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Enuma elish and genesis comparison
Similarities of creation myths
Similarities of creation myths
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Creation myths give insight to the ancient cultures and traditions of the world. The Enuma Elish and the Eridu Genesis are creation myths created in ancient Mesopotamia in 3rd century B.C.E. and 17th century B.C.E. . Thus, they share many similarities and differences. Throughout most creation myths there are patterns reused even in the most diverse of myths. Although many are similar, they can include immense differences, some including destruction, some of peacefully building. The Enuma Elish and the Eridu Genesis are myths that share both many similarities and differences. The Enuma Elish focuses on the consummate death of gods for the creation of the heavens, land, and human servitude. The Eridu Genesis, the oldest creation myth known of,
Most cultures have a creation myth, a story of how humans came to exist in the world. Often, they involve Gods of some capacity who exist without much question or explanation. Many myths have a common idea for the origin of the world, like Earth being born from water, a golden egg, or a great monster. The Mayan creation myth and the Babylonian creation myth are similar in that they both begin with water, and account the creation and purpose of man. They also differ, as the Mayan Popol Vuh chronicles a peaceful tale of trials to forge the Earth and sentient beings to worship the gods, while the Babylonian Enuma Elish tells of wars between gods that lead to the creation of Earth and of man as a servant to the gods.
Like the Greek Theogony, the creation of the world in the Enuma elish begins with the universe in a formless state, from which emerge two primary gods, male and female:
"Sumerian/Babylonian When on HIgh (Enuma Elish) "Creation and Marduk." [Dennis Bratcher, Tr. Http://www.cresourcei.org/enumaelish.html]." Ancient Mythology East and West. Comp. David Branscome. Print.
A myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events. Each civilization has its myths about the creation of the world and its human race. Most speak of “gods” who perform feats far beyond that of humankind. Most are legends passed down through oral tradition, and embellished along the way. The book of Genesis is one of the most significant books in the Bible and is sacred scripture for Jews, Samaritans, and Christians. The Babylonian epic, Enuma Elish, is one of the most important sources for understanding the Babylonian worldview. Hesiod’s Theogony is a poem describing the origins and genealogies of
Hesiod’s Theogony and the Babylonian Enuma Elish are both myths that begin as creation myths, explaining how the universe and, later on, humans came to be. These types of myths exist in every culture and, while the account of creation in Hesiod’s Theogony and the Enuma Elish share many similarities, the two myths differ in many ways as well. Both myths begin creation from where the universe is a formless state, from which the primordial gods emerge. The idea of the earth and sky beginning as one and then being separated is also expressed in both myths.
Myths – as they are known to most of the world – give insight into the pasts of various countries and religions as the people saw them. They have been used to explain phenomenons in nature or describe the tales of courageous and important men and women throughout history. Creation myths in particular define how the Earth itself was created, along with the universe, heavens, hell, people, and creatures that exist today. Genesis of Christian mythology, for instance, tells the story of how the single deity God spoke and formed everything from day and night to man and woman. Various African creation myths, such as with the Yoruba, explain the creation of the Earth through at least a couple gods working together and all life sprouting from a seed. But all share a common themes, such as a form of chaos or nothingness before life is created. Joseph Campbell notes that “... the idea of an absolute ontological distinction between God and man – or between gods and men, divinity and nature - first became an important social and psychological force in the near East, specifically Akkad, in the period of the first Semetic Kings, c. 2500 B.C.,” showing another similar trait – a god or set of gods exists to create in each story (626). Joseph Campbell makes a comparison of how both Genesis and the Book of the Dead of Egypt share the same idea of their bodies belonging to their god in some way, or being reabsorbed into them at death (630-631). Others, like the Japanese and Iroquois creation myths, claim the Earth was once covered entirely of water before land was formed. Adam and Eve of Genesis and Izanagi and sister Izanami of Shintoism provide examples of myths that share both a passive and active pair of people who eventually create the Earth's population. In any case, certain popular creation myths, some closely tied to prominent religions, share more common characteristics than others. An entire sub-study, called comparative mythology, gives insight into this subject.
Throughout the world there are various cultures with varying religions and creation stories to explain the creation of the Earth and it’s inhabitants. Of these creation stories two with similar and also different characteristics is the Creation story in the book of Genesis which is a part of the 1st Testament in the Hebrew Bible and explains the creation of Earth and humans, and the Theogony which is the greek creation story that describes the origins of the Earth and the Greek Gods. Both the Theogony and the Creation in Genesis show nature as a blessing for humans but it can also affect them negatively, However the myths differ in the ways that the Earth and humans were created and how humans interact with the deities of the creation stories.
The creation myths that I have studied are similar in many ways. They also have differences that show an inherently different way of thinking about the world. All have creators-gods that make the world into what is now. There are conflicts within their world, and these conflicts change the face world. God to god or human to god maybe be involved in these conflicts. Their bloody struggles prove who is more powerful, causing change in the control of the world. Some gods are beneficial to man and others are self-serving, using man only as a tool.
The Enuma Elish mirrors the subordinate disordered lives of the Babylonians that created it. Genesis mirrors the newfound freedom and idealism of the Jewish people who created it after years of oppression. These two writings contrast the differences between the ancient Babylonians and the ancient Hebrews. Creation stories give great insight into the lives of the people who created them.
People of the ancient world often had questions about their existence and how life and people came to be on earth. Most ancient people answered these questions through religion. The Sumerians were the first important group of people to inhabit Mesopotamia and they were known to practice a form of worship called polytheism, which is the worship of several gods. Mesopotamians associated different gods with natural events, emotions, and other occurrences. Their main deities included An (the god of the heavens), Enlil (Lord Storm), Enki (god of wisdom), and Nihursaga (the mother of all living things)(p.22). The Mesopotamians believed that the gods controlled all of the events and occurrences in life. An ancient text called “Creation of Man by the Mother Goddess” (p.34) helps us understand how the M...
Throughout different cultures, myths have been created to help people understand the past. Most of the traditional stories explain early history or natural phenomenon with different supernatural beings or events. The creation myth of the African Bushmen and the creation story of the Iroquois Indians are very similar in which they both portray the myth of creation. However, both are equally very different. Though the stories are extremely different, the principle is the same.
With the aforementioned aim in mind, three potential myths include the Greek myth of Gaia creating order from Chaos representing, Pagan mythology; the creation myth found in the book Genesis, the Judeo-Christian solution for existence; and the Big Bang theory offered by scientists as the act of the material world. These fables occur as part of popular culture and are common knowledge. Following are brief descriptions of the Pagan, biblical and scientific creation myths.
Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation myth, is among the oldest stories concerning the birth of the world and universe. The epic tells the story of the formation of the Babylonian gods, most of which represent a physical aspect of nature. The title is derived from the opening words of the myth which translates to “When on high”. Archeological excavations such as: Ashurbanipal’s library, Ashur and Kish, have dated the epic to the 11th century BCE, although it is believed to have transcended from an older version. The piece is separated into seven different tablets, known as the Seven Tablets of Creation, each of which is comprised of roughly 150 lines (Bratcher).
When deciding whether these narratives are myths or short stories, one must look at the contents of each piece of work. “Genesis” can clearly be defined as a myth because it contains all the characteristics of a myth. These characteristics include casual and vague descriptive writing about a very significant and important piece of work. Characteristics of myths also include “superstitious” themes, characters and the establishment of traditional ways of life and belief systems for a wide variety of people. Although “Genesis” contains one of the most popular and significant creation tales today, its lack of description and vague details account for its acceptance of being a myth. An example of this is the seven days of creation being written in one chapter; “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was formless and voice” (The Access Bible 2). This suggests that “Genesis” may have been passed down orally from generation to generation, which, according to Campbell (“The First Storytellers”), resembles all other myths. The presence of solely flat or static characters (such as Adam and Ever) is a good example to show why “Genesis is considered a myth”. Only imprecise details about Adam and Eve are given and we lack any understanding of personality or character traits. The existence of superstition is also very apparent in “Genesis”. God (the embodiment of good) is constantly at work as is the Serpent (the embodiment of evil). The supernatural is a key element in the “Genesis” creation myth. Examples of these elements are; the presence of angels, a holy sword, and a tree of unnatural, divine abilities (Bible 2, 6, 7). Supernatural e...
“Enuma Elish” is an ancient Mesopotamian creation myth that describes the conflict between the chief gods “Marduk”