The Seven Tablets of Creation: The Enuma Elish

Why were Leonard King, George Smith, and other researchers so interested in the similarities between the Enuma Elish and the Hebrew Bible? What sort of impact on early-20th-century British society might it have had to discover that much of the Genesis creation story closely resembles the Babylonian creation myth and that references to the Creation Series appear not only in the Hebrew Bible but also in the Christian Bible?

Anshar, who is recorded as the father of all gods in the Enuma Elish, seems to lose power over the gods he has created. Is there any lesson for humanity in this? What might be some examples of human-created devices, ideas, or principles that have gotten out of the control of those who invented them? As creative creatures, how can human beings prevent this? Is that possible?

In the Enuma Elish, what basic values are represented by Apsu and Tiamat and by Ea and Marduk, and why is it important that Marduk prevails? Have you known individuals who embody the priorities of Tiamat or of Marduk, and if so, how do you react to them?