The Seven Tablets of Creation

by Leonard William King

[1902]

This is an etext of L.W. Kings' authoritative work on the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation myth. This etext inclu es the com!lete intro uction, an the English text of the Enuma Elish an other relate texts, with selecte footnotes. The Enuma Elish is the earliest written creation myth, in which the "o #ar uk battles the chaos "o ess Tiamat an her evil minions. The name 'Enuma Elish' is erive from the first two wor s of the myth, meaning 'When in the $eight'. Tiamat takes the form of a gigantic snake, an #ar uk battles an efeats her using an arsenal of su!er%wea!ons. &fter his victory #ar uk is ma e the lea er of the "o s by acclamation. #ar uk ivi es Tiamat's cor!se into two !ortions, the u!!er half becoming the sky an the lower half, the earth. #ar uk then creates humanity from his bloo an bone. The Enuma Elish has long been consi ere by scholars to be !rimary source material for the book of "enesis. 't has also been hy!othesi(e that this is a legen about the overthrow of the matriarchy or recor s of some cosmic catastro!he.

Title )age )reface *ontents 'ntro uction

The Seven Tablets of the History of Creation

The +irst Tablet The ,econ Tablet The Thir Tablet The +ourth Tablet The +ifth Tablet The ,ixth Tablet The ,eventh Tablet

! "ther #$$o%nts of the History of Creation

'. &nother -ersion of the .ragon%#yth ''. & /eference to the *reation of the *attle an the Beasts of the +iel '''. & reference to the *reation of the #oon an the ,un '-. &n & ress to the /iver of *reation -. &nother -ersion of the *reation of the Worl by #ar uk

&refa$e
)E/$&), no section of Babylonian literature has been more generally stu ie than the legen s which recor the *reation of the worl . 0n the !ublication of the late #r. "eorge ,mith's work, 1The *hal ean &ccount of "enesis,1 which a!!eare some twenty%seven years ago, it was recogni(e that there was in the Babylonian account of the *reation, as it existe in the seventh century before *hrist, much which invite com!arison with the corres!on ing narrative in the Book of "enesis. 't is true that the Babylonian legen s which ha been recovere an were first !ublishe by him were very fragmentary, an that the exact number an or er of the Tablets, or sections, of which they were com!ose were 2uite uncertain3 an that, although they recor e the creation of the heavens an of the heavenly bo ies, they containe no irect account of the creation of man. 'n s!ite of this, however, their resemblance to the $ebrew narrative was unmistakable, an in conse2uence they at once a!!eale to a far larger circle of stu ents than woul otherwise have been the case. &fter the a!!earance of #r. ,mith's work, other scholars !ro uce translations of the fragments which
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he ha !ublishe , an the names of 0!!ert, ,chra er, an ,ayce will always be associate with those who were the first to evote themselves to the inter!retation of the *reation Legen s. #oreover, new fragments of the legen s have from time to time been ac2uire by the Trustees of the British #useum, an of these the most im!ortant is the fine text of the +ourth Tablet of the *reation ,eries, containing the account of the fight between the go #ar uk an the ragon Tiamat, which was !ublishe in 5667 by .r. Wallis Bu ge, an translate by )rofessor ,ayce in the same year. )rofessor ,ayce's translation of the *reation Legen s marke a istinct a vance u!on those of his !re ecessors, an it was the most com!lete, inasmuch as he was enable to make use of the new tablet which restore so much of the central !ortion of the story. 'n the year 5689, in his im!ortant work Die Kosmologie der Babylonier, )rofessor :ensen of #arburg gave a translation of the legen s together with a transliteration an commentary3 in 568; )rofessor <immern of Lei!(ig translate all the fragments then known, an a year later )rofessor .elit(sch of Berlin also !ublishe a ren ering. +inally, two years ago, )rofessor :ensen issue a new an revise translation of the *reation Legen s in the o!ening !ages of the first !art of his work Mythen and Epen, the secon !art of which, containing his notes an commentary, a!!eare some months ago.
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'n the course of the year 5899, the writer was entruste with the task of co!ying the texts of a number of Babylonian an &ssyrian legen s for !ublication in the series of Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets, etc., in the British Museum, an , among the ocuments selecte for issue, were those relating to the *reation of the worl . ,everal of the texts of the *reation Legen s, which ha been use by !revious translators, ha never been !ublishe , an one tablet, which #r. "eorge ,mith ha consulte in 567=, ha not been i entifie by subse2uent workers. .uring my work ' was so fortunate as to recogni(e this tablet, an was enable to make co!ies of all the texts, not only of those which were !reviously known, but also of a number of new u!licates an fragments which ' ha meanwhile i entifie . These co!ies a!!eare in Cuneiform Texts, )art 4''' >5895?, )lates 5%@5. The most interesting of the new fragments there !ublishe was a tablet which restore a missing !ortion of the text of the ,econ Tablet of the *reation ,eries, an of this, on account of its interest, ' gave a translation in a note to the !late on which the text a!!eare . 't was not my intention at that time to !ublish anything further u!on the subAect of the *reation Legen s. While ' was engage , however, in searching for fragments of other Babylonian legen s for !ublication officially, it was my goo fortune to come across a fine u!licate of the ,econ Tablet

of the *reation.
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,eries. & further !rolonge search was rewar e by the fin ing of other fragments of the !oem, an a stu y of these showe me that the earlier !ortions of the text of the *reation ,tory, as alrea y known, coul be consi erably augmente . &mong them, moreover, was a fragment of the !oem which refers to the *reation of #an3 this fragment is extremely im!ortant, for in a ition to its valuable contents it also settles the is!ute 2uestion as to the number of Tablets, or sections, of which the *reation ,eries was com!ose . 'n view of the a itional information as to the form an contents of the !oem which this new material affor e , it was clearly necessary that a new translation of the *reation Legen s shoul be ma e, an this ' un ertook forthwith.
B!aragra!h continuesC

The new fragments of the !oem which ' ha i entifie u! to the summer of last year are inscribe u!on tablets of the Deo%Babylonian !erio . &t the conclusion of the examination of tablets of this class, ' lithogra!he the newly i entifie texts in a series of !lates which are !ublishe in the secon volume of the !resent work. These !lates were alrea y !rinte off, when, at the beginning of the !resent year, after my return from &ssyria, ' i entifie a fresh grou! of fragments of the !oem inscribe , not u!on Deo%Babylonian, but u!on &ssyrian tablets. &t that time ' was engage on making a etaile catalogue, or han %list, of the smaller fragments in the various collections of &ssyrian tablets from
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KuyunAik, an , as a result of !revious stu y of the legen s themselves an of the &ssyrian commentaries to the ,eventh Tablet of the series, ' was enable to i entify ten new fragments of the !oem which are inscribe u!on tablets from the library of &shur%bani%!al at Dineveh. 'n or er to avoi u!setting the arrangement of the !lates in -ol. '', the texts of the new &ssyrian fragments are !ublishe by means of outline blocks in &!!en ices ' an '' to the !resent volume.
B!aragra!h continuesC

Those who have stu ie the !ublishe texts of the *reation ,eries will remember that the material use by !revious translators of the legen s has consiste of some twenty%one tablets an fragments inscribe with !ortions of the !oem. The number of new tablets an fragments belonging to the *reation ,eries which are here use an translate for the first time reaches the total of thirty%four, but, as ' have Aoine u! six of these to other similar fragments, this total has been re uce to twenty%eight. Thus, in !lace of the twenty%one tablets !reviously known, forty%nine se!arate tablets an fragments have now been i entifie as containing !ortions of the text of the *reation ,eries. The new information, furnishe by the recently iscovere material regar ing the ,tory of *reation, may here be briefly summari(e . $itherto our knowle ge of the contents of Tablets ' an '' of the series has been very fragmentary. &fter the
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narrative of the creation of the great go s in the o!ening lines of the !oem, an a fragmentary reference to the first sym!toms of revolt exhibite by the !rimeval monsters, &!sE an Tiamat, an #ummu, the minister of &!sE, there occurre a great ga! in the text, an the story began again with the account of how Tiamat !re!are to wage war against the go s. &!sE an #ummu have at this !oint entirely isa!!eare from the narrative, an the ally of Tiamat is the go Kingu, whom she a!!oints to comman her forces. What followe the creation of the great go s, what was the cause of the revolt, what was the fate of &!sE an #ummu, an what were the events which le u! to Tiamat's !re!arations for battle, are 2uestions that have hitherto remaine unanswere . We now know that the account of the creation of the go s was no fuller than that which has come own to us from .amascius. &fter the birth of Lakhmu an Lakhamu, &nshar an Kishar, &nu, BFl >i.e., Enlil, or 'llil?, an Ea >Du immu ?, the text oes not !rocee to narrate in etail the coming forth of the lesser eities, but !lunges at once into the story of the revolt of the !rimeval forces of chaos. We now know also that it was &!sE, an not Tiamat, who began the revolt against the go s3 an that, accor ing to the !oem, his enmity was arouse , not by the creation of light as has been !reviously

suggeste , but by the isturbance of his rest in conse2uence of the new 1way1 of the go s, which ten e to !ro uce or er in !lace of chaos.
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0ne of the most striking facts which the new fragments furnish with regar to the contents of the legen s is the !rominent !art !laye by the go Ea in the earlier e!iso es of the story. &fter &!sE an #ummu ha re!aire to Tiamat an ha hatche with her their !lot against the go s, it was the go Ea, who, aboun ing in all wis om, etecte their !lan an frustrate it. The etails of Ea's action are still a matter of uncertainty, but, as ' have shown in the 'ntro uction, it is clear that &!sE an #ummu were overthrown, an that their con2ueror was Ea. #oreover, it was only after their ownfall, an in or er to avenge them, that Tiamat began her !re!arations for battle. ,he was encourage in her etermination by the go Kingu, an it was in conse2uence of the assistance he then gave her that she afterwar s a!!ointe him lea er of her host. &nother !oint which is ex!laine by the new fragments concerns the re!etitions in Tablets ', '', an ''' of the lines containing the account of Tiamat's !re!arations for battle. The lines escribing this e!iso e are given no less than four timesG in Tablet ', in Tablet '', an twice in Tablet '''. We now know that the first escri!tion of Tiamat's !re!arations occurs after the account of her etermination to avenge her former allies3 an in the ,econ Tablet the lines are !ut into the mouth of Ea, who continues to !lay a !rominent !art in the narrative, an carries the ti ings to &nshar. $ow &nshar re!eate the lines
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to "aga, his messenger, an how "aga elivere the message to Lakhmu an Lakhamu, is alrea y well known. )erha!s the most striking of all the new fragments of the !oem here !ublishe is that which contains the o!ening an closing lines of the ,ixth Tablet, an , at last, furnishes us with a !ortion of the text escribing the *reation of #an. We now know that, as in the $ebrew narrative, the culminating act of *reation was the making of man. #ar uk is here re!resente as eclaring to Ea that he will create man from his own bloo , an from bone which he will form3 it is im!ortant to note that the &ssyrian wor here use for 1bone,1 issimtu, which has not hitherto been known, corres!on s to the $ebrew wor 'esem, 1bone,1 which occurs in "en. ii, H I, in connection with the account of the creation of woman. The text thus furnishes another !oint of resemblance between the Babylonian an the $ebrew stories of *reation. The new fragment also corroborates in a remarkable egree the account given by Berossus of the Babylonian version of the creation of man. &ccor ing to the writer's ren ering of the !assage, #ar uk eclares that he will use his own bloo in creating mankin , an this agrees with the statement of Berossus, that BFl irecte one of the go s to cut off his >i.e. BFl's? hea , an to form mankin from his bloo mixe with earth. This subAect is iscusse at length an in etail in the 'ntro uction, as well as a number of new !oints.
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of resemblance between the Babylonian an the $ebrew accounts of the *reation which are furnishe by other recently i entifie fragments of the !oem. With regar to the extent an contents of the *reation ,eries, we now know that the Tablets of which the series was com!ose are seven in number3 an we also !ossess the missing context or frame%work of the ,eventh Tablet, which contains a resses to #ar uk un er his fifty titles of honour. +rom this we learn that, when the work of *reation was en e , the go s gathere together once more in J!shukkinakku, their council%chamber3 here they seate themselves in solemn assembly an !rocee e to o honour to #ar uk, the *reator, by reciting before him the remarkable series of a resses which form the contents of the last Tablet of the !oem. #any of the missing !ortions of the ,eventh Tablet, inclu ing the o!ening lines, it has been foun !ossible to restore from the new fragments an u!licates here !ublishe . 'n the following !ages a transliteration of the text of the *reation ,eries is given, which has been

constructe from all the tablets an fragments now known to be inscribe with !ortions of the !oem, together with a translation an notes. +or com!arison with the legen s containe in the *reation ,eries, translations have been a e of the other Babylonian accounts of the history of *reation, an of some texts closely connecte therewith. &mong
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these mention may be ma e of the extracts from a ,umerian text, an from a somewhat similar one in Babylonian, referring to the *reation of the #oon an the ,un3 these are here !ublishe from a so%calle 1!ractice%tablet,1 or stu ent's exercise. & remarkable a ress to a mythical river, to which the creation of the worl is ascribe , is also given. 'n the first &!!en ix the &ssyrian commentaries to the ,eventh Tablet are examine in etail, an some fragments of texts are escribe which bear a striking resemblance to the ,eventh Tablet, an are of consi erable interest for the light they throw on the literary history of the !oem. &mong the texts ealt with in the secon &!!en ix one of the most interesting is a Babylonian u!licate of the tablet which has been su!!ose to contain the instructions given by #ar uk to man after his creation, but is now shown by the u!licate to be !art of a long i actic com!osition containing moral !rece!ts, an to have nothing to o with the *reation ,eries. ,imilarly, in the fourth &!!en ix ' have !rinte a co!y of the text which has been commonly, but erroneously, su!!ose to refer to the Tower of Babel. The thir &!!en ix inclu es some hitherto un!ublishe astrological texts of the !erio of the &rsaci ae, which contain astrological inter!retations an ex!lanations of e!iso es of the *reation story3 they in icate that Tiamat, in her astrological character, was regar e as a star or constellation in the neighbourhoo of the ecli!tic,
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an they moreover furnish an a itional !roof of the i entification of her monster broo with at any rate some of the <o iacal constellations. .uring the !re!aration of this work ' have, of course, consulte the translations an ren erings of the *reation Legen s which have been ma e by other workers on the subAect, an es!ecially those of )rofessors :ensen, <immern, an .elit(sch. ' have much !leasure in ex!ressing here my in ebte ness to their !ublishe works for suggestions which ' have a o!te from them. To #r. /. *am!bell Thom!son ' am in ebte for the rea y assistance he has affor e me uring my search for new fragments an u!licates of the legen s. 'n conclusion, my thanks are ue to .r. Wallis Bu ge for his frien ly suggestions which ' have a o!te throughout the !rogress of the work. L. W. K'D". L0D.0D, :uly I5st, 589H.

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'T)"*+CT "',
T$E great &ssyrian !oem, or series of legen s, which narrates the story of the *reation of the worl an man, was terme by the &ssyrians an Babylonians Enuma elish, 1When in the height,1 from

the two o!ening wor s of the text. The !oem consiste of some nine hun re an ninety%four lines, an was ivi e into seven sections, each of which was inscribe u!on a se!arate Tablet. The Tablets were numbere by the &ssyrian scribes, an the se!arate sections of the !oem written u!on them o not vary very much in length. The shortest Tablet contains one hun re an thirty%eight lines, an the longest one hun re an forty%six, the average length of a Tablet being about one hun re an forty%two lines. The !oem embo ies the beliefs of the Babylonians an &ssyrians concerning the origin of the universe3 it escribes the coming forth of the go s from chaos, an tells the story of how the forces of isor er, re!resente by the !rimeval water%go s &!sE an Tiamat, were overthrown by Ea an #ar uk res!ectively, an how #ar uk, after com!leting the trium!h of the go s over chaos, !rocee e to create the worl an man. The !oem is known to us from !ortions of several &ssyrian an late%Babylonian co!ies of the work, an from
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extracts from it written out u!on the so%calle 1!ractice%tablets,1 or stu ents' exercises, by !u!ils of the Babylonian scribes. The &ssyrian co!ies of the work are from the great library which was foun e at Dineveh by &shur%bani%!al, king of &ssyria from B.*. ==6 to about B.*. =H=3 the Babylonian co!ies an extracts were inscribe uring the !erio of the kings of the Deo%Babylonian an )ersian !erio s3 an one co!y of the ,eventh Tablet may !robably be assigne to as late a ate as the !erio of the &rsaci ae. &ll the tablets an fragments, which have hitherto been i entifie as inscribe with !ortions of the text of the !oem, are !reserve in the British #useum. +rom the time of the first iscovery of fragments of the !oem consi erable attention has been irecte towar s them, for not only are the legen s themselves the !rinci!al source of our knowle ge of the Babylonian cosmogony, but !assages in them bear a striking resemblance to the cognate narratives in the Book of "enesis concerning the creation of the worl . The late #r. "eorge ,mith, who was the first to !ublish an account of the !oem, recogni(e this resemblance an em!hasi(e it in his !a!ers on the subAect in 567;. 5 'n the following year in
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his work 1The *hal ean &ccount of "enesis1 5 he gave translations of the fragments of the !oem which ha been i entifie , an the co!ies which he ha ma e of the !rinci!al fragments were !ublishe . H &fter ,mith's eath the interest in the texts which he ha !ublishe i not cease, an scholars continue to !ro uce ren erings an stu ies of the legen s. I
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'n 566I .r. Wallis Bu ge gave an account of a fine Babylonian u!licate of what !rove to be the +ourth Tablet of the *reation ,eries3 this ocument restore consi erable !ortions of the narrative of the fight between #ar uk an the ragon Tiamat, an a e consi erably to our knowle ge of the story of *reation an of the or er in which the events relate in the story took !lace. 5 'n the $ibbert Lectures for 5667 )rofessor ,ayce translate the new fragment of the text, H an in the following year !ublishe a com!lete translation I of all fragments of the *reation Legen s which ha u! to that time been i entifie . 'n 5689 )rofessor :ensen, in his stu ies on the Babylonian cosmogony, inclu e a translation of the legen s together with a transliteration an a number of valuable !hilological notes an iscussion. @ 'n 568;
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)rofessor <immern !ublishe a translation of the legen s, similar in !lan to ,ayce's earlier e ition3 in it he took a vantage of some recently i entifie fragments an u!licates, an !ut forwar a number of new ren erings of ifficult !assages. 5 'n 568= a thir "erman translation of the legen s ma e its a!!earance3 it was !ublishe by )rofessor .elit(sch an inclu e transliterations an escri!tions of the various tablets an fragments inscribe with !ortions of the text. H +inally, in 5899 )rofessor :ensen !ublishe a secon e ition of his ren ering of the legen s in his Mythen und Epen3 I this work was the best which coul be !re!are with the material then available. @
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'n the most recent translations of the *reation ,eries, those of .elit(sch an :ensen, use was ma e

in all of twenty%one se!arate tablets an fragments which ha been i entifie as inscribe with !ortions of the text of the !oem. 5 'n the !resent work thirty%four
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a itional tablets an fragments, inscribe with !ortions of the text of the *reation ,eries, have been em!loye 3 but, as six of these Aoin other similar fragments, the number of se!arate tablets an fragments here use for the first time is re uce to twenty%eight. The total number of se!arate fragments of the text of the *reation ,eries is thus brought u! to forty%nine. 5 The new material is istribute among the ,even Tablets of the *reation ,eries as followsGKTo the four known fragments of the +irst Tablet may now be a e eight others, H consisting of two fragments of an &ssyrian tablet an four Babylonian fragments an two extracts inscribe u!on Babylonian 1!ractice%tablets.1 To the three known fragments of the ,econ Tablet may be a e four others, I consisting of !arts of one &ssyrian an of three Babylonian tablets. To the four known fragments of the Thir Tablet may be a e five other, @
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consisting of fragments of one &ssyrian an one Babylonian tablet an extracts inscribe u!on three Babylonian 1!ractice%tablets.1 To the five known fragments of the +ourth Tablet only one new u!licate can be a e , 5 which is inscribe u!on a Babylonian 1!ractice%tablet.1 To the three known fragments of the +ifth Tablet may be a e two others, H consisting of !arts of two &ssyrian tablets. 0f the ,ixth Tablet no fragment has !reviously been known, an its existence was only inferre from a fragment of the catch%line !reserve on co!ies of the +ifth Tablet3 fragments of the text of the ,ixth Tablet are !ublishe for the first time in the !resent work from !art of a Babylonian tablet. I +inally, to the two known fragments of the ,eventh Tablet may now be a e seven other @ inscribe u!on five &ssyrian fragments an !ortions of two Babylonian tablets. The new fragments of the text of the +irst an ,econ Tablets of the *reation ,eries throw light on the earlier e!iso es in the story of *reation, an enable us to fill u! some of the ga!s in the narrative. By the i entification of the Tablet K. ;,@58 c, ; "eorge ,mith recovere the o!ening lines of the +irst Tablet, which escribes the con ition of things before *reation
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when the !rimeval water%go s, &!sE an Tiamat, !ersonifying chaos, mingle their waters in confusion. The text then briefly relates how to &!sE an Tiamat were born the ol est of the go s, the first !air, Lahmu an Lahamu, being followe after a long interval by &nshar an Kishar, an after a secon interval by other eities, of whose names the text of K. ;,@58 c only !reserves that of &nu. "eorge ,mith !erceive that this theogony ha been re!ro uce by .amascius in his summary of the beliefs of the Babylonians concerning the creation of the worl . 5 Dow, since .amascius mentions MMNOPQ an Q along with OQ, it was clear that the text of the !oem inclu e a escri!tion of the birth of the el er Bel >i.e. Enlil or 'llil? an of Ea in the !assage in which &nu's name occurs. But as the text inscribe u!on the obverse of K. ;,@58 c,
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an of its Deo%Babylonian u!licate 6H%7%5@, @9H, 5 breaks off at l. 5;, the course of the story after this !oint has hitherto been !urely a matter for conAecture. 't a!!eare !robable that the lines which followe containe a full account of the origin of the younger go s, an from the fact that .amascius states that RMPQ, the *reator of the worl , was the son of >i.e. Ea? an STUV >i.e. .amkina?, it has ,een conclu e that at any rate s!ecial !rominence was given to the birth of Bel, i.e. #ar uk, who figures so !rominently in the story from the close of the ,econ Tablet onwar s. The new fragments of the +irst Tablet show that the account of the birth of the go s in the *reation ,eries is even shorter than that given by .amascius, for the !oem contains no mention of the birth an !arentage of #ar uk. &fter mentioning the birth of Du immu >i.e. Ea?, H the text !rocee s to escribe his marvellous wis om an strength, an states that he ha no rival among the go s3 the birth of no other go is recor e after that of Ea, an , when #ar uk is intro uce later on, his existence, like that of #ummu an of "aga, a!!ears to be tacitly assume . 't woul seem, therefore,

that the reference ma e by

!. 444-''

.amascius to #ar uk's !arentage was not erive from the text of the *reation ,eries, but was a e by him to com!lete his summary of the Babylonian beliefs concerning the origin of the go s. This omission of #ar uk's name from the earlier lines of the +irst Tablet an the !rominence given to that of Ea may at first sight seem strange, but it is in accor ance with the other newly recovere !ortions of the text of the +irst an ,econ Tablets, which in irectly throw an interesting light on the com!osite character an literary history of the great !oem. 5 't will be seen that of the eities mentione in these earlier lines Du immu >Ea? is the only go whose characteristics are escribe in etail3 his birth, moreover, forms the climax to which the !revious lines lea u!, an , after the escri!tion of his character, the story !rocee s at once to relate the rebellion of the !rimeval go s an the !art which Ea !laye in etecting an frustrating their !lans. 'n fact, Ea an not #ar uk is the hero of the earlier e!iso es of the *reation story. The new fragments of the text show, moreover, that it was &!sE an not Tiamat who began the rebellion against the go s. While the newly create go s re!resente the birth of or er an system in the universe, &!sE an Tiamat still remaine in confusion an un iminishe in might. &!sE, however, fin ing the earlier !art
!. 444-'''

that his slothful rest was isturbe by the new or er of beings whom he ha begotten, summone #ummu, 5 his minister, an the two went together to Tiamat, an lying own before her, took counsel with her
!. 444'4

regar ing the means to be a o!te to restore the ol or er of things. 't may be note that the text contains no irect statement that it was the creation of light which cause the rebellion of the !rimeval go s. 5 &!sE merely states his hatre of the alkatu or 1way1 of the go s, in conse2uence of which he can get no rest by ay or night3 an , from the fact that he makes use of the ex!ressions 1by ay1 an 1by night,1 it may be inferre that ay an night were vaguely conceive as alrea y in existence. 't was therefore the substitution of or er in !lace of chaos which, accor ing to the text of the !oem, rouse &!sE's resentment an le to his rebellion an ownfall H
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0ur knowle ge of the !art !laye by Ea in the overthrow of &!sE an #ummu is still fragmentary, but we know from l. =9 of the +irst Tablet that it was he who etecte the !lot against the go s3 it is also certain that the following twenty lines recor e the fate of &!sE an his minister, an there are clear in ications that it was Ea to whom their overthrow was ue. 'n Tablet '', ll. ;I E, &nshar, on learning from Ea the news of Tiamat's !re!arations for battle, contrasts the con2uest of #ummu an &!sE with the task of o!!osing Tiamat, an the former achievement he im!lies has been accom!lishe by Ea. 't is clear, therefore, that Ea cause the overthrow of &!sE 5 an the ca!ture of #ummu H but in what way he brought it about, whether by actual fighting or by 1his !ure incantation,1 I is still a matter for conAecture. 'n view of the fact that &nshar at first trie !eaceful means for overcoming Tiamat @ before exhorting #ar uk to wage battle against her, the latter su!!osition is the more !robable of the two. The subAugation of &!sE by Ea ex!lains his subse2uent isa!!earance from the *reation story. When &!sE is next mentione , it is as 1the .ee!,1 ; an not as an active an Tiamat's malevolent eity. &fter the overthrow of &!sE, Tiamat remaine uncon2uere , an she continue to re!resent in her
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own !erson the unsub ue forces of chaos. 5 But, as at first she ha not herself begun the rebellion, so now her continuation of the war against the go s was ue to the !rom!ting of another eity. The s!eech in which this eity urges Tiamat to avenge &!sE an #ummu occurs in Tablet ', ll. 8I%59@, an , inasmuch as she subse2uently !romote Kingu to be the lea er of her forces ''because he ha

given her su!!ort,1 it may be conclu e that it was Kingu who now !rom!te her to avenge her former s!ouse. H Ea, however, i not cease his active o!!osition to the forces of isor er, but continue to !lay the chief rWle on the si e of the go s. $e hear of Tiamat's !re!arations for battle, he carrie the news to &nshar, his father, an he was sent by him against the monster. 't was only after both he an &nu ha faile in their attem!ts to a!!roach an a!!ease Tiamat I that &nshar a!!eale to #ar uk to become the cham!ion of the go s. &nother !oint com!letely ex!laine by the new fragments of the text is the reason for the re!etitions which occur in the first three tablets of the series. 't will be seen that Tablet ', ll. 598% 5@H, are re!eate in Tablet '', ll. 5;%@63 that Tablet '', ll. 5. 5%@6, are
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re!eate in Tablet ''', ll. 5;%;H3 an that Tablet ''', ll. 5;%==, are re!eate in the same Tablet, ''. 7I% 5H@. The lines which are re!eate have reference to Tiamat's !re!arations for battle against the go s, an to &nshar's summons of the go s in or er that they may confer !ower on #ar uk as their cham!ion. +rom the new fragments of the text we now know that the lines relating to Tiamat's !re!arations occur on the +irst Tablet in the form of narrative, imme iately after she ha a o!te Kingu's suggestion that she shoul avenge the overthrow of &!sE an #ummu3 an that in the ,econ Tablet they are re!eate by Ea in his s!eech to &nshar, to whom he carrie the news. The context of the re!etitions in the Thir Tablet is alrea y known3 &nshar first re!eats the lines to his minister "aga, when telling him to go an summon the go s to an assembly, an later on in the Tablet "aga re!eats the message wor for wor to Lahmu an Lahamu. The constant re!etition of these lines was oubtless inten e to em!hasi(e the terrible nature of the o!!osition which #ar uk successfully overcame3 an the fact that Berossus omits all mention of the !art !laye by Ea in the earlier !ortions of the story is also ue to the ten ency of the Babylonian !riests to exalt their local go at the ex!ense of other eities. The account which we have receive from Berossus of the Babylonian beliefs concerning the origin of the universe is largely taken u! with a escri!tion of
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the mythical monsters which welt in the ee! at a time when the worl ha not come into being an when arkness an water alone existe . 5 0ver these monsters, accor ing to Berossus, reigne a woman name XYUT, who is to be i entifie with Tiamat, H
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while the creatures themselves re!resent the monster%broo which Tiamat forme to ai her in her fight against the go s. 5 *om!are with the escri!tion of the monsters, the summary from Berossus of the inci ents relate on the +ourth Tablet is not very full3 the text states that RMPQ >i.e. Bel? slew XYUT,
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an having cleft her in twain, 5 from one half of her he ma e the earth, an from the other the heavens, while he overcame the creatures that were within her, i.e. the monsters of the ee!. The actual account of the creation of the worl by #ar uk, as relate in the *reation ,eries, begins towar s the en of the +ourth Tablet, H where the narrative closely agrees with the summary from Berossus. #ar uk is there relate to have s!lit Tiamat into halves, an to have use one half of her as a covering for heaven. The text then goes on to state that he foun e heaven, which is terme E% shara, a mansion like unto the .ee! in structure, an that he cause &nu, BFl, an Ea to inhabit their res!ective istricts therein. The +ifth Tablet oes not begin with the account of the creation of the earth, but recor s the fixing of the constellations of the <o iac, the foun ing of the year, an #ar uk's charge to the #oon%go an the ,un%go , to the former of whom he entruste the night, his instructions relating to the !hases of the #oon, an the relative !ositions of the #oon an the ,un uring the month. The new fragments of the +ifth Tablet contain some interesting variants to this !ortion of the text, I but,

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with the exce!tion of the last few lines of the text, they throw no light on what the missing !ortions of the Tablet containe . 'n view, however, of the statement of Berossus that from one half of Tiamat BFl forme the earth, we may conAecture that an account of the creation of the earth occurre u!on some !art of the +ifth Tablet. 't is also !robable that the +ifth Tablet recor e the creation of vegetation. That. this forme the subAect of some !ortion of the !oem is certain from the o!ening lines of the ,eventh Tablet, where #ar uk is haile as 1&sari, 'Bestower of !lanting,' 'B+oun er of sowingC,' '*reator of grain an !lants,' 'who cause Bthe green herb to s!ring u!CZ'13 an the creation of !lants an herbs woul naturally follow that of the earth. +rom the new fragment of the ,ixth Tablet, Do. 8H,=H8, we know that this !ortion of the !oem relate the story of the creation of man. &s at the
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beginning of his work of creation #ar uk is sai to have 1 evise a cunning !lan1 5 while ga(ing u!on the ea bo y of Tiamat, so now, before !rocee ing to man's creation, it is sai that 1his heart !rom!te him an he evise Ba cunning !lanC.1 H 'n the re!etition of this !hrase we may see an in ication of the im!ortance which was ascribe to this !ortion of the story, an it is !robable that the creation of man was regar e as the culmination of #ar uk's creative work. 't is interesting to note, however, that the creation of man is not relate as a natural se2uel to the formation of the rest of the universe, but forms the solution of a ifficulty with which #ar uk has been met in the course of his work as *reator. To overcome this ifficulty #ar uk evise the 1cunning !lan1 alrea y referre to3 the context of this !assage is not very clear, but the reason for man's creation may be gathere from certain in ications in the text. We learn from the beginning of the ,ixth Tablet that #ar uk evise his cunning !lan after he ha 1hear the wor of the go s,1 an from this it is clear that the +ifth Tablet en s with a s!eech of the go s. Dow in Tablet -', l. 6, #ar uk states that he will create man 1that the service of the go s may be establishe 13 in l. 8. f., however, he a s that
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he will change the ways of the go s, an he a!!ears to threaten them with !unishment. 't may be conAecture , therefore, that after #ar uk ha com!lete the creation of the worl , the go s came to him an com!laine that there were no shrines built in their honour, nor was there anyone to worshi! them. To su!!ly this nee #ar uk forme the evice of creating man, but at the same time he a!!ears to have eci e to vent his wrath u!on the go s because of their iscontent. 't is !ossible, however, that Ea issua e #ar uk from !unishing the go s, though he no oubt assiste him in carrying out the first !art of his !ro!osal. 5 'n ll. ; ff. of the ,ixth Tablet #ar uk in icates the means he will em!loy for forming man, an this !ortion of the text corroborates in a remarkable manner the account given by Berossus of the metho em!loye by BFl for man's creation. The text of the summary from Berossus, in the form in which it has come own to us, H is not 2uite satisfactory, as the
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course of the narrative is confuse . The confusion is a!!arent in the re!etition of the escri!tion of man's creation an in the interru!tion of the naturalistic ex!lanation of the slaying of 0morka. &n ingenious but sim!le emen ation of the text, however, was suggeste by von "utschmi t which removes both these ifficulties. The !assage which interru!ts the naturalistic ex!lanation, an a!!arently escribes a first creation of man, he regar e as having been trans!ose 3 but if it is !lace at the en of the extract it falls naturally into !lace as a summary by Eusebius of the !rece ing account of man's creation which is sai by &lexan er )olyhistor to have been given by Berossus in the +irst Book of his $istory. 5 By a o!ting this emen ation we obtain the text.
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a clear an consecutive account of how BFl, after the creation of heaven an earth, !erceive that

the lan was esolate3 an how he or ere one of the go s to cut off his >i.e. BFl's? hea , an , by mixing the bloo which flowe forth with earth, to create men an animals. This !assage from Berossus has given rise to consi erable iscussion, an more than one scholar has attem!te to ex!lain away the behea ing of BFl, the *reator, that man might be forme from his bloo . "unkel has suggeste that in the original legen the bloo of Tiamat was use for this !ur!ose3 5 ,tucken, H followe by *heyne, I has emen e the text so that it may suggest that the hea of Tiamat, an not that of Bel, was cut off3 while <immern woul take the original meaning of the !assage to be that the go
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behea e was not Bel, but the other eity whom he a resse . 5 'n l. ; of the ,ixth Tablet, however, #ar uk states that he will use his own bloo for creating man3 H the text of this !assage from Berossus is thus shown to be correct, an it follows that the account which he gave of the Babylonian beliefs concerning man's creation oes not re2uire to be emen e or ex!laine away.
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:ensen has alrea y suggeste 5 that the go whom Bel a resse was Ea, an the new fragment of. the ,ixth Tablet !roves that this suggestion is correct. 'n the ,ixth Tablet #ar uk recounts to Ea his intention of forming man, an tells him the means he will em!loy. We may therefore conclu e that it was Ea who behea e #ar uk at his re2uest, an , accor ing to his instructions, forme mankin from his bloo . Ea may thus have !erforme the actual work of making man, but he acte un er #ar uk's irections, an it is clear from Tablet -'', ll. H8 an IH, that #ar uk, an not Ea, was regar e as man's *reator. &ccor ing to Berossus, man was forme from the bloo of BFl mixe with earth. The new fragment of the ,ixth Tablet oes not mention the mixing of the bloo with earth, but it is 2uite !ossible that this etail was recounte in the subse2uent narrative. 0n the other han , in the Babylonian !oem #ar uk eclares that, in a ition to using his own bloo , he will create bone for forming man. Berossus makes no mention of bone, but it is interesting to note that issimtu, the &ssyrian wor here use for 1bone,1 H is oubtless the e2uivalent of the $ebrew wor 'esem,
!. L'4 B!aragra!h continuesC

1bone,1 which occurs at the en of the narrative of the creation of woman in "en. ii,

HI. The bloo of BFl, accor ing to Berossus, was em!loye not only in man's creation but in that of animals also, an it is !ossible that this re!resents the form of the legen as it was !reserve u!on the ,ixth Tablet. Though, in that case, the creation of animals woul follow that of man, the o!ening lines of the ,ixth Tablet !rove that man's creation was regar e as the culmination of #ar uk's creative work. The 1cunning !lan,1 which #ar uk evise in or er to furnish worshi!!ers for the go s, concerne the creation of man, an if that of animals followe it must have been recor e as a subsi iary an less im!ortant act. 5 'n this connection it may be note that the ex!ression [ \]X^X_OT [O YT `Y_NO, which Berossus a!!lies to the men an animals create from the bloo of Bel, was !robably not base on any escri!tion or e!iso e in the *reation story as
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recor e on the ,even Tablets, but was suggeste by the naturalistic inter!retation of the legen furnishe by Berossus himself. With reference to the creation of man, it was suggeste by "eorge ,mith that the tablet K. I,I=@ was a fragment of the *reation ,eries, an containe the instructions given to man after his creation by #ar uk. This view has been !rovisionally a o!te by other translators of the !oem, but in &!!en ix '' 5 ' have shown by means of a u!licate, Do. II,6;5, that the suggestion must be given u!. &!art from other reasons there enumerate , it may be state that there woul be no room u!on the ,ixth Tablet of the *reation ,eries for such a long series of moral !rece!ts as is inscribe u!on the tablets K. I,I=@ an Do. II,6;5. 't may be that #ar uk, after creating man, gave him some

instructions with regar to the worshi! of the go s an the buil ing of shrines in their honour, but the greater !art of the text must have been taken u! with other matter. The conclu ing lines of the ,ixth Tablet are !artly !reserve , an they affor us a glim!se of the filial scene in the *reation story. &s the go s ha !reviously been summone to a solemn assembly that they might confer !ower u!on #ar uk before he set out to o battle on their behalf, so now, when he ha van2uishe Tiamat an ha finishe his work of instructions to
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creation, they again gathere together in J!shukki%naku, their council%chamber, an !rocee e to magnify him by every title of honour. We thus obtain the context or setting of the ,eventh, an last, Tablet of the *reation ,eries, the greater !art of which consists of the hymn of !raise a resse by the go s to #ar uk as the con2ueror of Tiamat an the *reator of the worl . The hymn of the go s takes u! lines 5%5H@ of the ,eventh Tablet, an consists of a series of a resses in *reation which #ar uk is haile by them un er fifty titles of honour. The titles are ,umerian, not ,emitic, an each is followe by one or more &ssyrian !hrases escri!tive of #ar uk, which either ex!lain the title or are suggeste by it. 0f the fifty titles which the hymn containe , the following list of eleven occur in the first forty%seven lines of the textGK &sariG ilu "sar'ri, Tabl. -'', l. 53 !. 8H f. &saru%alimG ilu "saru'alim, Tabl. -'', l. I3 !. 8H f. &saru%alim%nunaG ilu "saru'alim'nun'na, Tabl. -'', l. ;3 !. 8H f. TutuG ilu Tu'tu, Tabl. -'', l. 83 !. 8H f. <i%ukkinaG ilu (i'u))in'na, var. ilu (i'u))in, Tabl. -'', l. 5;3 !. 8@f. <i%a(agG ilu (i'a*ag, Tabl. -'', l. 583 !. I= f.3 var. ilu a'*i'a*ag'gBaC, !. 5=5. &ga%a(agG ilu "ga'a*ag, Tabl. -'', l. H;3 !. 8= f. #u%a(agG ilu Mu>i.e. K& a L'?%a*ag, Tabl. -'', l. II3 var. ilu Mu>i.e. ,$&/?%a*ag, !. 57I.
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,hag%(uG ilu %hag'*u, Tabl. -'', l. I;3 !. 86 f. <i%siG ilu (i'si, Tabl. -'', l. @53 !. 599 f. ,ub%kurG ilu %uh')ur, Tabl. -'', l. @I3 !. 599 f. 'n the ga! in the text of the ,eventh Tablet, between ll. @7 an 59;, occur the following ten titles of #ar uk, which are taken from the fragments K. 5I,7=5 an K. 6,;58 >an its u!licate K. 5I,II7?, an from the commentary K. @,@9=GK &giBl . . . . C3 ilu "'giBl% . . . . C, Tabl. -'' >K. 5I,7=5?3 !. 59H f.3 var. ilu +ilB C, !. 5=I. <ulummuG ilu (u'lum'mu, Tabl. -'' >K. 5I,7=5?3 !. 59H f. #ummuG ilu Mu'um'mu, Tabl. -'' >K. 5I,7=5?3 !. 59H f. #ulilG ilu Mu'lil, Tabl. -'' >K. 5I,7=5?3 !. 59H f. "ishkulG ilu +ish')ul, Tabl. -'' >K. 5I,7=5?3 !. 59H f. Lugal%abB . . . . CG ilu #ugad'ab'B . . . . C, Tabl. -'' >K. 5I,7=5?3 !. 59H f. )a!%B . . . . CG ilu ,ap%B . . . . C, Tabl. -'' >K. 5I,7=5?3 !. 59H f. Lugal% urmahG ilu #ugal'dur'mah, Tabl. -'' >K. 6,;58?, an K. @,@9=, /ev., col. ii, l. 63 !!. 59@f., 5=;.

& u%nunaG ilu "'du'nun'na, Tabl. -'' >K. 6,;58? an K. @,@9=, /ev., col. ii, l. HI3 !!. 59@f., 5==. Lugal% ul>or u?%a(agaG ilu #ugal'dul'a*ag'ga, Tabl. -'' >K. 6,;58?3 !. 59= f.
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+our other titles, occurring in the conclu ing !ortion of the text of the ,eventh Tablet, areGK DibiruG ilu i'bi'ru, var. BiluC e'bi'ri, Tabl. -'', l. 5983 !. 596 f. BFl%mbtbtiG be'el m-t-ti, var. ilu B.l m-t-ti, Tabl. -'', l. 55=, !. 559 f.3 cf. also ED KJ/%KJ/ >i.e. b.l m-t-ti?, !. 5=6. EaG ilu E'a, Tabl. -'', l. 5H93 !. 599 f. $anshaG $anshb &%&D, var. &a'an'sha'a, Tabl. -'', l. 5HI, !. 559 f.3 cf. also ilu &ansh-, !. 576. +rom the above lists it will be seen that the recovere !ortions of the text of the ,eventh Tablet furnish twenty%five out of the fifty names of #ar uk. +rom the list of the titles of #ar uk !reserve on K. H,597 a K. =,96=, 5 an from Do. ;@,HH6, a !arallel text to the ,eventh Tablet, H seven other names may be obtaine , which were !robably among those occurring in the missing !ortion of the text3 these areGK Lugal%en%ankiaG ilu #ugal'en'an')i'a, K. H59, col. ii, l. 583 !. 57I. "uguG ilu +u'gu, K. H,597, col. ii, l. HH3 !. 57I. #umuG ilu Mu'mu, K. H,597, col. ii, l. HI3 !. 57I. .utuG ilu Du'tu, K. H,597, col. ii, l. H@3 !. 57I.
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.u uG ilu Du'du, K. H,597, col. ii, l. H;3 !. 57I. ,hag%gar>c?G %hag'gar, Do. ;@,HH6, 0bv., l. 5I3 !. 577. En%biluluG ilu En'bi'lu'lu, Do. ;@,HH6, 0bv., l. 5@3 !. 576. 5 By these titles of honour the go s are re!resente as conferring su!reme !ower u!on #ar uk, an the climax is reache in ll. 55= ff. of the ,eventh Tablet, when the el er BFl an Ea, #ar uk's father, confer their own names an !ower u!on him. #ar uk's name of $anshb, 1+ifty,1 by which he is finally a resse , in itself sums u! an symboli(es his fifty titles. &t the conclusion of these a resses there follows an e!ilogue H of eighteen lines, in which the stu y of the !oem is commen e to mankin , an !ros!erity is !romise to those that reAoice in #ar uk an kee! his works in remembrance. The story of the *reation, in the form in which it has come own to us u!on tablets of the seventh an later centuries before *hrist, is of a istinctly
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com!osite character, an bears traces of a long !rocess of e iting an mo ification at the han s of the Babylonian !riests. +ive !rinci!al stran s may be trace which have been combine to form the !oem3 these may be escribe as >5? The Birth of the go s3 !arts >H ? The Legen of Ea an &!sE3 >I? The .ragon%#yth3 >@? The actual account of *reation3 an >;? The $ymn to #ar uk un er his fifty titles. ,ince the !oem in its !resent form is a glorification, of #ar uk as the cham!ion of the go s an the *reator of the worl , it is natural that more !rominence shoul be given to e!iso es in which #ar uk is the hero than is assigne to other !ortions of the narrative in which he !lays no !art. Thus the escri!tion of Tiamat an her monster%broo , whom #ar uk con2uere , is re!eate no less than four times, 5 an the !re!arations of #ar uk for battle an his actual fight with the

ragon take u! the greater !art of the +ourth Tablet. 0n the other han , the birth of the ol er go s, among whom #ar uk oes not figure, is confine to the first twenty%one lines of the +irst Tablet3 an not more than twenty lines are given to the account of the subAugation of &!sE by Ea. That these elements shoul have been incor!orate at all in the Babylonian version of the *reation story may be ex!laine by the fact that they serve to enhance the !osition of !rominence subse2uently attaine by
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#ar uk. Thus the escri!tion of the birth of the ol er go s an of the o!!osition they excite among the forces of isor er, was necessarily inclu e in or er to make it clear how #ar uk was a!!ointe their cham!ion3 an the account of Ea's success against &!sE serve to accentuate the terrible nature of Tiamat, whom he was unable to withstan . +rom the latter half of the ,econ Tablet onwar s, #ar uk alone is the hero of the !oem. The central e!iso e of the !oem is the fight between #ar uk an Tiamat, an there is evi ence to !rove that this legen existe in other forms than that un er which it occurs in the *reation ,eries. The con2uest of the ragon was ascribe by the Babylonian !riests to their local go , an in the !oem the eath of Tiamat is ma e a necessary !reliminary to the creation of the worl . 0n a fragment of a tablet from &shur%bani%!al's library we !ossess, however, !art of a co!y of a legen 5 which escribes the con2uest of a ragon by some eity other than #ar uk. H #oreover, the fight is there escribe as taking !lace, not before creation, but at a time when men existe an cities ha been built. 'n this version
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men an go s are escribe as e2ually terrifie at the ragon's a!!earance, an it was to eliver the lan from the monster that one of the go s went out an slew him. This fragmentary tablet serves to !rove that the .ragon%#yth existe in more than one form in Babylonian mythology, an it is not im!robable that, many of the great cities of Babylonia !ossesse local versions of the legen in each of which the city%go figure as the hero. 5 'n the *reation ,eries the creation of the worl is narrate as the result of #ar uk's con2uest of the ragon, an there is no oubt that this version of the story re!resents the belief most generally hel uring the reigns of the later &ssyrian an Babylonian kings. We !ossess, however, fragments of other legen s in which the creation of the worl is not connecte with the eath of a ragon. 'n one of these, which is written both in ,umerian an Babylonian, H the great Babylonian cities an tem!les are escribe as coming into existence in conse2uence of a movement in the waters which alone existe before the creation of the worl . #ar uk in this
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version also figures as the *reator, for, together with the go ess &ruru, 5 he create man by laying a ree u!on the face of the waters an forming ust which he !oure out besi e it3 accor ing to this version also he is escribe as creating animals an vegetation. 'n other legen s which have come own to us, not only is the story of *reation unconnecte with the .ragon%#yth, but #ar uk oes not figure as the *reator. 'n one of these 1the go s1 generally are referre to as having create the heavens an the earth an the cattle an beasts of the fiel 3 H while in another the creation of the #oon an the ,un is ascribe to &nu, Bel, an Ea. I +rom the variant accounts of the story of *reation an of the .ragon%#yth, which are referre to in the !rece ing !aragra!hs, it will be clear that the !riests of Babylon ma e use of in e!en ent legen s in the com!osition of their great !oem of *reation @3 by
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assigning to #ar uk the con2uest of the .ragon 5 an the creation of the worl they Austifie his claim to the chief !lace among the go s. &s a fit en ing to the great !oem they incor!orate the hymn to #ar uk, consisting of a resses to him un er his fifty titles. This !ortion of the !oem H is !rove by the &ssyrian commentary, /. I==, etc., I as well as by fragments of !arallel, but not

u!licate, texts @ to have been an in e!en ent com!osition which ha at one time no connection with the series Enuma elish. 'n the !oem the hymn is !lace in the mouth of the go s, who at the en of the *reation have assemble together in J!shukkinaku3 an to it is a e the e!ilogue of eighteen lines, which com!letes the ,eventh Tablet of the series.
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'n iscussing the 2uestion as to the ate of the *reation legen s, it is necessary to istinguish clearly between the ate at which the legen s assume the form in which they have come own to us u!on the ,even Tablets of the series Enuma elish, an the ate which may be assigne to the legen s themselves before they were incor!orate in the !oem. 0f the actual tablets inscribe with !ortions of the text of the *reation ,eries we !ossess none which ates from an earlier !erio than the seventh century B.*. The tablets of this ate were ma e for the library of &shur%bani%!al at Dineveh, but it is obvious that the !oem was not com!ose in &ssyria at this time. The legen s in the form in which we !ossess them are not inten e to glorify &shur, the national go of &ssyria, but #ar uk, the go of Babylon, an it is clear that the scribes of &shur%bani%!al merely ma e co!ies for their master of ol er tablets of Babylonian origin. T o what earlier ate we may assign the actual com!osition of the !oem an its arrangement u!on the ,even Tablets, is still a matter for conAecture3 but it is !ossible to offer a conAecture, with some egree of !robability, after an examination of the various in irect sources of evi ence we !ossess with regar to the age of Babylonian legen s in general, an of the *reation legen s in !articular. With regar to the internal evi ence of ate furnishe by the *reation legen s themselves, we may
!. L44'''

note that the variant forms of the .ragon%#yth an of the account of the *reation, to which reference has alrea y been ma e, !resu!!ose many centuries of tra ition uring which the legen s, though erive !robably from common originals, were han e own in e!en ently of one another. .uring this !erio we may su!!ose that the same story was relate in ifferent cities in ifferent ways, an that in course of time variations cre!t in, with the result that two or more forms of the same story were evelo!e along ifferent lines. The !rocess must have been gra ual, an the consi erable ifferences which can be trace in the resultant forms of the same legen may be cite as evi ence in favour of assigning an early ate to the original tra ition from which they were erive . Evi ence as to the existence of the *reation legen s at least as early as the ninth century B.*. may be e uce from the re!resentations of the fight between #ar uk an the ragon Tiamat, which was foun scul!ture u!on two limestone slabs in the tem!le of Dinib at DimrE . 5 The tem!le was built by &shur%nasir%!al, who reigne from B.*. 66@ to B.*. 6=9, an across the actual scul!ture was inscribe the text of a e ication to Dinib by this king. The slab therefore furnishes irect !roof of the existence of the legen more than two hun re years before the
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formation of &shur%bani%!al's library. #oreover, the fight between #ar uk an Tiamat is fre2uently foun engrave u!on cylin er%seals, an , although the maAority of such seals !robably ate from the later &ssyrian an )ersian !erio s, the varie treatment of the scene which they !resent !oints to the existence of variant forms of the legen , an so in irectly furnishes evi ence of the early origin of the legen itself. +rom an examination of the Babylonian historical inscri!tions which recor the setting u! of statues an the making of tem!le furniture, we are enable to trace back the existence of the *reation legen s to still earlier !erio s. +or instance, in a text of &gum, 5 a Babylonian king who reigne not later than the seventeenth century B.*., we fin escri!tions of the figures of a ragon H an of other monsters I which he set u! in the tem!le E%sagil at Babylon3 an in this !assage we may trace an unmistakable reference to the legen of Tiamat an her monster%broo . &gum also set u! in the tem!le besi e the ragon a great basin, or laver, terme in the inscri!tion a t-mtu, or 1sea.1 @ +rom the name of the laver, an from its !osition besi e the figure of the ragon,

!. L44-

we may conclu e that it was symbolical of the abyss of water !ersonifie in the *reation legen s by Tiamat an &!sE. #oreover, in historical inscri!tions of still earlier !erio s we fin allusions to similar vessels terme aps., i.e. 1 ee!s1 or 1oceans,1 5 the !resence of which in the tem!les is !robably to be trace to the existence of the same tra itions. The three classes of evi ence briefly summari(e above ten to show that the most im!ortant elements in the *reation legen s were not of late origin, but must be trace back in some form or other to remote !erio s, an may well ate from the first half of the thir millennium B.*., or even earlier. 't remains to consi er to what ate we may assign the actual weaving together of these legen s into the !oem terme by the Babylonians an &ssyrians Enuma elish. &lthough, as has alrea y been remarke , we o not !ossess any early co!ies of the text of the *reation ,eries, this is not the case with other Babylonian legen s. &mong the tablets foun at Tell el%&marna, which ate from the fifteenth century B.*., were fragments of co!ies of two Babylonian legen s, the one containing the story of Dergal an Ereshkigal, H an
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the other inscribe with a !art of the legen of & a!a an the ,outh Win . 5 Both these com!ositions, in style an general arrangement, closely resemble the legen s known from late &ssyrian co!ies, while of the legen of & a!a an actual fragment, though not a u!licate, exists in the library of &shur%bani%!al. H +ragments of legen s have also been recently foun in Babylonia which ate from the en of the !erio of the +irst .ynasty of Babylon, about B.*. H599, an the resemblance which these ocuments bear to certain legen s !reviously known from &ssyrian co!ies only is not only of a general nature, but exten s even to i entity of language. Thus one of the recovere fragments is in !art a u!licate of the so%calle 1*uthaean Legen of *reation13 I two others contain !hrases foun u!on the legen of Ea an &tar%hasis, while u!on one of them are traces of a new version
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of the .eluge%story. 5 ,till more recently the Trustees of the British #useum have ac2uire three fragments of Babylonian legen s inscribe u!on tablets which ate from a still earlier !erio , i.e. from the !erio of the kings of the ,econ .ynasty of Jr, before B.*. HH993 H
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an to the same !erio is to be assigne the fragment of a legen which was !ublishe a few weeks ago by .r. #eissner, 5 an !robably also the new fragment of the Etana%myth, !ublishe last year by +ather ,cheil. H These five fragments are of !eculiar interest, for they show that early ,emitic, as o!!ose to ,umerian, legen s were in existence, an were carefully !reserve an stu ie in other cities of #eso!otamia
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than Babylon, an at a !erio before the rise of that city to a !osition of im!ortance un er the kings of the +irst .ynasty. The evi ence furnishe by these recently iscovere tablets with regar to the ate of Babylonian legen s in general may be a!!lie to the ate of the *reation legen s. While the origin of much of the *reation legen s may be trace to ,umerian sources, 5 it is clear that the ,emitic inhabitants of #eso!otamia at a very early !erio !ro uce their own versions of the com!ositions which they borrowe , mo ifying an augmenting them to suit their own legen s an beliefs. The connection of #ar uk with the .ragon%#yth, an with the stories of the creation of the worl an
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man, may with consi erable !robability be assigne to the subse2uent !erio uring which Babylon gra ually attaine to the !osition of the !rinci!al city in #eso!otamia. 0n tablets inscribe uring the reigns of kings of the +irst .ynasty we may therefore ex!ect to fin co!ies of the *reation legen s corres!on ing closely with the text of the series Enuma elish. 't is !ossible that the ivision

of the !oem into seven sections, inscribe u!on se!arate tablets, took !lace at a later !erio 3 but, be this as it may, we may conclu e with a consi erable egree of confi ence that the bulk of the !oem, as we know it from late &ssyrian an Deo%Babylonian co!ies, was com!ose at a !erio not later than B.*. H999. The !olitical influence which the Babylonians exerte over neighbouring nations uring long !erio s of their history was consi erable, an it is not sur!rising that their beliefs concerning the origin of the universe shoul have been !artially a o!te by the races with whom they came in contact. That Babylonian elements may be trace in the )hoenician cosmogony has long been a mitte , but the im!erfect, an !robably istorte , form in which the latter has come own to us ren ers uncertain any com!arison of etails. 5 ,ome of the beliefs concerning the
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creation of the worl which were current among the Egy!tians bear a more striking resemblance to the corres!on ing legen s of Babylonia. Whether this resemblance was ue to the !roto%,emitic strain which !robably existe in the ancient Egy!tian race, 5 or is to be ex!laine as the result of later Babylonian influence from without, is yet uncertain. But, whatever ex!lanation be a o!te , it is clear that the conce!tion of chaos as a watery mass out of which came forth successive generations of !rimeval go s is common to both races. H 't is in $ebrew literature, however, that the most striking exam!les of the influence of the Babylonian *reation legen s are to be foun . The close relation existing between the Babylonian account of the *reation an the narrative in "enesis i, 5%55, @a has been recogni(e from the time of the
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first iscovery of the former, 5 an the ol an new !oints of resemblance between them may here be briefly iscusse . &ccor ing to each account the existence of a watery chaos !rece e the creation of the universe3 an the $ebrew wor teh/m, translate 1the ee!1 in "en. i, H, is the e2uivalent of the Babylonian Tiamat, the monster of the ee! !ersonifying chaos an confusion. 'n the etails of the *reation there is also a close resemblance between the two accounts. 'n the $ebrew narrative the first act of creation is that of light >"en. i, I%;?, an it has been suggeste that a !arallel !ossibly existe in the Babylonian account, in that the creation of light may have been the cause of the revolt of Tiamat. +rom the new fragments of the !oem we now know that the rebellion of the forces of isor er, which was incite by &!sE an not Tiamat, was ue, not to the creation of light, but to his hatre of the way of the go s which !ro uce or er in !lace of chaos H & !arallelism may still be foun , however3 in the original form of the Babylonian myth, accor ing to which the con2ueror of the ragon was un oubte ly a solar eity. I #oreover, as has been !ointe out above, @ ay an night are vaguely conceive in the !oem as alrea y in existence at the
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time of &!sE's revolt, so that the belief in the existence of light before the creation of the heavenly bo ies is a common feature of the $ebrew an the Babylonian account. The secon act of creation in the $ebrew narrative is that of a firmament which ivi e the waters that were un er the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament >"en. i, =%6?. 'n the Babylonian !oem the bo y of Tiamat is ivi e by #ar uk, an from one%half of her he forme a covering or ome for heaven, i.e. a firmament, which ke!t her u!!er waters in !lace. #oreover, on the fragment ,. H,95I 5 we fin mention of a Ti'amat e'(i'ti an a Ti'amat shap'li'ti, that is, an J!!er Tiamat >or 0cean? an a Lower Tiamat >or 0cean?, which are the exact e2uivalents of the waters above an un er the firmament. H
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The thir an fourth acts of creation, as narrate in "en. i, 8%5I, are those of the earth an of vegetation. &lthough no !ortion of the Babylonian !oem has yet been recovere which contains the corres!on ing account, it is !robable that these acts of creation were relate on the +ifth Tablet of the series. 5 Berossus ex!ressly states that Bel forme the earth out of one half of 0morka's bo y,

an as his summary of the Babylonian *reation story is !rove to be correct wherever it can be controlle , it is legitimate to assume that he is correct in this etail also. #ore% over, in three !assages in the ,eventh Tablet the creation of the earth by #ar uk is referre toG l. 55; rea s, 1,ince he create the heaven an fashione the firm earth13 H the new fragment K. 5H,6I9 >restore from the commentary K. 6,H88? states, 1$e name the four 2uarters >of the worl ?13 I an another new fragment, K. 5I,7=5 >restore from the commentary K. @,@9=5, efinitely ascribes to #ar uk the title 1*reator of the earth.1 @ That the creation of vegetation by #ar uk was also recor e in the !oem may be conclu e from the o!ening lines of the ,eventh Tablet, which are inscribe on the new fragment K. H,6;@, an >with restorations from the commentary ,. '', etc.? ascribe to him the titles 1Bestower of
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!lanting,1 1+oun er of sowing,1 1 *reator of grain an !lants,1 an a herb to s!ring u!.1 5

that he 1cause the green

To the fifth act of creation, that of the heavenly bo ies >"en. i, 5@%5;?, we fin an excee ingly close !arallel in the o!ening lines of the +ifth Tablet of the series. H 'n the $ebrew account, lights were create in the firmament of heaven to ivi e the ay from the night, an to be for signs, an for seasons, an for ays, an years. 'n the Babylonian !oem also the stars were create an the year was or aine at the same time3 the twelve months were to be regulate by the stars3 an the #oon% go was a!!ointe 1to etermine the ays.1 &s accor ing to the $ebrew account two great lights were create in the firmament of heaven, the greater light to rule the ay an the lesser to rule the night, so accor ing to the Babylonian !oem the night was entruste to the #oon%go , an the #oon%go 's relations to the ,un%go are escribe in etail. 0n the ,eventh Tablet, also, the creation of heaven an the heavenly bo ies is referre t o3 in l. 5= #ar uk is state 1to have establishe for the go s the bright heavens,1 I an l. 555 f. rea , 1+or the stars of heaven he u!hel the !aths, he she!her e all the go s like shee!Z1 @
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To the sixth an seventh acts of creation, i.e., the creation of creatures of the sea an winge fowl, an of beasts an cattle an cree!ing things >"en. i, H9%H;?, the Babylonian !oem as yet offers no !arallel, for the !ortion of the text which refers to the creation of animals is still wanting. But since Berossus states that animals were create at the same time as man, it is !robable that their creation was recor e in a missing !ortion either of the +ifth or of the ,ixth Tablet. 'f the account was on the lines suggeste by Berossus, an animals share in the bloo of Bel, it is clear that their creation was narrate , as a subsi iary an less im!ortant e!iso e, after that of man. 5 But, although this e!iso e is still wanting in the !oem, we fin references on other &ssyrian *reation fragments to the creation of beasts. Thus, for the creation of the creatures of the sea in "enesis, we may com!are the fragmentary text K. I@@;a/. I8=, which recor s the creation of nahir.3 1 ol!hins >c?.1 H &n for the creation of beasts of the earth an cattle, we may com!are the tablet ..T. @5, I which, after referring generally to the creation of 1living creatures1 by 1the go s,1 !rocee s to classify them as the cattle an beasts of the fiel , an the creatures of the city, the two of animals.
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classes referring res!ectively to wil an

omesticate animals. 5

The account of the creation of man, which is recor e as the eighth an last act of creation in the $ebrew account >"en. i, H=%I5?, at length fin s its !arallel in the Babylonian !oem u!on the new fragment of the ,ixth Tablet, Do. 8H,=H8. H 't has alrea y been !ointe out that the Babylonian account closely follows the version of the story han e own to us from Berossus, I an it may here be a e that the em!loyment by #ar uk, the *reator, of his own bloo in the creation of man may !erha!s be com!are to the $ebrew account of the creation of man in the image an after the likeness of Elohim. @ #oreover, the use of the !lural in the !hrase 1Let us make man1 in "en. i, H=, may be com!are with the Babylonian narrative which relates that #ar uk im!arte his !ur!ose of forming man to his father Ea,

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whom he !robably afterwar s instructe to carry out the actual work of man's creation. 5 & !arallel to the charge which, accor ing to the $ebrew account, Elohim gave to man an woman after their creation, has hitherto been believe to exist on the tablet K. I,I=@, which was su!!ose to contain a list of the uties of man as elivere to him after his creation by #ar uk. The new Babylonian u!licate of this text, Do. II,6;5, !roves that K. I,I=@ is not !art of the *reation ,eries, but is merely a tablet of moral !rece!ts, so that its suggeste resemblance to the $ebrew narrative must be given u!. 't is not im!robable, however, that a missing !ortion of the ,ixth Tablet i contain a short series of instructions by #ar uk to man, since man was create with the s!ecial obAect of su!!lying the go s with worshi!!ers an buil ing shrines in their honour. That to these instructions to worshi! the go s was a e the gift of ominion over beasts, bir s, an vegetation is !ossible, but it must be !ointe out that the Babylonian version of man's creation is relate from the !oint of view of the go s, not from that of man. &lthough his creation forms the culmination of #ar uk's work, it was conceive , not as an en an aim in itself, but merely as an ex!e ient to satisfy the iscontente go s. H This ex!e ient is referre to in the ,eventh
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Tablet, l. H8, in the !hrase 1+or their forgiveness >i.e., the forgiveness of the go s? i he create mankin ,1 an other !assages in the ,eventh Tablet ten to show that #ar uk's mercy an goo ness are extolle in his relations, not to mankin , but to the go s. 5 'n one !assage marl's creation is referre to, but it is in connection with the charge that he forget not the ee s of his *reator. H
B!aragra!h continuesC

The above consi erations ren er it unlikely that the Babylonian !oem containe an exact !arallel to the exalte charge of Elohim in which $e !lace the rest of creation un er man's ominion. 't is !ossible, however, that u!on the new fragment of the ,eventh Tablet, K. 5H,6I9 >restore from the commentary K. 6,H88? I we have a reference to the su!eriority of man over animals, in the !hrase 1mankin Bhe create C, Ban u!onC him un erstan ing Bhe bestowe >c? . . .C13 an if this be so, we may com!are it to "en. i, H6=. #oreover, if my suggeste restoration of the last wor in l. 7 of the ,ixth Tablet be correct, so that it may rea 1' will create man who shall inhabit Bthe earthC, @1 we may
!. 4*

com!are it to "en. i, H6a in which man is comman e to be fruitful, an multi!ly, an re!lenish the earth. 5 & suggestion has been ma e that the !rominence given to the wor of the *reator in the $ebrew account may have foun its !arallel in the creation by a wor in the Babylonian !oem. 't is true that the wor of #ar uk ha magical !ower an coul estroy an create alike3 but #ar uk i not em!loy his wor in any of his acts of creation which are at !resent known to us. $e first conceive a cunning evice, an then !rocee e to carry it out by han . The only occasion on which he i em!loy his wor to estroy an to create is in the +ourth Tablet, ll. 58%H=, H when, at the invitation of the go s, he teste his !ower by making a garment isa!!ear an then a!!ear again at the wor of his mouth. The !arallelism between the two accounts un er this hea ing is not very close. The or er of the se!arate acts of creation is also not 2uite the same in the two accounts, for, while in the Babylonian !oem the heavenly bo ies are create imme iately after the formation of the firmament, in the $ebrew account their creation is !ost!one until after the earth an vegetation have been ma e. 't is !ossible that the creation of the earth an !lants has been is!lace by the writer to whom the !resent form of the $ebrew account is ue, an that the
!. 4*'

or er of creation was !recisely the same in the original forms of the two narratives. But even accor ing to the !resent arrangement of the $ebrew account, there are several striking !oints of resemblance to the Babylonian !oem. These may be seen in the existence of light before the

creation of the heavenly bo ies3 in the ivi ing of the waters of the !rimeval floo by means of a firmament also before the creation of the heavenly bo ies3 an in the culminating act of creation being that of man. 't woul be tem!ting to trace the framework of the ,even .ays of *reation, u!on which the narrative in "enesis is stretche , to the influence of the ,even Tablets of *reation, of which we now know that the great *reation ,eries was com!ose . The reasons for the em!loyment of the ,even .ays in the $ebrew account are, however, not the same which le to the arrangement of the Babylonian !oem u!on ,even Tablets. 'n the one the writer's intention is to give the original authority for the observance of the ,abbath3 in the other there a!!ears to have been no s!ecial reason for this arrangement of the !oem beyon the mystical nature of the number 1seven.1 #oreover, acts of creation are recor e on all of the first six .ays in the $ebrew narrative, while in the Babylonian !oem the creation only begins at the en of the +ourth Tablet. 5 The resemblance, therefore, is somewhat su!erficial, but
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it is !ossible that the em!loyment of the number 1seven1 in the two accounts was not fortuitous. Whether the ,abbath was of Babylonian origin >as seems !robable? or not, it is clear that the writer of the narrative in "enesis was keenly intereste in its !ro!agation an its ue observance. Dow in Exilic an !ost%Exilic times the account of the *reation most !revalent in Babylonia was that in the !oem Enuma elish, the text of which was at this time absolutely fixe an its arrangement u!on ,even Tablets invariable. That the late revival of mythology among the :ews was !artly ue to their actual stu y of the Babylonian legen s at this !erio is sufficiently !rove by the minute !oints of resemblance between the accounts of the .eluge in "enesis an in the !oem of "ilgamesh. 5 't is !robable, therefore, that the writer who was res!onsible for the final form of "en. i%ii, @a, was familiar with the Babylonian legen of *reation in the form in which it has come own to us. The su!!osition, then, is !erha!s not too
!. 4*'''

fanciful, that the connection of the ,abbath with the story of *reation was suggeste by the mystical number of the Tablets u!on which the Babylonian !oem was inscribe . +urther resemblances to the Babylonian *reation legen s may be trace in the secon $ebrew account of the *reation which follows the first in "en. ii, @b%7. &ccor ing to this version man was forme from the ust of the groun , which may be com!are to the mixing of Bel's bloo with earth accor ing to the account of Berossus, the use of the *reator's bloo in the one account being !arallele by the em!loyment of $is breath in the other for the !ur!ose of giving life to the ust or earth. Earth is not mentione in the recovere !ortion of the ,ixth Tablet, but its use in the creation of men is fully in accor ance with Babylonian beliefs. Thus, accor ing to the secon Babylonian account of the *reation, 5 #ar uk forme man by !ouring out ust besi e a ree which he ha set u!on the face of the waters. *lay is also relate to have been em!loye in the creation of s!ecial men an heroes3 thus it was use in Ea%bani's creation by &rum, H an it is relate to have been mixe with ivine bloo for a similar !ur!ose in the fragmentary legen Bu. 85%;%8, H=8. I To the account of the creation of woman in "en. ii, 56 ff. we fin a new !arallel in l. ; of the
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,ixth Tablet of the *reation ,eries, in the use of the wor issimtu, 1 bone,1 corres!on ing to the $ebrew 'esem which occurs in the !hrase 1bone of my bones 1 in "en. ii, HI.
B!aragra!h continuesC

'n a ition to the Babylonian colouring of much of the story of )ara ise we may now a a new !arallel from the Babylonian a ress to a mythical /iver of *reation, inscribe on ,. 579@ an the Deo%Babylonian Tablet 6H%8%56, ;I55. 5 This short com!osition is a resse to a /iver to whom the creation of all things is ascribe , H an with this river we may com!are the mythical river of )ara ise which watere the gar en, an on leaving it was ivi e into four branches. That the $ebrew /iver of )ara ise is Babylonian in character is clear3 an the origin of the Babylonian /iver of *reation is also to be foun in the Eu!hrates, from whose waters southern Babylonia erive its

great fertility. I The

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life%giving stream of )ara ise is met with elsewhere in the 0l Testament, as, for instance, in E(ekiel xlvii, an it is !robable that we may trace its influence in the &!ocaly!se. 5 't is unnecessary here to iscuss in etail the evi ence to !rove that the $ebrew narratives of the influence on *reation were ultimately erive from Babylonia, an mythology. were not inherite in e!en ently by the Babylonians an $ebrews from a common ,emitic ancestor. H +or the local Babylonian colouring of the stories, an the great age to which their existence can be trace , exten ing back to the time of the ,umerian inhabitants of #eso!otamia, I are conclusive evi ence against the secon alternative. 0n the other han , it is e2ually unnecessary to cite the well%known arguments to !rove
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the existence among the $ebrews of *reation legen s similar to those of Babylonia for centuries before the Exile. The allusions to variant $ebrew forms of the Babylonian .ragon%#yth in &mos ix, I, 'saiah li, 8, )salm lxxiv, 5I f., an lxxxix, 8 f., an :ob xxvi, 5H f., an ix, 5I, may be cite as sufficient !roof of the early !erio at which the borrowing from Babylonian sources must have taken !lace3 an the striking ifferences between the Biblical an the known Babylonian versions of the legen s !rove that the Exilic an !ost%Exilic :ews must have foun rea y to their han ancient $ebrew versions of the stories, an that the changes they intro uce must in the main have been confine to etails of arrangement an to omissions necessitate by their own more s!iritual conce!tions an beliefs. The iscovery of the Tell el%&marna tablets !rove conclusively that Babylonian influence exten e throughout Egy!t an Western &sia in the fifteenth century B.*., an the existence of legen s among the letters emonstrate the fact that Babylonian mythology exerte an influence coextensive with the range of her !olitical ties an interests. We may therefore conAecture that Babylonian myths ha become naturali(e in )alestine before the con2uest of that country by the 'sraelites. #any such )alestinian versions of Babylonian myths the 'sraelites no oubt absorbe 3 while uring the subse2uent !erio of the $ebrew kings &ssyria an Babylonia exerte a irect influence u!on them. 't is clear, therefore, that at the time of their of Babylonian
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exile the ca!tive :ews i not fin in Babylonian mythology an entirely new an unfamiliar subAect, but recogni(e in it a series of kin re beliefs, iffering much from their own in s!iritual conce!tions, but !resenting a startling resemblance on many material !oints. Dow that the !rinci!al !roblems with regar to the contents, ate, an influence of the *reation ,eries, Enuma elish, have been ealt with, it remains to escribe in some etail the forty%nine fragments an tablets from which the text, transliterate an translate in the following !ages, has been ma e u!. &fter each registration%number is given a reference to the !ublishe co!y of the text in Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets, etc., in the British Museum, !t. xiii, or in -ol. '' of this work, or in &!!en ices ' an '' of this volume3 a brief escri!tion of each tablet is a e , together with references to any !revious !ublication of the text. &fter the enumeration of the known co!ies of each tablet, a list is given of the authorities for the se!arate lines of the tablet, in or er to enable the rea er to verify any !assage in the text with as little elay as !ossible. The following twelve tablets an fragments are inscribe with !ortions of the text of the +irst Tablet of the seriesGK 5. K. ;,@58cG Cuneiform Texts, !t. xiii >illegible?, !l. '. 0bverseG ll. 5%5=3 /everseG catch%line an colo!hon.
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J!!er !art of an &ssyrian tablet, I@ in. by 5 7d6 in. +or earlier !ublications of the text, see "eorge ,mith, T.%.B."., vol. iv, the *reation ,eries, !. I=I f., !l. i3 +ox Talbot, T.%.B."., vol. v, !!. @H6 ff.3 #enant, Manuel de la langue "syrienne, !. I76 f.3 .elit(sch, "syrische #esest0c)e, 5st e ., !. @9,

Hn e ., !. 76, Ir e ., !. 8I3 Lyon, "ssyrian Manual, !. =H3 an my 1irst %teps in "ssyrian, !. 5HH f. H. Do. 8I,95; >6H%7%5@, @9H?G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !ls. 5 an I. 0bverseG ll. 5%5=3 /everseG ll. 5H@% 5@H an colo!hon. J!!er !art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, H 5d6 in. by H 5d@ in. +or an earlier !ublication of the text, see )inches, Bab. 2r. 3ec., vol. iv, !. H=f. The fragment is !robably !art of the same tablet as that to which Do. 59 belonge . I. Do. @;,;H6 a @=,=5@G -ol. '', !ls. i%vi. 0bverseG ll. 5%@63 /everseG ll. 555%5@H, catch%line, an colo!hon. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, forme from two fragments, which ' have Aoine 3 H 5d@ in. by ; e in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . @. Do. I;,5I@G -ol. '', !l. vii. 0bverseG ll. 55%H53 no reverse. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, 5 Id6 in. by H in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . ;. Do. I=,7H=G -ol. '', !l. viii. 0bverseG ll. H6%II. Deo%Babylonian 1!ractice%tablet13 the text, which forms an extract, measures H 7d6. by 5 5d@ in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . =. 65%7%H7, 69G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. H. 0bverseG ll. I5%;=3 /everseG ll. 556%5@H. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, H;d6 in. by I in. This text, which was referre to by )inches in the Bab. 2r. 3ec., vol. iv, !. II, was use by <immern for his translation in "unkel's %ch4pfung
!. 4*'4

und Chaos, !. @9H f.3 it was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. H; f., an by :ensen, Mythen una Epen, !!. H ff. 7. K. I,8I6G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. I. 0bverseG ll. II%@H3 /everseG ll. 5H6%5@H. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 5d= in. by 5 Id@ in. This fragment was use by "eorge ,mith, Chaldean "ccount of +enesis, !. 8I f., an by subse2uent translators3 the text was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. H7. 6. K. 7,675G -ol. ', &!!en ix '', !!. 56I ff. 0bverseG ll. II%@73 no reverse. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 5d= in. by 5 Id@ in. The fragment may belong to the same tablet as Do. ''. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . 8. Do. I=,=66G -ol. '', !l. vii. 0bverseG ll. I6%@@. )art of a Deo%Babylonian 1!ractice%tablet13 the text, which forms an abstract, measures 5e in. by 5 5d6 in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . 59. Do. @=,69IG -ol. '', !ls. ix%xi. 0bverse ll. @=%=73 /everseG ll. 6I%59I. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, H in. by H in. The fragment is !robably !art of the same tablet as that to which Do. H belonge . This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . 55. K. @,@66G -ol. ', &!!en ix '', !!. 56; ff. 0bverseG ll. ;9%=I3 no reverse. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 Id@ in. by 5e in.3 see above, Do. 6. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . 5H. 6H%8%56, =,678G -ol. '', !ls. xii an xiii. Do obverse3 /everseG ll. 8I%5 56. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, 5 7d6 in. by H ;d6 in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe .

!. *

The authorities for the lines of the +irst Tablet are as followsGK T&BLET '. ll. 5%59G Dos. 5, H, an I. ll. 55%5=G Dos. 5, H, I, an @. ll. 57%H5G Dos. I an @. ll. HH%H7G Do. I. ll. H6%I9G Dos. I an ;. ll. I5%IHG Dos. I, ;, an =. l. IIG Dos. I, ;, =, 7, an 6. ll. I@%I7G Dos. I, =, 7, an 6. ll. I6%@HG Dos. I, =, 7, 6, an 8. l. @IG Dos. I, =, an 6. 5. @@G Dos. I, =, 6, an 8. l. @;G Dos. I, =, an 6. ll. @=%@7G Dos. I, =, 6, an 59. l. @IG Dos. I, =, an 59. l. @8G Dos. = an 59. ll. ;I%;=G Dos. =, 59, an 55. ll. ;7%=IG Dos. 59 an 55. ll. =@%=7G Do. 59. ll. =6%6HG Wanting. ll. 6I%8HG Do. 59. ll. 8I%59IG Dos. 59 an 5H. ll. 59@%559G Do. 5H. ll. 555%557G Dos. I an 5H. l. 556G Dos. I, =, an 5H. ll. 558%5HIG Dos. I an =. ll. 5H@%5H7G Dos. H, I, an =. ll. 5H6%5@HG Dos. H, I, =, an 7.
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The following seven tablets an fragments are inscribe with !ortions of the text of the ,econ Tablet of the seriesGK 5I. Do. @9,;;8G -ol. '', !ls. xiv%xxi. 0bverseG ll. 5%@93 /everseG ll. >555?%>5@9?, catch%line, an colo!hon. J!!er !art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, H ;d6 in. by @ 5d= in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe .

5@. Do. I6,I8=G *un. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. @. 0bverseG ll. 55%H83 /everseG ll. >59;?%>5IH?. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, I 5d@ in. by H in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . 5;. Do. 8H,=IH a 8I,9@6G -ol. '', !ls. xxii%xxiv. 0bverseG ll. 5@%H83 /everseG ll. >59@?%>5I6?. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, forme from two fragments which ' have Aoine 3 5 7d6 in. by 5 =d6 in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . 5=. K. @,6IHG Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. ;. 0bverseG ll. IH%;63 /everseG ll. >59@?%>5I6?. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5e in. by I 5d@ in. This tablet was known to "eorge ,mith, see Chald. "cc. of +en., !. 8H3 its text was !ublishe by ,. &. ,mith, Miscellaneous Texts, !l. 6 f. 57. 78%7%6, 576G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. =. 0bverseG ll. >=8?%>7;?3 /everseG ll. >7=?%>6;?. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, I 5d6 in. by 5 Id@ in. This text, which was i entifie by )inches, was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. I9, an by :ensen, Mythen und Epen, !. 59 f. 56. K. 59,996G -ol. ', &!!. '', !!. 567 ff. Do obverse3 /everseG !robably between 55.6; an 59@. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 ;d6 in. by H 5d@ in This text has not been !reviously !ublishe .
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58. K. H8HG Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. =. Do obverse3 /everseG ll. >5I5?%> 5@9?. Lower !art of an &ssyrian tablet, He in. by H 5d@ in. The text of this tablet, which was known to "eorge ,mith, was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. I5, an by :ensen, Mythen and Epen, !. 59. The authorities for the lines of the ,econ Tablet are as followsGK T&BLET ''. ll. 5%59G Do. 5I. ll. 55%5IG Dos. 5I an 5@. ll. 5@%H8G Dos. 5I, 5@, an 5;. ll. I9%I5G Do. 5I. ll. IH%@9G Dos. 5I an 5=. ll. @5%;6G Do. 5=. ll. ;8%>=6?G Wanting. ll. >=8?%>6;?G Do. 57. between ll. >6=? an >59I?G Do. 56. l. >59@?G Do. 5=. ll. >59;?%>559?G Dos. 5@ an 5=. ll. >555?%>55I?G Dos. 5I, 5@, an 5=. ll. >55@?%>5H=?G Dos. 5I, 5@, 5;, an 5=. l. >5H7?G Dos. 5I, 5;, an 5=. ll. >5H6?%>5H8?G Dos. 5I, 5@, 5;, an 5=. l. >5I9?G Dos. 5I, 5;, an 5=. l. >5I5?G Dos. 5I, 5;, 5=, an 58.

l. >5I%H?G Dos. 5I, 5@, 5=, an 58. ll. >5II?%>5I6?G Dos. 5I, 5=, an 58. ll. >5I8?%>5@9?G Dos. 5I an 58.
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The following nine tablets an fragments are inscribe with !ortions of the text of the Thir TabletG K H9. K. I,@7I a 78%7%6, H8= a /. =5;G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !ls. 7%8. 0bverseG ll. 5%6;3 /everseG ll. 6=% 5I6. )arts of an &ssyrian tablet, He in. by 6 Id6 in. The three fragments of this tablet, which have been recovere , Aoin, but, as they are much war!e by fire, they have not been stuck together. +or earlier !ublications of the text, see ,. &. ,mith, Miscellaneous Texts, !ls. 5%;, an my 1irst %teps in "ssyrian, !!. 5H@ ff. The text of K. I,@7I ha been alrea y recogni(e by "eorge ,mith, see Chald. "cc. +en., !. 8H f. H5. Do. 8I,957 B66%@%58, 5ICG Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !ls. 59 an 55. 0bverseG ll. @7%773 /everseG ll. 76% 59;. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, He in. by I ;d6 in. This text, which was i entifie by )inches, was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. I; f., an by :ensen, #ythen un E!en, !!. 5@ ff. HH. 6H%8%56, 5,@9Ia=,I5= BDo. =5,@H8CG -ol. '', !ls. xxv%xxviii. 0bverseG ll. ;%5;, ;H%=53 /everseG ll. =H%7=, 5H@%5H6. )art of a Deo%Babylonian 1!ractice%tablet,1 inscribe with a series of five%line extracts from the text3 H in. by I in. & co!y of the text of 6H%8%56, 5,@9I, is given in Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 5IG since then ' have Aoine to it the fragment 6H%8%56, =,I5=, an the text is therefore re!eate in -ol. ''. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . HI. K. 6,;H@G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 5H. +ragment from the en of 0bv. or beginning of /ev.G ll. 7;% 6=. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 7d6 n . by 5 Id6 in. The text was
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referre to by )inches in the Bab. 2r. 3ec., vol. iv, !. I9, an was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. I5. H@. 6H%8%56, =,8;9a6I%5%56, 5,6=6G -ol. '', !l. xxix. .u!licate of ll. 58%H= an 77%6@3 variants are note in the text un er ll. 58%H=. Deo%Babylonian 1!ractice%tablet13 the text forms an extract measuring H ;d6 in. by 5 5d@ in. & co!y of the text of 6I%5%56, 5,6=6, is given in Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 5H3 since then ' have Aoine to it the fragment 6H%8%56, =,8;9, an the text is therefore re!eate in -ol. ''. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . H;. K. =,=;9G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 8. .u!licate of ll. I6%;; an 8=%55I3 variants are note in the text un er ll. I6%;;. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, I in. by I Id6 in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . H=. Do. @H,H6;G -ol. '', !ls. xxx%xxxiii. 0bverseG ll. @=%=63 /everseG ll. =8%67. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, He in. by H ;d6 in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . H7. 6H%8%56, ;,@@6a6I%5%56, H,55=G -ol. '', !l. xxxiv. 0bverseG ll. =@%7H.

)art of a Deo%Babylonian 1!ractice%tablet13 the text, which forms an extract, measures H Id@ in. by 5e in. & co!y of the text of 6I%5%56, H,55=, is given in Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 5H3 since then ' have Aoine to it the fragment 6H%8%56, ;,@@6, an the text is therefore re!eate in -ol. ''. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . H6. K. 6,;7;G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 5H. 0bverseG ll. =8%7=3 /everseG ll. 77%6;. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, H ;d6 in. by H 5d= in. This text, which was i entifie by Be(ol , *atalogue, !. 8@5, was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. I6.
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The authorities for the lines of the Thir Tablet are as followsGK T&BLET '''. ll. 5%@G Do. H9. ll. ;%5;G Dos. H9 an HH. ll. 5=%56G Do. H9. ll. H8%H=G Dos. H9 an H@. ll. I6%@;G Dos. H9 an H;. l. @=G Dos. H9, H;, an H=. ll. @7%;5G Dos. H9, H5, H;, an H=. ll. ;H%;;G Dos. H9, H5, HH, H;, an H=. ll. ;=%=IG Dos. H9, H5, HH, an H=. ll. =@%=6G Dos. H9, H5, HH, H=, an H7. ll. =8%7HG Dos. H9, H5, HH, H=, H7, an H6. ll. 7I%7@G Dos. H9, H5, HH, H=, an H6. ll. 7;%7=G Dos. H9, H5, HH, HI, H=, an H6. ll. 77%6@G Dos. H9, H5, HI, H@, H=, an H6. l. 6;G Dos. H9, H5, HI, H=, an H6. l. 6=G Dos. H9, H5, HI, an H=. l. 67G Dos. H9, H5, an H=. ll. 66%8;G Dos. H9 an H5. ll. 8=%59;G Dos. H9, H5, an H;. ll. 59=%55IG Dos. H9 an H;. ll. 5H@%5H6G Dos. H9 an HH. ll. H7%I7G Do. H9. ll. 55@%5HIG Do. H9. ll. 5H8%5I6G Do. H9.
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The following six tablets an fragments are inscribe with !ortions of the text of the +ourth TabletG K H8. Do. 8I,95= B6H%8%56, I,7I7CG Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !ls. 5@%5;. 0bverseG ll. 5%@@3 /everseG ll. 55=%

5@=. J!!er !art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, I Id6 in. by @ 7d6 in. +or an earlier !ublication of the text, see Bu ge, ,.%.B."., vol. x, !. 6=, !ls. 5%=. I9. K. I,@I7 a /. =@5G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !ls. 5=%58. 0bverseG ll. I=%6I3 /everseG ll. 6@%558. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, I in. by ;e in. +or an earlier !ublication of' the text of K. I,@I7, see "eorge ,mith, T.%.B."., vol. iv, !. I=I f., !ls. ; an =3 an of K. I,@I7a/. =@5, see .elit(sch, "syrische #esest0c)e, !!. 87 ff., an my 1irst %teps in "ssyrian, !!. 5I7 ff. I5. 78%7%6, H; 'G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. H9. 0bverseG ll. I;%@83 /everseG ll. 59I%597. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 in. by H 5d6 in. The text, which was i entifie by )inches, was use in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !!. @5 ff., an by :ensen, Mythen und Epen, !!. HH ff. This fragment !robably belongs to the same tablet as Do. I@. IH. Do. 8I,9;5G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. H9. 0bverseG ll. @H%;@3 /everseG ll. 6;%8@. )art of a Deo%Babylonian 1!ractice%tablet,1 inscribe with the text ivi e into sections of five lines3 H 5d@ in. by 5 Id@ in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . II. K. ;,@H9cG Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. H5. 0bverseG ll. 7@%8H3 /everseG ll. 8I%558. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, I Id6 in. by I 5d6 in. /estorations an variants were taken from this tablet by "eorge ,mith for his e ition of K. I,@I73 see above, Do. I9. I@. /. H, 6IG Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 58. Do obverse3 /everseG ll. 557%5H8.
!. *-''

)art of an &ssyrian tablet, H 5d@ in, by 5 ;d6 in. The text, which was i entifie by )inches, was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. @;. This fragment !robably belongs to the same tablet as Do. I5. The authorities for the lines of the +ourth Tablet are as followsGK T&BLET '-. l. I;G Dos. H8 an I5. ll. I=%@5G Dos. H8, I9, an I5. ll. @H%@@G Dos. H8, I9, I5, an IH. ll. @;%@8G Dos. I9, I5, an IH. ll. ;9%;@G Dos. I9 an IH. ll. ;;%7IG Do. I9. ll. 7@%6@G Dos. I9 an II. ll. 6;%8@G Dos. I9, IH, an II. ll. 8;%59HG Dos. I9 an II. ll. 59I%597G Dos. I9, I5, an II. ll. 596%55;G Dos. I9 an II. l. 55=G Dos. H8, I9, an II. ll. 557%558G Dos. H8, I9, II, an I@. ll. 5H9%5H8G Dos. H8 an I@. ll. 5I9%5@=G Do. H8. ll. 5%I@G Do. H8.

The following five tablets an fragments are inscribe with !ortions of the text of the +ifth TabletG K I;. K. I,;=7 a K. 6,;66G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. HH. 0bverseG ll. 5%H=3 /everseG catch%line. J!!er !art of an &ssyrian tablet, I 5d6 in. by H 7d6 in. +or earlier !ublications of the text, see "eorge ,mith, T.%.B."., vol. iv, !. I=I f., !l. H3 .elit(sch, "ssyrische #esest0c)e, Ir e ., !. 8@3 an my 1irst %teps in "ssyrian, !!. 5;6 ff.
!. *-'''

I=. K. 6,;H=G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. HI. 0bverseG ll. 5%563 /everseG ll. >5I6?%> 5@9?. J!!er !art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 e in. by H 5d@ in. The text was use by "eorge ,mith for his e ition of Do. I;, an in the other co!ies of that tablet mentione above3 it was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. @6 f. I7. K. 5I,77@G -ol. ', &!!en ix '', !!. 589 ff. 0bverseG ll. =%583 no reverse. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 5d@ in. by 5e in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . I6. K. 55,=@5G -ol. ', &!!en ix '', !!. 58H ff. 0bverseG ll. 5@%HH3 /everseG ll. >5H6?%>5@9?, catch% line, an colo!hon. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, H Id@ in. by I Id6 in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . I8. K. I,@@8aG Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. HI. 0bverseG ll. >==?%> 7@?3 /everseG ll. >7;?%>67?. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, He in. by 5e in. This text, which was first i entifie an translate by "eorge ,mith, Chald. "cc. of +en., !. 8@ f., was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !, ;9, an the reverse by :ensen, Mythen and Epen, !. IH. The authorities for the lines of the +ifth Tablet are as followsGK T&BLET -. ll. 5%;G Dos. I; an I=. ll. =%5IG Dos. I;, I=, an I7. ll. 5@%56G Dos. I;, I=, I7, an I6. 5. 58G Dos. I;, I7, an I6. ll. H9%HHG Dos. I; an I6. ll. HI%H=G Do. I;.
!. *'4

ll. H7%>=;?G Wanting. ll. >==?%>67?G Do. I8. ll. >66?%> ' H7?G Wanting. ll. >5I6?%>5@9?G Dos. I= an I6. ll. >5H6?%> 5I7?G Do. I6. The following fragment is inscribe with a !ortion of the text of the ,ixth TabletGK @9. Do. 8H,=H8G -ol. '', !ls. xxxv an xxxvi. 0bverseG ll. 5%H53 /everseG ll. 5I6%5@=, catch%line, an colo!hon, )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, H 5d6 in. by H 5d@ in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . The following nine tablets an fragments are inscribe with !ortions of the text of the ,eventh

TabletGK @5. K. H,6;@G -ol. ', &!!en ix ', !. 5;8. 0bverseG ll. 5%563 /everse uninscribe . J!!er !art of an &ssyrian tablet, He in. by 5 Id@ in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . @H. Do. 85, 5I8 a 8I,97IG -ol. ''. !ls. xxxviii%xlv. 0bverseG ll. I%@93 /everseG ll. 59=%5@5. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, H Id@ in. by @ 7d6 in. This text is ma e u! of two fragments which ' have Aoine 3 it has not !reviously been !ublishe . @I. K. 6,;HHG Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !ls. H= an H7. 0bverseG ll. 5;%@;3 /everseG ll. 59;%5I7. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, He in. by I 5d@ in. +or earlier !ublications of the text, see "eorge ,mith, T.%.B."., vol. iv, !. I=I f., !ls. I an @, an .elit(sch, "ssyrische #esest0c)e, Ir e ., !. 8; f.
!. *4

@@. Do. I;,;9=G -ol. '', !ls. xlvi%xlviii. 0bverseG ll. 5@%I=3 /everseG ll. 59;%5@H. )art of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, H 5d@ in. by @ 5d@ in. This text, which !robably ates from the !erio of the &rsaci ae, has not been !reviously !ublishe . @;. K. 8,H=7G Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. H6. 0bverseG ll. @9%@73 /everseG ll. 598%5I6. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, I ;d6 in. by H in. /estorations an variants were taken from this tablet by "eorge ,mith for his e ition of K. 6,;HH3 see above, Do. @I. @=. K. 5H,6I9G -ol. ', &!!en ix ', !. 5=I. 0bverse or /everseG between ll. @7 an 59;. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 7d6 in. by 7d6 in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . @7. K. 5I,7=5G -ol. ', &!!en ix ', !. 5=@. En of 0bverse an beginning of /everseG between ll. @7 an 59;. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 5d6 in. by 5 ;d6 in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . @6. K. 6,;58G -ol. ', &!!en ix ', !. 5=;. En of 0bverse an beginning of /everseG between ll. @7 an 59;. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 5 Id@ in. by 5 Id6 in. This text has not been !reviously !ublishe . 5 @8. K. 5I,II7G -ol. ', &!!en ix ', !. 5==. .u!licate of Do. @63 between ll. @7 an 59;. )art of an &ssyrian tablet, 7d6 in. by 5 in. This text, which is a u!licate of K. 6,;58, has not been !reviously !ublishe .
!. *4'

The authorities for the lines of the ,eventh Tablet are as followsGK T&BLET -''. ll. 5%HG Do. @5. ll. I%5IG Dos. @5 an @H. l. 5@G Dos. @5, @H, an @@. ll. 5;%56G Dos. @5, @H, @I, an @@. ll. 58%I=G Dos. @H, @I, an @@. ll. I7%I8G Dos. @H an @I. l. @9G Dos. @H, @I, an @;. ll. @5%@;G Dos. @I an @;.

between ll. @7 an 59;G Dos. @=, @7, @6, an @8. l. 59;G Dos. @I an @@. ll. @=%@7G Do. @;. ll. 59=%596G Dos. @H, @I, an @@. ll. 598%5I7G Dos. @H, @I, @@, an @;. l. 5I6G Dos. @H, @@, an @;. ll. 5I8%5@5G Dos. @H an @@. l. 5@HG Do. @@. The above forty%nine tablets an fragments, inscribe with !ortions of the text of the *reation ,eries, belong to two istinct !erio s. The ol er class of tablets were ma e for the library of &shur% bani%!al at Dineveh, an they are beautifully written in the &ssyrian character u!on tablets of fine clay. 5 The
!. *4''

Deo%Babylonian tablets, on the other han , are, as a rule, less carefully written3 they vary consi erably in si(e an sha!e, an were ma e at ifferent !erio s for !rivate in ivi uals, either for their own use, 5 or that they might be e!osite in the tem!les as votive offerings. H ,ome of these Babylonian co!ies
!. *4'''

are fine s!ecimens of their class, e.g. Dos. I, 5I, H5, H8, an @H, 5an the characters an wor s u!on them are carefully written an s!ace 3 others, however, consist of small, carelessly ma e tablets, on to which the !oem is crow e . H0n all the tablets, whether &ssyrian or Babylonian, which !ossess colo!hons, the number of the Tablet in the ,eries is carefully given. I The extracts from the text, which were written out by stu ents u!on 1!ractice%tablets,1 no oubt in or er to give them !ractice in writing an at the same time to enable them to learn the text by heart, are naturally rather rough !ro uctions. @ 0ne characteristic which a!!lies to all the tablets,
!. *4'-

whether &ssyrian or Deo%Babylonian, is that the text is never written in columns, but each line of the !oem is written across the tablet from e ge to e ge. 5 &s a result, the tablets are long an narrow in sha!e, an are han le far more conveniently than broa er tablets inscribe with two or more columns of writing on each si e. The forms of the text of the !oem, which were in use in the &ssyrian an Deo%Babylonian !erio s, are i entical, an it is incorrect to s!eak of an &ssyrian an a Babylonian 1recension.1 &t the time of &shur%bani%!al the text ha alrea y been efinitely fixe , an , with the exce!tion of one or two !hrases, the wor s of each line remaine unchange from that time forwar . 't is true that on the Babylonian tablets the wor s are, as a rule, written more syllabically, but this is a general characteristic of Babylonian co!ies of historical an literary texts. #oreover, u!on several of the more carefully written tablets, the metre is in icate by the ivision of the
!. *4-

halves of each verse, 5 an arrangement which is not met with on any of the &ssyrian tablets. But both the &ssyrian an Deo%Babylonian co!ies re!resent the same 1recension1 of the text, an , as has alrea y been in icate , H are !robably the escen ants of a common Babylonian original. The following table will serve to show the number of &ssyrian an Deo% Babylonian co!ies of each of the ,even Tablets un er which the forty%nine se!arate fragments of the text may be arrange GK &,,L/'&D TE4T. +our co!ies >Dos. 5, =, 7, 6, DE0%B&B. TE4T. DE0%B&B. E4T/&*T,.

T&BLET.

'

+our co!ies >Dos. H, I, @, 59, Two 1!ractice%tablets1>Dos. ;,

55?. Dos. 6 an 55 are !robably !arts of the same tablet.

5H?. Dos. H an 59 are !robably !arts of the same tablet.

8?.

''

+our co!ies >Dos. 5=, 57, 56, Three co!ies >Dos. 5I, 5@, 58? 5;?. Dos. 56 an 58 are !robably not !arts of the same tablet. +our co!ies >Dos. H9, HI, H;, Two co!ies >Dos. H5, H=?. H6?. Dos. HI an H; are !robably not !arts of the same tablet3 it is !ossible, however, that Do. HI is !art of a co!y of Tabl. '', its text corres!on ing to ll. 5I%H@. Three 1!ractice%tablets1 >Dos. HH,H@, H7?.

'''.

!. *4-'

'-

Three co!ies >Dos. I9, I5, II, 0ne co!y >Do. H8?. I@?. Dos. I5 an I@ are !robably !arts of the same tablet. +our, or five, co!ies >Dos. I;, I=, I7, I6, I8?. Dos. I; an I8 are !ossibly !arts of the same tablet. 0ne co!y >Do. @9?. +our, or five, co!ies >Dos. @5, Two co!ies >Dos. @H, @@?. @I, @;5 @=, @7, @6, @8?. Dos. @5 an @= are !robably !arts of the same tablet, an Dos. @7 an @8 are !robably !arts of another tablet3 it is !ossible that Do. @; is a !art of the same tablet as Dos. @5 an @=.

0ne 1!ractice%tablet1 >Do. IH?.

-'

-''

'n the arrangement an inter!retation of the text of the ,eventh Tablet we receive consi erable assistance from some fragments of &ssyrian commentaries which have come own to us. These were com!ile by the &ssyrian scribes in or er to ex!lain that com!osition, an they are of the greatest value for the stu y of the text. The contents of these ocuments, an their relation to the text of the ,eventh
!. *4-'' B!aragra!h continuesC

Tablet, are escribe in etail in &!!en ix ', 5 but the following facts with regar to

the si(e of the tablets inscribe with the commentaries, an to !revious !ublications of !ortions of them, may here be conveniently given. The most im!ortant class of commentary takes the form of a bilingual list, an , as has been !ointe out elsewhere, H !resu!!oses the existence of a ,umerian version of !art of the text of the ,eventh Tablet of the *reation ,eries. The text of the commentary is inscribe in a series of ouble columns3 in the left half of each column it gives a list of the ,umerian wor s, or i eograms, an , in the right half, o!!osite each wor is a e its &ssyrian e2uivalent. 't is noteworthy that the list is generally arrange in the or er in which the wor s occur in the &ssyrian text of the ,eventh Tablet. The columns of the commentary are ivi e into a number of com!artments, or sections, by hori(ontal lines im!resse u!on the clay, an the wor s within each com!artment refer either to se!arate cou!lets, or to se!arate lines, of the ,eventh Tablet. 0f this class of commentary we !ossess six fragments of two large tablets which were inscribe with five or six ouble columns of writing on each si e3 the two tablets are u!licates of one another, having been inscribe with the same
!. .*4-'''

version of the commentary. The following is a escri!tion of the six se!arate fragments, the two large tablets, to which they belong, being hea e res!ectively & an BGK &. >5? ,. '' a ,. 869a ,. 5,@5=. +or the text, see -ol. '', !ls. li%liii an lv3 cf. also &!!. ', !!. 5;6 ff., 5=7f. The fragment is the to! left han !ortion of the tablet3 it measures @ in. by 7 in. The text of ,. '' a ,. 869 was !ublishe in - /., !l. H5, Do. @. The fragment ,. 5,@5=, which ' have Aoine to the other two, has not been !reviously !ublishe . >H? K. @,@9=. +or the text, see -ol. '', !ls. liv%lv3 cf. also &!!. ', !!. 5=I ff. The fragment is the to! right han !ortion of the tablet3 it measures @ 5d@ in. by @ 7d6 in. The text has been !reviously !ublishe in '' /., !l. I5, Do. H. >I? 6H%I%HI, 5;5. +or the text, see -ol. '', !l. liv3 cf. also &!!. ', !. 5=H. The fragment measures 5 Id6 in. by H 5d6 in.3 it has not been !reviously !ublishe . B. >5? /. I==a69%7%58, H66t%H8I. +or the text, see -ol. '', !ls. lvi%lviii3 cf. also &!!. ', !!. 5=9, 5=6 f. The fragment is from the left si e of the tablet3 it measures H 5d6 in. by ; 5d6 in. The fragment /. I== was !ublishe in - /., !l. H5, Do. I3 69%7%58, H8I, was Aoine to it by Be(ol , Catalogue, !. 5,=96. The thir fragment, 69%7%58, H66, was i entifie by <immern an !ublishe in the (eits. f0r "ssyr., xii, !. @95 f.
!. *4'4

>H? K. H,9;I. +or the text, see -ol. '', !ls. lix%lx3 cf. also &!!. ', !!. 5=5, 5=7 f. This fragment measures H Id6 in. by He in.3 it has long been known to be a u!licate of ,. ' ' a ,. 869 >see Be(ol , Catalogue, !. I8=?, but its text has not been !reviously !ublishe . >I? E>. 6,H88. +or the text, see -ol. '', !l. lx3 cf. also &!!. ', !. 5=H f. This fragment measures I in. by 5e in.3 it has not been !reviously !ublishe . 'n a ition to the above commentary in the form of a bilingual list, we !ossess single s!ecimens of a secon an a thir class of ex!lanatory text. The secon class contains a running commentary to !assages selecte from other Tablets of the *reation ,eries in a ition to the ,eventh, an is re!resente by the tablet ,. 7@7. 5 The thir class, re!resente by the obverse of the tablet K. H,5.97 a K. =,96=, H gives ex!lanations of a number of titles of #ar uk, several of which occur in the recovere !ortions of the text of the ,eventh Tablet. Each of these two commentaries furnishes

information on various !oints with regar to

!. *44

the inter!retation of the ,eventh Tablet, but, as may be su!!ose , they o not a!!roach in interest the six fragments of the commentary of the first class. The transliteration of the text of the *reation ,eries, which is given in the following !ages, has been ma e u! from the tablets, fragments, an extracts enumerate on !!. xcvii ff.3 while several !assages in the ,eventh Tablet have been conAecturally restore from the &ssyrian *ommentaries Aust escribe . 'n the reconstruction of the text !reference has usually been given to the rea ings foun u!on the &ssyrian tablets, an the variant rea ings of all u!licates, both &ssyrian an Deo% Babylonian, are given in the notes at the foot of the !age. The lines u!on each tablet of the ,eries have been numbere , an , where the numbering of a line is conAectural, it is !lace within !arentheses. "reat assistance in the numbering of the lines of etache fragments of the text has been affor e by the fact that u!on many of the, Deo%Babylonian co!ies every tenth line is marke with a figure 1591 in the left%han margin3 in but few instances can the !osition of a etache fragment be accurately ascertaine by its sha!e. The lines u!on the ,econ an +ifth Tablets have been conAecturally numbere u! to one hun re an forty. J!on the ,ixth Tablet the total number of lines was one hun re an thirty%six or one hun re an forty%six3 an , in view of the fact that the scribe of Do. 8H,=H8 has continue the text to the bottom of
!. *44'

the reverse of the tablet, the larger number is the more !robable of the two. The following is a list of the total number of lines inscribe u!on each of the ,even Tablets of the ,eriesGK Tablet 1 1 1 1 1 1 ', 5@H '', >5@9? ''', 5I6 '-, 5@= -, >5@9? -', 5@= -'', 5@H lines. 1 1 1 1 1 1

&lthough it is now !ossible to accurately estimate the number of lines containe by the *reation ,eries, there are still consi erable ga!s in the text of several of the Tablets. The only Tablets in which the whole or !ortions of every line are !reserve are the Thir an +ourth of the ,eries. "a!s, where the text is com!letely wanting, occur in Tablet ', ll. =6%6H, an in Tablet '', ll. ;8% >=6?. 5 The greater !art of the text of Tablet - is wanting, but by roughly estimating the !osition of the fragment K. I,@@8a, which occurs about in the centre of the text, we obtain two ga!s, between ll. H= an >==? an between ll. >67? an >5H6?. 0f Tablet -' we !ossess only the o!ening an closing lines, the rest of the text, from l. HH to l. 5I7, being wanting. +inally, the ga! in the text of
!. *44''

Tablet -'', between ll. @7 an 59;, is !artly fille u! by the fragments KK. 5H,6I9, 5I,7=5, 6,;58, 5I,II7, which together give !ortions of thirty%nine lines.
B!aragra!h continuesC

J!on some of the Babylonian co!ies the metre is in icate in writing by the ivision of the halves

of each verse, 5 an , wherever this occurs u!on any tablet or u!licate, the ivision has, as far as !ossible, been retaine in the transliteration of the text. 'n accor ance with the rules of Babylonian !oetry, the text generally falls into cou!lets, the secon verse fre2uently echoing or su!!lementing the first3 each of the two verses of a cou!let is ivi e into halves, an each half%verse may be further sub ivi e by an accente syllable. H This four%fol ivision of each
!. *44'''

verse will be a!!arent from the following connecte The metre of transliteration of the first half% o(en lines of the !oem, in which the sub ivisions of the verses are marke in accor ance with the system of the Babylonian scribes as foun u!on the tablet ,!. ii, H=;a 5GK 5. f. enuma shaplish I. f. "ps6ma mummu ;. f. m.% gip-ra f elish f ammatum f r7sht6 f Tiamat shunu f l- )issura ff l- nab6 ff shuma ff *aru% ff muallidat ff ishtenish ff susf shamamu f l- *a)rat shun f gimrishun f ih7)6ma f l- she'i

't will be seen that the secon verse of each cou!let balances the first, an the caesura, or ivision, in the centre of each verse is well marke . The secon half of verse I an the first half of verse ;, each of which contains only one wor , may a!!ear rather short for scansion, but the rhythm is retaine by welling on the first !art of the wor an treating the suffix almost as an in e!en ent wor . 't is unnecessary to transliterate more of the text of the !oem in this manner, as the sim!le metre, or rather rhythm, can be etecte without ifficulty from the syllabic transliteration which is given in the following !ages.

-ootnotes
44-'G5 #r. ,mith escribe the legen s in a letter to the Daily Telegraph, !ublishe on #arch @th, 567;, Do. =,5;6, !. ;, col. @. $e there gave a summary of the contents of the fragments, an on Dovember an in the same year he rea a !a!er on them before the !. 44-'' ,ociety of Biblical &rchgology. 'n noting the resemblance between the Babylonian an the $ebrew legen s it was not unnatural that he shoul have seen a closer resemblance between them than was really the case. +or instance, he trace allusions to 1the +all of #an1 in what is the ,eventh Tablet of the *reation ,eries3 one tablet he inter!rete as containing the instructions given by 1the .eity1 to man after his creation, an another he believe to re!resent a version of the story of the Tower of Babel. &lthough these i entifications were not Austifie , the outline which he gave of the contents of the legen s was remarkably accurate. 't is eclare by some scholars that the general character of the larger of the *reation fragments was correctly i entifie by ,ir $. *. /awlinson several years before. 44-''G5 The Chaldean "ccount of +enesis, Lon on, 567=3 "erman e ition, e ite by .elit(sch, Lei!(ig, ' 67=. Dew English e ition, e ite by ,ayce, Lon on, 5669. 44-''GH By Dovember, 567;, ,mith ha !re!are a series of six !lates containing co!ies of !ortions of the +irst an +ifth Tablets, an also of the +ourth Tablet which he entitle 1War between

the "o s an *haos?1 an of the ,eventh Tablet which he style 1Tablet escribing the +all.1 These !lates were !ublishe in the Transactions of the %ociety of Biblical "rch8ology, vol. iv >567=?, an a!!eare after his eath. 44-''GI ,ee the !a!ers by $. +ox Talbot in T.,.B.&., vol. iv, !!. I@8 ff., an vol. v, !!. ' ff., @H= ff., an /ecor s of the )ast, vol. ix >5677?, !!. 55; ff., 5I; ff.3 an the translations ma e by 0!!ert in an a!!en ix to Le rain's &istoire d'$srael, premi9re partie >5678?, !!. @55 ff., an by Lenormant in #es origines de !. 44-''' l'histoire >5669?, a!!. i, !!. @8@ff. The best iscussion of the relations of the legen s to the early cha!ters of "enesis was given by ,chra er in the secon e ition >566I? of his Keilinschriften und das "lte Testament, English translation, 566;%56663 ' hear from )rofessor <immern that the new e ition of this work, a !ortion of which he is e iting, will shortly make its a!!earance. 44-'''G5 The tablet was numbere 6H%8%56, I,7I73 see below, !. cvi, Do. H8. Bu ge gave a escri!tion of the tablet in the ,roceedings of the %ociety of Biblical "rch8ology for Dov. =th, 566I, an !ublishe the text in ,.%.B."., vol. x >5667 ?, !. 6=, !ls. 5%=. 44-'''GH ,ee #ectures on the 2rigin and +ro:th of 3eligion as illustrated by the 3eligion of the "ncient Babylonians >$ibbert Lectures for 5667?, !!. I78. ff. 44-'''GI $n 3ecords of the ,ast, new series, vol. i >5666?, !!. 5HH ff. 44-'''G@ ,ee Die Kosmologie der Babylonier >,trassburg, 5689?, !!. H=I ff. 44'4G5 <immern !ublishe his translation as an a!!en ix to "unkel's %ch4pfung und Chaos in !r*eit und End*eit >"ottingen, 568;?, !!. @95 ff. 44'4GH Bas Babylonische 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !ublishe in the "bhandlungen der philologisch' historischen Classe der K4nigl. %0chsischen +esellschaft der 5issenschaffen, xvii, Do. ii. 44'4GI "ssyrisch'Babylonische Mythen und Epen, !ublishe as the sixth volume of ,chra er's Keilinschriftliche Bibliothe)3 !art ', containing transliterations an translations >5899?3 !art H, containing commentary >5895?. 44'4G@ 'n a ition to the translations of the legen s mentione in the text, a number of !a!ers an works containing escri!tions an iscussions of the *reation legen s have from time to time been !ublishe . &mong those which have a!!eare uring the last few years may be mentione the translations of !ortions of the legen s by Winckler in his Keilinschriftliches Textbuch *um "lten Testament, ii >568H?, !!. 66 ff.3 Barton's article on Tiamat, !ublishe in the ;ournal of the "merican 2riental %ociety, vol. xv >568I?, !!. 5 ff.3 an the translations an iscussions of the !. 444 legen s given in :astrow's 3eligion of Babylonia and "ssyria >5686?, !!. @97 ff., in my own Babylonian 3eligion and Mythology >5688?, !!. ; I ff., by #uss%&rnolt in "ssyrian and Babylonian #iterature, e ite by /. +. $ar!er >5895?, !!. H6H ff., an by Loisy, #es mythes babyloniens et les premiers chapitres de la +en9se >5895?. .iscussions of the Babylonian *reation legen s an their connection with the similar narratives in "enesis have been given by Lukas in Die +rundbegriffe in den Kosmogonien der alten <4l)er >568I?, !!. 5%@=, by "unkel in %ch4pfung und Chaos in !r*eit und End*eit >568;?, !!. 5= ff., by .river in "uthority and "rcheology, e ite by $ogarth >5688?, !!. 8 ff., an by <immern in Biblische und babylonische !rgeschichte >Der alte 2rient, 5895?3 an exhaustive article on 1*reation1 has also been contribute by <immern an *heyne to the Encyclopedia Biblica, vol. i >5688?, cols. 8I6 ff. 444G5 .elit(sch's list of fragments, enumerate on !!. 7 ff. of his work, gave the total number as twenty%two. &s Do. H5 he inclu e the tablet K. I,I=@, but in &!!en ix '' >!!. H95 ff.? ' have !rove , by means of the Deo%Babylonian u!licate Do. II,6;5, that this tablet is !art of a long com!osition containing moral !rece!ts, an has no connection with the *reation ,eries. $ e also inclu e K. I,@@; a /. I8= >as Do. H9? but there are strong reasons for believing that this tablet oes not belong to the series Enuma elish, but is !art of a variant account of the story of *reation3 see further, &!!en ix '', !!. 587 ff. 0n the other han he necessarily omitte from his list an

unnumbere fragment of the ,eventh Tablet, which ha been use by "eorge ,mith, but ha been lost sight of after his eath3 this fragment ' i entifie two years ago as K. 8,H=7. 't may be a e that the total number of fragments correctly i entifie u! to that time was twenty%five, but, as four of these ha been Aoine to others, the number of se!arate tablets an fragments was re uce to twenty%one. 444'G5 0n !!. xcvii ff. brief escri!tions are given of these forty% nine se!arate fragments of the *reation ,eries, together with references to !revious !ublications in which the text of any of them have a!!eare . The whole of the ol material, together with !art of the new, was !ublishe in Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets, etc., in the British Museum, !art xiii. The texts of the new tablets an fragments which ' have since i entifie are !ublishe in the lithogra!he !lates of -ol. '', an by means of outline blocks in &!!en ices ' an '' >see !!. 5;8 ff.?. +or the circumstances un er which the new fragments were i entifie , see the )reface to this volume. 444'GH ,ee below, !. xcviii f., Dos. I, @, ;, 6, 8, 59, 55, an 5H. 444'GI ,ee below, !. ci, Dos. 5I, 5@, 5;, an 56. 444'G@ ,ee below, !. ciii f., Dos. HH, H@, H;, H=, an H7. 444''G5 ,ee below, !. cvi, Do. IH. 444''GH ,ee below, !. cviii, Dos. I7 an I6. 444''GI ,ee below, !. cix, Do. @9. 444''G@ ,ee below, !. cix f., Dos. @5, @H, @@, @=, @7, @6, an @8. 444''G; ,ee below, !. xcvii f., Do. 5. 444'''G5 The following is the text of the !assage in which .amascius summari(es the Babylonian beliefsGK hhh Kiuaestiones e !rimis !rinci!iis, ca! 5H; >e . Ko!!, !. I6@?. The STjVO an STjPO of the text shoul be emen e to kTjVO an kTjPO, which corres!on to Lahamu an Lahmu. 0f the other eities, lT]m corres!on s to Tiamat, nToO to &!sE, pNooTY to Kishar, ooqYQ to &nshar, an OQ to &nu3 rqsXQ corres!on s to #ummu >see below, !. xxxviii, note 5?. 444'-G5 ,ee below, !. xcviii, Do. H. 444'-GH 't is interesting to note that Ea is referre to un er his own name an not by his title Du immu u!on new fragments of the !oem in Tabl. ', l.=9 >!. 5H f.?, Tabl. '', l. ; >!. HH f.?, an Tabl. -', l. I >!. 6= f.? an l. 55 >!. 66 f.?. 444-''G5 ,ee further, !!. lxvi ff. 444-'''G5 The rqsXo of .amascius3 see above, !. xxxiii, n. '. The title #ummu was not only borne by &!sE's minister, who, accor ing to .amascius, was the son of &!sE an Tiamat, but in Tabl. ', 5.@, it is em!loye as a !refix to the name of Tiamat herself. 'n this !assage ' have conAecturally ren ere it as 1chaos1 >see !. H f.?, since the ex!lanatory text ,. 7@7, /ev., l. 59 >see below, !!. 5=H, 579?, gives the e2uation Mu'um'mu t rig'mu. There is, however, much to be sai for :ensen's suggestion of the existence of a wor mummu meaning 1form,1 or ''moul ,1 or 1!attern1 >cf. Mythen und Epen, !. I9H f.?. :ensen !oints out that Ea is terme mu'um'mu ba'an )a'la, 1the mummu >!ossibly, !attern? who create all1 >cf. Beitr=ge *ur "ssyriologie, ii, !. H=5?, an he a s that the title might have been a!!lie in this sense to Tiamat, since in Tabl. ', l. 55I, an the !arallel !assages, she is escribe as pa'ti'sha'ad )a'la'ma, an from her bo y heaven an earth were create 3 the ex!lanation, given by .amascius, of #ummu, the son of &!sE an Tiamat, as OPV[Q UoXPQ is also in favour of this suggestion. #oreover, from one of the new fragments of the ,eventh Tablet, K. 5I,7=5 >see !. 59H f.?, we now know that one of #ar uk's fifty titles was #ummu, which is there ex!laine as ba'aBn . . . . C, i.e., !robably, ba'aBn ha'laC, 1*reator Bof allC1 >cf. Ea's title, cite above?. 'n view of the e2uation Mu'urn'mu t rig'mu >:ensen's suggeste

alternatives shim'mu an bi'ish'mu are not !robable?, we may !erha!s conclu e that, in a ition to the wor mummu, 1form, !attern,1 there existe a wor mummu, ''chaos, confusion,1 an that conse2uently the title Mummu was ca!able of two se!arate inter!retations. 'f such be the case, it is !ossible that the a!!lication of the title to Tiamat an her son was suggeste by its ambiguity of meaning3 while #ar uk >an also Ea? might have borne the name as the 1form1 or 1i ea1 of or er an system, Tiamat an her son might have been conceive as re!resenting the o!!osing 1form1 or ''i ea1 of chaos an confusion. 444'4G5 :ensen's translation of what is l. ;9 of the +irst Tablet re!resents #ummu as urging &!sE to make the way of the go s 1like night,1 an im!lies that it was the creation of light which cause the rebellion. L. ; 9, however, is !arallel to l. I6, an it is certain that the a v. mu'shish is to be ren ere 1by night,1 an not 1like night.1 'n l. I6 &!sE com!lains that 1by ay1 he cannot rest, an 1by night1 he cannot lie own in !eace3 #ummu then counsels him to estroy the way of the go s, a ing in l. ;9, 1Then by ay shalt thou have rest, by night shalt thou lie own >in !eace?13 see !!. 6 ff. :ensen's suggeste ren ering of im'ma as'ru'nim'ma, in !lace of im'ma'as'ru'nim'ma, in Tabl. ', l. 598 an the !arallel !assages, is therefore also im!robable. 444'4GH This fact oes not !reclu e the inter!retation of the fight between #ar uk an Tiamat as base u!on a nature%myth, re!resenting the isa!!earance of mist an arkness before the rays of the sun. +or #ar uk was originally a solar eity, an Berossus himself mentions this inter!retation of the legen >see further, !. lxxxii, an the 2uotation on !. liv f., notes H an 5?. 4LG5 *f. Tabl. ', l. 87. 4LGH *f. Tabl. ', l. =H. 4LGI *f. Tabl. '-, l. 5@H. 4LG@ *f. Tabl. ', l. 86. 4LG; *f. Tabl. '', ll. 7; ff. 4L'G5 't is !ossible that the fragments of l. 66 f. of Tabl. ' are not to be taken as !art of a s!eech, but as a escri!tion of Tiamat's state of confusion an restlessness after learning of &!sE's fate. 4L'GH ,ee also !. 5@, n. 5. 4L'GI 0n the !robable or er of the attem!ts ma e by Ea an &nu res!ectively to o!!ose Tiamat, see &!!en ix '', !. ' 66, n. 5. 4L-G5 The account of the *reation given by Berossus in his history of Babylonia was summari(e by &lexan er )olyhistor, from whom Eusebius 2uotes in the first book of his *hronicon3 the following is his escri!tion of the mythical monsters which existe before the creation of the worl G K hhh Eusebi chronicorum liber !rior, e . ,choene, col. 5@ f. 4L-GH The rea ing XYUT is an emen ation for PXPYqUT, cf. o!. cit., col. 5=, n. =3 while for uTMT[m we shoul !robably rea uTX[, i.e., the Babylonian Tbmtu, 1sea, ocean1 t Tiamat, cf. /obertson%,mith, (eits. f0r "ssyr., vi, !. II8. The name XYUT may !robably be i entifie with Jmmu%$ubur, ''the #other%$ubur,1 a title of Tiamat which occurs in Tabl. ', l. 55I an the !arallel !assages. The first !art of the name gives the e2uation vX t!mmu, but how $ubur has given rise to the transcri!tion PYUT is not clear. :ensen has attem!te to ex!lain the ifficulty !. 4L-' by suggesting that XYUT t !mmu'ur)i, an urki he takes as an &ssyrian translation of $ubur. +or &ubur he suggests the meaning 1that which is above, the Dorth1 >mainly from the occurrence of &u'bu'ur K$ t %u'bar'tum, the J!!er or Dorthern !art of #eso!otamia, in '' /, !l. ;9, l. ;5, cf. also - /, !l. 5=, l. 58?3 an , since what is in the Dorth woul have been regar e by the Babylonians as 1behin ,1 the title &ubur might have been ren ere in Babylonian as ur)u. This ex!lanation is ingenious, but that the title &ubur, as a!!lie to Tiamat, ha the meaning 1that which is above, the Dorth,1 cannot be regar e as !rove >cf. also Mythen, !. ;=@?. "unkel an <immern, on the other han , see in XYUT the e2uivalent of the &ramaic wor s '2m 'or>a, 1#other of the .ee!,1 the existence of

which they trace to the !revalence of the &ramaic ialect in Babylonia at the time of Berossus >see %ch4pfung und Chaos, !. 56 f., n. 5?3 accor ing to this ex!lanation the title XYUT woul be the &ramaic e2uivalent of +mm%.H%b%r, for &ubur may well have ha the meaning 1 ee!, e!th.1 Thus, on the fragment ,. H,95I >see below, !. 58= f.? the meaning 1 e!th,1 rather than 1the Dorth,1 is suggeste by the wor 3 in l. 8 of this fragment the !hrase &u'bur pal')a'ti, 1the broa $ubur,1 is em!loye in antithesis to sham.>e? ru')u'u'ti, 1the istant heavens,1 !recisely as in the following cou!let Ti'amat shap'li'ti, 1the Lower 0cean >Tiamat?,1 is o!!ose to Ti'amat e'*i'ti, 1the J!!er 0cean >Tiamat?.1 +or a !ossible connection between the lower waters of Tiamat an $ubur, the /iver of the Jn erworl , see below, !. lxxxiii, n. H, an !. xciv f., n. I. 4L-'G5 &ccor ing to the !oem, Tiamat is efinitely state to have create eleven kin s of monsters. The summary from Berossus bears only a general resemblance to the escri!tion of the monsters in the !oem. 4L'4G5 ,ee below, !. liv f., note 5. 4L'4GH cf. ll. 5I; ff. 4L'4GI +or instance, the fragment K. 5I,77@ >see below, !!. 589 ff.? in l. 6, in !lace of 1$e set the stations of Bel an Ea along with him,1 rea s 1$e set the stations of Bel an &nu along with him.1 &ccor ing to the text #ar uk a!!oints Dibir >:u!iter?, BFl >the !. L north !ole of the e2uator?, an Ea >!robably a star in the extreme south of the heavens? as gui es to the stars, !roving that they were alrea y thus em!loye in astronomical calculations. 'n !lace of Ea, K. 5I,77@ substitutes &nu, who, as the !ole star of the ecli!tic, woul be of e2ual, if not greater, im!ortance in an astronomical sense. &nother variant rea ing on K. 5I,7;@ is the substitution of )a))aba'shu, 1his star,1 in !lace of ilu annar'ru, the #oon%go , in l. 5H3 the context is broken, but we cannot oubt that shu)'nat mu'shi, 1a being of the night,1 in l. 5I refers to the #oon%go , an that #ar uk entruste the night to the #oon%go accor ing to this version also. +urther variants occur in l. 57 f. in the ays enumerate in the course of #ar uk's a ress to the #oon%go 3 see below, !. 585 f. L'''G5 ,ee Tabl. '-, l. 5I=. L'''GH ,ee Tabl. -', l. H L'-G5 ,ee below, !. lviii. L'-GH &fter the escri!tion of the monsters of the ee! referre to above >see !. xlv?, the summary from Berossus recor s the creation by Bel of the earth, an the heavens, an mankin , an animals, as followsGK hhh !. L-.KEuseb. chron. lib. pri., e . ,choene, col. 5= f. +or the !robable trans!osition of the !assage which occurs in the text after w_w_OOVXOqO, see the following note. L-G5 The trans!osition of the !assage suggeste by von "utschmi t necessitates only one emen ation of the text, vi(. the rea ing of [PNqO\_ in !lace of [PO \_ before RMPO. The context of this !assage woul then rea hhh an the summary by Eusebius, at the en of the extract, woul rea hhh cf. ,choene, o!. cit., col. 5= f., note 8. The emen ation has been acce!te by Bu e, Die Biblische !rgeschichte, !. @77 f.G, by :ensen, Kosmologie, !. H8H, an by "unkel an <immern, %ch4pfung und Chaos, !. 58 f. L-'G5 *f. %ch4pfung und Chaos, !. H9 f. L-'GH +or T][P in both !assages ,tucken woul rea T[Q3 cf. "stralmythen der &ebaeer, Babylonier und "egypter, i, !. ;;. L-'GI *heyne, who a o!ts ,tucken's suggestion, remarksG 1't stan s to reason that the severe hea s!oken of in connection with the creation of man must be Tibmat's, not that of the *reator13 cf. Encyclop8dia Biblica, i, col. 8@7, note. L-''G5 'n the (eits. f0r "ssyr., xiv, !. H6H, <immern remarksG 1,omit arf man wol och nicht . . . . annehmen, ass urs!rxnglich as Blut er Tibmat gemeint sei, aller ings auch nicht as Blut es ,chy!fergottes selbst, son ern as irgen eines "ottes . . ., er (u iesem <wecke geschlachtet

wir .1 'n making this suggestion <immern was influence by the e!iso e relate in col. iii of the fragmentary an ba ly !reserve legen Bu. 85%;%8, H=8 >cf. Cuneiform Texts, !t. vi, an Mythen, !. H7;, note?, which he !ointe out containe a s!eech by a eity in which he gives or ers for another go to be slain that a!!arently a man may be forme from his bloo mixe with clay >cf. (."., xiv, !. H65?. The e!iso e, however, has no connection with the first creation of man, but !robably relates to the creation of a man or hero to !erform some s!ecial ex!loit, in the same way as J ushu%namir was create by Ea for the rescue of 'shtar from the Jn erworl , an as Ea%bani was create by the go ess &ruru in the +irst Tablet of the "ilgamesh%e!ic >cf. also :ensen's remarks in his Mythen und Epen, !. H7; f.?. ' learn from )rofessor <immern an )rofessor Be(ol that it was the tablet Bu. 85%;%8, H=8, an not an actual fragment of the *reation ,eries, to which )rofessor <immern refers on !. 5@ of his Biblische una' babylonische !rgeschichte. &lthough, as alrea y state , this fragment is not, strictly s!eaking, !art of a creation%legen , it illustrates the fact that the use of the bloo of a go for the creation of man was fully in accor ance with Babylonian beliefs. L-''GH ,ee below, !. 6= f., n. 7. L-'''G5 ,ee Kosmologie, !. H8I. L-'''GH The wor is here met with for the first time, the rea ing of "'/%)&.%.J >var. .&?, the i eogram for 1bone,1 not having been known !reviously. L'4G5 0n !. H99 it is remarke that, until more of the text of the +ifth an ,ixth Tablets is recovere , it woul be rash to assert that the fragment K. I,@@; a /. I8= >cf. Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. H@ f.? cannot belong to the *reation ,eries. The !hrase is''3un)a))ada >0bv., l. I; ? might !erha!s refer to the hea of Tiamat >cf. ru'pu'ush'tu sha Ti'aBmatC, in l. 58?, which woul not be inconsistent with the fragment forming !art of the +ifth Tablet as suggeste on !. 586. 'f the fragment were !art of the ,ixth Tablet, the )a))adu in l. I; might !ossibly be #ar uk's hea >com!are also i)'sur'ma in l. I5 with lu'u)'sur in Tabl. -', l. ; ?. 'n view, however, of the inconsistencies note on !. 588 f., it is !referable to exclu e the fragment at !resent from the *reation ,eries. L4G5 ,ee !!. H95 ff. L4-G5 ,ee !!. 575 ff. L4-GH ,ee !!. 57; ff. L4-'G5 'n view of the fact that the ,emitic name B.l'm-t-ti occurs as one of #ar uk's titles, it is not im!ossible that the title B.l'il-ni, which is a!!lie to him in the E!ilogue to the ,eventh Tablet >l. 5H8, see !. 55H?, also occurre as one of his fifty titles in the bo y of the text. 't is unlikely that the name #ar uk itself was inclu e as one of the fifty titles, an in su!!ort of this view it may be note that the colo!hon to the commentary /. I==, etc. >see !. 5=8?, makes mention of 1fifty%one names1 of #ar uk, which may be most easily ex!laine by su!!osing that the scribe reckone in the name #ar uk as an a itional title. L4-'GH ,ee below, !. 5=8. L4-''G5 ,ee above, !. xli f. L4-'''G5 ,ee below, !!. 5%5= ff. L4-'''GH :ensen makes Bel the slayer of the ragon in this legen >cf. Mythen und Epen, !. @=?, from which it might be argue that #ar uk is the hero in both versions of the story. But :ensen's i entification of the eity as BFl was ue to a mistake of .elit(sch, who !ublishe an inaccurate co!y of the traces of the eity's name u!on the tablet3 see below, !. 5H9, n. 5. L4'4G5 The so%calle 1*uthaean Legen of the *reation1 >cf. !!. 5@9 ff.? was at one time believe to re!resent another local version of the *reation story, in which Dergal, the go of *uthah, was su!!ose to take the !lace of #ar uk. But it has been !ointe out by <immern that the legen concerns the ee s of an 0l %Babylonian king of *uthah, an is not a *reation legen 3 see below, !.

5@9 f., note 5. L4'4GH ,ee below, !!. 5I9 ff. L44G5 Elsewhere this go ess figures in the rWle of creatress, for from the +irst Tablet of the "ilgamesh%e!ic, col. ii, ll. I9 ff., we learn that she was cre ite with the creation of both "ilgamesh an Ea%bani. $er metho of creating Ea%bani bears some resemblance to that em!loye in the creation of man accor ing to the ,umerian an Babylonian version above referre to3 she first washe her han s, an then, breaking off a !iece of clay, she cast it u!on the groun an thus create Ea%bani >cf. :ensen, Mythen und Epen, !. 5H9 f.?. L44GH ,ee below, !. 5HH f. L44GI ,ee below, !!. 5H@ ff. L44G@ 'n a ition to the five !rinci!al stran s which have been escribe above as forming the framework of the *reation ,eries, !. L44' it is !ossible to fin traces of other less im!ortant tra itions which have been woven into the structure of the !oem. Thus the association of the go Kingu with Tiamat is !robably ue to the incor!oration of a se!arate legen with the .ragon%#yth. L44'G5 't may be here note that the !oem contains no irect escri!tion of Tiamat, an it has been suggeste that in it she was conceive , not as a ragon, but as a woman. The evi ence from scul!ture an from cylin er%seals, however, may be cite against this suggestion, as well as several !hrases in the !oem itself >cf. e.g., Tabl. '-, ll. 87 ff.?. 't is true that in one of the new fragments of the !oem Tiamat is referre to as sinnishatu, i.e. 1woman1 or 1female1 >cf. Tabl. '', l. 5HH?, but the context of this !assage !roves that the !hrase is em!loye with reference to her sex an not to her form. L44'GH Tabl. -'', ll. 5%5H@. L44'GI ,ee below, !. 5=8. L44'G@ ,ee below, !!. 57; ff. L44'''G5 The slabs are !reserve in the British #useum, Dimrou "allery, Dos. H6 an H8. L44'-G5 &n &ssyrian co!y of this inscri!tion, which was ma e for the library of &shur%bani%!al, is !reserve in the British #useum, an is numbere K. @,5@83 the text is !ublishe in - /, !l. II. L44'-GH *f. col. iii, l. 5I. L44'-GI *f. col. iv, ll. ;9 ff. L44'-G@ *f. col. iii, l. II. L44-G5 ,uch 1 ee!s1 were set u! by Bur%,in, King of Jr about B.*. H;99 >cf. ' /, !l. I, Do. xii, 5?, an by Jr%Dinb, a still earlier king of ,hir!urla >cf. .e ,ar(ec, D?cou@eries en Chald?e, !l. ii, Do. ', col. iii, l. ; f.?. L44-GH Two se!arate fragments of this legen were foun , of which one is in the British #useum an the other, ma e u! of four !. L44-' smaller fragments, is in Berlin. Their texts are !ublishe by Bu ge an Be(ol , The Tell el%&marna Tablets, !. 5@9 f. an !l. 57 >Bu. 66%59%5I, =8?, an by Winckler an &bel, Beer Thonfafelfund @on El'"marna, !. 5=@f. >Dos. H I @, HI=, HI7, an HI8?3 cf. also Knu t(on, Beitr=ge (ur "ssyr., iv, !!. 5I9 ff. +or a translation of the fragments, see :ensen, Mythen und Epen, !!. 7@ ff. L44-'G5 +or the text, see Winckler an &bel, op. cit., !. 5== a an b, an cf. Knu t(on, B."., iv, !!. 5H6 ff. +or translations, see E. T. $ar!er, B."., ii, !!. @H9 ff., <immern in "unkel's %ch4pfung und Chaos, !!. @H9 ff., an :ensen, Mythen und Epen, !!. 8@ ff. L44-'GH K. 6,H5@, !ublishe by ,trong, ,.%.B."., xvi, !. H7@f.3 see :ensen, Mythen und Epen, !!. 86 ff.

L44-'GI ,ee below, !. 5@= f., n. @. L44-''G5 The ol Babylonian fragment Bu. 85%;%8,H=8 >cf. Cun. Texts, vi, an see above, !. lvii3 n. 5?, an the .eluge%fragment of the reign of &mmi(a uga >!ublishe by ,cheil, 3eceueil de tra@aux, xx, !!. ;; ff.? both contain !hrases foun u!on the legen of &tar%basis, K. I,I883 cf. <immern, (eits. fur "ssyr., xiv, !. H76 f. The text of K. I,I88, which has not hitherto been !ublishe , is inclu e as !late @8 in !art xv of Cuneiform Texts3 for translations, see <immern, op. cit., !!. H67 ff., an :ensen, #ythen, !!. H7@ ff. L44-''GH The tablets are numbere 67,;I;, 8I,6H6, an 67,;H5, an they are !ublishe in Cuneiform Texts, !t. xv >598H?, !lates 5%=. The o!ening a resses, es!ecially that u!on Do. 67,;I;, are of consi erable interest3 in this tablet the !oet states that he will sing the song of #ama, the La y of the go s, which he eclares to be better than honey an wine, etc. >col. i, >' ? B*Ca'ma'ar ilu Bi'li'it'ili a'*a'ma'ar >H? ib'ru us'si'ra )u'ra'du A'me'a >I ? $lu Ma'ma *a'ma'ra'la'ma e'li di'ish' pi'i'im u )a'ra'nim ta'bu >@? Ba'du'u e'(i di'ish'pi u )a'ra'ni'i'im, etc.?. The go ess #ama is clearly to be i entifie with #ami, who also bore the title B.lit'ili >cf. :ensen, #ythen, !. H6= f., n. 55?3 an with the escri!tion of her offs!ring in col. i, ll. 6 ff. >ilu Ma'ma ish'ti'na'am u'li'id'ma . . . . ilu Ma'ma shi'e'na u'(i'id'ma . . . . ilu Ma'ma sha'la'ti u'lBiC%iBd'maC? we may com!are #ami's creation of seven men an seven women in the legen of &tar%hasis >cf. :ensen, o!. cit., !. H6= f.?. The legen Do. 8I,6H6 also concerns a go ess referre to as B.lit'ili, whom Bel summons into his !resence >cf. col. i, ll. 59 ff.?. The texts are written syllabically almost throughout, an sim!le syllables !re!on erate3 an it is interesting to note that the en ing ish with the force of a !re!osition, which occurs in the *reation legen s, is here also em!loye , cf. Do. 67,;H5, col. iii, l. @, mu'ut'ti'is' um'mi'shu an !ossibly col. vi, l. I, gi'ir'di'ish The texts are !. L44-''' carefully written >it may be note that a na has been omitte by the scribe in Do. 8I,6H6, col. i, l. 7?, the lines vary consi erably in length, an the metre is not in icate by the arrangement of the text. Though fragmentary the e!iso es escribe or referre to in the texts are of consi erable interest, !erha!s the most striking being the reference to the birth of 'shum in col. viii of Do. 67,;H5, an the amming of the Tigris with which the text of Do. 67,;I; conclu es. ' inten elsewhere to !ublish translations of the fragments. L44-'''G5 Ein altbabylonisches 1ragment des +ilgamosepos, in the Mitteilungen der <oderasiatischen +esellschaft, 589H, '. The fragment here !ublishe refers to e!iso es in the "ilgamesh%e!ic, the name of "ilgamesh being written ilu "',$, i.e. ilu "',$%TJ%B&/. +rom the !hotogra!hic re!ro uctions !ublishe by .r. #eissner, it is clear that the "ilgamesh fragment, in the nature of the clay em!loye , an in the archaic forms of the characters, resembles the three fragments in the British #useum. Jnlike them, however, the lines of its text o not a!!ear to be se!arate by hori(ontal lines rule u!on the clay. L44-'''GH +ather ,cheil has !ublishe the text in late &ssyrian characters in the 3ecueil de tra@aux, xxiii, !!. 56 ff., an he oes not give a !hotogra!h of the tablet. +rom his escri!tion >1*'ztait une belle gran e tablette e terre cuite, avec, !ar face, trois ou 2uatre colonnes . . . L'zcriture en est archa{2ue et, sans aucun oute !ossible, antzrieure | $ammurabi1?, we may conclu e that it ates from the same !erio as the three tablets in the British #useum escribe above. L44'4G5 ,ee above, !. lxxv. *f. also the ,umerian influence exhibite by the names of the ol er !airs of eities Lahmu an Lahamu, &nshar an Kishar, as well as in the names of Kingu, "aga, etc.3 while the en ing ish, em!loye as it constantly is in the *reation ,eries with the force of a !re!osition, may !robably be trace to the ,umerian )u, later shu, shi >cf. :ensen, Kosmologie, !. H==?. The &ssyrian commentaries to the ,eventh Tablet, moreover, !rove the existence of a ,umerian version of this com!osition, an as the hymn refers to inci ents in the *reation legen s, the ,umerian origin of these, too, is im!lie . The ,umerian version of the story of the *reation by #ar uk an &ruru >see below, !!. 5I9 ff.? cannot with certainty be cite as evi ence of its ,umerian origin, as from internal evi ence it may well be a later an artificial com!osition on

,umerian lines. That we may ex!ect, however, one ay to fin the original ,umerian versions of the *reation legen s is not unreasonable3 with res!ect to the recovery of the ancient religious literature of the ,umerians, the remarkable series of early ,umerian religious texts !ublishe in Cun. Texts, !t. xv, !lates 7%I9, may be regar e as an earnest of what we may look for in the future. L444G5 +or the account of the )hoenician cosmogony accor ing to ,anchuniathon, see Eusebius, ,raep. e@., i, 8 f., who 2uotes from the "reek translation of )hilo Byblius3 the accounts of Eu emus an #ochus are escribe by .amascius, ca!. 5H; >e . Ko!!, !. L444' !. I6;?. +or summaries an com!arisons of these cosmogonies, see Lukas, Die +rundbegriffe in den Kosmogonien der alten <4l)er, !!. 5I8 ff. L444'G5 *f. Bu ge, &istory of Egypt, vol. i, !!. I8 ff. L444'GH 0ther Egy!tian beliefs, accor ing to which the go ,hE se!arate heaven an earth an u!hel the one above the other, may be com!are to the Babylonian conce!tion of the malting of heaven an earth by the se!aration of the two halves of Tiamat's bo y. +or etaile escri!tions of the Egy!tian cosmogonies, see Brugsch, 3eligion und Mythologie der alten "egypter, !!. 599 ff.3 an for a convenient summary of the !rinci!al systems, see Lukas, op. cit., !!. @7 ff. Though the Babylonian an Egy!tian cosmogonies, in some of their general features, resemble one another, the etaile com!arisons of the names of eities, etc., which $ommel attem!ts in his Babylonische Jrs!rung er }gy!tischen Kultur, are rather fanciful. L444''G5 ,ee above, !. xxvi f. L444''GH ,ee above, !. xxxix, an below, !, 59, n. 5. L444''GI ,ee above, !. xxxix, n. H. L444''G@ ,ee above, !. xxxix. L444'''G5 ,ee below, !. 58= f. L444'''GH &ccor ing to Babylonian belief the u!!er waters of Tiamat forme the heavenly ocean above the covering of heaven3 but it is not clear what became of her lower waters. 't is !ossible that they were vaguely i entifie with those of &!sE, an were believe to mingle with his aroun an beneath the earth. 't may be suggeste , however, that !erha!s all or !art of them were i entifie with $ubur, the /iver of the Jn erworl which was believe to exist in the e!ths of the earth >cf. :ensen, Mythen, !. I97?. The fact that Tiamat bore the title Jmmu%$ubur, 1the #other $ubur,1 may be cite in su!!ort of this suggestion, as well as the occurrence u!on ,. H,95I >cf. !. 587? of the !hrases sham.>e? ru')u'u'ti an &u'bur pal')a'ti, corres!on ing to Ti'amat e'(i'ti an Ti'amat shap'li'ti res!ectively3 see also !. xlvi, note. L444'-G5 ,ee above, !. 5. L444'-GH ,ee below, !. 598. L444'-GI ,ee below, !. 595. L444'-G@ ,ee below, !. 59I. L444-G5 ,ee above, !. 5, an below, !. 8I. L444-GH ,ee below, !!. 76 ff. L444-GI ,ee below, !. 8;. L444-G@ ,ee below, !. 598. L444-'G5 ,ee above, !. lix. L444-'GH ,ee above, !. lix, n. 5, an below, !. 586. L444-'GI ,ee below, !. 5HH f.

L444-''G5 The !ortion of the text on which this reference to the creation of beasts is inscribe forms an intro uction to what is !robably an incantation, an may be com!are to the *reation legen of #ar uk an &ruru which is em!loye as an intro uction to an incantation to be recite in honour of the tem!le E%(i a >see below, !. 5I9 f., n. 5?. The account given of the creation of the beasts is merely inci ental, an is intro uce to in icate the !erio of the creation by Din%igi%a(ag of two small creatures, one white an one black, which were !robably again referre to in the following section of the text. L444-''GH ,ee below, !!. 6= ff. L444-''GI ,ee above, !!. liv ff. L444-''G@ ,ee also below, !. xciii. 't may be also note that, accor ing to Babylonian belief, the great go s >cf. the !lural of Elohim? were always !icture in human form. L444-'''G5 ,ee above, !. lviii. L444-'''GH ,ee above, !. liii f., an below, !. 6;, note I, an !. 66 f., notes 5 an I. L444'4G5 ,ee es!ecially, ll. 7 f., 8 ff., 5; ff., HI, an H7 f. L444'4GH L. I5 f., which rea , 1#ay his >i.e. #ar uk's? ee s en ure, may they never be forgotten in the mouth of mankin whom his han s have ma eZ1 L444'4GI ,ee below, !. 599 f. L444'4G@ ,ee below, !. 673 the account of Berossus is in favour of this restoration. 4*G5 The new !arallel to "en. ii, HI, furnishe by l. ; of the ,ixth Tablet, is referre to below, !. xciv. 4*GH ,ee below, !. =9 f. 4*'G5 There is, however, a !arallel between the ,eventh .ay on !. 4*'' which Elohim reste from all $is work, an the ,eventh Tablet which recor s the hymns of !raise sung by the go s to #ar uk after his work of creation was en e . 4*''G5 ,ee my Babylonian 3eligion and Mythology, !!. 5I6 ff. The fact that the :ews of the Exile were !robably familiar with the later forms of Babylonian legen s ex!lains some of the close resemblances in etail between the Babylonian an $ebrew versions of the same story. But this is in !erfect accor ance with the borrowing of that very story by the $ebrews many centuries before3 in ee , to the !revious existence of ancient $ebrew versions of Babylonian legen s may be trace much of the im!etus given to the revival of mythology among the exile :ews. 4*'''G5 ,ee below, !!. 5I9 ff. 4*'''GH ,ee above, !. lxx, n. 5. 4*'''GI ,ee above, !. lvii, n. 5. 4*'-G5 ,ee below, !. 5H6 f. 4*'-GH With the Babylonian /iver of *reation, suggeste by the Eu!hrates, we may com!are the Egy!tian beliefs concerning $b! or $b!i, the go of the Dile, who became i entifie with most of the great !rimeval *reation go s an was eclare to be the *reator of all things. *onsi ering the im!ortance of the Dile for Egy!t, it is easy to un erstan how he came to attain this !osition. Brugsch sums u! his account of this eity in the wor sG 1,o ist er Dilgott im let(ten "run e er geheimnissvolle Jrheber aller Wohlthaten, welche ie von ihm befruchtete }gy!tische Er e en "yttern un #enschen (u bieten vermag, er ist ' er starke ,cho!fer von allem'13 see 3eligion und Mythologie der alten "egypter, !. =@5. 4*'-GI 't is !ossible that this /iver, though suggeste by the !. 4*- Eu!hrates, is to be i entifie with &ubur, the /iver of the Jn erworl , to whom an incantation in the terms of the one un er

iscussion might well have been a resse . & connection between Tiamat an the river &ubur has been suggeste above >cf. !. lxxxiii, n. H?, an , shoul this !rove to be correct, we might see in the !hrase banat>at? )a'la'ma, a!!lie to the /iver, a !arallel to pa'ti')a'at )a'la'ma, the escri!tion of !mmu'&ubur >Tiamat? in Tablet ', l. 55I an the !arallel !assages. 4*-G5 The connection which "unkel an <immern woul trace between the /iver of )ara ise an the /iver of Water of Life in the &!ocaly!se on the one si e an the 1water of life,1 mentione in the legen of & a!a, on the other, cannot be regar e as !rove . The resemblance in the ex!ressions may well be fortuitous, since there are few other !oints of resemblance between the narratives in which the ex!ressions occur. 4*-GH 0n these subAects, see my Bab. 3el. and Myth., !!. 596 ff. 4*-GI ,ee above, !!. lxxv an lxxix. *4G5 ' learn from )rofessor <immern that he also has i entifie this fragment as !art of the ,eventh Tablet by its corres!on ence with the commentary K. @,@9=, !ublishe in '' /, !l. I5 >see below, !. cxviii?. *4'G5 That the co!ies were not always ma e from Babylonian tablets is !rove by the colo!hon of K. H8H >cf. Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. =?, which states that this co!y of the ,econ Tablet was ma e from !. *4'' an &ssyrian archety!e >gab'ri m-tu "shshur K$?. J!on some tablets &shur%bani%!al's label was scratche after the tablet ha been bake , e.g., K. I,;=7 a K. 6,;66 >*un. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. HH?. 0ther &ssyrian co!ies, though giving the catch%line to the next tablet, are without colo!hons, e.g., K. I,@7I, etc. >cf. Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 8?, an K. 6,;H= >cf. Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. HI?3 the co!y of the last tablet, K. H,6;@ >see below, !. 5;8?, the reverse of which is blank, was !robably also without a colo!hon. *4''G5 *f. Do. @9,;;8 >vol. ii, !l. xxi?, a co!y of the ,econ Tablet which was ma e for a certain DabE%ahF%i ina3 an Do. @;,;H6f @=,=5@ >vol. ii, !l. vi?, a co!y of the +irst Tablet, which is escribe as the !ro!erty of DabE%meshFtik%urri, a worshi!!er of #ar uk an ,ar!anitu, an is sai to have been co!ie from an original at Babylon on the ninth ay of 'yyar, in the twenty%seventh year of .arius. & certain DabE%balbtsu%ikbi, the son of Da'i %#ar uk, a!!ears to have owne a com!lete set of the ,even *reation Tablets, for we !ossess fragments of the +irst an of the ,ixth Tablet in the series which belonge to him >cf. Do. 8I,95;, Cun. Texts, !l. I, where the first wor of the secon line of the colo!hon, which !u((le .elit(sch, is clearly bush63 Do. @=,69I, vol. ii, !ls. ix ff.3 an Do. 8H,=H8, vol. ii, !l. xxxvii?. *4''GH Thus the fine co!y of the +ourth Tablet, Do. 8I,95=, which was written by the scribe DabE% bFlishu, was, accor ing to its colo!hon >cf. Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 5;?, e!osite by the smith Da'i % #ar uk as a votive offering in the tem!le E%(i a. 'n his transliteration of this colo!hon .elit(sch has ma e an o blun er3 he has not recogni(e the common !hrase ana bal-t napsh-ti pl 'shu, 1for the !reservation of his life,1 which occurs at the en of line I of the colo!hon, an has taken it as a !ro!er name !. *4''' m T'D%<' pl 'shu >see 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. @5?, a transliteration which turns the sentence into nonsense. *4'''G5 ,ee !ls. ii, iii, iv, an vi, an the frontis!iece to -ol. ''. )hotogra!hic re!ro uctions of the reverse of Do. H5 an the obverse of Do. H8 are given in the +uide to the Babylonian and "ssyrian "nti>uities in the British Museum, !ls. vi an vii. *4'''GH *f. e.g., Dos. 8I,95; >Do. H?, @=,69I >Do. 59?, an 8H,=H8 >Do. @9?, all of which were !robably written by the same scribe. *4'''GI *f. the notes duppu $ K" E'nu'ma e'lish on Do. @;,;H6, etc. >vol. ii, !l. vi?3 duppu E'nu' ma e'lish ri'esh on Do. 8I,95; >Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. I?3 BduppCu $$ K" E'nu'ma e'lish3 on K. H8H >Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. =?3 duppu $< K" 'M" E'nu'ma e'lish, which follows a note as to the number of lines in the text u!on Do. 8I,95= >Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. 5;?3 an dup'pi < K"M'ME E'nu'ma e'

lish on K. I,;=7 BCun. Texts, !t. xiii, !l. HH?. *4'''G@ The 1!ractice%tablets1 fall into two classes. 'n one class the tablets are wholly taken u! with !ortions of the text of the *reation ,eries, which is written out u!on them in sections of five verses se!arate by hori(ontal lines3 cf. Dos. 6H%8%56, !. *4'- 5,@9I a =,I=5 >Do. HH? an 8I,9;5 >Do. IH?. 'n the other class short extracts from the text are inscribe u!on tablets containing other matter, all of which the !u!il has written out for !ractice3 cf. Dos. I=,7H= >Do. s?, I=,=66 >Do. 8?, 6H%8%56, =,8;9 a 6I%5%56, 5,6=6 >Do. H@5, an 6H%8%56, ;,@@6 a 6I%5%56, H,55= >Do. H7?. The secon class are the more carelessly written of the two. *4'-G5 The only a!!arent exce!tions to this rule occur on some of the Deo%Babylonian tablets, in which two lines of the text are occasionally written on one line of the tablet when they are se!arate from each other by a ivision%mark. This is sim!ly ue to want of s!ace, which necessitate the crow ing of the text. *4-G5 ,ee below, !. cxxii. *4-GH ,ee above, !!. lxxii ff. *4-''G5 ,ee below, !!. 5;7 ff. *4-''GH ,ee above, !. lxxix, n. 5, an below, !. 5;6. *4'4G5 The tablet ,. 7@7, which measures @8 in. by I 5d6 in., is !ublishe in Cun. Texts, !t. xiii, !5. IH, an its connection with the text of the *reation ,eries is escribe in &!!en ix ', !. 579 f. The text was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. ;6f. *4'4GH The tablet K. H,597aK. =,96=, which measures @ in. by ;e in., is !ublishe in -ol. '', !late lxi f., an a transliteration an a translation of the text are given in &!!en ix ', !!. 575 ff. *ol. ii of the single fragment K. H, 597 was given in transliteration by .elit(sch, 5eltsch4pfungsepos, !. 5;;. *44'G5 'n the ga! in Tablet '', ll. 6=%59I, may !robably be inserte the new fragment K. 59,9963 see &!!en ix '', !!. ' 67 ff. *44''G5 0n Dos. @;,;H6 a @=,=5@ >Do. I?, 6H%8%56, =,678 >Do. 5H?, I6,I8= >Do. 5@?, @H,H6; >Do. H=?, an 8I,95= >Do. H8?3 cf. also the 1!ractice%tablets,1 Dos. 6H%8%56, 5,@9I a =,I5= >Do. HH? an 6H%8%56, ;,@@6 a 6I%5%56, H,55= >Do. H7?. *44''GH +or the first escri!tion of the metre of the !oem, see Bu ge, ,.%.B."., vol. vi, !. 73 an for later iscussions of the metre of Babylonian !oetry in general, see <immern's !a!ers in the (eits. f0r "ssyr., viii, !!. 5H5 ff., x, !!. 5 ff., xi, !!. 6= ff., an xii, !!. I6H ff.3 cf. also .. #. #ueller, Die ,ropheten in ihrer urspr0nglichen 1orm, i, !!. ; ff. 't may be note that in a ition to the ivision of the text into cou!lets, the !oem often falls naturally into stan(as of four lines each. That the metre was not very carefully stu ie by the Deo%Babylonian scribes is !rove by the somewhat faulty ivision of the verses u!on some of the tablets on which the metre is in icate , an also by the fact that the !u!ils of the scribes were allowe , an !erha!s tol , to write out !ortions of the !oem in sections, not of four, but of five lines each >see above, !. cxiii f., n. @?. *44'''G5 )ublishe by <immern, (."., x, !. 57 f.

!. H !. I

DoteG The transliteration of the Babylonian an most of the footnotes in this section have been omitte for technical reasons. &ll elli!sis have been turne into three !erio s, no matter how long in the original ocument. K :B$.

The Seven Tablets of the History of Creation,

The -irst Tablet
5. When in the height heaven was not name , H. &n the earth beneath i not yet bear a name, I. &n the !rimeval &!sE, who begat them, @. &n chaos, Tiamat, the mother of them both,K ;. Their waters were mingle together, =. &n no fiel was forme , no marsh was to be seen3 7. When of the go s none ha been calle into being, 6. &n none bore a name, an no estinies Bwere or aine C3 8. Then were create the go s in the mi st of BheavenC,
!. @ !. ;

59. Lahmu an Lahamu were calle into being B...C. 55. &ges increase , B...C, 5H. Then &nshar an Kishar were create , an over them B...C. 5I. Long were the ays, then there came forth B...C 5@. &nu, their son, B...C 5;. &nshar an &nu B...C 5=. &n the go &nu B...C 57. Du immu , whom his fathers BhisC begetters B...C 56. &boun ing in all wis om, B...C 58. $e was excee ing strong B...C H9. $e ha no rival B...C H5. >Thus? were establishe an Bwere ... the great go s >c?C.
!. = !. 7

HH . But TBiamat an ~!sEC were >still? in confusion B...C, HI. They were trouble an B...C H@. 'n isor er>c? ... B...C H=. &n Tiamat roare B...C H;. &!sE was not iminishe in might B...C H7. ,he smote, an their ee s B...C H6. Their way was evil ... B...C ... H8. Then &!sE, the begetter of the great go s, I9. *rie unto #ummu, his minister, an sai unto himG

I5. 10 #ummu, thou minister that reAoicest my s!irit, IH. 1*ome, unto Tiamat let us BgoCZ1 II. ,o they went an before Tiamat they lay own, I@. They consulte on a !lan with regar to the go s Btheir sonsC. I;. &!sE o!ene his mouth Ban s!akeC,
!. 6 !. 8

I=. &n unto Tiamat, the glistening one, he a resse Bthe wor CG I7. 1B...C their way B...C, I6. 1By ay ' cannot rest, by night B' cannot lie own >in !eace?C. I8. 1But ' will estroy their way, ' will B...C, @9. 1Let there be lamentation, an let us lie own >again in !eace?.1 @5. When Tiamat Bhear C these wor s, @H. ,he rage an crie alou B...C. @I. B,he ...C grievously B...C, @@. ,he uttere a curse, an unto B&!sE she s!akeCG @;. 1What then shall we B oCc @=. 1Let their way be ma e ifficult, an let us Blie own >again? in !eaceC.1 @7. #ummu answere , an gave counsel unto &!sE, @6. B...C an hostile >to the go s? was the counsel #uBmmu gaveCG
!. 59 !. 55

@8. 1*ome, their way is strong, but thou shalt estroy BitC3 ;9. 1Then by ay shalt thou have rest, by night shalt thou lie own >in !eace?.1 ;5. &!sE Bhearkene untoC him an his countenance grew bright, ;H. B,inceC he >i.e. #ummu? !lanne evil against the go s his sons. ;I. B...C he was afrai B...C, ;@. $is knees Bbecame weak>c?C, they gave way beneath him, ;;. BBecause of the evilC which their first%born ha !lanne . ;=. B...C their B...C they altere >c?. ;6. Lamentation B...C they sat in BsorrowC ' ;7. B...C they B...C, ;8. B...C
!. 5H !. 5I

=9. Then Ea, who knoweth all that BisC, went u! an he behel their muttering. =5. B...C =H. B...C ... his !ure incantation =I. B...C ... B...C =@. B...C

=;. B...C misery ==. B...C =7. B...C BLines =6%6H are wanting.C 6I. B...C 6@ B...C ... 6;. B...C the go &nu, 6=. B... an avenCger. 67. B...C 66. B...C an he shall confoun Tiamat. 68. B...C he ... 89. B...C for ever. 85. B...C the evil,
!. 5@ !. 5;

8H. B...C ... he s!akeG 8I. 1B...C thy B...C he hath con2uere an 8@. 1 B...C he Bwee!ethC an sitteth in tribulation>c?. 8;. 1B...C of fear, 8=. 1B...C we shall not lie own >in !eace?. 87. 1B...C &!sE is lai waste>c?, 86. 1B...C an #ummu, who were taken ca!tive, in B...C 88. 1B...C thou i st, ... 599. 1B...C let us lie own >in !eace?. 595. 1B...C ... they will smite >c? B...C. 59H. 1 B...C let us lie own >in !eace?. 59I. 1B...C thou shalt take vengeance for them, 59@. 1B...Cunto the tem!est shalt thou B...CZ1 59;. B&n Tiamat hearkene untoC the wor of the bright go , >an sai ?G
!. 5= !. 57

59=. 1B...C shalt thou entrustZ let us wage BwarCZ1 597. B...C the go s in the mi st of B...C 596. B...C for the go s i she create.' 598. BThey ban e themselves together an C at the si e of Tiamat BtheyC a vance 3 559. BThey were furious, they evise mischief without restingC night an B ayC. 555. BThey !re!are for battleC, fuming an raging3 55H. BThey Aoine their forcesC an ma e war. 55I. BJmmu%$ubuCr, who forme all things,

55@. B#a e in a itionC wea!ons invincible, she s!awne monster%ser!ents, 55;. B,har! ofC tooth, an merciless of fang3 55=. BWith !oison instea ofC bloo she fille BtheirC bo ies. 557. +ierce Bmonster%vi!ersC she clothe with terror, 556. BWith s!len ourC she ecke them, Bshe ma e themC of lofty stature. 558. BWhoever behel C them, terror overcame him, 5H9. Their bo ies reare u! an none coul withstan Btheir attackC.
!. 56 !. 58

5H5. B,he setC u! vi!ers, an

ragons, an the >monster? BLahamuC,

5HH. B&n hurricanesC, an raging houn s, an scor!ion%men, 5HI. &n mighty Btem!estsC, an fish%men, an BramsC3 5H@. BThey boreC cruel wea!ons, without fear of Bthe fightC. 5H;. $er comman s Bwere mightyC, BnoneC coul resist them3 5H=. &fter this fashion, huge of stature, Bshe ma eC eleven >monsters?. 5H7. &mong the go s who were her sons, inasmuch as he ha given Bher su!!ortC, 5H6. ,he exalte Kingu3 in their mi st Bshe raise C him Bto !owerC. 5H8. To march before the forces, to lea Bthe hostC, 5I9. To give the battle%signal, to a vance to the attack,
!. H9 !. H5

5I5. To irect the battle, to control the fight, 5IH. Jnto him she entruste 3 in Bcostly raimentC she ma e him sit, >saying?G 5II. 1' have uttere thy s!ell, in the assembly of the go s ' have raise thee to !ower. 5I@. 1The ominion over all the go s Bhave ' entruste unto himC. 5I;. 1Be thou exalte , thou my chosen s!ouse, 5I=. 1#ay they magnify thy name over all Bof them ... the &nunnakiC.1 5I7. ,he gave him the Tablets of .estiny, on BhisC breast she lai them, >saying?G 5I6. 1Thy comman shall not be without avail, an Bthe wor of thy mouth shall be establishe C.1 5I8. Dow Kingu, >thus? exalte , having receive Bthe !ower of &nuC, 5@9. B.ecree C the fate among the go s his sons, >saying?G 5@5. 1Let the o!ening of your mouth B2uenchC the +ire%go 3 5@H. 1Whoso is exalte in the battle, let him B is!lay >his? mightCZ1

The Se$ond Tablet

5. Tiamat ma e weighty her han iwork, H. BEvilC she wrought against the go s her chil ren. I. BTo avengeC &!sE, Tiamat !lanne evil,

@. But how she ha collecte her Bforces, the go ...C unto Ea ivulge . ;. Ea Bhearkene toC this thing, an =. $e was BgrievousCly afflicte an he sat in sorrow. 7. BThe aysC went by, an his anger was a!!ease , 6. &n to Bthe !lace ofC &nshar his father he tookBhis wayC. 8. B$e wentC an stan ing before &nshar, the father who begat him, 59. B&ll thatC Tiamat ha !lotte he re!eate unto him, 55. B,aying, 1TiCamat our mother hath conceive a hatre for us, 5H. 1With all her force she rageth, full of wrath. 5I. 1&ll the go s have turne to her, 5@. 1BWithC those, whom ye create , they go at her si e.
!. H@ !. H;

5;. 1They are ban e together an at the si e of Tiamat they a vance3 5=. 1They are furious, they evise mischief without resting night an 57. 1They !re!are for battle, fuming an raging3 56. 1They have Aoine their forces an are making war. 58. 1Jmmu%$ubur, who forme all things, H9. 1$ath ma e in a ition wea!ons invincible, she hath s!awne monster%ser!ents, H5. 1,har! of tooth, an merciless of fang. HH. 1With !oison instea of bloo she hath fille their bo ies. HI. 1+ierce monster%vi!ers she hath clothe with terror, H@. 1With s!len our she hath ecke them, she hath ma e them of lofty stature. H;. 1Whoever behol eth them is overcome by terror,1 H=. 1Their bo ies rear u! an none can withstan their attack. H7. 1,he hath set u! vi!ers, an
!. H= !. H7

ay.

ragons, an the

H6. 1&n hurricanes an raging houn s, an scor!ion%men, H8. 1&n mighty tem!ests, an fish%men an rams3 I9. 1They bear cruel wea!ons, without fear of the fight. I5. 1$er comman s are mighty, none can resist them3 IH. 1&fter this fashion, huge of stature, hath she ma e eleven >monsters?. II. 1&mong the go s who are her sons, inasmuch as he hath given her su!!ort, I@. ,he hath exalte Kingu3 in their mi st she hath raise him to !ower. I;. 1To march before the forces, to lea the host, I=. 1To give the battle%signal, to a vance to the attack, I7. 1BTo irectC the battle, to control the fight, I6. 1Jnto him Bhath she entruste C3 in costly raiment she hath ma e him sit, >saying?G

I8. 1'B' have uttere C thy Bs!ellC, in the assembly of the go s ' have raise thee to !ower, @9. 1'BThe ominion over allC the go s have ' entruste Bunto theeC. @5. 1'BBe thou exalte C, thou Bmy chosen s!ouseC,
!. H6 !. H8

@H. 1'B#ay they magnify thy name over all of them ...C ...' @I. 1B,he hath given him the Tablets of .estiny, on his breast sheC lai them, >saying?G @@. 1'BThy comman shall not be without availC, an the Bwor C of thy mouth shall be establishe .' @;. 1BDow Kingu, >thus? exalte C, having receive the !ower of &nu, @=. 1.ecree the fate Bfor the go s, her sonsC, >saying?G @7. 1'Let Bthe o!ening of your mouthC 2uench the +ire%go 3 @6. 1'BWhoso is exalte in the battleC, let him is!lay >his? mightZ'1 @8. BWhen &nshar hear how TiamatC was mightily in revolt, ;9. B...C, he bit his li!s, ;5. B...C, his min was not at !eace, ;H. $is B...C, he ma e a bitter lamentationG ;I. B...C battle, ;@. 1B...C thou .... ;;. 1B#ummu an C &!sE thou hast smitten,
!. I9 !. I5

;=. 1BBut Tiamat hath exalte KinCgu, an where is one who can o!!ose herc1 ;7. B...C eliberation ;6. B ... the ... ofC the go s, DBuC iBmmu C B& ga! of about ten lines occurs here.C >=8? B...C >79? B...C >75? B...C >7H? B&nshar untoC his son a resse Bthe wor CG >7I? 1B...C ... my mighty hero, >7@? 1BWhoseC strength Bis greatC an whose onslaught cannot be withstoo , >7;? 1B"oC an stan before Tiamat, >7=? 1BThatC her s!irit Bmay be a!!ease C, that her heart may be merciful. >77? 1BBut ifC she will not hearken unto thy wor , >76? 10ur Bwor C shalt thou s!eak unto her, that she may be !acifie .1 >78? B$e hear theC wor of his father &nshar >69? &n Bhe irecte C his !ath to her, towar s her he took the way. >65? &nu B rew nighC, he behel the muttering of Tiamat,
!. IH !. II

>6H? BBut he coul not withstan herC, an he turne back. >6I? B...C &nshar >6@? B...C he s!ake unto himG >6;? 1B...C u!on me B& ga! of about twenty lines occurs here.C >59@? B...C >59;? B...C an avenger B...C >59=? B...C vaBliantC >597? B...C in the !lace of his ecision >596? B...C he s!ake unto himG >598? 1B...C thy father >559? 1Thou art my son, who maketh merciful his heart. >555? 1 B...C to the battle shalt thou raw nigh, >55H? 1B...C he that shall behol thee shall have !eace.1 >55I? &n the lor reAoice at the wor of his father, >55@? &n he rew nigh an stoo before &nshar. >55;? &nshar behel him an his heart was fille with Aoy,
!. I@ !. I;

>55=? $e kisse him on the li!s an his fear e!arte from him. >557? 1B0 my fatherC, let not the wor of thy li!s be overcome, >556? 1Let me go, that ' may accom!lish all that is in thy heart. >558?. 1B0 &nsharC, let not the wor of thy li!s be overcome, >5H9? 1. BLet meC go, that ' may accom!lish all that is in thy heart.1 >5H5? 1What man is it, who hath brought thee forth to battlec >5HH? 1B...C Tiamat, who is a woman, is arme an attacketh thee.1 >5HI? 1B...C ... reAoice an be gla 3 >5H@? 1The neck of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly tram!le un er foot. >5H;? 1B...C ... reAoice an be gla 3 >5H=? 1BThe neckC of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly tram!le un er foot.
!. I= !. I7

>5H7? 10 my BsonC, who knoweth all wis om, >5H6? 1)acify BTiamaCt with thy !ure incantation. >5H8? 1,!ee ily set out u!on thy way, >5I9? 1+or Bthy bloo >c?C shall not be !oure out, thou shalt return again.1 >5I5? The lor reAoice at the wor of his father, >5IH? $is heart exulte , an unto his father he s!akeG >5II? 10 Lor of the go s, .estiny of the great go s,

>5I@? 1'f ', your avenger, >5I;? 1*on2uer Tiamat an give you life, >5I=? 1&!!oint an assembly, make my fate !reeminent an !roclaim it. >5I7? 1'n J!shukkinaku seat yourselves Aoyfully together, >5I6? 1With my wor in !lace of you will ' ecree fate. >5I8? 1#ay whatsoever ' o remain unaltere , >5@9? 1#ay the wor of my li!s never be change nor ma e of no avail.1

The Third Tablet

5. &nshar o!ene his mouth, an H. BJnto "agaC, his BministerC, s!ake the wor G I. 1B0 "aga, thou minisCter that reAoicest my s!irit,

@. ''BJnto Lahmu an LahCamu will ' sen thee. ;. 1B...C thou canst attain, =. ''B...C thou shalt cause to be brought before thee. 7. B... letC the go s, all of them, 6. 1B#ake rea y for a feastC, at a ban2uet let them sit, 8. 1BLet them eat brea C, let them mix wine, 59. ''BThat for #ar ukC, their avenger, they may ecree the fate. 55. 1B"o,C "aga, stan before them, 5H. ''B&n all thatC ', tell thee, re!eat unto them, >an say?G
!. @9 !. @5

5I. 1B&nsharC, your son, hath sent me, 5@. 1BThe !ur!oseC of his heart he hath ma e known unto me. 5;. 1B$e saith that TiaCmat our mother hath conceive a hatre for us, 5=. 1BWith allC her force she rageth, full of wrath. 57. 1&ll the go s have turne to her, 56. 1With those, whom ye create , they go at her si e. 58. ''They are ban e together, an at the si e of Tiamat they a vance3 H9 . 1They are furious, they evise mischief without resting night an H5. ''They !re!are for battle, fuming an raging3 HH. 1They have Aoine their forces an are making war. HI. 1Jmmu%$ubur, who forme all things, H@. 1$ath ma e in a ition wea!ons invincible, she hath s!awne monster%ser!ents, H;. 1,har! of tooth an merciless of fang. H=. 1With !oison instea of bloo she hath fille heir bo ies.
!. @H !. @I

ay.

H7. 1+ierce monster%vi!ers she hath clothe with terror, H6. 1With s!len our she hath ecke them, she hath ma e them of lofty stature. H8. 1Whoever behol eth them, terror overcometh him, I9. 1Their bo ies rear u! an none can withstan their attack. I5. 1,he hath set u! vi!ers, an ragons, an the >monster? Lahamu, IH. 1&n hurricanes, an raging houn s, an scor!ion%men, II. 1&n mighty tem!ests, an fish%men, an rams3 I@. They bear merciless wea!ons, without fear of the fight. I;. 1$er comman s are mighty, none can resist them3 I=. 1&fter this fashion, huge of stature, hath she ma e eleven >monsters?. I7. 1&mong the go s who are her sons, inasmuch as he hath given her Bsu!!ortC, I6. 1,he hath exalte Kingu3 in their mi st she hath raise BhimC to !ower.

I8. ''To march before the forces, Bto lea the hostC, @9. 1BToC give the battle%signal, to a vance Bto the attackC, @5. 1BTo irectC the battle, to control the BfightC,
!. @@ !. @;

@H. 1Jnto him Bhath she entruste 3 in costly raimentC she hath ma e him sit, >saying?G @I. 1'B' haveC uttere thy s!ell, in the assembly of the go s B' have raise thee to !owerC, @@. 1'BTheC ominion over all the go s Bhave ' entruste unto theeC. @;. 1'BBeC thou exalte , BthouC my chosen s!ouse, @=. 1' #ay they magnify thy name over all of Bthem ... the &nunnakiC.' @7. 1,he hath given him the Tablets of .estiny, on his breast she lai them, >saying?G @6. 1'Thy comman shall not be without avail, an the wor of BthyC mouth shall be establishe .' @8. 1Dow Kingu, >thus? exalte , having receive Bthe !ower of &nuC, ;9. 1.ecree the fate for the go s, her sons, >saying?G ;5. 1'Let the o!ening of your mouth 2uench the +ire%go 3 ;H. 1'Whoso is exalte in the battle, let him is!lay >his? mightZ '
!. @= !. @7

;I. ''' sent &nu, but he coul not withstan her3 ;@. 1Du immu was afrai an turne back. ;;. 1But #ar uk hath set out, the irector of the go s, your son3 ;=. ''To set out against Tiamat his heart hath !rom!te >him?. ;7. 1$e o!ene his mouth an s!ake unto me, >saying?G ;6. 1''f ', your avenger, ;8. 1'*on2uer Tiamat an give you life, =9. 1'&!!oint an assembly, make my fate !reeminent an !roclaim it. =5. 1''n J!shukkinaku seat yourselves Aoyfully together3 =H. 1'With my wor in !lace of you will ' ecree fate. =I. 1'#ay whatsoever ' o remain unaltere , =@. 1'#ay the wor of my li!s never be change nor ma e of no avail.' =;. 1$asten, therefore, an swiftly ecree for him the fate which you bestow,
!. @6 !. @8

==. 1That he may go an fight your strong enemyZ1 =7. "aga went, he took his way an =6. $umbly before Lahmu an Lahamu, the go s, his fathers, =8. $e ma e obeisance, an he kisse the groun at their feet. 79. $e humble himself3 then he stoo u! an s!ake unto them, >saying?G 75. 1&nshar, your son, hath sent me, 7H. ''The !ur!ose of his heart he hath ma e known unto me.

7I. 1$e saith that Tiamat our mother hath conceive a hatre for us, 7@. 1With all her force she rageth, full of wrath. 7;. 1&ll the go s have turne to her, 7=. 1With those, whom ye create , they go at her si e. 77. 1They are ban e together an at the si e of Tiamat they a vance3
!. ;9 !. ;5

76. ''They are furious, they evise mischief without resting night an 78. 1They !re!are for battle, fuming an raging3 69. ''They have Aoine their forces an are making war. 65. ''Jmmu%$ubur, who forme all things,

ay.

6H. 1$ath ma e in a ition wea!ons invincible, she hath s!awne monster%ser!ents, 6I. 1,har! of tooth an merciless of fang. 6@. 1With !oison instea of bloo she hath fille their bo ies. 6;. ''+ierce monster%vi!ers she hath clothe with terror, 6=. 1With s!len our she hath ecke them, she hath ma e them of lofty stature. 67. ''Whoever behol eth them, terror overcometh him, 66. 1Their bo ies rear u! an none can withstan their attack. 68. '',he hath set u! vi!ers, an
!. ;H !. ;I

ragons, an the >monster? Lahamu,

89. 1&n hurricanes, an raging houn s, an scor!ion%men, 85. ''&n mighty tem!ests, an fish%men, an BramsC3 8H. 1They bear merciless wea!ons, without fear of the fight. 8I. 1$er comman s are mighty, none can resist them3 8@. ''&fter this fashion, huge of stature, hath she ma e eleven >monsters?. 8;. ''&mong the go s who are her sons, inasmuch as he hath given her su!!ort, 8=. 1,he hath exalte Kingu3 in their mi st she hath raise him to !ower. 87. 1To march before the forces, to lea the host, 86. ''To give the battle%signal, to a vance to the attack, 88. 1To irect the battle, to control the fight, 599. ''Jnto him hath she entruste 3 in costly raiment she hath ma e him sit, >saying?G 595. 1'' have uttere thy s!ell, in the assembly of the go s ' have raise thee to !ower, 59H. 1'The ominion over all the go s have ' entruste unto thee. 59I. 1'Be thou exalte , thou my chosen s!ouse, 59@. 1'#ay they magnify thy name over all of them ... the &nunnaBkiC.' 59;. 1,he hath given him the Tablets of .estiny, on BhisC breast Bshe lai themC, >saying?G
!. ;@ !. ;;

59=. 1'Thy comman shall not be without avail, Ban the wor of thy mouth shall be establishe C.

597. 1Dow Kingu, >thus? exalte , Bhaving receive the !ower of &nuC, 596. 1B.ecree the fateC for the go s, her sons, >saying?G 598. 1'Let the o!ening of your mouth B2uenchC the +ire%go 3 559. 1'Whoso is exalte in the battle, Blet him is!layC >his? mightZ' 555. 1' sent &nu, but he coul not Bwithstan herC3 55H. 1Du immu was afrai an Bturne backC. 55I. 1But #ar uk hath set out, the irector of theBgo s, your sonC3 55@. 1T o set out against Tiamat Bhis heart hath !rom!te >him?C. 55;. 1$e o!ene his mouth Ban s!ake unto meC, >saying?G 55=. 1''f ', Byour avengerC, 557. 1'*on2uer Tiamat an Bgive you lifeC, 556. 1'&!!oint an assembly, Bmake my fate !reeminent an !roclaim itC. 558. 1''n J!shukkinaku Bseat yourselves Aoyfully togetherC3 5H9. 1'With my wor in !lace of Byou will ' ecree fateC. 5H5. 1'#ay whatsoever B'C o remain unaltere , 5HH. 1'#ay the wor of Bmy li!sC never be change nor ma e of no avail.'
!. ;= !. ;7

5HI. ''$asten, therefore, an swiftly B ecree for himC the fate which you bestow, 5H@. 1That he may go an fight your strong enemyZ1 5H;. Lahmu an Lahamu hear an crie alou , 5H=. &ll of the 'gigi waile bitterly, >saying?G 5H7. ''What has been altere so that they shoul ... B...C 5H6. ''We o not un erstan the Bee C of TiamatZ1 5H8. Then i they collect an go, 5I9. The great go s, all of them, who ecree BfateC. 5I5. They entere in before &nshar, they fille B...C3 5IH. They kisse one another, in the assembly B...C. 5II. They ma e rea y for the feast, at the ban2uet Bthey satC3 5I@. They ate brea , they mixe Bsesame%wineC. 5I;. The sweet rink, the mea , confuse their B...C, 5I=. They were runk with rinking, their bo ies were fille . 5I7. They were wholly at ease, their s!irit was exalte 3 5I6. Then for #ar uk, their avenger, i they ecree the fate.

The -o%rth Tablet

5. They !re!are for him a lor ly chamber, H . Before his fathers as !rince he took his !lace. I. 1Thou art chiefest among the great go s, @. 1Thy fate is une2ualle , thy wor is &nuZ ;. 10 #ar uk, thou art chiefest among the great go s, =. 1Thy fate is une2ualle , thy wor is &nuZ 7. 1$enceforth not without avail shall be thy comman , 6. 1'n thy !ower shall it be to exalt an to abase. 8. 1Establishe shall be the wor of thy mouth, irresistible shall be thy comman 3 59. 1Done among the go s shall transgress thy boun ary. 55. 1&bun ance, the esire of the shrines of the go s, 5H. 1,hall be establishe in thy sanctuary, even though they lack >offerings?. 5I. 10 #ar uk, thou art our avengerZ 5@. 1We give thee sovereignty over the whole worl . 5;. 1,it thou own in night, be exalte in thy comman . 5=. 1Thy wea!on shall never lose its !ower, it shall crush thy foe.
!. =9 !. =5

57. 10 lor , s!are the life of him that !utteth his trust in thee, 56. 1But as for the go who began the rebellion, !our out his life.1 58. Then set they in their mi st a garment, H9. &n unto #ar uk their first%born they s!akeG H5. 1#ay thy fate, 0 lor , be su!reme among the go s, HH. 1To estroy an to create3 s!eak thou the wor , an >thy comman ? shall be fulfille . HI. 1*omman now an let the garment vanish3 H@. 1&n s!eak the wor again an let the garment rea!!earZ1 H;. Then he s!ake with his mouth, an the garment vanishe 3 H=. &gain he comman e it, an the garment rea!!eare . H7. When the go s, his fathers, behel >the fulfilment of? his wor , H6. They reAoice , an they i homage >unto him, saying?, 1 #ar uk is kingZ 1 H8. They bestowe u!on him the sce!tre, an the throne, an the ring, I9. They give him an invincible wea!on, which overwhelmeth the foe. I5. 1"o, an cut off the life of Tiamat, IH. 1&n let the win carry her bloo into secret !laces.1
!. =H !. =I

II. &fter the go s his fathers ha

ecree for the lor his fate,

I@. They cause him to set out on a !ath of !ros!erity an success. I; . $e ma e rea y the bow, he chose his wea!on, I=. $e slung a s!ear u!on him an fastene it . . . I7. $e raise the club, in his right han he gras!e >it?, I6. The bow an the 2uiver he hung at his si e. I8. $e set the lightning in front of him, @9. With burning flame he fille his bo y. @5. $e ma e a net to enclose the inwar !arts of Tiamat, @H. The four win s he statione so that nothing of her might esca!e3 @I. The ,outh win an the Dorth win an the East win an the West win @@. $e brought near to the net, the gift of his father &nu. @;. $e create the evil win , an the tem!est, an the hurricane, @=. &n the fourfol win , an the sevenfol win , an the whirlwin , an the win which ha no e2ual3
!. =@ !. =;

@7. $e sent forth the win s which he ha create , the seven of them3 @6. T o isturb the inwar !arts of Tiamat, they followe after him. @8. Then the lor raise the thun erbolt, his mighty wea!on, ;9. $e mounte the chariot, the storm une2ualle for terror, ;5. $e harnesse an yoke unto it four horses, ;H. .estructive, ferocious, overwhelming, an swift of !ace3 ;I. B...C were their teeth, they were flecke with foam3 ;@. They were skille in B...C, they ha been traine to tram!le un erfoot. ;;. B...C, mighty in battle, ;=. Left an Bright ... ;7. $is garment was B...C, he was clothe with terror,
!. == !. =7

;6. With over!owering brightness his hea was crowne . ;8. Then he set out, he took his way, =9. &n towar s the BragCing Tiamat he set his face. =5. 0n his li!s he hel B...C, =H. ... B...C he gras!e in his han . =I. Then they behel him, the go s behel him, =@. The go s his fathers behel him, the go s behel him. =;. &n the lor rew nigh, he ga(e u!on the inwar !arts of Tiamat, ==. $e !erceive the muttering of Kingu, her s!ouse. =7. &s >#ar uk? ga(e , >Kingu? was trouble in his gait,

=6. $is will was estroye an his motions cease . =8. &n the go s, his hel!ers, who marche by his si e, 79. Behel their lea er's B...C, an their sight was trouble . 75. But Tiamat B...C, she turne not her neck, 7H. With li!s that faile not she uttere rebellious wor sG
!. =6 !. =8

7I. 1B...C thy coming as lor of the go s, 7@. 1+rom their !laces have they gathere , in thy !lace are theyZ1 7;. Then the lor Braise C the thun erbolt, his mighty wea!on, 7=. B&n againstC Tiamat, who was raging, thus he sent >the wor ?G 77. 1BThouC art become great, thou hast exalte thyself on high, 76. 1&n thy Bheart hath !rom!te C thee to call to battle. 78. 1B...C their fathers B...C, 69. 1B...C their B...C thou hatest B...C. 65. 1BThou hast exalte KingCu to be BthyC s!ouse, 6H. 1BThou hast . . . C him, that, even as &nu, he shoul issue ecrees. 6I. 1B...C thou hast followe after evil, 6@. 1&n BagainstC the .go s my fathers thou hast contrive thy wicke !lan. 6;. 1Let then thy host be e2ui!!e , let thy wea!ons be gir e onZ 6=. 1,tan Z ' an thou, let us Aoin battleZ1
!. 79 !. 75

67. When Tiamat hear these wor s, 66. ,he was like one !ossesse , she lost her reason. 68. Tiamat uttere wil , !iercing cries, 89. ,he tremble an shook to her very foun ations. 85. ,he recite an incantation, she !ronounce her s!ell, 8H. &n the go s of the battle crie out for their wea!ons. 8I. Then a vance Tiamat an #ar uk, the counsellor of the go s3 8@. To the fight they came on, to the battle they rew nigh. 8;. The lor s!rea out his net an caught her, 8=. &n the evil win that was behin >him? he let loose in her face. 87. &s Tiamat o!ene her mouth to its full extent, 86. $e rove in the evil win , while as yet she ha not shut her li!s. 88. The terrible win s fille her belly, 599. &n her courage was taken from her, an her mouth she o!ene wi e. 595. $e sei(e the s!ear an burst her belly, 59H. $e severe her inwar !arts, he !ierce >her? heart.

59I. $e overcame her an cut off her life3

!. 7H !. 7I

59@. $e cast own her bo y an stoo u!on it. 59;. When he ha slain Tiamat, the lea er, 59=. $er might was broken, her host was scattere . 597. &n the go s her hel!ers, who marche by her si e, 596. Tremble , an were afrai , an turne back. 598. They took to flight to save their lives3 559. But they were surroun e , so that they coul not esca!e. 555. $e took them ca!tive, he broke their wea!ons3 55H. 'n the net they were caught an in the snare they sat own. 55I. The B...C ... of the worl they fille with cries of grief. 55@. They receive !unishment from him, they were hel in bon age. 55;. &n on the eleven creatures which she ha fille with the !ower of striking terror, 55=. J!on the troo! of evils, who marche at her B...C, 557. $e brought affliction, their strength Bhe ...C3 556. Them an their o!!osition he tram!le un er his feet.
!. 7@ !. 7;

558. #oreover, Kingu, who ha been exalte over them, 5H9. $e con2uere , an with the go .ug%ga he counte him. 5H5. $e took from him the Tablets of .estiny that were not rightly his, 5HH. $e seale them with a seal an in his own breast he lai them. 5HI. Dow after the hero #ar uk ha con2uere an cast own his enemies, 5H@. &n ha ma e the arrogant foe even like ..., 5H;. &n ha fully establishe &nshar's trium!h over the enemy, 5H=. &n ha attaine the !ur!ose of Du immu , 5H7. 0ver the ca!tive go s he strengthene his urance, 5H6. &n unto Tiamat, whom he ha con2uere , he returne . 5H8. &n the lor stoo u!on Tiamat's hin er !arts, 5I9. &n with his merciless club he smashe her skull. 5I5. $e cut through the channels of her bloo , 5IH. &n he ma e the Dorth win bear it away into secret !laces. 5II. $is fathers behel , an they reAoice an were gla 3
!. 7= !. 77

5I@. )resents an gifts they brought unto him. 5I;. Then the lor reste , ga(ing u!on her ea bo y, 5I=. While he ivi e the flesh of the ..., an evise a cunning !lan.

5I7. $e s!lit her u! like a flat fish into two halves3 5I6. 0ne half of her he stablishe as a covering for heaven. 5I8. $e fixe a bolt, he statione a watchman, 5@9. &n ba e them not to let her waters come forth. 5@5. $e !asse through the heavens, he surveye the regions >thereof?, 5@H. &n over against the .ee! he set the welling of Du immu . 5@I. &n the lor measure the structure of the .ee!, 5@@. &n he foun e E%shara, a mansion like unto it. 5@;. The mansion E%shara which he create as heaven, 5@=. $e cause &nu, BFl, an Ea in their istricts to inhabit.

The -ifth Tablet

5. $e.>i.e. #ar uk? ma e the stations for the great go s3

H. The stars, their images, as the stars of the <o iac, he fixe . I. $e or aine the year an into sections he ivi e it3 @. +or the twelve months he fixe three stars. ;. &fter he ha B...C the ays of the year B...C images, =. $e foun e the station of Dibir 5to etermine their boun s3 7. That none might err or go astray, 6. $e set the station of BFl an Ea along with him. 8. $e o!ene great gates on both si es, 59. $e ma e strong the bolt on the left an on the right. 55. 'n the mi st thereof he fixe the (enith3 5H. The #oon%go he cause to shine forth, the night he entruste to him. 5I. $e a!!ointe him, a being of the night, to etermine the ays3 5@. Every month without ceasing with the crown he covere >c? him, >saying?G
!. 69 !. 65

5;. 1&t the beginning of the month, when thou shinest u!on the lan , 5=. 1Thou comman est the horns to etermine six ays, 57. 1&n on the seventh ay to B ivi eC the crown. 56. 10n the fourteenth ay thou shalt stan o!!osite, the half B...C. 58. 1When the ,un%go on the foun ation of heaven B...C thee, H9. 1The B...C thou shalt cause to ..., an thou shalt make his B...C. H5. 1B...C ... unto the !ath of the ,un%go shalt thou cause to raw nigh, HH. 1B&n on the ... ayC thou shalt stan o!!osite, an the ,un%go shall ... B...C HI. 1B...C to traverse her way. H@. 1B...C thou shalt cause to raw nigh, an thou shalt Au ge the right. H;. 1B...C to estroy H=. 1B...C me. 1...1
!. 6H !. 6I

BThe following twenty%two lines are taken from K. I,@@8a, an !robably form !art of the +ifth Tablet.C >== ?. B...C >=7? B...C >=6 ? +rom B...C >=8? 'n E%sagil B...C >79? To establish B...C >75? The station of B...C >7H? The great go s B...C

>7I? The go s B...C >7@? $e took an B...C >7;? The go s Bhis fathersC behel the net which he ha ma e, >7=? They behel the bow an how Bits workC was accom!lishe . >77? They !raise the work which he ha one B...C >76? Then &nu raise Bthe ...C in the assembly of the go s. >78? $ e kisse the bow, >saying?, 1't is B...CZ1 >69? &n thus he name the names of the bow, >saying?, >65? 1'Long%woo ' shall be one name, an the secon name Bshall be ...C >6H? 1&n its thir name shall be the Bow%star, in heaven Bshall it ...C1
!. 6@ !. 6;

>6I? Then he fixe a station for it B...C >6@? Dow after the fate of B...C >6;? B$e setC a throne B...C >6=? B...C in heaven B...C >67? B...C ... B...C BThe following traces of the last thirteen lines of the +ifth Tablet are taken from the reverse of K. 55,=@5 an from the reverse of K. 6,;H=.C >5H6? 1B...C him B...C1 >5H8? 1B...C them B...C1 >5I9? 1B...C him B...C1 >5I5? 1B...C them B...C1 >5IH? 1B...C their B...C may B...C1 >5II? B...C the go s s!ake, >5I@? B...C the heavens B...CG 5 >5I;? 1B... yourC son B...C1 >5I=? 1B...C our B...C hath he B...C1 >5I7? 1B...C he hath cause to live B...C1 >5I6? 1B...C s!len our B...C1 >5I8? 1B...C not B...CZ1 >5@9? 1B...C we B...CZ1

-ootnotes
78G5 :u!iter 6;G5 'n the s!eech that follows it may be conAecture that the go s com!laine that, although #ar uk ha en owe the heavens with s!len our an ha cause !lants to live u!on the earth, yet there were no shrines built in honour of the go s, an there were no worshi!!ers evote to their

service3 see below, !. 66, note 5

The Si/th Tablet

5. When #ar uk hear the wor of the go s,

H. $is heart !rom!te him an he evise Ba cunning !lanC. I. $e o!ene his mouth an unto Ea Bhe s!akeC, @. BThat whichC he ha conceive in his heart he im!arte Bunto himCG ;. 1#y bloo will ' take an bone will ' BfashionC, =. 1' will make man, that man may ... B...C. 7. 1' will create man who shall inhabit Bthe earthC,1
!. 66 !. 68

6. 1That the service of the go s may be establishe , an that BtheirC shrines 5 Bmay be builtC. 8. 1But ' will alter the ways of the go s, an ' will change Btheir !athsC3 59. 1Together shall they be o!!resse
H

, an unto evil shall Bthey ...C.1

55. &n Ea answere him an s!ake the wor G 5H. 1B...C the B...C of the go s ' have Bchange C 5I. B...C ... an one ... B...C 5@. B...shall be eCstroye an men will ' B...C 5;. B...C an the go s B...C 5=. B...C ... an they B...C 57. B...C ... an the go s B...C 56. B...C .... B...C 58. B...C the go s B...C H9. B...C the &nunnaki B...C H5. B...C ... B...C
!. 89 !. 85

BThe rest of the text is wanting 5 with the exce!tion of the last few lines of the tablet, which rea as follows.C 5I6. B...C ... B...C 5I8. B...C ... B...C 5@9. When B...C ... B...C 5@5. They reAoice B...C ... B...C 5@H. 'n J!shukkinnaku they set Btheir wellingC. 5@I. 0f the heroic son, their avenger, Bthey crie CG 5@@. 1We, whom he succoure , ... B...CZ1 5@;. They seate themselves an in the assembly they name Bhim ...C, 5@=. They all Bcrie alou >c?, they exalte Bhim ...C. H

-ootnotes
68G5 ... literally the line rea s 1Let the service of the go s be establishe , an as for them let BtheirC shrines be built. 't is interesting to note the reason that is here im!lie for the creation of mankin ,

i.e., that the go s my have worshi!ers. There is clearly a reference to this in l. H8 of the ,eventh Tablet, where, after referring to #ar uk's mercy u!on the go s, the text goes on ... 1+or their forgiveness i he create mankin .1 68GH 't seems !referable to assign to the )iel of BkabbtuC its usual meaning 1to o!!ress,1 rather than to ren er the !assage as 1Together shall they be honoure .1 The sense seems to be that #ar uk, by the creation of man, will establish the worshi! of the go s, but at the same time will !unish the go s for their com!laints. 't is !ossible that in his s!eech that follows Ea issua es #ar uk from carrying out the secon !art of his !ro!osal. 85G5 't is !robable that the missing !ortion of the text corres!on e closely with the account of the creation of man an animals given by Berossus3 for a further iscussion of this subAect, see the 'ntro uction. The tablet K. I,I=@ >Cun. Texts, !art xiii, !l. H@ f.? has been thought to belong to the *reation ,eries, an to contain the instructions given by #ar uk to man after his creation. $a this been so, it woul have forme !art of the ,ixth Tablet. 0n !lates lxiv ff. of -ol. '' is !ublishe the text of a Deo%Babylonian tablet, Do. II,6;5, which gives a u!licate text to K. I,I=@3 an in &!!en ix '' ' have given reasons for believing that the text inscribe u!on K. I,I=@ an Do. II,6;5 has no connection with the *reation ,eries, but is !art of a long com!osition containing moral !rece!ts. &nother fragment which it has been suggeste belongs to one of the later tablets of the *reation ,eries is K. I,@@; a /. I8= >Cun. Texts, !art xiii, !l. H@ f.3 cf. also its u!licate K. 5@,8@8, !l. H@?3 but there are strong reasons against the i entification of the text as a fragment of the series Enuma elish, though it may well be !art of a !arallel version of the *reation story >see further, &!!en ix ''?. 85GH The a ress of the go s to #ar uk forms the subAect of the ,eventh Tablet of the series.

The Seventh Tablet

5. 0 &sari, 1Bestower of !lanting,1 1B+oun er of sowingC,1 H. 1*reator of grain an !lants,1 1who cause Bthe green herb to s!ring u!CZ1

I. 0 &saru%alim, 1who is revere in the house of counsel,1 1Bwho aboun eth in counselC,1 @. The go s !ai homage, fear Btook hol u!on themCZ ;. 0 &saru%alim%nuna, 1the mighty one,1 1the Light of Bthe father who begat himC,1 =. Who irecteth the ecrees of &nu, Bel, Ban EaCZ1 7. $e was their !atron, he or aine Btheir . . . . C3 6. $e, whose !rovision is abun ance, goeth forth B...CZ 8. Tutu BisC
!. 8@ !. 8; 5

1$e who create them anew31

59. ,houl their wants be !ure, then are they Bsatisfie C3 55. ,houl he make an incantation, then are the go s Ba!!ease C3 5H . ,houl they attack him in anger, he withstan eth Btheir onslaughtCZ 5I. Let him therefore be exalte , an in the assembly of the go s Blet him ...C3 5@. Done among the go s can Brival himCZ 5;. Tutu is <i%ukkina, 1the Life of the host Bof the go sC,1 5=. Who establishe for the go s the bright heavens. 57. $e set them on their way, an or aine Btheir !ath >c?C 56. Dever shall his B...C ee s be forgotten among men.
!. 8= !. 87

58. Tutu as <i%a(ag thir ly they name , 1the Bringer 5 of )urification,1 H9. 1The "o of the +avouring Bree(e,1 1the Lor of $earing an #ercy,1 H5. 1The *reator of +ulness an &bun ance,1 1the +oun er of )lenteousness,1 HH. 1Who increaseth all that is small.1 HI. 1'n sore istress we felt his favouring bree(e,1 H@. Let them say, let them !ay reverence, let them bow in humility before himZ H;. Tutu as &ga%a(ag may mankin fourthly magnifyZ H=. 1The Lor of the )ure 'ncantation,1 1the iuickener of the .ea ,1 H7. 1Who ha mercy u!on the ca!tive go s,1 H6. 1Who remove the yoke from u!on the go s his enemies,1
!. 86 !. 88

H8. 1+or their forgiveness i he create mankin ,1 I9. 1The #erciful 0ne, with whom it is to bestow lifeZ1 I5. #ay his ee s en ure, may they never be forgotten IH. 'n the mouth of mankin
5

whom his han s have ma eZ

II. Tutu as #u%a(ag, fifthly, his 1)ure 'ncantation1 may their mouth !roclaim, I@. 1Who through his )ure 'ncantation hath estroye all the evil onesZ1 I;. ,hag%(u, 1who knoweth the heart of the go s,1 1who seeth through the innermost !artZ1 I=. 1The evil% oer he hath not cause to go forth with himZ1

I7. 1+oun er of the assembly of the go s,1 1Bwho ...C their heartZ 1 I6. 1,ub uer of the isobe ient,1 1B...CZ1 I8. 1Who rebellion an B...CZ1
!. 599 !. 595

@5. Tutu as <i%si, 1the B...C, @H. 1Who !ut an en to anger,1 1Bwho ...CZ1 @I. Tutu as ,uh%kur, thir ly, 1the B.estroyer of the foeC,1 @@. 1Who !ut their !lans to confusion,1 1B...C,1 @;. 1Who estroye all the wicke ,1 1B...C,1 @=. B...C let them B...CZ @7. B...C ... B...C BThe following lines are taken from the fragment K. 5H,6I9, but their !osition in the text is uncertain.C B$e name the four 2uarters >of the worl ?C, mankin Bhe create C, B&n u!onC him un erstan ing B...C B...C ... B...C B...C Tiamat B...C B...C ... B...C B...C istant B...C B...C may B...C.
!. 59H !. 59I

BThe following lines are taken from the fragment K. 5I,7=5.C B...C >59? 5 B...C 1The mighty one B...CZ1 ... &giBl ...C, 1The *reator of Bthe earth ...CZ1 <ulummu ... B...C, 1The "iver of counsel an of whatsoever B...CZ1 #ummu, 1the *reator Bof ...CZ1 #ulil, the heavens B...C, 1Who for ... B...CZ1 "ishkul, let B...C, >59? 1Who brought the go s to naughtB...CZ1 Lugal%ab%B...C, 1Who in B ............ CZ1 )a!%B...C, 1Who in B...CZ1

B...C
!. 59@ !. 59;

BThe following lines are taken from the fragment K. 6,;58 an its u!licate K. 5I,II73 this !ortion of the text was not se!arate by much from that !reserve by K. 5I,7=5.C B...C. B...C ... B... the *hief >c? ofC all lor s,1 B... su!remeC is his mightZ BLugal% urmah, 1the KingC 5 of the ban of the go s,1 1the Lor of rulers,1 1Who is exalte in a royal habitation,1 1BWhoC among the go s is gloriously su!remeZ1 B& u%nunaC, 1the *ounsellor of Ea,1 who create the go s his fathers, Jnto the !ath of whose maAesty
!. 59= !. 597

BDoC go can ever attainZ B... inC .ul%a(ag he ma e it known, B...C !ure is his wellingZ B... the ...C of those without un erstan ing is Lugal% ul%a(agaZ B...C su!reme is his mightZ B...C their B...C in the mi st of Tiamat, B...C ... of the battleZ BThe numbering of the following lines is base on the marginal numbers u!on Do. 85,5I8. a 8I,97I.C 59;. B...C ... B...C him, 59=. B...C ... the star, which Bshineth in the heavensC. 597. #ay he hol the Beginning an the +uture 5, may they H !ay homage unto him, 596. ,aying, 1$e who force his way through the mi st of Tiamat Bwithout restingC,
!. 596 !. 598

598. 1Let his name be Dibiru, 'the ,ei(er of the #i st'Z 559. 1+or the stars of heaven he u!hel the !aths, 555. 1$e she!her e all the go s like shee!Z 55H. 1$e con2uere Tiamat, he trouble an en e her life,1 55I. 'n the future of mankin , when the ays grow ol , 55@. #ay this be hear without ceasing, may it hol sway for everZ 55;. ,ince he create the realm >of heaven? an fashione the firm earth,
!. 559 !. 555

55=. 1The Lor of the Worl ,1 the father BFl hath calle his name. 557. >This? title, which all the ,!irits of $eaven !roclaime ,

556. .i Ea hear, an his s!irit was reAoice , >an he sai ?G 558. 1$e whose name his fathers have ma e glorious, 5H9. 1,hall be even as ', his name shall be EaZ 5H5. 1The bin ing of all my ecrees shall he control, 5HH. 1&ll my comman s shall he make knownZ 1 5HI. By the name of 1+ifty1 i the great go s 5H@. )roclaim his fifty names, they ma e his !ath !re%eminent.1 5

(0ilog%e
5H;. Let them H be hel in remembrance, an let the first man !roclaim them3
!. 55H !. 55I

5H=. Let the wise an the un erstan ing consi er them togetherZ 5H7. Let the father re!eat them an teach them to his son3 5H6. Let them be in the ears of the !astor an the she!her Z 5H8. Let a man reAoice in #ar uk, the Lor of the go s, 5I9. That he may cause his lan to be fruitful, an that he himself may have !ros!erityZ 5I5. $is wor stan eth fast, his comman is unaltere 3 5IH. The utterance of his mouth hath no go ever annulle . 5II. $e ga(e in his anger, he turne not his neck3 5I@. When he is wroth, no go can withstan his in ignation. 5I;. Wi e is his heart, broa is his com!assion3
!. 55@ !. 55;

5I=. The sinner an evil% oer in his !resence B...C. 5I7. They receive instruction, they s!ake before him, 5I6. B...C unto B...C. 5I8. B...C of #ar uk may the go s B...C. 5@9. B#ayC they B... his C name B...CZ 5@5. B...C they took an B...C3 5@H. B...CZ 5

-ootnotes
8IG5 The title Tutu is there ex!laine as ba'a'nu, 1 creator,1 while its two com!onent !arts >TJ a TJ? occur in the ,umerian version of the line as the e2uivalents of la'nu'u an e'di'shu. 87G5 The text of the commentary rea mu')in, i.e. 1the +oun er of )urification13 for other variant rea ings in the line, see &!!en ix '. 88G5 Literally, 1the black%hea e ones.1 59IG5 'n the margin of the fragment K. 5I,7=5 every tenth line is in icate by the figure 159.1

59;G5 The wor durmahu was em!loye as a Babylonian !riestly title. 't may here be ren ere by some such general !hrase as 1ruler,1 unless it is to be taken as a !ro!er name. 597G5 ... The ex!ression r.shu'ar)-t, literally 1the beginningKthe future,1 may be taken as im!lying #ar uk's com!lete control over the worl , both at its creation an uring its subse2uent existence. 't is !ossible that s'u'nu is the !ronominal suffix an shoul be attache to the !rece ing wor , i.e. rFsh%arkbtu%shu%nu, 1their beginning an future,1 that is, 1the beginning an future of mankin .1 597GH '.e., mankin . 555G5 +rom the commentary /. I==, etc., an the ex!lanatory text ,. 7@7, it may be conclu e that the ,eventh Tablet, in its original form, en e at 5. 5H@. 't is !robable that ll. 5H;%5@H were a e as an e!ilogue at the time when the com!osition was incor!orate in the *reation ,eries >see &!!en ix '?. 555GH '.e., the names of #ar uk. 55;G5 This is !robably the last line of the tablet. 't may here be note that, for the text of the ,eventh Tablet given in the !rece ing !ages, only those fragments have been use which are !rove by the commentaries to contain missing !ortions of the text. ,everal other fragments, which from their contents an style of writing may !ossibly belong to co!ies of the text, have not been. inclu e . The text of one such fragment >,. H,95I? is of !eculiar interest an is given in &!!en ix ''3 in l. 59 f. it refers to Ti'amat e'li'ti an Ti'amat shap'li'ti, 1The 0cean >Tiamat? which is above1 an 1The 0cean >Tiamat? which is beneath,1 a close !arallel to 1the waters which were above the firmament1 an 1the waters which were un er the firmament1 of "en. i, 73 see the 'ntro uction.

"ther #$$o%nts of the History of Creation

, #nother 1ersion of the *ragon.2yth
0B-.
1

'. The cities sighe , men B...C, H. #en uttere lamentation, Bthey ...C, I. +or their lamentation there was none Bto hel!C, @. +or their grief there was none to take Bthem by the han C. ;. Who was the ragon B...Cc =. Tiamat H was the ragon B...CZ 7. BFl in heaven hath forme B...C. 6. +ifty kas!u in his length, one kas!u Bhis heightC, I
!. 556 !. 558

8. ,ix cubits is his mouth, twelve cubits Bhis ...C, 59. Twelve cubits is the circuit of his Bears ...C3 55. +or the s!ace of sixty cubits he B...C a bir 3 5H. 'n water nine cubits ee! he raggeth B...C. 5I. $e raiseth his tail on high B...C3 5@. &ll the go s of heaven B...C. 5;. 'n heaven the go s bowe themselves own before Bthe #oon%go ...C3 5=. The bor er of the #oon%go 's robe they hastiBly gras!e CG 57. 1Who will go an BslayC the ragon, 5 56. 1&n eliver the broa lan Bfrom ...C, 58. 1&n become king Bover ...Cc1 H9. 1"o, Tishhu, BslayC the ragon, H5. 1&n eliver the broa lan Bfrom ...C, HH. 1&n become king Bover ...Cc1 HI. 1Thou hast sent me, 0 lor , Bto ...C the raging >creatures? H of the river, H@. 1But ' know not the B...C of the .ragonZ1 BThe rest of the 0bverse an the u!!er !art of the /everse of the tablet are wanting.C
!. 5H9 !. 5H5

/E-.

5. B&n ...C o!ene his mouth an Bs!akeC unto the go H . 1,tir u! clou , an storm Ban tem!estCZ I. 1The seal of thy life Bshalt thou setC before thy face,

B...CG

@. 1Thou shalt gras! it, an thou shalt BslayC the ragon.1 ;. $e stirre u! clou , an storm Ban tem!estC, =. $e BsetC the seal of his life before his face, 7. $e gras!e it, an Bhe slewC the ragon. 6. +or three years an three months, one ay an Bone nightC H 8. The bloo of the ragon flowe B...C
I

-ootnotes
557G5 +or the text, see Cuneiform Texts, !art xiii, !l. II f., /m. H6H3 for a !revious !ublication, cf. .elit(sch, "ssyrisches 54rterbuch, !. I89 f.3 translations have been given by <immern in "unkel's %ch4pfung und Chaos, !!. @57 ff., an by :ensen in ,chra er's Keilins. Bibl., vi, !!. @@ ff. ,trictly s!eaking, the text is not a creation legen , though it gives a variant form of the !rinci!al inci ent in the history of creation accor ing to the version Enuma elish. 'n the tablet /m. H6H the fight with the ragon i not !rece e the creation of the worl , but took !lace after men ha been create an cities ha been built3 see further the 'ntro uction. 557GH The form of the name here use is T-mtu, i.e., the ,ea.1 557GI The kas!u is the s!ace that can be covere in two hours travelling, i.e., about six or seven miles. These general imensions of the si(e of the ragon are in accor ance with the statement ma e in l. 6f. of the reverse to the effect that after the ragon ha been slain his bloo flowe for more than three years. The. secon measurement in the line is taken by <immern to refer to the ragon's brea th, but, as :ensen !oints out, this is not consistent with the measurement of the mouth given in the following line. Even <immern's rea ings of =9 "&/ in l. 59 an =; "&/ in l. 55 o not ex!lain, but ren er still more anomalous, the e "&/ in l. 8. Without going into the 2uestion of the !robable length of the Babylonian cubit, it is obvious that the ragon's brea th can har ly have been given as so many miles, if its mouth only measures so many feet. This ifficulty can be got over by restoring s7r6tishu in !lace of the suggeste rupussu at the en of l. 6. We then have a consistent !icture of the ragon as a long thin snake, rearing his hea on high3 his coils might well have been believe to exten for three hun re or three hun re an fifty miles, an the raising of his hea in the air to a height of six or seven miles woul not be inconsistent with the measurement of his mouth as six cubits, i.e., some ten feet or more across. 558G5 Lines 57%58 are the a!!eal of the go s to the #oon%go 3 ll. H9%HH contain the a ress of the #oon%go to Tishhu3 an ll. HI ff. give Tishhu's answer to the #oon%go . 558GH :ensen, ri'hu'ut, which he ren ers as 1moisture.1 The !lural, dalh6ti, may !erha!s be ex!laine by su!!osing that, accor ing to this version also, the ragon ha other creatures to hel! her in the fight. 5H5G5 :ensen suggests the restoration ilu BB.lC, which he e uces from the traces u!on the tablet as !ublishe by .elit(sch3 for, as he states, the only other restoration !ossible woul be ilu $BshtaarC, an this is ren ere unlikely by the masculine form of the im!eratives in ll. H an @. This woul !rove that the slayer of the ragon was BFl, or #ar uk, in both the versions of the story. &s a matter of fact, the traces are incorrectly given by .elit(sch3 they re!resent the sign &D an not the conflate sign &D aED >cf. Cun. Txts., !t. xiii, !l. I@?, an it is not !ossible to conclu e from the text who is the hero of this version. 5H5GH :ensen suggests the restoration u B . K&,%)JC, i.e., 1for three years, three months, a ay an B . hoursC.1 The trace of the next character after u is the single iagonal we ge >cf. *un. Txts., !t. xiii, !l. I@?3 accor ing to :ensen's restoration this sign can only be the number 159,1 i.e. 4 K&,%)J, 1twenty hours,1 a not very !robable rea ing. The iagonal we ge is more !robably the beginning of the sign #', i.e. m6shu, an the en of the line may be restore as umu $K" u Bm6shu $K" C3 this may be ren ere 1one ay an one night,1 or !ossibly, as <immern in his translation suggests, 1 ay an night.1 5H5GI The lower !art of the tablet is taken u! with the common colo!hon foun u!on tablets from &shur%bani%!al's !alace.

, # )eferen$e to the Creation of the Cattle and the 3easts of the -ield 1
5. When the go s in their assembly ha ma e Bthe worl C, H. &n ha create the heavens, an ha forme Bthe earthC, H I. &n ha brought living creatures into being B...C, @. &n Bha fashione C the cattle of the fiel , an the beasts of the fiel , an the creatures Bof the cityC,K ;. &fter Bthey ha ...C unto the living creatures B...C, =. B&n between the beastsC of the fiel an the creatures of the city ha 7. B&n ha ...C all creatures, the whole of creation B...C, ivi e B...C

6. B&n ha ...C, which in the whole of my family B...C,

!. 5H@ !. 5H;

8. BThen i C Din%igi%a(ag BfashionC two small creatures B...C. 59. B&mongC all the beasts he ma e Btheir formC glorious 55. B...C the go ess "ula ... B...C 5H. B...C ... one white Ban one black ...C 5I. B...C ... one white an one black B...C 5@. B...C ... B...C BThe rest of the text is wanting.C

-ootnotes
5HIG5 +or the text, see Cuneiform Texts, !art xiii, !l. I@, ..T. @53 for a !revious !ublication, cf. .elit(sch, "ssyrische #esest0c)e, Ir e ., !. I@ f.3 an for !revious translations, see "eorge ,mith, The Chaldean "ccount of +enesis, !. 7=f., <immern in "unkel's %ch4pfung und Chaos, an :ensen in ,chra er's Keilins. Bibl., vi, !. @H f. This fragment, which "eorge ,mith suggeste might be !art of the ,eventh Tablet of the *reation ,eries, oes not belong to that series3 it contains the intro uction or o!ening lines of a text, an escribes the creation of two small creatures by Din%igi% a(ag, 1The lor of clear vision.1 The reference to the creation of cattle an beasts of the fiel is merely inci ental3 it occurs in the long o!ening sentence an in icates the !erio at which the two small creatures were ma e3 see further the 'ntro uction. 5HIGH 't is !robable, that the secon section of the text also ealt with the two small creatures whose creation is escribe in the first !aragra!h.

, # referen$e to the Creation of the 2oon and the S%n

5. When the go s &na, Enlil, an Enki
!. 5H= !. 5H7

H. Through their sure counsel an by their great comman s I. 0r aine the renewal of the #oon%go , @. The rea!!earance of the moon, an the creation of the month, ;. &n or aine the oracle of heaven an earth, =. The Dew #oon i &na cause to a!!ear, 7. 'n the mi st of heaven he behel it come forth. 6. B-ersionC. When &nu, BFl an Ea,

8. The great go s, through their sure counsel 59. +ixe the boun s of heaven an earth, 55. >&n ? to the han s of the great go s entruste 5H. The creation of the ay an the renewal of the month which they might behol , 5I. >&n ? mankin behel the ,un%go
5

in the gate of his going forth,

5@. 'n the mi st of heaven an earth they uly create >him?.

-ootnotes
5H7G5 ' is interesting to note that in the ,emitic version the creation of the sun is substitute for that of the moon, although in the !rece ing line the renewal of the month is referre to.

1, #n #ddress to the )iver of Creation 1

5. 0, thou /iver, who i st create all things, H. When the great go s ug thee out, I. They set !ros!erity u!on thy banks, @. Within thee Ea, the King of the .ee!, create his welling, ;. The eluge they sent not before thou wertZ =. +ire, an wrath, an s!len our, an terror 7. $ave Ea an #ar uk !resente unto theeZ 6. Thou Au gest the cause of mankin Z

8. 0, /iver, thou art mightyZ 0 /iver, thou art su!remeZ 0 /iver, thou art righteousZ

-ootnotes
5H8G5 This mystical river of creation was evi ently suggeste by the Eu!hrates, on the waters of which the fertility of Babylonia so largely e!en e 3 for a com!arison of similar conce!tions of a river of creation both in Egy!tian an in $ebrew mythology, see the 'ntro uction. The text forms the o!ening wor s of an incantation...

1, #nother 1ersion of the Creation of the World by 2ard%4, 1

0B-.

5. The holy house, the house of the go s, in the holy !lace ha not yet been ma e3 H . Do ree ha s!rung u!, no tree ha been create . I. Do brick ha been lai , no buil ing ha been set u!3 @. Do house ha been erecte , no city ha been built3 ;. Do city ha been ma e, .no creature ha been create . =. Di!!ur ha not been ma e, E%kur ha not been built3

7. Erech ha not been create , E%ana ha not been built3 6. The .ee! ha not been create , Eri u ha not been built3
!. 5IH !. 5II

8. 0f the holy house, the house of the go s, the habitation ha not been ma e. 59. &ll lan s were sea. 55. &t that time there was a movement in the sea3 5H . Then was Eri u ma e, an E%sagil was built, 5I. E%sagil, where in the mi st of the .ee! the go Lugal% ul%a(aga 5 welleth3 5@. The city of Babylon was built, an E%sagil was finishe . 5;. The go s, the &nunnaki, he H create at one time3 5=. The holy city, the welling, of their hearts' esire, they !roclaime su!reme. 57. #ar uk lai a ree u!on the face of the waters, 56. $e forme
!. 5I@ !. 5I;

ust an !oure it out besi e the ree .

58. That he might cause the go s to well in the habitation of their hearts' esire, H9. $e forme mankin . H5. The go ess &ruru together with him 5 create the see of mankin . HH. The beasts of the fiel an living creatures in the fiel he forme . HI. $ e create the Tigris an the Eu!hrates, an he set them in their !lace3 H@. Their names he eclare in goo ly fashion. H;. The grass, the rush of the marsh, the ree , an the forest he create , H=. The green herb of the fiel he create , H7. The lan s, the marshes, an the swam!s3 H6. The wil cow an her young, the wil calf3 the ewe an her young, the lamb of the fol 3 H8. )lantations an forests3 I9. The he%goat an the mountain%goat ... him. I5. The Lor #ar uk lai in a am by the si e of the sea, IH. B$e ...C a swam!, he ma e a marsh,
!. 5I= !. 5I7

II. B...C he brought into existence. I@. B/ee s he formCe , trees he create 3 I;. B...C he ma e in their !lace. I=. BBricks he lai C, buil ings he set u!3 I7. B$ouses he ma eC, cities he built3 I6. B*ities he ma eC, creatures he create . I8. BDi!!ur he ma eC, E%kur he built3 @9. BErech he ma e, E%anCa he built.

BThe rest of the 0bverse an the beginning of the /everse of the tablet are wanting.C
/E-.

5. B...C the ecree B...C H. B...C ... B...C If. Thy exalte minister is )a!sukal, the wise counsellor of the go s. ;. #ay Din%aha%ku E, the aughter of Ea,
!. 5I6 !. 5I8

=. )urify thee with the !ure censer, 7. &n may she cleanse thee with cleansing fireZ 6f. With a cu! of !ure water from the .ee! shalt thou !urify thy wayZ 59. By the incantation of #ar uk, the king of the hosts of heaven an earth, 55. #ay the abun ance of the lan enter into thee, 5H. &n may thy ecree be accom!lishe for everZ 5If. 0 E%(i a, thou glorious welling, thou art ear unto the hearts of &nu an 'shtarZ 5;. #ay >E(i a? shine like the heavens, may it be bright like the earth, may it Bbe gloriousC like the heart of heaven, 5=. B&n may ...C be firmly establishe Z

-ootnotes
5I5G5 ...BThisC is merely an elaborate intro uction to an incantation which was inten e to be recite in honour of E%(i a, the great tem!le of DabE at Borsi!!a. The reverse of the tablet contains the conclu ing lines of the incantation. +or a further iscussion of the legen on the obverse, see the 'ntro uction. 5IIG5 0r, Lugal% u%a(aga, 5IIGH '.e., #ar uk. 5I;G5 The ,umerian version rea s 1together with the go .1