assembly of the gods

⁴⁵I have raised thee to power,

⁴⁶The dominion over all the gods have I entrusted unto thee.

⁴⁷Be thou exalted, thou my chosen spouse,

⁴⁸May they magnify thy name over all of them ... the Anunnaki."

⁴⁹She hath given him the Tablets of Destiny, on his breast she laid them, saying:

⁵⁰Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established."

⁵¹Now Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,

⁵²Decreed the fate for the gods, her sons, saving:

⁵³Let the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god;

⁵⁴Whoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!"

⁵⁵I sent Anu, but he could not withstand her;

⁵⁶Nudimmud was afraid and turned back.

⁵⁷But Marduk hath set out, the director of the gods, your son;

⁵⁸To set out against Tiamat his heart hath prompted him.

⁵⁹He opened his mouth and spake unto me, saying: "If I, your avenger,

⁶⁰Conquer Tiamat and give you life,

⁶¹Appoint an assembly, make my fate preeminent and proclaim it.

⁶²In Upsukkinaku seat yourself joyfully together;

⁶³With my word in place of you will I decree fate.

⁶⁴May whatsoever I do remain unaltered,

⁶⁵May the word of my lips never be changed nor made of no avail."'

⁶⁶Hasten, therefore, and swiftly decree for him the fate which you bestow,

⁶⁷That he may go and fight your strong enemy.

⁶⁸Gaga went, he took his way and

⁶⁹Humbly before Lahmu and Lahamu, the gods, his fathers,

⁷⁰He made obeisance, and he kissed the ground at their feet.

⁷¹He humbled himself; then he stood up and spake unto them saying:

⁷²"Ansar, your son, hath sent me,

⁷³The purpose of his heart he hath made known unto me.

⁷⁴He saith that Tiamat our mother hath conceived a hatred for us,

⁷⁵With all her force she rageth, full of wrath.

⁷⁶All the gods have turned to her,

⁷⁷With those, whom ye created, they go at her side.

⁷⁸They are banded together and at the side of Tiamat they advance;

⁷⁹They are furious, they devise mischief without resting night and day.

⁸⁰They prepare for battle, fuming and raging;

⁸¹They have joined their forces and are making war.

⁸²Ummu-Hubur, who formed all things,

⁸³Hath made in addition weapons invincible; she hath spawned monster-serpents,

⁸⁴Sharp of tooth and merciless of fang.

⁸⁵With poison, instead of blood, she hath filled their bodies.

⁸⁶Fierce monster-vipers she hath clothed with terror,

⁸⁷With splendor she hath decked them, she hath made them of lofty stature.

⁸⁸Whoever beboldeth them, terror overcometh him,

⁸⁹Their bodies rear up and none can withstand their attack.

⁹⁰She hath set up vipers, and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,

⁹¹And hurricanes, and raging hounds, and scorpion-men,

⁹²And mighty tempests, and fish-men, and rams;

⁹³They bear merciless weapons, without fear of the fight.

⁹⁴Her commands are mighty; none can resist them;

⁹⁵After this fashion, huge of stature, hath she made eleven monsters.

⁹⁶Among the gods who are her sons, inasmuch as he hath given her support,

⁹⁷She hath exalted Kingu; in their midst she hath raised him to power.

⁹⁸To march before the forces, to lead the host,

⁹⁹To give the battle-signal, to advance to the attack, To direct the battle, to control the fight,

¹⁰⁰Unto him hath she entrusted; in costlv raiment she hath made him sit, saving:

¹⁰¹I have uttered thy spell; in the assembly of the gods I have raised thee to power,

¹⁰²The dominion over all the gods have I entrusted unto thee.

¹⁰³Be thou exalted, thou my chosen spouse,

¹⁰⁴May they magnify thy name over all of them...the Anunnaki.

¹⁰⁵She hath given him the Tablets of Destiny on his breast she laid them, saving:

¹⁰⁶Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established.'

¹⁰⁷Now Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,

¹⁰⁸Decreed the fate for the gods, her sons, saying:

¹⁰⁹'Let the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god;

¹¹⁰Whoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!'

¹¹¹I sent Anu, but he could not withstand her;

¹¹²Nudimmud was afraid and turned back.

¹¹³But Marduk hath set out, the director of the gods, your son;

¹¹⁴To set out against Tiamat his heart hath prompted him.

¹¹⁵He opened his mouth and spake unto me, saying:

¹¹⁶'If I, your avenger,

¹¹⁷Conquer Tiamat and give you life,

¹¹⁸Appoint an assembly, make my fate preeminent and proclaim it.

¹¹⁹In Upsukkinaku seat yourselves joyfully together;

¹²⁰With my word in place of you will I decree fate.

¹²¹May, whatsoever I do remain unaltered,

¹²²May the word of my lips never be changed nor made of no avail.'

¹²³Hasten, therefore, and swiftly decree for him the fate which you bestow,

¹²⁴That he may go and fight your strong enemy!

¹²⁵Lahmu and Lahamu heard and cried aloud

¹²⁶All of the Igigi [The elder gods] wailed bitterly, saying:

¹²⁷What has been altered so that they should

¹²⁸We do not understand the deed of Tiamat!

¹²⁹Then did they collect and go,

¹³⁰The great gods, all of them, who decree fate.

¹³¹They entered in before Ansar, they filled...

¹³²They kissed one another, in the assembly...;

¹³³They made ready for the feast, at the banquet they sat;

¹³⁴They ate bread, they mixed sesame-wine.

¹³⁵The sweet drink, the mead, confused their...

¹³⁶They were drunk with drinking, their bodies were filled.

¹³⁷They were wholly at ease, their spirit was exalted;

¹³⁸Then for Marduk, their avenger, did they decree the fate.

¹They prepared for him a lordly chamber,

²Before his fathers as prince he took his place.

³"Thou art chiefest among the great gods,

⁴Thy fate is unequaled, thy word is Anu!

⁵O Marduk, thou art chiefest among the great gods,

⁶Thy fate is unequaled, thy word is Anu!

⁷Henceforth not without avail shall be thy command,

⁸In thy power shall it be to exalt and to abase.

⁹Established shall be the word of thy mouth, irresistible shall be thy command,

¹⁰None among the gods shall transgress thy boundary.

¹¹Abundance, the desire of the shrines of the gods,

¹²Shall be established in thy sanctuary, even though they lack offerings.

¹³O Marduk, thou art our avenger!

¹⁴We give thee sovereignty over the whole world.

¹⁵Sit thou down in might; be exalted in thy command.

¹⁶Thy weapon shall never lose its power; it shall crush thy foe.

¹⁷O Lord, spare the life of him that putteth his trust in thee,

¹⁸But as for the god who began the rebellion, pour out his life."

¹⁹Then set they in their midst a garment,

²⁰And unto Marduk,- their first-born they spake:

²¹"May thy fate, O lord, be supreme among the gods,

²²To destroy and to create; speak thou the word, and thy command shall be fulfilled.

²³Command now and let the garment vanish;

²⁴And speak the word again and let the garment reappear!

²⁵Then he spake with his mouth, and the garment vanished;

²⁶Again he commanded it, and. the garment reappeared.

²⁷When the gods, his fathers, beheld the fulfillment of his word,

²⁸They rejoiced, and they did homage unto him, saying, " Marduk is king!"

²⁹They bestowed upon him the scepter, and the throne, and the ring,

³⁰They give him an invincible weapony which overwhelmeth the foe.

³¹Go, and cut off the life of Tiamat,

³²And let the wind carry her blood into secret places."

³³After the gods his fathers had decreed for the lord his fate,

³⁴They caused him to set out on a path of prosperity and success.

³⁵He made ready the bow, he chose his weapon,

³⁶He slung a spear upon him and fastened it...

³⁷He raised the club, in his right hand he grasped it,

³⁸The bow and the quiver he hung at his side.

³⁹He set the lightning in front of him,

⁴⁰With burning flame he filled his body.

⁴¹He made a net to enclose the inward parts of Tiamat,

⁴²The four winds he stationed so that nothing of her might escape;

⁴³The South wind and the North wind and the East wind and the West wind

⁴⁴He brought near to the net, the gift of his father Anu.

⁴⁵He created the evil wind, and the tempest, and the hurricane,

⁴⁶And the fourfold wind, and the sevenfold wind, and the whirlwind, and the wind which had no equal;

⁴⁷He sent forth the winds which he had created, the seven of them;

⁴⁸To disturb the inward parts of Tiamat, they followed after him.

⁴⁹Then the lord raised the thunderbolt, his mighty weapon,

⁵⁰He mounted the chariot, the storm unequaled for terror,

⁵¹He harnessed and yoked unto it four horses,

⁵²Destructive, ferocious, overwhelming, and swift of pace;

⁵³... were their teeth, they were flecked with foam;

⁵⁴They were skilled in... , they had been trained to trample underfoot.

⁵⁵... . mighty in battle,

⁵⁶Left and right....

⁵⁷His garment was... , he was clothed with terror,

⁵⁸With overpowering brightness his head was crowned.

⁵⁹Then he set out, he took his way,

⁶⁰And toward the raging Tiamat he set his face.

⁶¹On his lips he held ...,

⁶²... he grasped in his hand.

⁶³Then they beheld him, the gods beheld him,

⁶⁴The gods his fathers beheld him, the gods beheld him.

⁶⁵And the lord drew nigh, he gazed upon the inward parts of Tiamat,

⁶⁶He perceived the muttering of Kingu, her spouse.

⁶⁷As Marduk gazed, Kingu was troubled in his gait,

⁶⁸His will was destroyed and his motions ceased.

⁶⁹And the gods, his helpers, who marched by his side,

⁷⁰Beheld their leader's..., and their sight was troubled.

⁷¹But Tiamat... , she turned not her neck,

⁷²With lips that failed not she uttered rebellious words:

⁷³"... thy coming as lord of the gods,

⁷⁴From their places have they gathered, in thy place are they! "

⁷⁵Then the lord raised the thunderbolt, his mighty weapon,

⁷⁶And against Tiamat, who was raging, thus he sent the word:

⁷⁷Thou art become great, thou hast exalted thyself on high,

⁷⁸And thy heart hath prompted thee to call to battle.

⁷⁹... their fathers...,

⁸⁰... their... thou hatest...

⁸¹Thou hast exalted Kingu to be thy spouse,

⁸²Thou hast... him, that, even as Anu, he should issue deerees.

⁸³thou hast followed after evil,

⁸⁴And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.

⁸⁵Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!

⁸⁶Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!

⁸⁷When Tiamat heard these words,

⁸⁸She was like one posessed, .she lost her reason.

⁸⁹Tiamat uttered wild, piercing cries,

⁹⁰She trembled and shook to her very foundations.

⁹¹She recited an incantation, she pronounced her spell,

⁹²And the gods of the battle cried out for their weapons.

⁹³Then advanced Tiamat and Marduk, the counselor of the gods;

⁹⁴To the fight they came on, to the battle they drew nigh.

⁹⁵The lord spread out his net and caught her,

⁹⁶And the evil wind that was behind him he let loose in her face.

⁹⁷As Tiamat opened her mouth to its full extent,

⁹⁸He drove in the evil wind, while as yet she had not shut her lips.

⁹⁹The terrible winds filled her belly,

¹⁰⁰And her courage was taken from her, and her mouth she opened wide.

¹⁰¹He seized the spear and burst her belly,

¹⁰²He severed her inward parts, he pierced her heart.

¹⁰³He overcame her and cut off her life;

¹⁰⁴He cast down her body and stood upon it.

¹⁰⁵When he had slain Tiamat, the leader,

¹⁰⁶Her might was broken, her host was scattered.

¹⁰⁷And the gods her helpers, who marched by her side,

¹⁰⁸Trembled, and were afraid, and turned back.

¹⁰⁹They took to flight to save their lives;

¹¹⁰But they were surrounded, so that they could not escape.

¹¹¹He took them captive, he broke their weapons;

¹¹²In the net they were caught and in the snare they sat down.

¹¹³The ... of the world they filled with cries of grief.

¹¹⁴They received punishment from him, they were held in bondage.

¹¹⁵And on the eleven creatures which she had filled with the power of striking terror,

¹¹⁶Upon the troop of devils, who marched at her...,

¹¹⁷He brought affliction, their strength he...;

¹¹⁸Them and their opposition he trampled under his feet.

¹¹⁹Moreover, Kingu, who had been exalted over them,

¹²⁰He conquered, and with the god Dug-ga he counted him.

¹²¹He took from him the Tablets of Destiny that were not rightly his,

¹²²He sealed them with a seal and in his own breast he laid them.

¹²³Now after the hero Marduk had conquered and cast down his enemies,

¹²⁴And had made the arrogant foe even like

¹²⁵And had fully established Ansar's triumph over the enemy

¹²⁶And had attained the purpose of Nudimmud,

¹²⁷Over the captive gods he strengthened his durance,

¹²⁸And unto Tiamat, whom he had conquered, he returned.

¹²⁹And the lord stood upon Tiamat's hinder parts,

¹³⁰And with his merciless club he smashed her skull.

¹³¹He cut through the channels of her blood,

¹³²And he made the North wind bear it away into secret places.

¹³³His fathers beheld, and they rejoiced and were glad;

¹³⁴Presents and gifts they brought unto him.

¹³⁵Then the lord rested, gazing upon her dead body,

¹³⁶While he divided the flesh of the ... , and devised a cunning plan.

¹³⁷He split her up like a flat fish into two halves;

¹³⁸One half of her he stablished as a covering for heaven.

¹³⁹He fixed a bolt, he stationed a watchman,

¹⁴⁰And bade them not to let her waters come forth.

¹⁴¹He passed through the heavens, he surveyed the regions thereof,

¹⁴²And over against the Deep he set the dwelling of Nudimmud.

¹⁴³And the lord measured the structure of the Deep,

¹⁴⁴And he founded E-sara, a mansion like unto it.

¹⁴⁵The mansion E-sara which he created as heaven,

¹⁴⁶He caused Anu, Bel, and Ea in their districts to inhabit.

¹He (Marduk) made the stations for the great gods;

²The stars, their images, as the stars of the Zodiac, he fixed.

³He ordained the year and into sections he divided it;

⁴For the twelve months he fixed three stars.

⁵After he had ... the days of the year ... images,

⁶He founded the station of Nibir [the planet Jupiter] to determine their bounds;

⁷That none might err or go astray,

⁸He set the station of Bel and Ea along with him.

⁹He opened great gates on both sides,

¹⁰He made strong the bolt on the left and on the right.

¹¹In the midst thereof he fixed the zenith;

¹²The Moon-god he caused to shine forth, the night he entrusted to him.

¹³He appointed him, a being of the night, to determine the days;

¹⁴Every month without ceasing with the crown he covered him, saying:

¹⁵"At the beginning of the month, when thou shinest upon the land,

¹⁶Thou commandest the horns to determine six days,

¹⁷And on the seventh day to divide the crown.

¹⁸On the fourteenth day thou shalt stand opposite, the half....

¹⁹When the Sun-god on the foundation of heaven...thee,

²⁰The ... thou shalt cause to ..., and thou shalt make his...

²¹... unto the path of the Sun-god shalt thou cause to draw nigh,

²²And on the ... day thou shalt stand opposite, and the Sun-god shall...

²³... to traverse her way.

²⁴... thou shalt cause to draw nigh, and thou shalt judge the right.

²⁵... to destroy..."

²⁶[Nearly fifty lines are here lost.]

²⁷The gods, his fathers, beheld the net which he had made,

²⁸They beheld the bow and how its work was accomplished.

²⁹They praised the work which he had done...

³⁰Then Anu raised the ... in the assembly of the gods. He kissed the bow, saving, " It is...!"

³¹And thus he named the names of the bow, saving,

³²"'Long-wood' shall be one name, and the second name shall be ...,

³³And its third name shall be the Bow-star, in heaven shall it...!"

³⁴Then he fixed a station for it...

³⁵Now after the fate of...

³⁶He set a throne...

³⁷...in heaven...

³⁸[The remainder of this tablet is missing.]

¹When Marduk heard the word of the gods,

²His heart prompted him and he devised a cunning plan.

³He opened his mouth and unto Ea he spake

⁴That which he had conceived in his heart he imparted unto him:

⁵"My blood will I take and bone will I fashion

⁶I will make man, that man may

⁷I will create man who shall inhabit the earth,

⁸That the service of the gods may be established, and that their shrines may be built.

⁹But I will alter the ways of the gods, and I will change their paths;

¹⁰Together shall they be oppressed and unto evil shall they....

¹¹And Ea answered him and spake the word:

¹²"... the ... of the gods I have changed

¹³... and one...

¹⁴... shall be destroyed and men will I...

¹⁵... and the gods .

¹⁶... and they..."

¹⁷[The rest of the text is wanting with the exception of

¹⁸the last few lines of the tablet, which read as follows.]

¹⁹They rejoiced...

²⁰In Upsukkinnaku they set their dwelling.

²¹Of the heroic son, their avenger, they cried:

²²" We, whom he succored.... !"

²³They seated themselves and in the assembly they named him...,

²⁴They all cried aloud, they exalted him...

¹O Asari, [Marduk] "Bestower of planting," "Founder of sowing"

²"Creator of grain and plants," "who caused the green herb to spring up!"

³O Asaru-alim, [Mardk] "who is revered in the house of counsel," "who aboundeth in counsel,"

⁴The gods paid homage, fear took hold upon them!

⁵O Asaru-alim-nuna, [Marduk] "the mighty one," "the Light of the father who begat him,"

⁶"Who directeth the decrees of Anu Bel, and Ea!"

⁷He was their patron, be ordained their...;

⁸He, whose provision is abundance, goeth forth...

⁹Tutu [Marduk] is "He who created them anew";

¹⁰Should their wants be pure, then are they satisfied;

¹¹Should he make an incantation, then are the gods appeased;

¹²Should they attack him in anger, he withstandeth their onslaught!

¹³Let him therefore be exalted, and in the assembly of the gods let him... ;

¹⁴None among the gods can rival him!

¹⁵15 Tutu [Marduk] is Zi-ukkina, "the Life of the host of the gods,"

¹⁶Who established for the gods the bright heavens.

¹⁷He set them on their way, and ordained their path;

¹⁸Never shall his ... deeds be forgotten among men.

¹⁹Tutu as Zi-azag thirdly they named, "the Bringer of Purification,"

²⁰"The God of the Favoring Breeze," "the Lord of Hearing and Mercy,"

²¹"The Creator of Fulness and Abundance," " the Founder of Plenteousness,"

²²"Who increaseth all that is small."

²³In sore distress we felt his favoring breeze,"

²⁴Let them say, let them pay reverence, let them bow in humility before him!

²⁵Tutu as Aga-azag may mankind fourthly magnify!

²⁶"The Lord of the Pure Incantation," " the Quickener of the Dead,"

²⁷"Who had mercy upon the captive gods,"

²⁸"Who removed the yoke from upon the gods his enemies,"

²⁹"For their forgiveness did he create mankind,"

³⁰"The Merciful One, with whom it is to bestow life!"

³¹May his deeds endure, may they never be forgotten ,

³²In the mouth of mankind whom his hands have made!

³³Tutu as Mu-azag, fifthly, his "Pure incantation" may their mouth proclaim,

³⁴Who through his Pure Incantation hath destroyed all the evil ones!"

³⁵Sag-zu, [Marduk] "who knoweth the heart of the gods," " who seeth through the innermost part!"

³⁶"The evil-doer he hath not caused to go forth with him!"

³⁷"Founder of the assembly of the gods," who ... their heart!"

³⁸"Subduer of the disobedient," "...!"

³⁹"Director of Righteousness," "...,"

⁴⁰" Who rebellion and...!"

⁴¹Tutu as Zi-si, "the ...,"

⁴²"Who put an end to anger," "who...!"

⁴³Tutu as Suh-kur, thirdly, "the Destroyer of the foe,"

⁴⁴"Who put their plans to confusion,"

⁴⁵"Who destroyed all the wicked," "...,"

⁴⁶... let them... !

⁴⁷[There is a gap here of sixty lines. But somewhere among the lost lines belong the following fragments.]

⁴⁸who...

⁴⁹He named the four quarters of the world, mankind hecreated,

⁵⁰And upon him understanding...

⁵¹"The mighty one...!"

⁵²Agil...

⁵³"The Creator of the earth...!"

⁵⁴Zulummu... .

⁵⁵"The Giver of counsel and of whatsoever...!"

⁵⁶Mummu, " the Creator of...!"

⁵⁷Mulil, the heavens...,

⁵⁸"Who for...!"

⁵⁹Giskul, let...,

⁶⁰"Who brought the gods to naught....!"

⁶¹...............

⁶²... " the Chief of all lords,"

⁶³... supreme is his might!

⁶⁴Lugal-durmah, "the King of the band of the gods," " the Lord of rulers."

⁶⁵"Who is exalted in a royal habitation,"

⁶⁶"Who among the gods is gloriously supreme!

⁶⁷Adu-nuna, " the Counselor of Ea," who created the gods his fathers,

⁶⁸Unto the path of whose majesty

⁶⁹No god can ever attain!

⁷⁰... in Dul-azag be made it known,

⁷¹... pure is his dwelling!

⁷²... the... of those without understanding is Lugaldul-azaga!

⁷³... supreme is his might!

⁷⁴... their... in the midst of Tiamat,

⁷⁵... of the battle!

⁷⁶[Here follows the better-preserved ending.]

⁷⁷... the star, which shineth in the heavens.

⁷⁸May he hold the Beginning and the Future, may they pay homage unto him,

⁷⁹Saying, "He who forced his way through the midst of Tiamat without resting,

⁸⁰Let his name be Nibiru, 'the Seizer of the Midst'!

⁸¹For the stars of heaven he upheld the paths,

⁸²He shepherded all the gods like sheep!

⁸³He conquered Tiamat, he troubled and ended her life,"

⁸⁴In the future of mankind, when the days grow old,

⁸⁵May this be heard without ceasing; may it hold sway forever!

⁸⁶Since he created the realm of heaven and fashioned the firm earth,

⁸⁷The Lord of the World," the father Bel hath called his name.

⁸⁸This title, which all the Spirits of Heaven proclaimed,

⁸⁹Did Ea hear, and his spirit was rejoiced, and he said:

⁹⁰"He whose name his fathers have made glorious,

⁹¹Shall be even as I, his name shall be Ea!

⁹²The binding of all my decrees shall he control,

⁹³All my commands shall he make known! "

⁹⁴By the name of "Fifty " did the great gods

⁹⁵Proclaim his fifty names, they, made his path preeminent.

⁹⁶EPILOGUE

⁹⁷Let them [i.e. the names of Marduk] be held in remembrances and let the first man proclaim them;

⁹⁸Let the wise and the understanding consider them together!

⁹⁹Let the father repeat them and teach them to his son;

¹⁰⁰Let them be in the ears of the pastor and the shepherd!

¹⁰¹Let a man rejoice in Marduk, the Lord of the gods,

¹⁰²That be may cause his land to be fruitful, and that he himself may have prosperity!

¹⁰³His word standeth fast, his command is unaltered;

¹⁰⁴The utterance of his mouth hath no god ever annulled.

¹⁰⁵He gazed in his anger, he turned not his neck;

¹⁰⁶When he is wroth, no god can withstand his indignation.

¹⁰⁷Wide is his heart, broad is his compassion;

¹⁰⁸The sinner and evil-doer in his presence...

¹⁰⁹They received instruction, they spake before him,

¹¹⁰... unto...

¹¹¹... of Marduk may the gods...;

¹¹²... May they ... his name... !

¹¹³... they took and...

¹¹⁴...................................!

¹¹⁵END OF THE CREATION EPIC

¹¹⁶THE FIGHT WITH TIAMAT

¹¹⁷(ANOTHER VERSION)

¹¹⁸[Note: Strictly speaking, the text is not a creation-legend, though it gives a variant form of the principal incident in the history of the creation according to the Enuma Elish. Here the fight with the dragon did not precede the creation of the world, but took place after men had been created and cities had been built.]

¹¹⁹The cities sighed, men ...

¹²⁰Men uttered lamentation, they ...

¹²¹For their lamentation there was none to help,

¹²²For their grief there was none to take them by the hand.

¹²³· Who was the dragon... ?

¹²⁴Tiamat was the dragon.....

¹²⁵Bel in heaven hath formed.....

¹²⁶Fifty kaspu [A kaspu is the space that can be covered in two hours travel, i.e. six or seven miles] in his length, one kaspu in his height,

¹²⁷Six cubits is his mouth, twelve cubits his...,

¹²⁸Twelve cubits is the circuit of his ears...;

¹²⁹For the space of sixty cubits he ... a bird;

¹³⁰In water nine cubits deep he draggeth...."

¹³¹He raiseth his tail on high...;

¹³²All the gods of heaven...

¹³³In heaven the gods bowed themselves down before the Moon-god...;

¹³⁴The border of the Moon-god's robe they hastily grasped:

¹³⁵"Who will go and slay the dragon,"

¹³⁶And deliver the broad land from...

¹³⁷And become king over... ?

¹³⁸" Go, Tishu, slav the dragon,

¹³⁹And deliver the broad land from...,

¹⁴⁰And become king over...!"

¹⁴¹Thou hast sent me, O Lord, to... the raging creatures of the river,

¹⁴²But I know not the... of the Dragon!

¹⁴³[The rest of the Obverse and the upper part of the Reverse of the tablet are wanting.]

¹⁴⁴REVERSE

¹⁴⁵................

¹⁴⁶And opened his mouth and spake unto the god...

¹⁴⁷" Stir up cloud, and storm and tempest!

¹⁴⁸The seal of thy life shalt thou set before thy face,

¹⁴⁹Thou shalt grasp it, and thou shalt slay the dragon."

¹⁵⁰He stirred up cloud, and storm and tempest,

¹⁵¹He set the seal of his life before his face,

¹⁵²He grasped it, and he slew the dragon.

¹⁵³For three years and three months, one day and one night

¹⁵⁴The blood of the dragon flowed. ...