When there was no heaven, no earth, no height, no depth, no name, when Apsu was alone, the sweet water, the first begetter; and Tiamat the bitter water, and that return to the womb, her Mummu, when there were no gods.

When sweet and bitter mingled together, no reed was plaited no rushes muddied the water, the gods were nameless, natureless, futureless, then from Apsu and Tiamat in the waters gods were created, in the waters silt precipitated, Lahmu and Lahumu, were named; they were not yet old not yet grown tall when Anshar and Kishar overtook them both, (ie born after) the lines of sky and earth stretched where horizons meet to separate cloud from silt.

Days on days, years on year passed till Anu, the empty heaven, heir and supplanter, first-born of his father, in his own nature begot Nudimmud-Ea, intellect, wisdom, wider than heaven's horizon, the strongest of all the kindred.  Discord broke out among the gods although they were brothers, warring and jarring in the belly of Tiamat, heaven shook, it reeled with the surge of the dance;  Apsu could not silence the clamor, their behavior was bad, overbearing and proud.

But still Tiamat lay inert till Apsu, the father of gods, bellowed for that servant who clouds his judgment, his Mummu, 'Dear counselor, come with me to Tiamat.'  They have gone, and in front of Tiamat they sit down and talk together about the young gods, their first-born children; Apsu said, 'Their manners revolt me, day and night without remission we suffer. My will is to destroy them, all of their kind, we shall have peace at last and we will sleep again.'

When Tiamat heard she was stung, she writhed in lonely desolation, her heart worked in secret passion, Tiamat said, 'Why must we destroy the children that we made? If their ways are troublesome, let us wait a little while.'  Then Mummu advised Apsu, and he spoke in malice, 'Father, destroy them in full rebellion, you will have quiet in the daytime and at night you will sleep.'  When Apsu heard, the die was cast against his children, his face flamed with the pleasure of evil; but Mummu her embraced, he hung on his neck, he sat him down on his knees and kissed him. 

The decision was known to all their children; confusion seized them and after, a great silence, for they were confounded.  The god who is the source of wisdom, the bright intelligence that perceives and plans, Nudimmud-Ea, saw through it, he sounded the coil of chaos, and against it devised the artifice of the universe.  He spoke the word that charmed the waters, it fell upon Apsu, he lay asleep, the sweet waters slept, Apsu slept, Mummu was overcome, Apsu lay drowned, undone.  Ishtar stole the ME or supernatural powers from Ea by getting him drunk. Some of these gifts were: He gave me the holy shrine. He gave me the holy priestess of heaven. He gave me the resounding musical instrument. He gave me the art of song.  He gave me the art of the elder.

Then Ea ripped off his flaming glory coat and took his crown, he set on himself the aureole of the king.  When Ea has bound Apsu he killed him, and Mummu, the dark counselor, he led by the nose and locked away.  Ea has defeated his enemies and trodden them down.  Now that his triumph was completed, in deep peace he rested, in his holy palace Ea slept.

Over the abyss, the distance, he built his house and shrine and there magnificently he lived with his wife Damkina . In that room, at the point of decision where what is to come is predetermined, he was conceived, the most sagacious, the one from the first most absolute in action.  In the deep abyss he was conceived, MARDUK was made in the heart of the Apsu, MARDUK was created in the heart of the holy Apsu.  Ea begot him and Damkina bore him, father and mother; he sucked the breasts of goddesses, from his nurses he was fed on the terribleness that filled him.  His body was beautiful; when he raised his eyes great lights flared; his stride was majestic; he was the leader from the first.

When Ea who begot him saw him he exulted, he was radiant, light-hearted, for he saw that he was perfect, and he multiplied his godhead, the one to be first and stand highest.  His limbs were immaculate, the making a fearful mystery beyond comprehension; with four eyes for limitless sight, and four ears hearing all; when his lips moved a tongue of fire burst out. Titanic limbs, standing so high he overtopped the tallest god; he was strong and he wore the glory of ten, and their lightnings played round him.  'My son, my son, son of the sun, and heaven's sun!'

Then Anu begot winds and brought them from the four quarters, to be the can and to command the ranks and he brought the tornado, a wild surf to worry Tiamat.  But now the other gods had no rest any more, tormented by storms, they conspired in their secret hearts and brought to Tiamat the matter of their plot.  To their own mother they said,  'When they killed Apsu you did not stir, you brought no help to him, your husband.  Now Anu has called up from the four quarters this abomination of winds to rage in your guts, and we cannot rest for the pain;  Remember Apsu in your heart, your husband, remember Mummu who was defeated; now you are all alone, and thrash around in desolation, and we have lost your love, our eyes ache and we long for sleep.  'Rouse up, our Mother! Pay them back and make them empty like the wind.'

Tiamat approved it, she said, 'I approve this advice: we will make monsters (Annuki), and monsters and gods against gods will march into battle together.'  Together they jostle the ranks to march with Tiamat, day and night furiously they plot, the growling roaring rout, ready for battle, while the Old Hag, the first mother, mothers a new brood.  She loosed the irresistible missile, she spawned enormous serpents with cutting fangs, chock-full of venom in stead of blood, snarling dragons wearing their glory like gods. (Whoever sees this thing received the shock of death, for when they heave those bodies up they never turn them back.)  She made the Worm, the Dragon, the Female Monster, the Great Lion, the Mad Dog, the Man, Scorpion, the Howling Storm, Kulili, Kusariqu.

There was no pity in their weapons, they did not flinch from battle for her law was binding, irrevocable.  Eleven such monsters she made, but she took from among the gods the clumsy laborer Kingu one of the first generation to be her Captain, War-leader, Assembly-leader, ordering the supplies, leading the van to battle SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE WARS.

All this she gave him when she raised their Company, she said.  'Now it is in your hands, my spell will hold them bound, they must obey my will.  You are supreme, my one husband, your word will hold the rebel hordes.  She gave him the Tables of Fate and fastened them on to his breast, 'Now and for ever more your word is irrevocable, your judgments will last! They will quench the fire and the swinging mace will fail of its power.'  When Kingu had received the authority, that belonged before to Anu, in their several natures they confirmed the brood of monsters.

END OF TABLET ONE