A Brief Look At The Gods of Enuma Elish And The God of The Pentateuch

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Often much is made of the so-called parallels between the Genesis account of creation and various Ancient Near Eastern texts. This is an attempt to consider a few things concerning the Enuma Elish and the Genesis account of creation.

When on high the heaven had not been named,

Firm ground below had not been called by name,

Naught but primordial Apsu, their begetter,

(And) Mummu-Tiamat, she who bore them all,

Their waters commingling as a single body;¹

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ” (Genesis 1:1)

The Enuma Elish opens with the heavens and the earth, while Genesis opens with God. The gods of Enuma Elish are not so much creators and distinct from the universe as they are begetters. Apsu begat the heavens and the firm ground, we are told. Mummu-Tiamat “bore them all.” On the other hand, the Genesis account tells us that first there was God, and He created the heavens and the earth. Instead of the world that we see being a part of God, it is made by Him. It is not derived from His substance, but was created ex nihilo.

Enuma Elish also speaks of multiple gods which had a beginning. Genesis presents to us one God who existed before space, time, and matter.

 

In the chamber of fates, the abode of destinies,

A god was engendered, most able and wisest of gods. (80)

In the heart of Apsu was Marduk³⁰ created,

In the heart of holy Apsu was Marduk created.

He who begot him was Ea, his father;

She who bore him was Damkina, his mother.²

 

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ” (Genesis 1:1)

Marduk, the god of the Babylonians, was considered to be both created and begotten. The God of Genesis, however, is seen as creating, yet not created. He is before time, space, and matter.

O Marduk, thou art indeed our avenger.

We have granted thee kingship over the universe entire.

When in Assembly thou sittest, thy word shall be supreme.³

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ” (Genesis 1:1)

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. ” (Genesis 1:28)

Marduk is established by the gods as the ruler of the universe, while the Creator God of Genesis is supreme by merit of being the Creator of all things and before all things.

 

When Marduk hears the words of the gods,

His heart prompts (him) to fashion artful works.

Opening his mouth, he addresses Ea

To impart the plan he had conceived in his heart:

“Blood I will mass and cause bones to be.

I will establish a savage, ‘man’ shall be his name.

Verily, savage-man I will create.

He shall be charged with the service of the gods That they might be at ease!

The ways of the gods I will artfully alter.

Though alike revered, into two (groups) they shall be divided.” (10)

Ea answered him, speaking a word to him,

Giving him another plan for the relief of the gods:

“Let but one of their brothers be handed over;

He alone shall perish that mankind may be fashioned.⁴

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. ” (Genesis 1:26–28)

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ” (Genesis 2:7)

Here the contrasts are again great. Marduk and the gods determine to create man. Man is savage and will be used to serve the gods that they will not have to work so much. Not only so, but man will be made by one of the gods dying. The God of Genesis creates man out of the dust of the ground, and honors him by making him reflective of the greatness of his Creator.

 

“Most exalted be the Son, our avenger;

Let his sovereignty be surpassing, having no rival.

May he shepherd the black-headed ones, his creatures.

To the end of days, without forgetting, let them acclaim his ways.

May he establish for his fathers the great food-offerings; (110)

Their support they shall furnish, shall tend their sanctuaries.

May he cause incense to be smelled, … their spells,

Make a likeness on earth of what he has wrought in heaven.

May he order the black-headed to revere him,

May the subjects ever bear in mind to speak of their god,

And may they at his word pay heed to the goddess.

May food-offerings be borne for their gods and goddesses.

Without fail let them support their gods!⁵

The gods of Enuma Elish must be supported by their creatures. They must eat. They must have relief. The God of Genesis is seen as being before time, space, and matter. Thus it is that He is recognized as needing nothing from man. Sacrifices to Him will only be acts of worship, not because He has need.

These are just a few observations that can be made concerning the differences between the Genesis account of the creation and the Enuma Elish. While there are indeed parallels between the accounts, the differences are of such degree that there should not be as much comparison between Genesis and Enuma Elish as there should be contrasts.

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