{"id":3468,"date":"2014-11-14T21:00:13","date_gmt":"2014-11-14T21:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theosnote.billetdetheo.com\/?p=3468"},"modified":"2014-11-14T21:00:13","modified_gmt":"2014-11-14T21:00:13","slug":"mesopotamian-tablets-biblical-account","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/2014\/11\/14\/mesopotamian-tablets-biblical-account\/","title":{"rendered":"Mesopotamian tablets and biblical account"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Creation and the Flood<\/h2>\n

Enuma Elish “When in high” Babylonian tablet of the Creation<\/h3>\n

The Babylonian poem of the creation (Enuma Elish “when in high”), written in the first millennium BC, was discovered in the 19th century, in the excavations of the city of Nineveh, one of the capitals of the Assyrian empire.
\nThis text in Assyrian language written on eight tablets<\/strong> contains more than thousand verses and tells the birth of the gods, the formation of the world and of man. It founds the supremacy of Marduk, the god of Babylon, over the other gods.<\/p>\n

Theogony (birth of the gods)<\/h3>\n

Gentle family murders<\/h4>\n

Tablet 1<\/strong>: The fresh water (Absu) and the salt water (Tiamat) give birth to a series of deities who engage in rivalries and murders among them.
\nTiamat asks Absu to punish his fidgety sons. Ea sends Absu, his father, to sleep, kills him, settles into his dead body and gives birth to Marduk.<\/p>\n

Ugly, stupid and nasty!<\/h4>\n

To avenge the death of her husband, Tiamat creates nine invincible monsters against her sons.
\n Tablet 2:<\/strong> The threatened gods send delegations of gods to appease Tiamat, but in vain.
\nMarduk accepts to defeat Tiamat, provided that he becomes the leader of all the gods.
\n Tablets 3 and 4<\/strong>: Marduk is proclaimed king.<\/p>\n

The Babylonian creation of the world<\/h3>\n

Marduk kills Tiamat and opens his body like a shell.
\nWith the top, he makes the sky with the abode of the gods; he sets up the stars, the moon, the sun (tablet 5).
\nWith the lower part, he shapes the mountains, he sets up the rivers (Tigris and Euphrates). He creates the heaven and the earth and establishes kings. The gods honor him and confirm his kingship.<\/p>\n

The creation of mankind<\/h3>\n

Tablet 6<\/strong>: Marduk decides to create mankind to make them work and so the gods can rest.
\nTo make mankind, Marduk needs the blood of a guilty god. Kingu is sacrificed, because he had urged Tiamat to make war. With his blood Marduk shapes mankind.<\/p>\n

Down to work!<\/h4>\n

Marduk said, “Build Babylon, make its bricks; you will call the sanctuary Anunaku<\/em> (senior gods).” The Anunakus mold bricks and build a temple, a tower with many stories (ziggurat).
\nMarduk orders to build the tower with many stories of Babylon with molded bricks in honor of the superior gods (Anunaku)<\/p>\n

The Epic of Gilgamesh [1] and the flood<\/h3>\n

Tablet 11<\/strong> with the flood story comes from the library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh in the 7th century BC.
\nThe gods have decided to cause the flood, because men bother them with all their noise, but Enki (Ea) does not agree.
\nHe warns a man by a noise in the reeds that says “Destroy your house, build a boat.”
\nThe man builds a boat. He loads it with silver, gold, his family, his in-laws, livestock and artisans, that is a lot more people than in Noah’s ark.<\/p>\n

The flood beats down on earth. The waters rise. The gods are very afraid. After seven days the storm calms down. The boat docks on a mountain. After seven more days, the man releases a dove. Then he leaves the ship, offers a sacrifice – and the gods approach smelling the odor.
\n\"tablets,<\/a>Enlil who ordered the flood is furious when he sees the boat: nobody should have escaped the disaster. Enki (Ea) tries to reason Enlil: it would be better to use other means to punish men (lion, wolf, famine and plague) than the flood. Enlil seems convinced as he steps into the boat and gives man immortality.
\nThe survivor of the flood entrusted Gilgamesh the plant of immortality. It stings like a rose, but if he keeps it in his hands, he will get life. Unfortunately he bathes in a well and a snake attracted by the scent carries the rose away. Now it becomes impossible to achieve immortality.<\/p>\n

The Epic of Atrahasis [2] combines the Creation and the Flood<\/h3>\n

No wonder with such names!<\/h4>\n

Tablet 1<\/strong>: There are two classes of gods, the superior gods (anunaku) and the inferior gods (zigigu), subject to forced labor for the higher gods.<\/p>\n

Already proletarian revolution!<\/h4>\n

After 2500 years on fatigue, the inferior gods revolt. The superior gods are trying to fix the situation.<\/p>\n

Made to work<\/h4>\n

The midwife of the gods, Mamou, makes of clay mixed with the blood of a god seven men and seven women to be slaves of the gods.<\/p>\n

But too disturbing<\/h4>\n

But mankind multiply on the earth. They become loud and prevent Enlil from sleeping. He tries to reduce the number of mankind with the epidemic, drought (tablet 2), starvation.
\nEnki helps mankind to fight against these scourges.
\nEnlil decides to use a flood.
\nEnki warns Atrahasis, who builds a boat (tablet 3).
\nThe flood beats down on earth. Atrahasis, having escaped the deluge, offers a sacrifice. Enlil is furious. The end of the story resembles that of Gilgamesh; the number of humans is limited by sterility, infant death, religious celibacy.<\/p>\n

Biblical narrative and parallel legends<\/h2>\n

At the time of the discovery of these texts, similarities were noticed with the biblical narrative: creation of man from clay, sending out of birds and sacrifice after the flood.
\nAre we faced with mythological texts adapted later on to the Jewish faith?
\n or rather<\/strong> with authentic spiritual traditions of the Bible distorted into mythological stories?
\nThe pagan texts have been written before the biblical text.
\nBUT the biblical text did neither copy nor adapt them<\/p>\n

Authenticity and superiority of the biblical narrative<\/h2>\n

Monotheism (one God) # polytheism (many gods)<\/h3>\n

In mythology : theogony (gods begotten)<\/strong><\/em>
\n # In the biblical account : one God, eternal, without beginning or end<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

The pagan gods are created as a result of fighting or conflicts of interest: this is convenient to explain the events of everyday life.<\/p>\n

In mythology, there is an origin for all, even for the gods<\/strong><\/em>
\n # In the biblical account, God creates “ex nihilo” out of nothing<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

Biblical creation needs neither creating angels nor intermediaries.
\nBabylonian deities are put in their place as creatures.
\nThe sun and moon are not named but reduced to the rank of big lights.<\/p>\n

Mixture (pagan texts) # distinction (biblical narrative) between the Creator and the creature<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In pagan texts, the gods are born and work as men.<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

Man is created with clay mixed with blood and saliva. There are intermediate beings. Gilgamesh became like a god.<\/p>\n

# In the biblical account, the divine element in man is the breath of life from God<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

“To be like God”: this is the temptation by the serpent
\nMan is created in the image, in the likeness of God.
\nPsalm 8: “You have made him a little lower than God”.
\nThe difference is that God has life in himself and ultimately distinguishes between good and evil.<\/p>\n

The human being is created out of love (biblical account)<\/em><\/strong>
\n # to serve the gods (pagan texts)<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The man and the woman, created by God, are placed in the garden to till it and keep it, only after the creation.
\nA child is born by the love of his parents – not to do the washing-up or to take care of them in their old age. The mythological text is a pagan way of presenting the creation of mankind.<\/p>\n

The human being, an individual and role of women (biblical account)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

# Neither a couple nor an individual, but seven couples (pagan text)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Evil and death<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In mythology, death was decided by the gods at the very moment of the creation of mankind.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Evil is already there before the appearance of man : parricide struggles between divine “nobility and proletariat”.
\nMan is created with the blood of an evil god.<\/p>\n

# In the biblical account the creation is good<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Evil and death came through the fault of humans
\nDeath is natural (you will return to dust) but abnormal. It was not God’s intention: the tree of life was evident in the garden.<\/p>\n

To be continued
\nC.S.
\n[1] semi-legendary king of the city of Uruk
\n[2] Mesopotamian legendary hero who had escaped the flood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Babylonian tablets tell of the birth of the gods, the creation of the world and of man and the flood. The biblical account is greater than these legends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[15,16,101,107,175,232,233,250],"class_list":["post-3468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-deepening","tag-ashurbanipal","tag-assyrian","tag-flood","tag-gilgamesh","tag-niniveh","tag-tablet","tag-tablets","tag-theogony","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3468\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billetdetheo.com\/theosnote\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}