In the beginning, only water and the mist that hovered above it existed. Father Apsu personified and ruled the sweet waters, Mother Tiamat personified and ruled the salt waters, and both waters flowed together as one. Mummu, their son, existed in the mist that covered them. Neither the heavens high above nor the firm earth below existed yet. Neither marshland nor pastureland had as yet appeared upon the waters. As yet, no huts of matted reeds had been fashioned.
Then the gods Anshar and Kishar were formed within the sweet waters of Apsu and the salt waters of Tiamat, and they emerged from the waters. In time, Anshar and Kishar became the parents of Anu, who became god of the heavens. Anu, in turn, became the father of Ea. Ea surpa**ed both his father and his grandfather, for he was wiser, more understanding, and stronger than they, and he was sk**ed in the use of magic. He became god of the earth, and he had no rival among the great gods.
The young gods joined together and had merry times. They were so rowdy that they disturbed Tiamat as they surged back and forth, and their exuberance caused her to resent their presence. As time pa**ed the Mother Goddess came to hate their behavior, but she did not know how to deal with them. She asked Apsu to talk to them, but when he tried they ignored him.
Apsu, Tiamat, and Mummu sat down together to discuss the problem. Apsu announced, "I cannot abide the way the gods are behaving! Their clamor continues incessantly both day and night, so that I can never get any sleep. I desperately need peace and quiet! Since they will not listen to my pleas, I shall have to stop their raucous activities the only way I can, by destroying them!"
Her husband's words angered Tiamat. She replied, “I understand exactly how you feel, Apsu. You know that I have complained about the same problem. However, your solution is evil! Shall we destroy the children that we ourselves created? Their manners are rude, and their activities are annoying, but we must try to be understanding."
Mummu, however, supported Apsu. "I advise you to ignore Tiamat's opinion in this matter,” he counseled. "Proceed with your plan and destroy the gods, for they show no respect for your authority. They are unruly both day and night, and their behavior gives you no peace." Apsu's face glowed with, pleasure when he heard Mummu's opinion, for he enjoyed the evil plan that he had in mind.
The gods quickly learned of Apsu and Mummu's plot against them. When they first heard the news, they cried. Then they sat in silencc, unable to think of a way to avoid their fate.
But Ea, who was the wisest, the most clever, and the most accomplished of the gods, soon thought of a way to spoil the scheme of Apsu and Mummu. First he created a magic circle to protect the gods ,and placed them safely within it. Then he recited a sacred spell upon the deep waters of Apsu, causing Apsu to fall into a sound sleep and Mummu to remain powerless.
Ea then placed Apsu in chains, removed his crown and halo, and placed them on his own head. When he had taken the symbols of kingship, he k**ed Apsu. He then bound Mummu, leading him about wherever he wished by a rope drawn through Mummu's nose.
Once he had conquered his enemies, Ea established his dwelling upon Apsu and the sweet waters that had belonged to him. There, deep within the waters, he rested peacefully with his wife, Damkina. His splendid house became the house of destinies; his sacred room became the room of fates.
In time Ea and Damkina became the parents of Marduk, the wisest and most able of all of the gods. Even though he was born fully grown, goddesses fed Marduk from the day of his birth and made him awesome to behold. From the beginning, Marduk appeared to be a natural leader, and as soon as Ea saw his son, his paternal heart filled with gladness. Ea made Marduk a double god so that he would surpa** all the other gods in form and in strength. Four sparkling eyes shone forth from Marduk's face, enabling him to see everything, and four large ears extended outward, enabling him to hear everything. Whenever Marduk moved his lips, fire blazed forth from his mouth.
“Our son is the sun of the heavens!" Ea exclaimed. Indeed, Marduk wore the halos of ten gods upon his head, so that the brightness of his rays was awesome to behold. He inspired terror as well as majesty in all who beheld him.
Meanwhile, Anu created the winds of the north, south, east, and west, and these tempests violently disturbed Tiamat's waters. When some of the gods suffered in the dreadful windstorms and could find no rest, they designed evil within their hearts.
Led by Kingu, they said to their mother, “When Ea and the gods who helped him k**ed Apsu, our father, you allowed them to do it. Now Anu has created this terrible fourfold wind, which disturbs your body and keeps us awake, and you have allowed him to do it. Our eyes are weary from lack of sleep! Apparently you do not love us, for you do nothing! Think about your husband and Mummu, whom those gods defeated. You have been left all alone! Why not rouse yourself and, avenge Apsu and Mummu by attacking the gods? We will support you!"
Tiamat was very pleased to hear these words of encouragement. "You have given me good counsel," she replied. HI will create monsters to help us, and then we will fight against those gods!"
The rebellious gods now felt free to express their anger. They met in a**embly, both day and night, in order to plan their revolt.
Meanwhile, Tiamat created monster serpents as her invincible weapons. She filled their bodies with venom instead of blood and gave them sharp teeth and long fangs. She fashioned terrifying dragons and crowned them with halos like the gods, so that anyone who looked upon them would perish from fright. Once the serpents stood upright, no one would be able to stand against them. She created eleven monsters in all: the viper, the dragon, the sphinx, the great lion, the mad dog, the scorpion-man, three mighty storm demons, the dragonfly, and the centaur.
Then Tiamat chose Kingu to be commander-in-chief of her monsters and the rebellious gods. “I have cast my spell upon you, Kingu,” she told him. "I have given you the power to counsel all the gods in the a**embly. You now rule supreme and are my only companion. Your command will be everlasting, and your word will endure!" With these words, Tiamat fastened the Tablet of Destinies upon Kingu's chest.
In this way, Tiamat prepared to fight against her children in order to avenge the d**h of Apsu. Knowing nothing of fear, the monsters gathered around her and marched at her side. They were angry and ready for battle. Tiamat exclaimed, "May your great poison conquer our enemies!"
As soon as Ea heard that Tiamat and Kingu were leading a revolt against the gods, he went to Anshar, his grandfather, and informed him of their preparations for battle. Anshar was very concerned. "Ea, you have k**ed Apsu, and now you must k** Kingu, who marches at the head of Tiamat's forces!"
Ea tried his best to please his grandfather. But as soon as he saw Tiamat and her forces, his heart filled with terror, and he could not summon the courage to face them. Ashamed of his cowardice, he retreated and returned to Anshar. "Tiamat, Kingu, and Tiamat's monster serpents will never respond to my magic!" he exclaimed. "They are much more powerful than I am!"
Then Anshar turned to Anu and said, "You are both courageous and strong! Take a stand against Tiamat. Surely you can resist Kingu's attack!"
Anu obeyed his father's command and took the road to Tiamat. However, when he saw her terrifying forces, he did not have the courage to face her. Like Ea, he returned to Anshar in shame. “I am not strong enough to carry out your wishes," he confessed.
Anshar, Anu, and Ea sat in silence. "No god,” they thought, “can face Tiamat and her forces in battle and survive!”
Finally Anshar' joyfully exclaimed, "Marduk, the hero, will avenge us! He is very strong, and he is great in battle! Ea, bring your son before us!"
When Marduk stood before them, he announced, “Do not be concerned. I shall go and carry out your heart's desire! After all, it is not as if a male has come against you. Tiamat, for all her weapons, is only a woman! So, father of the gods, rejoice and be happy. Soon you will be able to tread upon Tiamat's neck!"
“My son," Anshar replied, “you are the wisest of the gods. Calm Tiamat with your sacred spell. Take your storm chariot and go quickly. Kingu and Tiamat's monster serpents will not be able to drive you away. Defeat them!"
Marduk rejoiced to hear the words of Anshar. He replied, “Anshar, if I am to avenge you, conquer Tiamat, and save the lives of the gods, then call all of the gods to a**embly and proclaim my supreme destiny! Let my word determine the fates! Let whatever I create remain fixed. Let my command be everlasting, and let my word endure!”
Anshar called his adviser to his side and said, “Tell all 'the gods about Tiamat's revolt against us, and explain how Marduk will surely succeed where Ea and Anu have failed. Tell them to a**emble here. After we have feasted upon good bread and wine, we will decree the destinies for Marduk, our avenger."
So it came to pa** that the gods met in a**embly and glorified Marduk. First they built a princely throne for him, from which he presided. Then they said, "You, Marduk, are the most important of the great gods. Your rule is unrivaled. It has the authority of Anu, god of the sky. From this day forth, when we gather in a**embly your word will be supreme. Your decrees will be everlasting. No one among the gods will disobey your word. We grant you kingship over the entire universe. It will be within your power to raise or to bring low, to create or to destroy."
Then the gods brought forth a garment, placed it before Marduk, and said, “To prove your power, make this garment vanish and reappear. Now, reveal the extent of your power!"
Marduk then commanded the garment: "Vanish!" And it disappeared. He commanded: “Appear!" And it reappeared in one piece. When the gods saw the power of his words, they joyfully announced, “Marduk is king!" Then they gave him his throne, his sceptre, and his ceremonial robes. Finally they gave him matchless weapons to use against his enemies.
"Your weapons will not fail; you will indeed destroy your foes," they said to him. “Spare the life of the one who trusts you, but pour out the life of the god who is evil. Go now and cut off the life of Tiamat. May the winds carry her blood to secret places. May you return successful, having accomplished your purpose."
Marduk then constructed a great bow for himself, attached an arrow to it, and hung it at his side. In his right hand he grasped his mace. In his left hand he held a plant that destroyed poison. At his side he carried a net he had created to enclose Tiamat when he captured her. In front he set lightning. He filled his body with a blazing flame. Then he placed the winds of the four directions about him so that Tiamat could not escape.
Marduk then brought forth the evil wind, the whirlwind, the hurricane, the fourfold wind, the sevenfold wind, the cyclone, and the matchless wind and sent all seven winds to stir up the inside of Tiamat, goddess of the salt waters. He harnessed his team of four beasts-the Destroyer, the Relentless, the Trampler, and the Flier - to his invincible storm chariot, which inspired with terror anyone who gazed upon it. Marduk mounted his chariot, and Smiter, who was fearsome in battle, took up position at his right, while Combat, who could repel the most ardent fighters, took up position at his left. Both monsters possessed sharp teeth and tongues that dripped venom.
Finally, Marduk encased himself in a terrifying coat of armor and placed his fearsome halos upon his head. He smeared red paste upon his lips as a magical protection against the forces of evil. Last of all, he called forth the flooding rainstorm, his mighty weapon. Then he set forth to meet the raging Tiamat.
The sight of Marduk sent terror into Kingu's heart and distracted his mind. Kingu's forces could not face Marduk's brilliance and turned away in fright.
Marduk then raised his mighty weapon, .the flooding rainstorm, against the enraged Tiamat and said, "Why have you begun such an evil conflict? You are attacking your own children!, Do you not love them? Sons arc fighting against their fathers, and you have no cause to hate them! You have conferred upon Kingu a rank to which he is not rightfully entitled. Although you are armed with weapons and surrounded by your forces, I ask you to stand against me in single combat!"
At these words, Tiamat lost her senses. Her legs shook and she cried aloud, using all of her magic. Then Tiamat and Marduk fought in single combat. Marduk spread out his net to enfold her. When Tiamat opened her mouth to consume him, Marduk drove the evil wind into her mouth in order to keep it open. The other winds entered Tiamat's body, broadly extending it. Marduk then shot her with his bow. The arrow tore into her stomach and ripped through her body, splitting her heart and k**ing her.
Marduk then threw down Tiamat's body and stood upon it. Once she was dead the gods who had marched at her side retreated in terror, desperately attempting to save their own lives. But Marduk's forces encircled them and permitted no escape. Marduk took the rebellious gods prisoner, smashed their weapons, and confined them in his net. Then he imprisoned them in cells.
Marduk bound with chains the band of eleven demons who had marched on Tiamat's right, then trampled their bodies. He imprisoned Kingu, took from him the Tablet of Destinies-which was not rightfully his-sealed the Tablet, and fastened it upon his own breast.
Once Marduk had subdued all his enemies, he returned to Tiamat, stamped on her legs, and crushed her skull with his mace. When he had severed her arteries, the north wind bore her blood to the secret places. Marduk then divided Tiamat's body into two parts like a shellfish. Half of Tiamat he set up as the sky; the other half he formed into the earth. From Tiamat's saliva, he created the clouds and filled them with water, but he himself took charge of the winds, the rain, and the cold. He put Tiamat's head into position to form the mountains of the earth, and he caused the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers to flow from her eyes.
Marduk then directed Anu to rule the heavens, Ea to rule the earth, and Enlil to rule the air between heaven and earth. He divided the year into months and days. He caused the moon, Sin, to shine at night in various phases as away of marking the days of the month. He created the sun, giving the days to Shamash as he had given the nights to Sin.
When he had created order in the universe, Marduk handed over the shrines he created to Ea. The Tablet of Destinies he gave to Anu. He restored the bound gods who had helped Tiamat to their fathers. Finally, he turned Tiamat's eleven monsters into statues to remind the gods of the futility of revolt.
When he returned to Anu, Enlil, and Ea, Marduk announced, "I have hardened the ground in order to build a luxurious house and temple where you will spend the night whenever you descend from heaven and meet in a**embly. I will call my temple Babylon, which means 'the houses of the great gods.' Sk**ed craftsmen will build it."
The gods asked Marduk, "Who will have authority in the temple you have built? Who will have your power on the earth that you have created? Establish Babylon as our home forever! Let someone bring us our daily ration, and we will continue to, perform the tasks that we have always performed. Let Ea, who is sk**ful in all crafts, prepare the plans for Babylon, and we will be the workers."
Marduk's heart 'filled with joy to hear their response. “I will collect blood and create bones,” he said to Ea, "and from them, I will create a savage and call him 'man.' His job will be to serve the gods so that they may rest at ease."
'Ea, the wise, replied, “Call the gods to a**embly. Tell them to give us the god who led Tiamat to rebel. Let that god perish so that human beings can be formed out of his blood!'
When Marduk had a**embled the gods, he said, "Declare under oath who among you devised the revolt and led Tiamat to rebel. Deliver him to me to take the responsibility, the blame, and the punishment upon himself. The rest of you will then be-able to live in peace."
The gods who had rebelled revealed that the instigator of their revolt had been Kingu. Then they bound him and presented him to Marduk and Ea.
Ea k**ed Kingu, severed his blood vessels, and fashioned the first human beings out of Kingu's blood. Then Ea explained to them that the purpose of their lives was to serve the gods.
The gods had now been freed for a life of ease. But first, in order to honor Marduk and thank him for saving them, they worked for two years to construct Babylon, their earthly home. When the temple was completed, the gods gathered within its walls and celebrated. Then they praised Marduk's destiny.
"May Marduk rule unsurpa**ed among the gods/' they declared. "May he shepherd the human race that he created. May he establish for them the rites of religious worship: the food to be offered, the incense to be smelled, and the sacred spells to be recited. May all human beings remember to praise and revere Marduk to the end of days. May they serve and support their gods and tend their sanctuaries without fail. May they improve their lands, build their shrines, and remember the Mother Goddess.”
The gods concluded their celebration by proclaiming the fifty names and qualities that Marduk possessed, for they wished to honor their supreme god's glorious ways and deeds. Finally they said, "Let the shepherd and the herdsman rejoice in Marduk so that their lands may be fertile and they may prosper. The command of Marduk is unalterable; whatever he says, no god shall change. Vast is his mind, and broad is his sympathy. Yet when Marduk is angry, no god can withstand his wrath. Let Marduk's command be supreme, both in the heavens above and upon the earth below, for Marduk has destroyed Tiamat and has achieved everlasting kingship."