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The Enuma Elish and Mesopotamian Creation
The Babylonian creation epic, narrating the rise of Marduk and the ordering of the cosmos from the body of Tiamat.
Discovery Momentum
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The Claim
The Enuma Elish is the foundational creation myth of Babylonian religion and kingship ideology.
The Evidence
The text survives on cuneiform tablets from the first millennium BCE, with roots in earlier Sumerian traditions. It was read at the New Year festival (Akitu).
Mainstream View
The Enuma Elish is well-established as the Babylonian national epic, reflecting political theology around Marduk.
Criticism
Some comparative readings link it to Genesis, but the differences are as significant as the parallels.
What remains unknown
The myth's full prehistory and relationship to earlier Sumerian narratives is still studied.
Related civilisations
Research
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