18 I've heard that there are a lot of Biblical parallels in Sumerian literature. What are they?
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This article is from the Sumerian Mythology FAQ, by Christopher Siren cbsiren@cisunix.unh.edu with numerous contributions by others.
18 I've heard that there are a lot of Biblical parallels in Sumerian literature. What are they?
Traces of Sumerian religion survive today and are reflected in
writings of the Bible. As late as Ezekiel, there is mention of a Sumerian
deity. In Ezekiel 8:14, the prophet sees women of Israel weeping for
Tammuz (Dumuzi) during a drought.
The bulk of Sumerian parallels can, however be found much earlier, in
the book of Genesis. As in Genesis, the Sumerians' world is formed out of
the watery abyss and the heavens and earth are divinely separated from one
another by a solid dome. The second chapter of Genesis introduces the
paradise Eden, a place which is similar to the Sumerian Dilmun, described
in the myth of "Enki and Ninhursag". Dilmun is a pure, bright, and holy
land - now often identified with Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. It is
blessed by Enki to have overflowing, sweet water. Enki fills it with
lagoons and palm trees. He impregnates Ninhursag and causes eight new
plants to grow from the earth. Eden, "in the East" (Gen. 2:8) has a
river which also "rises" or overflows, to form four rivers including the
Tigris and Euphrates. It too is lush and has fruit bearing trees. (Gen.
2:9-10) In the second version of the creation of man "The Lord God formed
man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of
life, and so man became a living being." Enki and Ninmah (Ninhursag) use
a similar method in creating man. Nammu, queen of the abyss and Enki's
mother, bids Enki to "Kneed the 'heart' of the clay that is over the Abzu
" and "give it form" (Kramer & Maier p. 33) From there the similarities
cease as the two create several malformed humans and then the two deities
get into an argument.
Returning to Enki and Ninhursag, we find a possible parallel to the
creation of Eve. Enki consumed the plants that were Ninhursag's children
and so was cursed by Ninhursag, receiving one wound for each plant
consumed. Enlil and a fox act on Enki's behalf to call back Ninhursag in
order to undo the damage. She joins with him again and bears eight new
children, each of whom are the cure to one of his wounds. The one who
cures his rib is named Ninti, whose name means the Queen of months,
(Kramer & Maier 1989: pp. 28-30) the lady of the rib, or she who makes
live. This association carries over to Eve. (Kramer, History Begins at
Sumer 1981: pp. 143-144) In Genesis, Eve is fashioned from Adam's rib and
her name hawwa is related to the Hebrew word hay or living. (New American
Bible p. 7.) The prologue of "Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Underworld" may
contain the predecessor to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This
tree not only contains a crafty serpent, but also Lilith, the legendary
first wife of Adam. The huluppu tree is transplanted by Inanna from the
banks of the Euphrates to her garden in Uruk, where she finds that:
...a serpent who could not be charmed
made its nest in the roots of the tree,
The Anzu bird set his young in the branches of the tree,
And the dark maid Lilith built her home in the trunk.
(Wolkstein and Kramer 1983: p. 8)
It should be noted that Kramer's interpretation that this creature is
Lilith has come into quiestion of late. See
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~humm/Topics/Lilith/relief_question.html#KRAEMERCRIT
Another possible Sumerian carry-over related to the Fall of man is the
lack of "pangs of childbearing" for those in Dilmun. In particular,
Ninhursag gives birth in nine days, not nine months, and the pass "like
good princely cream" (Kramer 1981: p. 142,145) or "fine oil" (Kramer &
Maier 1989: p. 25)
The quarrels between herder god and farmer deity pairs such as Lahar
and Ashnan or Enten and Emesh are similar in some respects to the quarrels
of Cain and Abel. In the Sumerian versions death appears to be avoided,
although we do not have the complete Lahar and Ashnan story. (Kramer 1961
pp. 49-51, 53-54)
The ten patriarchs in Genesis born prior to the flood lived very long
lives, most in excess of 900 years. The seventh patriarch, Enoch, lived
_only_ 365 years before he "walked with God". (Genesis 5) The eight
antediluvian kings of in the Sumerian King List also lived for hundreds
of years. (Kramer 1963 p. 328)
The clearest Biblical parallel comes from the story of the Flood. In
the Sumerian version, the pious Ziusudra is informed of the gods decision
to destroy mankind by listening to a wall. He too weathers the deluge
aboard a huge boat. Noah's flood lasts a long time, but Ziusudra comes
to rest within seven days and not the near year of the Bible. He does not
receive a covenant, but is given eternal life. (Kramer 1963
pp. 163-164; Kramer 1961 pp. 97-98)
As far as the New Testament goes, many also draw a parallel between
Dumuzi and Jesus because Dumuzi is a shepherd and he is resurrected from
the dead. This is perhaps appealing to some as Dumuzi's Akkadian analog,
Tammuz, appears in the Bible, however Dumuzi's periodic return from the
underworld is not unique even in Sumerian literature. His sister,
Geshtinanna, also rises from the dead, and if one counts those born as
deities, Inanna does as well. Periodic death and rebirth is a common theme
in agricultural myths where the return of the deities from the earth mirrors
a return to life of plants.
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