Ancient texts / Enuma Elish (The Babylonian Epic of Creation)
Enuma Elish (The Babylonian Epic of Creation) Tablet VI
Marduk resolves to make humankind from blood and bone 'that the service of the gods may be established'. Kingu, who led Tiamat's revolt, is executed and people are fashioned from his blood.
1On hearing the words of the gods, the heart of Marduk moved him to carry out the works of a craftsman.✦ Genesis 2:7
2He opened his mouth, he spake to Ea that which he had planned in his heart, he gave counsel [saying]:
3"I will solidify blood, I will form bone.
4"I will set up man, 'Man' [shall be] his name.
5"I will create the man 'Man.'✦ Genesis 1:26
6"The service of the gods shall be established, and I will set them (i.e., the gods) free.
7"I will make twofold the ways of the gods, and I will beautify [them].
8"They are [now] grouped together in one place, but they shall be partitioned in two."
9Ea answered and spake a word unto him
10For the consolation of the gods he repeated unto him a word of counsel [saying]:
11"Let one brother [god of their number] be given, let him suffer destruction that men may be fashioned.
12"Let the great gods be assembled, let this [chosen] one be given in order that they (i.e., the other gods) may be established."
13Marduk assembled the great gods, [he came near] graciously, he issued a decree,
14He opened his mouth, he addressed the gods; the King spake a word unto the Anunnaki [saying]:
15"Verily, that which I spake unto you aforetime was true.
16"[This time also] I speak truth. [Some there were who] opposed me.
17"Who was it that created the strife,
18"Who caused Tiamat to revolt, to join battle with me?
19"Let him who created the strife be given [as sacrifice],
20"I will cause the axe in the act of sinking to do away his sin."
21The great gods, the Igigi, answered him,
22Unto the King of the gods of heaven and of earth, the Prince of the gods, their lord [they said]:
23"[It was] Kingu who created the strife,
24"Who made Tiamat to revolt, to join battle [with thee]."
25They bound him in fetters [they brought] him before Ea, they inflicted punishment on him, they let his blood,
26From his blood he (i.e., Ea) fashioned mankind for the service of the gods, and he set the gods free.
27After Ea had fashioned man he ... laid service upon him.
28[For] that work, which pleased him not, man was chosen: Marduk ...
29Marduk, the King of the gods, divided ... he set the Anunnaki up on high.
30He laid down for Anu a decree that protected [his] heart ... as a guard.
31He made twofold the ways on the earth [and in the heavens?]
32By decrees ...
33The Anunnaki who ...
34The Anunnaki ...
35They spake unto Marduk, their lord, [saying]:
36"O thou Moon-god (Nannaru), who hast established our splendour,
37"What benefit have we conferred upon thee?
38"Come, let us make a shrine, whose name shall be renowned;
39"Come [at] night, our time of festival, let us take our ease therein,
40"Come, the staff shall rule ...
41"On the day that we reach [thereto] we will take our ease therein."
42On hearing this Marduk ...
43The features of his face [shone like] the day exceedingly.
44[He said], "Like unto ... Babylon, the construction whereof ye desire
45"I will make ... a city, I will fashion a splendid shrine."
46The Anunnaki worked the mould [for making bricks], their bricks were ...
47In the second year [the shrine was as high as] a hill, and the summit of E-Sagila reached the [celestial] Ocean.
48They made the ziggurat [to reach] the celestial Ocean; unto Marduk, Enlil, Ea [shrines] they appointed,
49It (i.e., the ziggurat) stood before them majestically: at the bottom and [at the top] they observed its two horns.
50After the Anunnaki had finished the construction of E-Sagila, and had completed the making of their shrines,
51They gathered together from the ... of the Ocean (Apsu). In BAR-MAH, the abode which they had made,
52He (i.e., Marduk) made the gods his fathers to take their seats ... [saying]: "This Babylon shall be your abode.
53"No mighty one [shall destroy] his house, the great gods shall dwell therein.
94"Whatever is ... those gods and goddesses shall bear(?)
95"They shall never forget, they shall cleave to the god (?)
96"... they shall make bright, they shall make shrines.
97"Verily, the decision (concerning) the Black-headed [belongeth to] the gods
98"... all our names have they called, he (Marduk) is most holy (elli)
99"... they proclaimed and venerated (?) his names.
100"His ... is exceedingly bright, his work is ...
101"Marduk, whose father Anu proclaimed [his name] from his birth,
102"Who hath set the day at his door ... his going,
103"By whose help the storm wind was bound ...
104"Delivered the gods his fathers in the time of trouble.
105"Verily, the gods have proclaimed his sonship.
106"In his bright light let them walk for ever.
107"[On] men whom he hath formed, the created things fashioned by his fingers
108"He hath imposed the service of the gods, and them he hath set free
109"...
110"... they looked at him,
111"[He is] the far-seeing (maruku) god, verily ...
112"Who hath made glad the hearts of the Anunnaki, who hath made them to ...
113"The god Marudukku--verily, he is the object of trust of his country ...
114"Let men praise him ...
115"The 'King of the Protecting Heart,' (?), hath arisen and hath [bound] the Serpent ...
116"Broad is his heart, mighty [his] belly.
117"King of the gods of heaven and of earth, whose name our company hath proclaimed,
118"We will fulfil (?) the utterance of his mouth. Over his fathers the gods,
119"Yea, [over] the gods of heaven and earth, all of them,
120"His kingship [we will exalt].
121"[We] will look unto the King of all the heaven and the earth at night when the place of all the gods is darkness (literally sadness).
122"He hath assigned our dwelling in heaven and in earth in the time of trouble,
123"He hath allotted stations to the Igigi and the Anunnaki.
124"The gods themselves are magnified by his name; may he direct their sanctuaries.
125"ASAR-LU-DUG, is his name by which his father Anu hath named him.
126"Verily, he is the light of the gods, the mighty ...
127"Who ... all the parts of heaven and of the land
128"By a mighty combat he saved our dwelling in the time of trouble.
129"ASAR-LU-DUG, the god who made him (i.e. man) to live, did the god ... call him in the second place
130"[And] the gods who had been formed, whom he fashioned as though [they were] his offspring.
131"He is the Lord who hath made all the gods to live by his holy mouth."
140In Up-shukkinaku he appointed their council for them.
141[They said]:--"Of [our] son, the Hero, our Avenger,
142"We will exalt the name by our speech."
143They sat down and in their assembly they proclaimed his rank.
144Every one of them pronounced his name in the sanctuary.
After line 53 the middle portions of several lines of text are obliterated, but from what remains of it it is clear that the gods partook of a meal of consecration of the shrine of E-Sagila, and then proceeded to issue decrees. Next Marduk assigns seats to the Seven Gods of Fate and to Enlil and Anu, and then he lays up in E-Sagila the famous bow which he bore during his fight against Tiamat. When the text again becomes connected we find the gods singing a hymn of praise to Marduk.
Lines 132-139 are too fragmentary to translate, but it is clear from the text that remains that Lakhmu, and Lakhamu, and Anshar all proclaimed the names of Marduk. When the text again becomes connected Marduk has just been addressing the gods.
Editorial restorations by the translator are in [square brackets]; “…” and italic notes mark where the tablet is broken. Bracketed scene-headings are the translator's, not part of the text.