Structural Parallels between the Biblical Creation account
and the Babylonian account in Enuma Elish
Biblical Account (P) | Enuma Elish |
Earth is formless, and void and chaotic deep (Tehom) enveloped in darkness | Primordial water chaos - Apsu and Tiamat enveloped in darkness. |
The Creation of light | Appearance of Marduk, "Sun of the heavens" |
The firmament of the heavens is created | Marduk overcomes chaos in titanic battle with Tiamat and fashions the sky from half of her body |
Water gathered together and dry land appears | Earth is formed / ground is consolidated |
Light bodies are created | Constellations (of stars) are established |
Human is created in the image of God to have dominion over all of creation | Human is created as servant to the Gods |
Gods rests on the seventh day | The gods hold a banquet, celebrate. |
(Adopted from Flanders, Crapps, and Smith, People of the Covenant, New York, Wiley and Sons, 1973, 72f.)