Creation Stories
A Comparison of the Biblical Creation Narrative and the Babylonian Enuma Elish: Substance vs. Form
Every culture known has some sort of explanation for how the world and the universe as we know them came into existence. Creation stories have helped cultures to make sense of natural phenomena that they did not understand, and also in many instances demonstrate the perspectives and basic instructions for how ongoing human civilizations are meant to interact with the world. Many early creation myths appear to have a high degree of commonality, and it has even been suggested that at times the creation myth of one culture was simply taken by another culture and adapted to suit its own needs and purposes. This paper will examine one such instance and the two creation myths at stake, revealing that while the form of the myths may be highly similar, the purpose and substance are quite different.
The Enuma Elish
In the Babylonian epic poem called the Enuma Elish, the creation myth of this ancient culture is recounted. It begins at a time of primeval chaos, "When in the height heaven was not named, / And the earth beneath did not yet bear a name" (Lines 1-2, King 1902). From here, it is made known that two gods -- male and female counterparts and adversaries of sorts -- have created this nameless beginning of order, and they go on to create several other gods that are called their sons (Webster 2011). The rest of creation takes place in a series of violent patricides and fratricides that suggest a large struggle for dominance and ultimately petty motives and characters (Webster 2011).
Humanity's creation is the culmination of this epic, though it takes a great deal of time before Marduk, a third generation god, accomplishes this creation (Skeen 2011). The form of this...
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