Water is the most significant symbol in the Enuma Elish. Water symbolizes chaos, an association that makes sense considering how, for ancient Near Eastern peoples as now, water is an element that must be forcibly contained to ensure human survival—but at the same time, is indispensable to human survival. At the opening of the epic, nothing but water exists—just the primordial gods Apsu and Tiamat, “mixing their waters.” Marduk’s stirring of Tiamat’s temperamental waters provokes the central conflict of the epic, the battle between Marduk (the god who imposes order) and Tiamat (the goddess of watery chaos). When Tiamat’s waters become restless and angry, she “rages out of control,” and Marduk slays her to ensure the survival of the gods. After Tiamat is subdued, Marduk takes care to secure her waters in place, notably by containing the flow from her eyes into the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which were central to the sustenance of Babylonian civilization. Thus the subduing and channeling of water is pictured as vital, both symbolically among the gods and literally in order for human life to flourish.
Water Quotes in Enuma Elish
When skies above were not yet named
Nor earth below pronounced by name
Apsu, the first one, their begetter
And maker Tiamat, who bore them all,
Had mixed their waters together.
But had not formed pastures, nor discovered reed-beds;
When yet no gods were manifest.
Nor names pronounced, nor destinies decreed.
Then gods were born within them.
Tiamat was stirred up, and heaved restlessly day and night.
The gods, unable to rest, had to suffer . . .
They plotted evil in their hearts, and
They addressed Tiamat their mother, saying,
'Because they slew Apsu your lover and
You did not go to his side but sat mute,
He has created the four, fearful winds
To stir up your belly on purpose, and we simply cannot sleep!
Was your lover Apsu not in your heart?
And (vizier) Mummu who was captured? No wonder you sit alone!
Are you not a mother? You heave restlessly
But what about us, who cannot rest? Don't you love us?
Our grip(?) [is slack], (and) our eyes are sunken.
Remove the yoke of us restless ones, and let us sleep!
Set up a [battle cry] and avenge them!
Con[quer the enemy] and reduce them to nought!'
The Lord lifted up the flood-weapon, his great weapon
And sent a message to Tiamat who feigned goodwill, saying:
'Why are you so friendly on the surface
When your depths conspire to muster a battle force?
Just because the sons were noisy (and) disrespectful to their fathers,
Should you, who gave them birth, reject compassion?
You named Qingu as your lover,
You appointed him to rites of Anu-power, wrongfully his.
You sought out evil for Anshar, king of the gods,
So you have compounded your wickedness against the gods my fathers!
Let your host prepare! Let them gird themselves with your weapons!
Stand forth, and you and I shall do single combat!'
When Tiamat heard this,
She went wild, she lost her temper.
Tiamat screamed aloud in a passion,
Her lower parts shook together from the depths.
The Lord spread his net and made it encircle her,
To her face he dispatched the imhullu-wind, which had been behind:
Tiamat opened her mouth to swallow it,
And he forced in the imhullu-wind so that she could not close her lips.
Fierce winds distended her belly;
Her insides were constipated and she stretched her mouth wide.
He shot an arrow which pierced her belly.
Split her down the middle and slit her heart.
Vanquished her and extinguished her life.
He threw down her corpse and stood on top of her.
He opened the Euphrates and the Tigris from her eyes,
Closed her nostrils,
He piled up clear-cut mountains from her udder.
Bored waterholes to drain off the catchwater.
He laid her tail across, tied it fast as the cosmic bond.
And [ ] the Apsu beneath his feet.
He set her thigh to make fast the sky,
With half of her he made a roof; he fixed the earth.
He [ ] the work, made the insides of Tiamat surge,
Spread his net, made it extend completely.
Water Symbol Timeline in Enuma Elish
