- Genesis 1-2:4 is probably a “demythologized” Israelite retelling of Enuma Elis. It was not uncommon for societies in the ancient world to borrow myths from their neighbors and put their own spin on it, often inserting their own gods and goddesses. Genesis 1-2:4 is typically attributed to the Priestly (P) source, a Biblical author who likely wrote during or after the Exile. Around this time, the Israelites came into direct contact with Babylonian culture and mythology. It’s no surprise that there are some compelling similarities between the Babylonian and Israelite creation myth. In Enuma Elis, the warrior God Marduk uses the four winds to slay Tiamat, the serpentine goddess of the primeval waters of chaos. He then uses her corpse as the raw materials for creation. Genesis appears to contain demythologized allusions to Enuma Elish:
- Both narratives open in a similar manner. Compare “When on high no word was used for heaven, nor below was firm ground called by name, primeval Apsu was their progenitor…” with Genesis 1:1-2.In Genesis 1:2, God’s wind sweeps over the waters of the deep (Heb. “tehom”, cognate with “tiamat”).In 1:7, God separates the waters of the deep into two domes, reminiscent of Marduk tearing Tiamat in half.In 1:21, God creates “the great sea monsters”, possibly an allusion to Tiamat’s typical depiction as a sea dragon/serpent.Both texts end with a deity consecrating something for themselves; Marduk makes himself a temple and God sets aside the Sabbath for himself (2:3).
- It’s also worth noting that overt references to God slaying a dragon called Leviathan pop up throughout the Hebrew Bible (Job, Isaiah, Psalms, etc.), indicating there was likely an early Israelite myth even more similar to the Babylonian myth, although it’s more directly related to Ugaritic epic. More on that here.
- Coogan, A Brief Introduction to the Old TestamentZakovitch, From Gods to GodLopez-Ruiz, Gods, Heroes, and MonstersGood, Genesis 1-11: Tales of the Earliest World
- Smith, The Early History of God
Genesis 1-2:4 as a revision of Enuma Elisha
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