Enuma Elish - Genesis of Genesis - Babylonian Myths - Extra Mythology

Extra History

9 Dec 202008:12

Summary

TLDRThis script narrates the ancient Mesopotamian creation myth where Tiamat, the goddess of chaos, and Apsu, the primordial freshwater god, give birth to the younger gods. Their offspring's noise disturbs Apsu, leading him to plot their destruction with his advisor Mummu. However, the god of wisdom, Enki, thwarts this plan, leading to a divine war. Enki's son, Marduk, defeats Tiamat, creates the cosmos from her remains, and establishes a new order, including the creation of humans from the blood of Tiamat's champion. The myth reflects early cultural foundations and parallels with the biblical Genesis.

Takeaways

📜 Myths are considered foundational tales of a culture that don't align with historical records, rather than being simply untrue stories.
🌌 The narrative begins with the separation of sweet and salty waters, personified as the first gods, Opsu and Tiamat, representing order and chaos respectively.
💡 The concept of time and destiny started with the creation of the first gods, as the universe was initially devoid of time or purpose.
🔊 The young gods' loudness disturbed the peace of the elder gods, leading to a divine conflict between maintaining order and preserving peace.
🤔 Opsu, unable to tolerate the noise, conspired with his advisor Mumu to destroy the young gods, but Tiamat opposed this plan, valuing their creations.
🕵️‍♂️ Enki, the god of wisdom, foiled Opsu and Mumu's plot, leading to Opsu's death and Mumu's imprisonment, thus saving the younger gods.
🌞 Enki and his wife created Marduk, the sun god, whose power surpassed all others, symbolizing a new era of divine leadership.
🤬 Upon discovering Opsu's death, Tiamat's rage led her to wage war against the younger gods, creating monstrous beings to aid her cause.
🛡 Marduk emerged as the hero, defeating Tiamat's champion and claiming the Tablets of Destiny, which controlled fates, thus asserting his power.
🏹 Marduk's victory over Tiamat resulted in the creation of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from her divided body, symbolizing the birth of civilization.
👥 As a solution to the chaos, Marduk decided to create humans from the blood of Tiamat's champion to serve the gods and maintain order in the world.

Q & A

What is the definition of myths according to the script?
-Myths are not stories that are untrue; they are tales that don't fit neatly into the historical record and serve as a foundation to a culture.
What were the first entities in the script's creation story before the gods were named?
-The first entities were void, water, and chaos, which were more than mere matter as they were the first of the gods.
Who were the primordial gods Opsu and Tiamat, and what did they represent?
-Opsu and Tiamat were the primordial gods representing sweet fresh water and briny water full of salt, respectively, and they were the first to be separated from the void.
What was the unintended side effect of the divine procreation among the gods?
-The unintended side effect was the creation of rambunctious godlings who were extremely loud, disturbing the peace of Opsu and Tiamat.
Why did Opsu and Tiamat initially consider destroying the new gods?
-Opsu and Tiamat considered destroying the new gods because their noise was disturbing their peace and focus on divine matters.
Who was Mumu and what was his suggestion to Opsu regarding the young gods?
-Mumu was Opsu's advisor who suggested going behind Tiamat's back and destroying the young gods to restore peace.
What did Enki do to prevent the destruction of the young gods?
-Enki cast a sleeping spell on Opsu, killed him, and imprisoned Mumu, thus saving the young gods from destruction.
Who was Marduk and what role did he play in the conflict with Tiamat?
-Marduk was the god of the sun, created by Enki and his wife. He played a crucial role in defeating Tiamat and her forces in the war.
How did Marduk defeat Tiamat and what was the outcome?
-Marduk defeated Tiamat by trapping her in a net made of the four winds, killing her champion, and splitting Tiamat in two with an arrow. From her body, he created the heavens and the earth.
What was the fate of Tiamat's side in the war and how were humans created?
-Tiamat's side was charged with treason and executed, but from their blood, humans were created to serve the gods and assist in keeping order in the world.
How does the script relate the ancient myth to the biblical story of creation?
-The script suggests that the scribes who wrote Genesis knew of these ancient stories and that there are similarities between the tale of creation from water and void in the myth and the biblical account.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 Creation Myth and Divine Conflict

This paragraph delves into the origins of the universe as described in ancient mythology. It begins with the separation of sweet and salty waters, personified as the gods Opsu and Tiamat. The narrative explains the emergence of other gods and the creation of time, leading to the birth of numerous divine beings. The young gods' noise disturbs Opsu, prompting a plot to destroy them, which Tiamat initially rejects. However, Opsu's advisor Mumu suggests proceeding with the destruction behind Tiamat's back. Anki, the god of wisdom, intervenes by killing Opsu and imprisoning Mumu, thus preserving the young gods. Enki and his wife then create Marduk, the sun god, whose power surpasses all others. Tiamat, enraged by Opsu's death, decides to wage war against the younger gods, creating monstrous beings to fight on her side.

05:01

🏹 The Battle of Gods and the Birth of Humanity

The second paragraph continues the mythological tale with Marduk stepping forward to challenge Tiamat and her monstrous army. Equipped with divine weapons and the power of the sun, Marduk traps Tiamat in a net and defeats her champion, claiming the Tablets of Destiny. He then slays Tiamat, whose body gives rise to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Marduk constructs the heavens and the earth from Tiamat's remains and binds the monsters as trophies. As the new king of the universe, he assigns roles to the gods and addresses the issue of Tiamat's supporters. It is decided that the champion will be executed, and humans will be created from his blood to serve the gods and maintain order, ensuring chaos never threatens again. The paragraph concludes with a modern reference to the influence of these ancient myths on the creation story in Genesis and a humorous note about the sponsor, Blinkist, which offers condensed insights from nonfiction books.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Myths

Myths are traditional stories, often involving supernatural beings or events, that embody and provide an understanding of the cultural values, origins, or natural phenomena for a society. In the video, myths are used to explain the origins of the cosmos and the gods, serving as a narrative foundation for the Mesopotamian creation story.

💡Historical Record

The historical record refers to the documented accounts of past events and facts. The video mentions that myths don't fit neatly into the historical record, suggesting that they represent stories and beliefs that predate written history and offer a different kind of understanding of the past.

💡Primordial Gods

Primordial gods are deities that are considered to be the first beings in a creation myth, often representing the fundamental forces or elements of the universe. In the script, primordial gods like Opsu and Tiamat are the first entities that emerge from the void and chaos, setting the stage for the creation of the cosmos.

💡Chaos

Chaos, in a mythological context, often represents the state of disorder and formlessness that existed before the creation of the universe. The video describes Tiamat as the goddess of chaos, embodying the unpredictable and formless nature of the universe's beginnings.

💡Divine Creation

Divine creation refers to the process by which the universe or the world is formed by the actions of a deity or deities. The script narrates a divine creation story where Tiamat and Opsu combine to give birth to many gods, illustrating the Mesopotamian concept of the universe's origin.

💡Procreation

Procreation is the process of producing offspring. In the video, the procreation of the gods leads to an overpopulation of divine beings, which in turn causes a disturbance in the divine order and sets off a chain of events leading to conflict.

💡Tiamat

Tiamat is a primordial goddess in Mesopotamian mythology, associated with the chaos of the abyss. The video describes her as a central figure in the creation myth, who eventually wages war against the younger gods after the death of her mate, Opsu.

💡Marduk

Marduk is the patron god of Babylon and, in the video, is depicted as the son of Enki and his wife, who becomes the god of the sun. He plays a pivotal role in the script as the one who defeats Tiamat and creates order from her destruction.

💡Magical Tablets of Destiny

The Magical Tablets of Destiny are a symbol of power and control over the fates in Mesopotamian mythology. In the script, they are given to Tiamat's champion and later claimed by Marduk, signifying the transfer of authority and control.

💡Treason

Treason refers to the act of betraying one's own country, state, or sovereign, often in favor of an enemy. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe the actions of Tiamat's champion, who is charged with treason for his role in the war against the younger gods.

💡Human Creation

The creation of humans is a common theme in many mythologies, often involving the gods. In the video, humans are created from the blood of Tiamat's champion as a means to serve the gods and maintain order, illustrating the integration of divine and mortal realms.

Highlights

Myths are foundational tales of a culture that don't fit neatly into historical records.

In the beginning, there were no named heavens or earth, only void, water, and chaos.

The primordial waters were the first gods, Opsu and Tiamat, representing fresh and salt water respectively.

Divine creation occurred when Tiamat and Opsu combined, giving birth to many gods.

The young gods' noise disturbed the peace, leading to a divine conflict.

Opsu and Tiamat considered destroying the young gods for peace, but Tiamat hesitated.

Mumu, Opsu's advisor, suggested destroying the young gods behind Tiamat's back.

Enki, the god of wisdom, foiled Mumu and Opsu's plot to destroy the young gods.

Enki created Marduk, the sun god, from Opsu's remains.

Tiamat, enraged by Opsu's death, decided to wage war against the young gods.

Tiamat created 11 different monsters to destroy her children.

Marduk, armed with the four winds, defeated Tiamat's champion and claimed the Tablets of Destiny.

Marduk split Tiamat in two, creating the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Marduk built the heavens and the earth from Tiamat's corpse and assigned gods to various duties.

The gods decided to create humans from the blood of Tiamat's champion to serve them and maintain order.

The ancient gods' stories have influenced modern narratives, such as the creation story in Genesis.

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