Enuma Elish: The Babylonian Creation Epic and Its Inversion of the Hebrew Bible

Discover a new verse translation of the Babylonian creation epic—and a provocative argument about its relationship to Genesis.

The Enuma Elish is one of the most important texts from the ancient world. In this Babylonian creation epic, Marduk defeats Tiamat, fashions heaven and earth from her divided body, and creates humanity from divine blood. More than myth, this poem became a theological declaration of imperial Babylon and a key witness to the religious world behind the Old Testament.

This reader-friendly edition offers the complete poem in accessible English verse, carefully arranged into ten thematic parts for clarity and flow. Alongside the translation is a substantial introduction and interpretive study that examines the Enuma Elish not only as mythology, but as a political and theological text with lasting historical consequences.

Inside this edition:

Complete new English verse translation Introduction to the poem’s history, tablets, and recovery Over 40 editorial notes on key Akkadian terms and translation choices Glossary of 27 important words and concepts Extended argument on the epic’s inversion of older biblical cosmology Study of Babylonian kingship, empire, and temple politics Analysis of related figures and traditions from Genesis to the Book of Giants Free audiobook included with purchase Whether you are interested in Babylonian mythology, ancient Near Eastern history, biblical backgrounds, or comparative theology, this edition opens the Enuma Elish in a way that is both serious and readable.