The Enuma Elish
Babylon's creation epic makes the world from the body of a defeated goddess.
- When
- Known to
- ± 200 years
- Era
- Bronze Age, Holocene
The Babylonian creation narrative describes the young god Marduk killing Tiamat and forming the sky and earth from her divided body, then creating humans from the blood of a slain god to do the work of the gods. It is partly theology and partly politics — it explains why Marduk, and therefore Babylon, ranks above the older gods and their cities. It was recited annually at the New Year festival.