In the beginning was the water
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35699/2316-770X.2013.2689Keywords:
Babylonian cosmogonies, Hebrew cosmogony, Greek cosmogoniesAbstract
This paper discusses the Babylonian cosmogony establishing water as the beginning of everything, as well as Greek and Hebrew traditions dependent on them. In the poem entitled Enuma Elish , probably written in the 12th century BC, Apsû and Tiamat – spring water and seawater – are presented as the first gods, from which the orld takes its origin. It is noteworthy how, coming from people who live in the desert, these myths emphasize the character of water as a source of life, while working out an image of the sea as a dangerous force that is to be contained within its limits, task for the youngest of the gods, responsible for world order.Downloads
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