1.3-4
Enūma eliš 1.3-4 · Apsû and Tiamat
Before the gods, there are two waters: Apsû, the sweet water under the earth, and Tiamat, the sea.
· · ·
3𒍪𒀊𒈠𒊕𒌅𒌑𒍝𒊒𒋗𒌦
4𒈬𒌝𒈬𒋾𒊩𒆳𒈬𒀠𒇷𒁕𒀜𒁶𒊑𒂠𒌦
the lines as the scribe pressed them into the clay, read left to right
Apsû-ma1
𒍪𒀊Apsû-𒈠ma1
Apsûma
Apsûthe Deep
, reš-tu-ú2
𒊕reš-𒌅tu-𒌑ú2
rēštû
the firstforemost
, za-ru-šu-un3
𒍝za-𒊒ru-𒋗šu-𒌦un3
zārûšun
their begettertheir father
, Mu-um-mu4
𒈬Mu-𒌝um-𒈬mu4
Mummu
Mummumaker
Ti-amat5
𒋾Ti-𒊩𒆳amat5
Tiāmat
Tiamatthe Sea
, mu-al-li-da-at6
𒈬mu-𒀠al-𒇷li-𒁕da-𒀜at6
muallidat
who borebirth-giver of
gim-ri-šù-un7
𒁶gim-𒊑ri-𒂠šù-𒌦un7
gimrišun
them alltheir totality
, Apsû, the first, their begetter, [and] Mummu-Tiamat, who bore them all,
Apsû, the first, their begetter, [and] Mummu-Tiamat, who bore them all,
1.5-6
Enūma eliš 1.5-6 · Their waters mingled
Fresh water and salt water mix. Nothing has been built and no land has risen.
· · ·
5𒀀𒈨𒌍𒋗𒉡𒅖𒋼𒎙𒄿𒄭𒄣𒈠
6𒄀𒉺𒊏𒆷𒆠𒄑𒍮𒊏𒋗𒍝𒀀𒆷𒊺𒀪
the lines as the scribe pressed them into the clay, read left to right
their waters mingled together; no reed hut had been knotted, no marsh had been seen;
Two parents stand at the beginning, and both are water. Apsû is the fresh water that rises in springs and wells; Tiamat is the salt sea. The word tiāmat is the same old Semitic word as Hebrew təhôm, “the deep”, in Genesis 1:2: “darkness was upon the face of the deep”.
Mummu is a puzzle. Langdon read it as “Word”, the Babylonian Logos, and a Greek scholar of the 6th century, Damascius, reports a Babylonian creation story with Apasōn, Tauthe and their son Mōymis: Apsû, Tiamat and, it seems, Mummu. Here Mummu stands next to Tiamat as her title.