Story · Mesopotamian Mythology · 7 chapters

The Enuma Elish (the Babylonian Creation Epic)

The Enuma Elish is the great Babylonian creation epic, the 'New Year' (Akitu) festival text. In it, the gods (the 'Apsu' and the 'Tiamat' generations) are in conflict; the young gods (led by Marduk) are chosen to fight Tiamat. Marduk slays Tiamat with his bow, net, and 'rakasu' winds, splits her body in two to make the sky (upper half) and the earth (lower half), and from Kingu's blood (Tiamat's general) creates humanity. Marduk takes the 'Tablet of Destinies' and becomes the king of the gods [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗.

historical religion

Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian traditions are one layered, continuous religious world. Sumerian names survive inside Akkadian texts; the succession of 'supreme' gods (An → Enlil → Marduk) is presented as political history, not mythic replacement.

⚠ Scholars disagree

The Enuma Elish has multiple versions (Old Babylonian c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCE); the details vary [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗.

CHAPTER 01

The Primeval Waters

Apsu (the fresh water) and Tiamat (the salt water) are the two primeval waters [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗
CHAPTER 02

The Conflict

The young gods (led by Marduk) are in conflict with Tiamat's army [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗
CHAPTER 03

Marduk's Challenge

Marduk is chosen to fight Tiamat [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗
CHAPTER 04

The Slaying of Tiamat

Marduk slays Tiamat with his bow, net, and 'rakasu' winds [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗
CHAPTER 05

The Creation of the World

Marduk splits Tiamat's body in two to make the sky and the earth [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗
CHAPTER 06

The Creation of Humanity

From Kingu's blood, Marduk creates humanity [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗
CHAPTER 07

The Tablet of Destinies

Marduk takes the 'Tablet of Destinies' and becomes king of the gods [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗
Variants of this story (1)
Atrahasis (Old Babylonian)

In the Atrahasis, the creation of humanity is from Apsu's flesh (not Kingu's blood); the flood-hero is Atrahasis [S3]S3 · AtrahasisOld Babylonian c. 17th c. BCEtextOpen source ↗.

Primary sources[S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗