My Favorite Creation Story

[BluePhantom]

Let me relate to you the main summary of my favorite story of creation. Here are the main points:

- There was an area of great beauty, peace, and fertility but as there was no water, no vegetation had grown.
- Four rivers sprung up in the area and a lush fertile garden was created and thus was created paradise.
- The rivers flowed into the world creating fertile grounds all over earth.
- The the garden grew many trees bearing lush, tempting fruits that were not to be eaten
- The fruits were eaten, however, and a terrible curse afflicted those who ate the fruits.
- A woman was born from the rib of a man and she was called "she who makes all live".

It is a story about the inability to control desires and the disaster that comes from that inability. It is a story about responsibility in which innocence and the loss of innocence plays an incredibly large theme. It's a story about honoring the supreme ruler and what happens if you don't.

The story of course is the Sumerian epic of Enki and Ninhursag (ca. 3,000 BC - give or take half a millennium or two), predating a strangely similar story in Genesis by a good 2,000 years. There are several versions of the story (which is to be expected as the legend is probably over 5,000 years old). I have provided some interesting links to different versions below.

It's a great story. Draw whatever conclusions you wish.

Enki and Ninhursag - www.GatewaysToBabylon.com
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
Enki and Ninhursag

 

[Mr. H.]

Does a story of Creation exist without such bloated, obtuse allegory?

 

[BluePhantom]

Does a story of Creation exist without such bloated, obtuse allegory?

Of course not. LOL. But cut history some slack and consider how it all came to be. The story of Enki and Ninhursag was probably first told around a campfire to the people of a village. The first telling was probably not as detailed and romantic as the story that comes to us a couple thousand years later. The story was told and re-told, passed down by oral tradition and in each telling new elements were added to enhance it. As it kept getting passed down the story got better and better...new elements were added that explained other concepts.

We can imagine perhaps a Sumerian trader going to a foreign land to trade goods and at night when everyone was telling stories this trader told them the story of Enki and Ninhursag...perhaps to an Akkadian or Babylonian audience. They took the story and adjusted it to fit their culture and their gods. Enki becomes Ea, for example. Critical moral lessons from the Sumerian version are adjusted to fit the new culture. And so it goes from the Sumerians to the Akkadians, to the Babylonians, to the Canaanites, to the Hebrews where they tell the story in their oral tradition according to their specific culture for centuries. Finally it starts to get written down because now they have things like papyrus instead of clay tablets meaning stories can be easily transported and more widely circulated.

Over that transitional period of a couple thousand years the story grow and grows, evolves, is transformed to reflect the cultural and moral codes of each society so that by the time it gets written down it has evolved from a quick story to...as you put it...a bloated, obtuse, allegory specific to the norms and mores of the society that is writing it down.

No creation stories don't exist without bloated, obtuse, allegory...what would be the fun in that? If they didn't have those qualities, they wouldn't have survived.

 

[September]

My favorite creation story is the ancient Babalonian creation epic, the Enûma Eliš, aka the Epic of Creation.

The original translation was from very ancient tablets, and was far more poetic than this, but here is my own rough summary:

-The primordial Gods were Apsu (abzu) and Tiamat. Apsu could be envisioned as a great draconic freshwater god, and Tiamat can be envisioned as a great draconic saltwater creatrix goddess of Chaos.

-They mixed their waters and gave birth to the younger Gods, who in turn gave birth to more younger gods, and eventually the mighty Anu, Enki, and Enlil were born, among many others.

-Over time, Apsu became upset with the behavior of the younger Gods, and plotted to destroy them.

-Tiamat pleaded on behalf of her children, the younger Gods, and a conflict stirred within the heart of Apsu.

-Enki, god of magicians and sorcery, learned of this and made a move to destroy Apsu first.

-He cast a spell upon his father Apsu, slew him, and built a great temple/ palace over the primordial waters that was his body.

-Tiamat became enraged, and declared war upon the younger Gods. Tiamat created an army of eleven monsterous draconic and demonic beings, and promoted a god called Kingu to be their General. Tiamat gave Kingu the Tablets of Destiny, which possessed a great many powers of Creation.

-Enki, who began the conflict, was sent by the younger gods to determine how powerful Tiamat's army was, but returned in fear, reporting that he stood no match against her. It seemed that all hope was lost.

-The younger gods gathered together and sought among themselves a Chosen One who would save them from Tiamat and her monstrous army.

-One of the younger gods, Marduk, decided to embrace his destiny and defend the younger gods against Tiamat. The younger Gods rejoiced.

-The younger Gods armed Marduk with seven winds, lightning, a storm chariot, and various other weapons and powers.

-Marduk stood mightier, taller, and more fearsome than any of the other Gods. He had four eyes, his limbs were impossible to perceive, his insides were filled with fire, and flames erupted from his mouth.

-He entered his storm chariot and set off into the primordial abyss to do battle with Tiamat and save the younger gods from destruction.

-Tiamat and her army saw Marduk flying towards her from a distance. Marduk looked magnificant and more powerful than anything they had ever seen. He shouted to Tiamat and his voice carried through the Heavens, challenging her to single combat.

-Tiamat accepted, and began screaming at Marduk with powerful voices, and began casting a number of spells towards him, blasting terrible magick at him and brightening up the Heavens with her power.

-Marduk valiantly dodged her attacks and hurled lightning at her. An epic battle commenced in Heaven, and all the Gods watched the duel that would determine the Fate of all that was and all that would be.

-Marduk summoned the mightiest of winds and used them to hold open Tiamat's jaws. He then shot an arrow of Light at her, striking her heart and ultimately killing her.

-Marduk emerged victorious.

-Marduk took from Kingu the Tablets of Destiny, and used them to rearrange the Cosmos. He divided the kingdom of Heaven amongst the Gods, and, using the body of Tiamat, created the Earth and the galaxy around it.

-He then approached Kingu and slew him, and, by mixing Kingu's blood with clay, created humanity.

​

 

[BluePhantom]

Mr H allow me to tell you of another great creation story. This one I don't like as much as Enki and Ninhursag but I like it a lot. Let me give you the main points.

- In the beginning there was a chaos. There was no form. All was just a void. There was no separation between deep waters and light waters

- Separation was formed and the almighty separated between the heavens and earth. Then he separated between water and dry ground.

- Then he created light and distinguished between night and day

- He created an earthly paradise and created vegetation and all manner of beasts

- He created mankind to inhabit this paradise that they may praise him.

I am speaking of course of Marduk the Babylonian god and referencing Apsu and Tiamat the gods of fresh and salt waters as is told in a very entertaining and thorough manner in the Enuma Elis, again some 2,000 years or so before a very similar story in Genesis started to appear. Surely, you can grasp that I am making a point.

ENUMA ELISH

 

[BluePhantom]

My favorite creation story is the ancient Babalonian creation epic, the Enûma Eliš, aka the Epic of Creation.

The original translation was from very ancient tablets, and was far more poetic than this, but here is mg own rough summary:

-The primordial Gods were Apsu (abzu) and Tiamat. Apsu could be envisioned as a great draconic freshwater god, and Tiamat can be envisioned as a great draconic saltwater creatrix goddess of Chaos.

-They mixed their waters and gave birth to the younger Gods, who in turn gave birth to more younger gods, and eventually the mighty Anu, Enki, and Enlil were born, among many others.

-Over time, Apsu became upset with the behavior of the younger Gods, and plotted to destroy them.

-Tiamat pleaded on behalf of her children, the younger Gods, and a conflict stirred within the heart of Apsu.

-Enki, god of magicians and sorcery, learned of this and made a move to destroy Apsu first.

-He cast a spell upon his father Apsu, slew him, and built a great temple/ palace over the primordial waters that was his body.

-Tiamat became enraged, and declared war upon the younger Gods. Tiamat created an army of eleven monsterous draconic and demonic beings, and promoted a god called Kingu to be their General. Tiamat gave Kingu the Tablets of Destiny, which possessed a great many powers of Creation.

-Enki, who began the conflict, was sent by the younger gods to determine how powerful Tiamat's army was, but returned in fear, reporting that he stood no match against her. It seemed that all hope was lost.

-The younger gods gathered together and sought among themselves a Chosen One who would save them from Tiamat and her monstrous army.

-One of the younger gods, Marduk, decided to embrace his destiny and defend the younger gods against Tiamat. The younger Gods rejoiced.

-The younger Gods armed Marduk with seven winds, lightning, a storm chariot, and various other weapons and powers.

-Marduk stood mightier, taller, and more fearsome than any of the other Gods. He had four eyes, his limbs were impossible to perceive, his insides were filled with fire, and flames erupted from his mouth.

-He entered his storm chariot and set off into the primordial abyss to do battle with Tiamat and save the younger gods from destruction.

-Tiamat and her army saw Marduk flying towards her from a distance. Marduk looked magnificant and more powerful than anything they had ever seen. He shouted to Tiamat and his voice carried through the Heavens, challenging her to single combat.

-Tiamat accepted, and began screaming at Marduk with powerful voices, and began casting a number of spells towards him, blasting terrible magick at him and brightening up the Heavens with her power.

-Marduk valiantly dodged her attacks and hurled lightning at her. An epic battle commenced in Heaven, and all the Gods watched the duel that would determine the Fate of all that was and all that would be.

-Marduk summoned the mightiest of winds and used them to hold open Tiamat's jaws. He then shot an arrow of Light at her, striking her heart and ultimately killing her.

-Marduk emerged victorious.

-Marduk took from Kingu the Tablets of Destiny, and used them to rearrange the Cosmos. He divided the kingdom of Heaven amongst the Gods, and, using the body of Tiamat, created the Earth and the galaxy around it.

-He then approached Kingu and slew him, and, by mixing Kingu's blood with clay, created humanity.

​

Well don't you and I have like minds? Hi my name is....uh...Enki.

 

[BluePhantom]

My favorite creation story is the ancient Babalonian creation epic, the Enûma Eliš, aka the Epic of Creation.

The original translation was from very ancient tablets, and was far more poetic than this, but here is my own rough summary:

-The primordial Gods were Apsu (abzu) and Tiamat. Apsu could be envisioned as a great draconic freshwater god, and Tiamat can be envisioned as a great draconic saltwater creatrix goddess of Chaos.

-They mixed their waters and gave birth to the younger Gods, who in turn gave birth to more younger gods, and eventually the mighty Anu, Enki, and Enlil were born, among many others.

-Over time, Apsu became upset with the behavior of the younger Gods, and plotted to destroy them.

-Tiamat pleaded on behalf of her children, the younger Gods, and a conflict stirred within the heart of Apsu.

-Enki, god of magicians and sorcery, learned of this and made a move to destroy Apsu first.

-He cast a spell upon his father Apsu, slew him, and built a great temple/ palace over the primordial waters that was his body.

-Tiamat became enraged, and declared war upon the younger Gods. Tiamat created an army of eleven monsterous draconic and demonic beings, and promoted a god called Kingu to be their General. Tiamat gave Kingu the Tablets of Destiny, which possessed a great many powers of Creation.

-Enki, who began the conflict, was sent by the younger gods to determine how powerful Tiamat's army was, but returned in fear, reporting that he stood no match against her. It seemed that all hope was lost.

-The younger gods gathered together and sought among themselves a Chosen One who would save them from Tiamat and her monstrous army.

-One of the younger gods, Marduk, decided to embrace his destiny and defend the younger gods against Tiamat. The younger Gods rejoiced.

-The younger Gods armed Marduk with seven winds, lightning, a storm chariot, and various other weapons and powers.

-Marduk stood mightier, taller, and more fearsome than any of the other Gods. He had four eyes, his limbs were impossible to perceive, his insides were filled with fire, and flames erupted from his mouth.

-He entered his storm chariot and set off into the primordial abyss to do battle with Tiamat and save the younger gods from destruction.

-Tiamat and her army saw Marduk flying towards her from a distance. Marduk looked magnificant and more powerful than anything they had ever seen. He shouted to Tiamat and his voice carried through the Heavens, challenging her to single combat.

-Tiamat accepted, and began screaming at Marduk with powerful voices, and began casting a number of spells towards him, blasting terrible magick at him and brightening up the Heavens with her power.

-Marduk valiantly dodged her attacks and hurled lightning at her. An epic battle commenced in Heaven, and all the Gods watched the duel that would determine the Fate of all that was and all that would be.

-Marduk summoned the mightiest of winds and used them to hold open Tiamat's jaws. He then shot an arrow of Light at her, striking her heart and ultimately killing her.

-Marduk emerged victorious.

-Marduk took from Kingu the Tablets of Destiny, and used them to rearrange the Cosmos. He divided the kingdom of Heaven amongst the Gods, and, using the body of Tiamat, created the Earth and the galaxy around it.

-He then approached Kingu and slew him, and, by mixing Kingu's blood with clay, created humanity.

​

Seriously though goddess (and I shall refer to you that way) your summary is accurate but where it relates to further Hebrew stories of creation in Genesis there are a few thing I think you may have overlooked. The first is the final inscriptions on the tablets of the Enuma Elis. Those inscriptions lay out very significant codes for mankind (granted tablets 6 and 7 are pretty boring laying down the fifty names of Marduk and all that)...but those final inscriptions are very important as they are instructions to mankind. They demand the following:

1) Leaders must tell the people all the things that have been described in the Enumah Elis
2) Priests and sages must continue to discuss the lessons and teach them to the people
3) Fathers must tell sons of the story so that the lessons and the pact will not be forgotten
4) Mankind must give offerings to Marduk and those who rejoice in Marduk will be blessed and those who do not will suffer.

This is a critical element because it explains procedures that must be followed in order to create a covenant. Those procedures were echoed in the Code of Hammurabi as well as the covenant in Exodus. The covenant in Exodus follows a very strict legal format and represents a legal contract between God and the Hebrews and it is written in strict legal language. That language and tradition stems from the Enuma Elis. So while I love that you know the epic, I wonder if you are so wrapped up in the excitement of the war description between Marduk and Tiamat/Kingu (which I can't blame you for...it's great stuff) that you may perhaps miss the subtle establishment of law codes that are so vital in the Exodus account regarding the covenant between God and the Hebrews

 

[Mr. H.]

One would think that, through the millennia, humankind's power of reasoning and observation would result in a much more truncated picture of Creation. One that is more centered on science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and theory of the cosmos.

 

[BluePhantom]

One would think that, through the millennia, humankind's power of reasoning and observation would result in a much more truncated picture of Creation. One that is more centered on science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and theory of the cosmos.

Well the current theory of creation IS based in science, mathematics, and physics. It's the big bang. Surely you are familiar with it. According to that in the beginning there was chaos without form. There was just a void. Then the universe began to separate between "this thing" and "that thing"....wait this sounds strangely familiar.

 

[Mr. H.]

One would think that, through the millennia, humankind's power of reasoning and observation would result in a much more truncated picture of Creation. One that is more centered on science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and theory of the cosmos.

Well the current theory of creation IS based in science, mathematics, and physics. It's the big bang. Surely you are familiar with it. According to that in the beginning there was chaos without form. There was just a void. Then the universe began to separate between "this thing" and "that thing"....wait this sounds strangely familiar.

Don't get flippant with me, Brotch.