THE BABYLONIAN ACCOUNT
OF THE CREATION
 

LONG  since,  when  above  the  heaven  had  not  been
named,
-^   when the earth beneath (still) bore no name,

when the ocean (apsu), the primeval, the generator of them,
and

the originator (?) Tiamat, who brought forth them both ^—

their waters were mingled together;

when fields were (still) unformed, reeds (still) nowhere to
be seen.

Long since, when no one of the gods had been called into
being,

when no name had been named, no fates [had been de¬
termined] ;

then were created the gods, [all of them?].

Luchmu and Lachamu were called  Into being   [as  the
first?].2

Ages multiplied [and days grew old?];

An-shar (and) Ki-shar ^ were created.

Long were the days * * *  [before?]

Anu, [Bel, and Ea were created, the great gods?]

An-shar and KI[-shar * * *]

[What follows is broken off.]

' That is, heaven and earth.    How this was done, see p. 294, line 34,
to p. 295, line 8.

*  This oldest pair of gods is mentioned also elsewhere.

• The personifications of the upper and the lower world.

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