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

Summary

This 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.