| Lamashtu has the head of a lioness, the teeth and ears of a donkey, long fingers and nails and bird’s feet with sharp talons. She is sometimes depicted standing or supported by a donkey, while nursing a pig and a dog while holding snakes, as shown on two separate plaques from 700 BC (14c). Lamashtu’s father is Anu, (Sumerian An) the sky deity. In Talmudic literature, Nergal’s emblem is a cock (89) and Nergal means “dunghill cock.” (90) The Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh Often we hear of the infamous “Library of Alexandria” in Egypt, which was sacked by the Christians and destroyed, containing thousands of precious tablets and texts, but there was another great library put together before that time period, by Ashurbanipal in Assyria. When people say, “we lost all the great classics of ancient history at Alexandria,” it’s not completely true. We lost many great works there, granted, but the historical accounts of the creation of the world, of mankind, and the epic story of the flood, were all preserved in various places by different rulers as were many of the texts of the ancient world. It’s not like we had a library in Alexandria that was anything like the Library of Congress today. There were only so many texts and stories at the time. The Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh is one of the greatest discoveries of the last 2000 years. Approximately 30,000 tablets were recovered from this library and from this we have put together the stories of the Creation of the World (Enuma Elish), the Story of the Deluge (Atra-Hasis) and the story of the Creation of Man (Adapa and the South Wind). Included also was a version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. George Smith collected and joined enough of the pieces together to recreate a storyline in which the tablets could be understood in some context. On December 3, 1872, Smith read a paper to the Society of Biblical Archaeology, announcing the discovery of the Babylonian version of the Biblical Flood story. (91) In 1956, a Danish scholar, Jorgen Laessoe, finally put the tablets in the correct sequence to produce the full complete story that we have today. (92) The story of the Creation of the World is called by the Babylonians and Assyrians the Enuma Elish, “When in the height,” from the first two lines of the text. (93) The basis components of the Enuma Elish story of Creation are as follows: The Birth of the Gods, The Legend of Ea and Apsu, The Dragon-Myth, The Account of Creation and The Hymn to Marduk under his fifty titles. (94) We first learn about Tiamat, the dragon of the deep, who is the mother of both the heaven and the earth. The gods could not rest because their children on earth were making a commotion and Tiamat and Apsu plan to kill their children, the lesser gods. The next part brings the slaying of Tiamat by Marduk, son of Anshar. Marduk slays Tiamat and she is sacrificed (a mushroom sacrifice). Marduk then proceeds to set up the sky and the heavens with stars and constellations, making him the first celebrated male hero deity, if we consider that Gilgamesh was a mortal seeking immortality. Here are direct excerpts from the text with parts omitted for space consideration. |
Enuma Elish, the Story of Creation Tablet 1 1.) When in the height heaven was not named, 2.) And the earth beneath did not yet bear a name, 3.) And the primeval Apsu, who begat them, 4.) And chaos, Tiamat, the mother of them both, (Established that heaven and earth are children of Apsu and Tiamat.) 9.) Then were created the gods in the midst of [heaven] 10. Lahmu and Lahamu were called into being 12.) Then Anshar and Kishar were created, and over them … 14.) Anu, their son… 17.) Nudimmud, whom his fathers [his] begetters … 18.) Abounding in all wisdom… (Indicating that Nudimmud could be Ea-Enki, who is later mentioned as “knoweth all that [is]”) 22.) But T[iamat and Apsu] were still in confusion… 23.) They were troubled and… 26. And Tiamat roared… 28.) Their way was evil… 29.) Then Apsu, the begetter of the great gods… 30.) Cried unto Mummu, his Minister, and said unto him: 33.) So, they went and before Tiamat they lay down, 34.) They consulted on a plan with regards to the gods [their sons] (There is no indication yet who speaks about this lack of rest in the next part, but it was Enlil who got upset about the lack of rest in the previous “Eridu Genesis.”) 38.) “By day I cannot rest, by night [I cannot lie down (in peace)]. 39.) “But I will destroy their way, I will. …, 40.) “Let there be lamentation, and let us lie down (again in peace).” 41.) When Tiamat [heard] these words, 43.) [She…] grievously … 44.) She uttered a curse, and unto [Apsu she spake] (This line indicates that Tiamat is a feminine persona speaking to Apsu) 45.) “What then shall we [do]? 46.) “Let their way be made difficult, and let us [lie down (again) in peace].” (89) "Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 17:30" (90) Dictionary of phrase and fable: giving the derivation, source, or origin of common phrases, allusions, and words that have a tale to tell – Ebenezer Cobham Brewer - 1900 – p. 268 (91) Atra Hasis, p. 3 (92) ibid, p. 4-5 (93) The Seven Tablets of Creation: Enuma Elish, Leonard William King, Luzac and Co. London, 1902 (Modern Reprint), p. 9 (94) ibid p. 17 |