2. Mesopotamia
Creation Story

3. In the beginning there was only Tiamat, the salt water
and apsu, the fresh water.
They created creatures and the other gods to serve them.

4. Soon they became tired of all the noise the others were making, so they plotted to kill the other gods.

5. Ea, the god of the river overheard their plot and killed apsu.

6. Tiamat grew angry and restless, so the other gods decided to destroy her.
They asked ea’s son, Marduk to battle tiamat and her army of monsters. Marduk, the sun god, made the others promise to make him their leader if he defeated tiamat for them and they agreed.

7. He went to anu, who created the four winds and used them to force up her mouth. With her mouth wide opened, marduk shot an arrow down her throat and killed tiamat.

8. Marduk split tiamat in two creating the earth and sky.

9. He shaped the land into mountains, valleys and hills
He shaped the land into mountains, valleys and hills. Then In the most fertile valley, he created Babylon.

10. In the sky, he placed the sun, the moon and the stars.
He set the days, months and years.

11. He used her eyes to created the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

12. Enki suggested that he create creatures to serve them by working the land. Then the gods' and goddesses' lives would be easier.

13. Each god had their own palace, servants and soldiers
Each god had their own palace, servants and soldiers. They met once a year at the great hall of the temple of fate, upshukina.

14. Here they argued over the destinies of all men and women
Here they argued over the destinies of all men and women. marduk listened to their opinions and when he reached his decision, he would whispered it to nabu his son, who recorded the person’s fate in stone.

15. The moon god, sin, would try to stand close to nabu as he wrote so that he could catch a glimpse of marduk’s decision.
Then sin would send his messenger zaqar to earth to whisper a warning into the person’s dreams.