{"collection":"Ancient Near East","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/ane/enuma.htm","path":"ane/enuma.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/ane/enuma.htm","text":"ENUMA ELISH\nTHE EPIC OF CREATION\nL.W. King Translator\n(from The Seven Tablets of Creation, London 1902)\nA more complete etext of the Seven Tablets of Creation is also\navailable here.\nTHE FIRST TABLET\nWhen in the height heaven was not named,\nAnd the earth beneath did not yet bear a name,\nAnd the primeval Apsu, who begat them,\nAnd chaos, Tiamut, the mother of them both\nTheir waters were mingled together,\nAnd no field was formed, no marsh was to be seen;\nWhen of the gods none had been called into being,\nAnd none bore a name, and no destinies were ordained;\nThen were created the gods in the midst of heaven,\nLahmu and Lahamu were called into being...\nAges increased,...\nThen Ansar and Kisar were created, and over them....\nLong were the days, then there came forth.....\nAnu, their son,...\nAnsar and Anu...\nAnd the god Anu...\nNudimmud, whom his fathers, his begetters.....\nAbounding in all wisdom,...'\nHe was exceeding strong...\nHe had no rival -\nThus were established and were... the great gods.\nBut Tiamat and Apsu were still in confusion...\nThey were troubled and...\nIn disorder...\nApru was not diminished in might...\nAnd Tiamat roared...\nShe smote, and their deeds...\nTheir way was evil...\nThen Apsu, the begetter of the great gods,\nCried unto Mummu, his minister, and said unto him:\n\"O Mummu, thou minister that rejoicest my spirit,\nCome, unto Tiamut let us go!\nSo they went and before Tiamat they lay down,\nThey consulted on a plan with regard to the gods, their sons.\nApsu opened his mouth and spake,\nAnd unto Tiamut, the glistening one, he addressed the word:\n...their way...\nBy day I can not rest, by night I can not lie down in peace.\nBut I will destroy their way, I will...\nLet there be lamentation, and let us lie down again in peace.\"\nWhen Tiamat heard these words,\nShe raged and cried aloud...\nShe... grievously...,\nShe uttered a curse, and unto Apsu she spake:\n\"What then shall we do?\nLet their way be made difficult, and let us lie down again in peace.\"\nMummu answered, and gave counsel unto Apsu,\n...and hostile to the gods was the counsel Mummu gave:\nCome, their way is strong, but thou shalt destroy it;\nThen by day shalt thou have rest, by night shalt thou lie down in peace.\"\nApsu harkened unto him and his countenance grew bright,\nSince he (Mummu) planned evil against the gods his sons.\n... he was afraid...,\nHis knees became weak; they gave way beneath him,\nBecause of the evil which their first-born had planned.\n... their... they altered.\n... they...,\nLamentation they sat in sorrow\n..................\nThen Ea, who knoweth all that is, went up and he beheld their muttering.\n[about 30 illegible lines]\n... he spake:\n... thy... he hath conquered and\n... he weepeth and sitteth in tribulation.\n... of fear,\n... we shall not lie down in peace.\n... Apsu is laid waste,\n... and Mummu, who were taken captive, in...\n... thou didst...\n... let us lie down in peace.\n... they will smite....\n... let us lie down in peace.\n... thou shalt take vengeance for them,\n... unto the tempest shalt thou...!\"\nAnd Tiamat harkened unto the word of the bright god, and said:\n... shalt thou entrust! let us wage war!\"\n... the gods in the midst of...\n... for the gods did she create.\nThey banded themselves together and at the side of Tiamat they advanced;\nThey were furious; they devised mischief without resting night and day.\nThey prepared for battle, fuming and raging;\nThey joined their forces and made war,\nUmmu-Hubur [Tiamat] who formed all things,\nMade in addition weapons invincible; she spawned monster-serpents,\nSharp of tooth, and merciless of fang;\nWith poison, instead of blood, she filled their bodies.\nFierce monster-vipers she clothed with terror,\nWith splendor she decked them, she made them of lofty stature.\nWhoever beheld them, terror overcame him,\nTheir bodies reared up and none could withstand their attack.\nShe set up vipers and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,\nAnd hurricanes, and raging hounds, and scorpion-men,\nAnd mighty tempests, and fish-men, and rams;\nThey bore cruel weapons, without fear of the fight.\nHer commands were mighty, none could resist them;\nAfter this fashion, huge of stature, she made eleven [kinds of] monsters.\nAmong the gods who were her sons, inasmuch as he had given her support,\nShe exalted Kingu; in their midst she raised him to power.\nTo march before the forces, to lead the host,\nTo give the battle-signal, to advance to the attack,\nTo direct the battle, to control the fight,\nUnto him she entrusted; in costly raiment she made him sit, saying:\nI have uttered thy spell, in the assembly of the gods I have raised thee to power.\nThe dominion over all the gods have I entrusted unto him.\nBe thou exalted, thou my chosen spouse,\nMay they magnify thy name over all of them the Anunnaki.\"\nShe gave him the Tablets of Destiny, on his breast she laid them, saying:\nThy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established.\"\nNow Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,\nDecreed the fate among the gods his sons, saying:\n\"Let the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god;\nWhoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!\"\nTHE SECOND TABLET\nTiamat made weighty her handiwork,\nEvil she wrought against the gods her children.\nTo avenge Apsu, Tiamat planned evil,\nBut how she had collected her forces, the god unto Ea divulged.\nEa harkened to this thing, and\nHe was grievously afflicted and he sat in sorrow.\nThe days went by, and his anger was appeased,\nAnd to the place of Ansar his father he took his way.\nHe went and, standing before Ansar, the father who begat him,\nAll that Tiamat had plotted he repeated unto him,\nSaying, \"Tiamat our mother hath conceived a hatred for us,\nWith all her force she rageth, full of wrath.\nAll the gods have turned to her,\nWith those, whom ye created, thev go at her side.\nThey are banded together and at the side of Tiamat they advance;\nThey are furious, they devise mischief without resting night and day.\nThey prepare for battle, fuming and raging;\nThey have joined their forces and are making war.\nUmmu-Hubur, who formed all things,\nHath made in addition weapons invincible; she hath spawned monster-serpents,\nSharp of tooth, and merciless of fang.\nWith poison, instead of blood, she hath filled their bodies.\nFierce monster-vipers she hath clothed with terror,\nWith splendor she hath decked them; she hath made them of lofty stature.\nWhoever beholdeth them is overcome by terror,\nTheir bodies rear up and none can withstand their attack.\nShe hath set up vipers, and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,\nAnd hurricanes and raging hounds, and scorpion-men,\nAnd mighty tempests, and fish-men and rams;\nThey bear cruel weapons, without fear of the fight.\nHer commands are mighty; none can resist them;\nAfter this fashion, huge of stature, hath she made eleven monsters.\nAmong the gods who are her sons, inasmuch as he hath given her support,\nShe hath exalted Kingu; in their midst she hath raised him to power.\nTo march before the forces, to lead the host,\nTo give the battle-signal, to advance to the attack.\nTo direct the battle, to control the fight,\nUnto him hath she entrusted; in costly raiment she hath made him sit, saving:.\nI have uttered thy spell; in the assembly of the gods I have raised thee to power,\nThe dominion over all the gods have I entrusted unto thee.\nBe thou exalted, thou my chosen spouse,\nMay they magnify thy name over all of them\nShe hath given him the Tablets of Destiny, on his breast she laid them, saying:\n'Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established.'\nNow Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,\nDecreed the fate for the gods, her sons, saying:\n'Let the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god;\nWhoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!'\"\nWhen Ansar heard how Tiamat was mightily in revolt,\nhe bit his lips, his mind was not at peace,\n..., he made a bitter lamentation:\n... battle,\n... thou...\nMummu and Apsu thou hast smitten\nBut Tiamat hath exalted Kingu, and where is one who can oppose her?\n... deliberation\n... the ... of the gods, -Nudimmud.\n[A gap of about a dozen lines occurs here.]\nAnsar unto his son addressed the word:\n\"... my mighty hero,\nWhose strength is great and whose onslaught can not be withstood,\nGo and stand before Tiamat,\nThat her spirit may be appeased, that her heart may be merciful.\nBut if she will not harken unto thy word,\nOur word shalt thou speak unto her, that she may be pacified.\"\nHe heard the word of his father Ansar\nAnd he directed his path to her, toward her he took the way.\nAnn drew nigh, he beheld the muttering of Tiamat,\nBut he could not withstand her, and he turned back.\n... Ansar\n... he spake unto him:\n[A gap of over twenty lines occurs here.]\nan avenger...\n... valiant\n... in the place of his decision\n... he spake unto him:\n... thy father\n\" Thou art my son, who maketh merciful his heart.\n... to the battle shalt thou draw nigh,\nhe that shall behold thee shall have peace.\"\nAnd the lord rejoiced at the word of his father,\nAnd he drew nigh and stood before Ansar.\nAnsar beheld him and his heart was filled with joy,\nHe kissed him on the lips and his fear departed from him.\n\"O my father, let not the word of thy lips be overcome,\nLet me go, that I may accomplish all that is in thy heart.\nO Ansar, let not the word of thy lips be overcome,\nLet me go, that I may accomplish all that is in thy heart.\"\nWhat man is it, who hath brought thee forth to battle?\n... Tiamat, who is a woman, is armed and attacketh thee.\n... rejoice and be glad;\nThe neck of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly trample under foot.\n... rejoice and be glad;\nThe neck of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly trample under foot.\n0 my son, who knoweth all wisdom,\nPacify Tiamat with thy pure incantation.\nSpeedily set out upon thy way,\nFor thy blood shall not be poured out; thou shalt return again.\"\nThe lord rejoiced at the word of his father,\nHis heart exulted, and unto his father he spake:\n\"O Lord of the gods, Destiny of the great gods,\nIf I, your avenger,\nConquer Tiamat and give you life,\nAppoint an assembly, make my fate preeminent and proclaim it.\nIn Upsukkinaku seat yourself joyfully together,\nWith my word in place of you will I decree fate.\nMay whatsoever I do remain unaltered,\nMay the word of my lips never be chanced nor made of no avail.\"\nTHE THIRD TABLET\nAnsar opened his mouth, and\nUnto Gaga, his minister, spake the word.\n\"O Gaga, thou minister that rejoicest my spirit,\nUnto Lahmu and Lahamu will I send thee.\n... thou canst attain,\n... thou shalt cause to be brought before thee.\n... let the gods, all of them,\nMake ready for a feast, at a banquet let them sit,\nLet them eat bread, let them mix wine,\nThat for Marduk, their avenger they may decree the fate.\nGo, Gaga, stand before them,\nAnd all that I tell thee, repeat unto them, and say:\n'Ansar, vour son, hath sent me,\nThe purpose of his heart he hath made known unto me.\nThe purpose of his heart he hath made known unto me.\nHe saith that Tiamat our mother hath conceived a hatred for us,\nWith all her force she rageth, full of wrath.\nAll the gods have turned to her,\nWith those, whom ye created, they go at her side.\nThey are banded together, and at the side of Tiamat they advance;\nThey are furious, they devise mischief without resting night and day.\nThey prepare for battle, fuming and raging;\nThey have joined their forces and are making war.\nUmmu-Hubur, who formed all things,\nHath made in addition weapons invincible; she hath spawned monster-serpents,\nSharp of tooth and merciless of fang.\nWith poison, instead of blood, she hath filled their bodies.\nFierce monster-vipers she hath clothed with terror,\nWith splendor she hath decked them; she hath made them of lofty stature.\nWhoever beboldeth them, terror overcometh him,\nTheir bodies rear up and none can withstand their attack.\nShe hath set up vipers, and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,\nAnd hurricanes, and raging bounds, and scorpion-men,\nAnd mighty tempests, and fish-men, and rams;\nThey bear merciless weapons, without fear of the fight.\nHer commands are miahty; none can. resist them;\nAfter this fashion, huge of stature, hath she made eleven monsters.\nAmong the gods who are her sons, inasmuch as he hath given her support,\nShe hath exalted Kingu; in their midst she hath raised him to power.\nTo march before the forces, to lead the host,\nTo give the battle-signal, to advance to the attack,\nTo direct the battle, to control the fight,\nUnto him hath she entrusted; in costly raiment she hath made him sit, saying:\nI have uttered thy spell; in the assembly of the gods\nI have raised thee to power,\nThe dominion over all the gods have I entrusted unto thee.\nBe thou exalted, thou my chosen spouse,\nMay they magnify thy name over all of them ... the Anunnaki.\"\nShe hath given him the Tablets of Destiny, on his breast she laid them, saying:\nThy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established.\"\nNow Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,\nDecreed the fate for the gods, her sons, saving:\nLet the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god;\nWhoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!\"\nI sent Anu, but he could not withstand her;\nNudimmud was afraid and turned back.\nBut Marduk hath set out, the director of the gods, your son;\nTo set out against Tiamat his heart hath prompted him.\nHe opened his mouth and spake unto me, saying: \"If I, your avenger,\nConquer Tiamat and give you life,\nAppoint an assembly, make my fate preeminent and proclaim it.\nIn Upsukkinaku seat yourself joyfully together;\nWith my word in place of you will I decree fate.\nMay whatsoever I do remain unaltered,\nMay the word of my lips never be changed nor made of no avail.\"'\nHasten, therefore, and swiftly decree for him the fate which you bestow,\nThat he may go and fight your strong enemy.\nGaga went, he took his way and\nHumbly before Lahmu and Lahamu, the gods, his fathers,\nHe made obeisance, and he kissed the ground at their feet.\nHe humbled himself; then he stood up and spake unto them saying:\n\"Ansar, your son, hath sent me,\nThe purpose of his heart he hath made known unto me.\nHe saith that Tiamat our mother hath conceived a hatred for us,\nWith all her force she rageth, full of wrath.\nAll the gods have turned to her,\nWith those, whom ye created, they go at her side.\nThey are banded together and at the side of Tiamat they advance;\nThey are furious, they devise mischief without resting night and day.\nThey prepare for battle, fuming and raging;\nThey have joined their forces and are making war.\nUmmu-Hubur, who formed all things,\nHath made in addition weapons invincible; she hath spawned monster-serpents,\nSharp of tooth and merciless of fang.\nWith poison, instead of blood, she hath filled their bodies.\nFierce monster-vipers she hath clothed with terror,\nWith splendor she hath decked them, she hath made them of lofty stature.\nWhoever beboldeth them, terror overcometh him,\nTheir bodies rear up and none can withstand their attack.\nShe hath set up vipers, and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,\nAnd hurricanes, and raging hounds, and scorpion-men,\nAnd mighty tempests, and fish-men, and rams;\nThey bear merciless weapons, without fear of the fight.\nHer commands are mighty; none can resist them;\nAfter this fashion, huge of stature, hath she made eleven monsters.\nAmong the gods who are her sons, inasmuch as he hath given her support,\nShe hath exalted Kingu; in their midst she hath raised him to power.\nTo march before the forces, to lead the host,\nTo give the battle-signal, to advance to the attack, To direct the battle, to control the fight,\nUnto him hath she entrusted; in costlv raiment she hath made him sit, saving:\nI have uttered thy spell; in the assembly of the gods I have raised thee to power,\nThe dominion over all the gods have I entrusted unto thee.\nBe thou exalted, thou my chosen spouse,\nMay they magnify thy name over all of them...the Anunnaki.\nShe hath given him the Tablets of Destiny on his breast she laid them, saving:\nThy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established.'\nNow Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,\nDecreed the fate for the gods, her sons, saying:\n'Let the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god;\nWhoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!'\nI sent Anu, but he could not withstand her;\nNudimmud was afraid and turned back.\nBut Marduk hath set out, the director of the gods, your son;\nTo set out against Tiamat his heart hath prompted him.\nHe opened his mouth and spake unto me, saying:\n'If I, your avenger,\nConquer Tiamat and give you life,\nAppoint an assembly, make my fate preeminent and proclaim it.\nIn Upsukkinaku seat yourselves joyfully together;\nWith my word in place of you will I decree fate.\nMay, whatsoever I do remain unaltered,\nMay the word of my lips never be changed nor made of no avail.'\nHasten, therefore, and swiftly decree for him the fate which you bestow,\nThat he may go and fight your strong enemy!\nLahmu and Lahamu heard and cried aloud\nAll of the Igigi [The elder gods] wailed bitterly, saying:\nWhat has been altered so that they should\nWe do not understand the deed of Tiamat!\nThen did they collect and go,\nThe great gods, all of them, who decree fate.\nThey entered in before Ansar, they filled...\nThey kissed one another, in the assembly...;\nThey made ready for the feast, at the banquet they sat;\nThey ate bread, they mixed sesame-wine.\nThe sweet drink, the mead, confused their...\nThey were drunk with drinking, their bodies were filled.\nThey were wholly at ease, their spirit was exalted;\nThen for Marduk, their avenger, did they decree the fate.\nTHE FOURTH TABLET\nThey prepared for him a lordly chamber,\nBefore his fathers as prince he took his place.\n\"Thou art chiefest among the great gods,\nThy fate is unequaled, thy word is Anu!\nO Marduk, thou art chiefest among the great gods,\nThy fate is unequaled, thy word is Anu!\nHenceforth not without avail shall be thy command,\nIn thy power shall it be to exalt and to abase.\nEstablished shall be the word of thy mouth, irresistible shall be thy command,\nNone among the gods shall transgress thy boundary.\nAbundance, the desire of the shrines of the gods,\nShall be established in thy sanctuary, even though they lack offerings.\nO Marduk, thou art our avenger!\nWe give thee sovereignty over the whole world.\nSit thou down in might; be exalted in thy command.\nThy weapon shall never lose its power; it shall crush thy foe.\nO Lord, spare the life of him that putteth his trust in thee,\nBut as for the god who began the rebellion, pour out his life.\"\nThen set they in their midst a garment,\nAnd unto Marduk,- their first-born they spake:\n\"May thy fate, O lord, be supreme among the gods,\nTo destroy and to create; speak thou the word, and thy command shall be fulfilled.\nCommand now and let the garment vanish;\nAnd speak the word again and let the garment reappear!\nThen he spake with his mouth, and the garment vanished;\nAgain he commanded it, and. the garment reappeared.\nWhen the gods, his fathers, beheld the fulfillment of his word,\nThey rejoiced, and they did homage unto him, saying, \" Marduk is king!\"\nThey bestowed upon him the scepter, and the throne, and the ring,\nThey give him an invincible weapony which overwhelmeth the foe.\nGo, and cut off the life of Tiamat,\nAnd let the wind carry her blood into secret places.\"\nAfter the gods his fathers had decreed for the lord his fate,\nThey caused him to set out on a path of prosperity and success.\nHe made ready the bow, he chose his weapon,\nHe slung a spear upon him and fastened it...\nHe raised the club, in his right hand he grasped it,\nThe bow and the quiver he hung at his side.\nHe set the lightning in front of him,\nWith burning flame he filled his body.\nHe made a net to enclose the inward parts of Tiamat,\nThe four winds he stationed so that nothing of her might escape;\nThe South wind and the North wind and the East wind and the West wind\nHe brought near to the net, the gift of his father Anu.\nHe created the evil wind, and the tempest, and the hurricane,\nAnd the fourfold wind, and the sevenfold wind, and the whirlwind, and the wind which had no equal;\nHe sent forth the winds which he had created, the seven of them;\nTo disturb the inward parts of Tiamat, they followed after him.\nThen the lord raised the thunderbolt, his mighty weapon,\nHe mounted the chariot, the storm unequaled for terror,\nHe harnessed and yoked unto it four horses,\nDestructive, ferocious, overwhelming, and swift of pace;\n... were their teeth, they were flecked with foam;\nThey were skilled in... , they had been trained to trample underfoot.\n... . mighty in battle,\nLeft and right....\nHis garment was... , he was clothed with terror,\nWith overpowering brightness his head was crowned.\nThen he set out, he took his way,\nAnd toward the raging Tiamat he set his face.\nOn his lips he held ...,\n... he grasped in his hand.\nThen they beheld him, the gods beheld him,\nThe gods his fathers beheld him, the gods beheld him.\nAnd the lord drew nigh, he gazed upon the inward parts of Tiamat,\nHe perceived the muttering of Kingu, her spouse.\nAs Marduk gazed, Kingu was troubled in his gait,\nHis will was destroyed and his motions ceased.\nAnd the gods, his helpers, who marched by his side,\nBeheld their leader's..., and their sight was troubled.\nBut Tiamat... , she turned not her neck,\nWith lips that failed not she uttered rebellious words:\n\"... thy coming as lord of the gods,\nFrom their places have they gathered, in thy place are they! \"\nThen the lord raised the thunderbolt, his mighty weapon,\nAnd against Tiamat, who was raging, thus he sent the word:\nThou art become great, thou hast exalted thyself on high,\nAnd thy heart hath prompted thee to call to battle.\n... their fathers...,\n... their... thou hatest...\nThou hast exalted Kingu to be thy spouse,\nThou hast... him, that, even as Anu, he should issue deerees.\nthou hast followed after evil,\nAnd against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.\nLet then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!\nStand! I and thou, let us join battle!\nWhen Tiamat heard these words,\nShe was like one posessed, .she lost her reason.\nTiamat uttered wild, piercing cries,\nShe trembled and shook to her very foundations.\nShe recited an incantation, she pronounced her spell,\nAnd the gods of the battle cried out for their weapons.\nThen advanced Tiamat and Marduk, the counselor of the gods;\nTo the fight they came on, to the battle they drew nigh.\nThe lord spread out his net and caught her,\nAnd the evil wind that was behind him he let loose in her face.\nAs Tiamat opened her mouth to its full extent,\nHe drove in the evil wind, while as yet she had not shut her lips.\nThe terrible winds filled her belly,\nAnd her courage was taken from her, and her mouth she opened wide.\nHe seized the spear and burst her belly,\nHe severed her inward parts, he pierced her heart.\nHe overcame her and cut off her life;\nHe cast down her body and stood upon it.\nWhen he had slain Tiamat, the leader,\nHer might was broken, her host was scattered.\nAnd the gods her helpers, who marched by her side,\nTrembled, and were afraid, and turned back.\nThey took to flight to save their lives;\nBut they were surrounded, so that they could not escape.\nHe took them captive, he broke their weapons;\nIn the net they were caught and in the snare they sat down.\nThe ... of the world they filled with cries of grief.\nThey received punishment from him, they were held in bondage.\nAnd on the eleven creatures which she had filled with the power of striking terror,\nUpon the troop of devils, who marched at her...,\nHe brought affliction, their strength he...;\nThem and their opposition he trampled under his feet.\nMoreover, Kingu, who had been exalted over them,\nHe conquered, and with the god Dug-ga he counted him.\nHe took from him the Tablets of Destiny that were not rightly his,\nHe sealed them with a seal and in his own breast he laid them.\nNow after the hero Marduk had conquered and cast down his enemies,\nAnd had made the arrogant foe even like\nAnd had fully established Ansar's triumph over the enemy\nAnd had attained the purpose of Nudimmud,\nOver the captive gods he strengthened his durance,\nAnd unto Tiamat, whom he had conquered, he returned.\nAnd the lord stood upon Tiamat's hinder parts,\nAnd with his merciless club he smashed her skull.\nHe cut through the channels of her blood,\nAnd he made the North wind bear it away into secret places.\nHis fathers beheld, and they rejoiced and were glad;\nPresents and gifts they brought unto him.\nThen the lord rested, gazing upon her dead body,\nWhile he divided the flesh of the ... , and devised a cunning plan.\nHe split her up like a flat fish into two halves;\nOne half of her he stablished as a covering for heaven.\nHe fixed a bolt, he stationed a watchman,\nAnd bade them not to let her waters come forth.\nHe passed through the heavens, he surveyed the regions thereof,\nAnd over against the Deep he set the dwelling of Nudimmud.\nAnd the lord measured the structure of the Deep,\nAnd he founded E-sara, a mansion like unto it.\nThe mansion E-sara which he created as heaven,\nHe caused Anu, Bel, and Ea in their districts to inhabit.\nTHE FIFTH TABLET\nHe (Marduk) made the stations for the great gods;\nThe stars, their images, as the stars of the Zodiac, he fixed.\nHe ordained the year and into sections he divided it;\nFor the twelve months he fixed three stars.\nAfter he had ... the days of the year ... images,\nHe founded the station of Nibir [the planet Jupiter] to determine their bounds;\nThat none might err or go astray,\nHe set the station of Bel and Ea along with him.\nHe opened great gates on both sides,\nHe made strong the bolt on the left and on the right.\nIn the midst thereof he fixed the zenith;\nThe Moon-god he caused to shine forth, the night he entrusted to him.\nHe appointed him, a being of the night, to determine the days;\nEvery month without ceasing with the crown he covered him, saying:\n\"At the beginning of the month, when thou shinest upon the land,\nThou commandest the horns to determine six days,\nAnd on the seventh day to divide the crown.\nOn the fourteenth day thou shalt stand opposite, the half....\nWhen the Sun-god on the foundation of heaven...thee,\nThe ... thou shalt cause to ..., and thou shalt make his...\n... unto the path of the Sun-god shalt thou cause to draw nigh,\nAnd on the ... day thou shalt stand opposite, and the Sun-god shall...\n... to traverse her way.\n... thou shalt cause to draw nigh, and thou shalt judge the right.\n... to destroy...\"\n[Nearly fifty lines are here lost.]\nThe gods, his fathers, beheld the net which he had made,\nThey beheld the bow and how its work was accomplished.\nThey praised the work which he had done...\nThen Anu raised the ... in the assembly of the gods. He kissed the bow, saving, \" It is...!\"\nAnd thus he named the names of the bow, saving,\n\"'Long-wood' shall be one name, and the second name shall be ...,\nAnd its third name shall be the Bow-star, in heaven shall it...!\"\nThen he fixed a station for it...\nNow after the fate of...\nHe set a throne...\n...in heaven...\n[The remainder of this tablet is missing.]\nTHE SIXTH TABLET\nWhen Marduk heard the word of the gods,\nHis heart prompted him and he devised a cunning plan.\nHe opened his mouth and unto Ea he spake\nThat which he had conceived in his heart he imparted unto him:\n\"My blood will I take and bone will I fashion\nI will make man, that man may\nI will create man who shall inhabit the earth,\nThat the service of the gods may be established, and that their shrines may be built.\nBut I will alter the ways of the gods, and I will change their paths;\nTogether shall they be oppressed and unto evil shall they....\nAnd Ea answered him and spake the word:\n\"... the ... of the gods I have changed\n... and one...\n... shall be destroyed and men will I...\n... and the gods .\n... and they...\"\n[The rest of the text is wanting with the exception of\nthe last few lines of the tablet, which read as follows.]\nThey rejoiced...\nIn Upsukkinnaku they set their dwelling.\nOf the heroic son, their avenger, they cried:\n\" We, whom he succored.... !\"\nThey seated themselves and in the assembly they named him...,\nThey all cried aloud, they exalted him...\nTHE SEVENTH TABLET\nO Asari, [Marduk] \"Bestower of planting,\" \"Founder of sowing\"\n\"Creator of grain and plants,\" \"who caused the green herb to spring up!\"\nO Asaru-alim, [Mardk] \"who is revered in the house of counsel,\" \"who aboundeth in counsel,\"\nThe gods paid homage, fear took hold upon them!\nO Asaru-alim-nuna, [Marduk] \"the mighty one,\" \"the Light of the father who begat him,\"\n\"Who directeth the decrees of Anu Bel, and Ea!\"\nHe was their patron, be ordained their...;\nHe, whose provision is abundance, goeth forth...\nTutu [Marduk] is \"He who created them anew\";\nShould their wants be pure, then are they satisfied;\nShould he make an incantation, then are the gods appeased;\nShould they attack him in anger, he withstandeth their onslaught!\nLet him therefore be exalted, and in the assembly of the gods let him... ;\nNone among the gods can rival him!\n15 Tutu [Marduk] is Zi-ukkina, \"the Life of the host of the gods,\"\nWho established for the gods the bright heavens.\nHe set them on their way, and ordained their path;\nNever shall his ... deeds be forgotten among men.\nTutu as Zi-azag thirdly they named, \"the Bringer of Purification,\"\n\"The God of the Favoring Breeze,\" \"the Lord of Hearing and Mercy,\"\n\"The Creator of Fulness and Abundance,\" \" the Founder of Plenteousness,\"\n\"Who increaseth all that is small.\"\nIn sore distress we felt his favoring breeze,\"\nLet them say, let them pay reverence, let them bow in humility before him!\nTutu as Aga-azag may mankind fourthly magnify!\n\"The Lord of the Pure Incantation,\" \" the Quickener of the Dead,\"\n\"Who had mercy upon the captive gods,\"\n\"Who removed the yoke from upon the gods his enemies,\"\n\"For their forgiveness did he create mankind,\"\n\"The Merciful One, with whom it is to bestow life!\"\nMay his deeds endure, may they never be forgotten ,\nIn the mouth of mankind whom his hands have made!\nTutu as Mu-azag, fifthly, his \"Pure incantation\" may their mouth proclaim,\nWho through his Pure Incantation hath destroyed all the evil ones!\"\nSag-zu, [Marduk] \"who knoweth the heart of the gods,\" \" who seeth through the innermost part!\"\n\"The evil-doer he hath not caused to go forth with him!\"\n\"Founder of the assembly of the gods,\" who ... their heart!\"\n\"Subduer of the disobedient,\" \"...!\"\n\"Director of Righteousness,\" \"...,\"\n\" Who rebellion and...!\"\nTutu as Zi-si, \"the ...,\"\n\"Who put an end to anger,\" \"who...!\"\nTutu as Suh-kur, thirdly, \"the Destroyer of the foe,\"\n\"Who put their plans to confusion,\"\n\"Who destroyed all the wicked,\" \"...,\"\n... let them... !\n[There is a gap here of sixty lines. But somewhere among the lost lines belong the following fragments.]\nwho...\nHe named the four quarters of the world, mankind hecreated,\nAnd upon him understanding...\n\"The mighty one...!\"\nAgil...\n\"The Creator of the earth...!\"\nZulummu... .\n\"The Giver of counsel and of whatsoever...!\"\nMummu, \" the Creator of...!\"\nMulil, the heavens...,\n\"Who for...!\"\nGiskul, let...,\n\"Who brought the gods to naught....!\"\n...............\n... \" the Chief of all lords,\"\n... supreme is his might!\nLugal-durmah, \"the King of the band of the gods,\" \" the Lord of rulers.\"\n\"Who is exalted in a royal habitation,\"\n\"Who among the gods is gloriously supreme!\nAdu-nuna, \" the Counselor of Ea,\" who created the gods his fathers,\nUnto the path of whose majesty\nNo god can ever attain!\n... in Dul-azag be made it known,\n... pure is his dwelling!\n... the... of those without understanding is Lugaldul-azaga!\n... supreme is his might!\n... their... in the midst of Tiamat,\n... of the battle!\n[Here follows the better-preserved ending.]\n... the star, which shineth in the heavens.\nMay he hold the Beginning and the Future, may they pay homage unto him,\nSaying, \"He who forced his way through the midst of Tiamat without resting,\nLet his name be Nibiru, 'the Seizer of the Midst'!\nFor the stars of heaven he upheld the paths,\nHe shepherded all the gods like sheep!\nHe conquered Tiamat, he troubled and ended her life,\"\nIn the future of mankind, when the days grow old,\nMay this be heard without ceasing; may it hold sway forever!\nSince he created the realm of heaven and fashioned the firm earth,\nThe Lord of the World,\" the father Bel hath called his name.\nThis title, which all the Spirits of Heaven proclaimed,\nDid Ea hear, and his spirit was rejoiced, and he said:\n\"He whose name his fathers have made glorious,\nShall be even as I, his name shall be Ea!\nThe binding of all my decrees shall he control,\nAll my commands shall he make known! \"\nBy the name of \"Fifty \" did the great gods\nProclaim his fifty names, they, made his path preeminent.\nEPILOGUE\nLet them [i.e. the names of Marduk] be held in remembrances and let the first man proclaim them;\nLet the wise and the understanding consider them together!\nLet the father repeat them and teach them to his son;\nLet them be in the ears of the pastor and the shepherd!\nLet a man rejoice in Marduk, the Lord of the gods,\nThat be may cause his land to be fruitful, and that he himself may have prosperity!\nHis word standeth fast, his command is unaltered;\nThe utterance of his mouth hath no god ever annulled.\nHe gazed in his anger, he turned not his neck;\nWhen he is wroth, no god can withstand his indignation.\nWide is his heart, broad is his compassion;\nThe sinner and evil-doer in his presence...\nThey received instruction, they spake before him,\n... unto...\n... of Marduk may the gods...;\n... May they ... his name... !\n... they took and...\n...................................!\nEND OF THE CREATION EPIC\nTHE FIGHT WITH TIAMAT\n(ANOTHER VERSION)\n[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.]\nThe cities sighed, men ...\nMen uttered lamentation, they ...\nFor their lamentation there was none to help,\nFor their grief there was none to take them by the hand.\n\u00b7 Who was the dragon... ?\nTiamat was the dragon.....\nBel in heaven hath formed.....\nFifty 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,\nSix cubits is his mouth, twelve cubits his...,\nTwelve cubits is the circuit of his ears...;\nFor the space of sixty cubits he ... a bird;\nIn water nine cubits deep he draggeth....\"\nHe raiseth his tail on high...;\nAll the gods of heaven...\nIn heaven the gods bowed themselves down before the Moon-god...;\nThe border of the Moon-god's robe they hastily grasped:\n\"Who will go and slay the dragon,\"\nAnd deliver the broad land from...\nAnd become king over... ?\n\" Go, Tishu, slav the dragon,\nAnd deliver the broad land from...,\nAnd become king over...!\"\nThou hast sent me, O Lord, to... the raging creatures of the river,\nBut I know not the... of the Dragon!\n[The rest of the Obverse and the upper part of the Reverse of the tablet are wanting.]\nREVERSE\n................\nAnd opened his mouth and spake unto the god...\n\" Stir up cloud, and storm and tempest!\nThe seal of thy life shalt thou set before thy face,\nThou shalt grasp it, and thou shalt slay the dragon.\"\nHe stirred up cloud, and storm and tempest,\nHe set the seal of his life before his face,\nHe grasped it, and he slew the dragon.\nFor three years and three months, one day and one night\nThe blood of the dragon flowed. ...","title":"ENUMA ELISH","type":"page"}