6.26-26b
Enūma eliš 6.26-26b · From his blood, mankind
Ea does what Marduk planned.
· · ·
26𒀸𒁕𒈨𒋗𒅁𒈾𒀀𒈨𒇻𒌅
26b𒄿𒈾𒌋𒌆𒇷𒀭𒈨𒌍𒈠𒀭𒈨𒌍𒌝𒌨𒋓
the lines as the scribe pressed them into the clay, read left to right
ina1
ina
From
da-me-šu2
dāmēšu
his blood
ib-[na]3
ibnâ
he createdhe built
a-me-lu-tu4
amēlūtu
mankind;humanity
; um-taš-šir5
umtaššir
[and] set freehe released
ilāni6
ilānī
the gods
i-na7
ina
from
[dul]-li8
dulli
the toilthe work
ilāni-ma9
ilānīma
of the gods
. From his blood he created mankind; [and] set free the gods from the toil of the gods.
From his blood he created mankind; [and] set free the gods from the toil of the gods.
One line for the making of all humanity: ina dāmēšu ibnâ amēlūta, “from his blood he created mankind”. The next line says what it was for: the gods are released from their labour.
Readers of Genesis can set this beside Genesis 2:7 (KJV): “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” Dust and breath there; a god’s blood here. Both stories end with humans at work, and Genesis 3:19 makes it a sentence: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.”