Part 12 (2/2)

Ansar's commands were fulfilled and the desires of Ea fully accomplished.

Merodach strengthened the bonds which he had laid upon the evil G.o.ds and then returned to Tiamat. He leapt upon the dragon's body; he clove her skull with his great club; he opened the channels of her blood which streamed forth, and caused the north to carry her blood to hidden places. The high G.o.ds, his fathers, cl.u.s.tered around; they raised shouts of triumph and made merry. Then they brought gifts and offerings to the great Avenger.

Merodach rested a while, gazing upon the dead body of the dragon. He divided the flesh of Ku-pu[159], and devised a cunning plan.

Then the lord of the high G.o.ds split the body of the dragon like that of a mashde fish into two halves. With one half he enveloped the firmament; he fixed it there and set a watchman to prevent the waters falling down[160]. With the other half he made the earth[161]. Then he made the abode of Ea in the deep, and the abode of Anu in high heaven.

The abode of Enlil was in the air.

Merodach set all the great G.o.ds in their several stations. He also created their images, the stars of the Zodiac, and fixed them all. He measured the year and divided it into months; for twelve months he made three stars each. After he had given starry images of the G.o.ds separate control of each day of the year, he founded the station of Nibiru (Jupiter), his own star, to determine the limits of all stars, so that none might err or go astray. He placed beside his own the stations of Enlil and Ea, and on each side he opened mighty gates, fixing bolts on the left and on the right. He set the zenith in the centre.

Merodach decreed that the moon G.o.d should rule the night and measure the days, and each month he was given a crown. Its various phases the great lord determined, and he commanded that on the evening of its fullest brilliancy it should stand opposite the sun.[162]

He placed his bow in heaven (as a constellation) and his net also.

We have now reached the sixth tablet, which begins with a reference to words spoken to Merodach by the G.o.ds. Apparently Ea had conceived in his heart that mankind should be created. The lord of the G.o.ds read his thoughts and said: ”I will shed my blood and fas.h.i.+on bone... I will create man to dwell on the earth so that the G.o.ds may be wors.h.i.+pped and shrines erected for them. I will change the pathways of the G.o.ds....”

The rest of the text is fragmentary, and many lines are missing.

Berosus states, however, that Belus (Bel Merodach) severed his head from his shoulders. His blood flowed forth, and the G.o.ds mixed it with earth and formed the first man and various animals.

In another version of the creation of man, it is related that Merodach ”laid a reed upon the face of the waters; he formed dust, and poured it out beside the reed.... That he might cause the G.o.ds to dwell in the habitation of their heart's desire, he formed mankind.” The G.o.ddess Aruru, a deity of Sippar, and one of the forms of ”the lady of the G.o.ds ”, is a.s.sociated with Merodach as the creatrix of the seed of mankind. ”The beasts of the field and living creatures in the field he formed.” He also created the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, gra.s.s, reeds, herbs and trees, lands, marshes and swamps, cows, goats, &c.[163]

In the seventh tablet Merodach is praised by the G.o.ds--the Igigi (spirits of heaven). As he has absorbed all their attributes, he is addressed by his fifty-one names; henceforth each deity is a form of Merodach. Bel Enlil, for instance, is Merodach of lords.h.i.+p and domination; Sin, the moon G.o.d, is Merodach as ruler of night; Shamash is Merodach as G.o.d of law and holiness; Nergal is Merodach of war; and so on. The tendency to monotheism appears to have been most marked among the priestly theorists of Babylon.

Merodach is hailed to begin with as Asari, the introducer of agriculture and horticulture, the creator of grain and plants. He also directs the decrees of Anu, Bel, and Ea; but having rescued the G.o.ds from destruction at the hands of Kingu and Tiamat, he was greater than his ”fathers”, the elder G.o.ds. He set the Universe in order, and created all things anew. He is therefore Tutu, ”the creator”, a merciful and beneficent G.o.d. The following are renderings of lines 25 to 32:

Tutu: Aga-azaga (the glorious crown) may he make the crowns glorious-- The lord of the glorious incantation bringing the dead to life; He who had mercy on the G.o.ds who had been overpowered; Made heavy the yoke which he had laid on the G.o.ds who were his enemies, (And) to redeem (?) them created mankind.

”The merciful one”, ”he with whom is salvation”, May his word be established, and not forgotten, In the mouth of the black-headed ones whom his hands have made.

_Pinches' Translation_[164]

Tutu as Aga-azag may mankind fourthly magnify!

”The Lord of the Pure Incantation”, ”the Quickener of the Dead ”, ”Who had mercy upon the captive G.o.ds”, ”Who removed the yoke from upon the G.o.ds his enemies”.

”For their forgiveness did he create mankind”, ”The Merciful One, with whom it is to bestow life!”

May his deeds endure, may they never be forgotten In the mouth of mankind whom his hands have made.

_King's Translation._[165]

Apparently the Babylonian doctrine set forth that mankind was created not only to wors.h.i.+p the G.o.ds, but also to bring about the redemption of the fallen G.o.ds who followed Tiamat.

Those rebel angels (_ili_ G.o.ds) He prohibited return; He stopped their service; He removed them unto the G.o.ds (_ili_) who were His enemies.

In their room he created mankind.[166]

Tiamat, the chaos dragon, is the Great Mother. She has a dual character. As the origin of good she is the creatrix of the G.o.ds. Her beneficent form survived as the Sumerian G.o.ddess Bau, who was obviously identical with the Phoenician Baau, mother of the first man.

Another name of Bau was Ma, and Nintu, ”a form of the G.o.ddess Ma”, was half a woman and half a serpent, and was depicted with ”a babe suckling her breast” (Chapter IV). The Egyptian G.o.ddesses Neheb-kau and Uazit were serpents, and the G.o.ddesses Isis and Nepthys had also serpent forms. The serpent was a symbol of fertility, and as a mother was a protector. Vishnu, the Preserver of the Hindu Trinity, sleeps on the world-serpent's body. Serpent charms are protective and fertility charms.

<script>