40 THEOPHILUS G. PINCHES^ ESQ.^ LL.D._, M.E.A.S.^ ON 



It is at this point there is a reference, for the first time, to the 

 creation of living things — not animals or men, but beings of a 

 mucli higher station, namely, the gods and the Annunaki, who 

 were made by a being unnamed, though it may be inferred that 

 their creator was possibly the Lugal-du-azaga mentioned before 

 in the text. The same deity (apparently) then " proclaimed as 

 supreme the glorious city, the seat of the joy of their hearts." 

 The god Merodach (whose name here appears for the first time 

 in the narrative) now bound together a foundation before the 

 waters, made soil {epiri ibni), and poured it out with the 

 foundation, in order that the gods might have a dwelling which 

 should satisfy their hearts. 



Up to this point the narrative relates to the earth, the Abyss, 

 and the gods, but here a change comes in, introduced by the 

 single line, "He made mankind," which is followed by the 

 addition : " The goddess Aruru made the seed of mankind with 

 him." After this he made the beasts of the field and the living 

 creatures of the plain, set the Tigris and the Euphrates in their 

 places, and "proclaimed their name well" — a phrase which 

 recalls that of Genesis, " and God sav/ that it was good." The 

 deity (it is apparently still Merodach who is referred to) then 

 created grass, the plants of the marshes and the forests, the 

 verdure of the plain, land, marsh, and thicket-grown tracts. 

 This was followed by the creation of oxen and other large cattle, 

 with sheep, and the meadows and thickets where they fed or 

 dwelt. " Lord Merodach " then raised a bank (lit. " filled a 

 filling ") on the sea-shore, produced water-plants and the place 

 where they grow, and the things mentioned in the first few lines 

 as being non-existent were then made by him — plants and trees, 

 bricks and beams, houses and cities ; Mffer and its temple 

 E-kura, Erech and its temple E-ana. 



There are many details of this inscription which are of 

 interest, but it is impossible to touch upon them all in the compass 

 of a single paper. It would be important, for instance, to know 

 whether Merodach was the creator, not only of men and things 

 of the earth, but of the gods and the Annunaki, or " spirits of 

 the earth" as well, as the lists of gods indicate was the belief. 

 Noteworthy is the fact, that nothing existed until " there was a 

 stream " or " current within the sea," pointing also in this version 

 to the belief that the existence of life was somehow connected 

 with the presence of water. At this time firidu, the Paradise 

 of the Babylonians, was made, and E-sagila, which the god Lu- 

 gal-du-azaga had founded within the Abyss. As Lugal-du-azaga 



