I'm not very much into (old or modern) poetry, but this ancient Epic talks to me. I don't think I would have had such a good experience reading this if not for the excellent introduction (by Sophus Helle) and the excellent 13 essays by Assyriologists, Cuneiform scholars, ancient language experts and near and middle east historians.
The Enuma Elish is beautiful. I imagine those ancient scholars and priests reciting the poem in front of big audiences during the famous akītu festival.
The Epic is a layered narrative covering themes such as the creation of the universe, Babylonian theology and astronomy but the main theme as interpreted by experts is the justification and establishment of the supremacy of Marduk, god of Babylon.
The essays cover topics such as historical and political backgrounds (Gösta Gabriel describes the poem as "not only a poetic masterpiece, but also a masterpiece of political thought"), language and linguistic analyses, ancient cuneiform sources and later works influenced or inspired by the Epic, one of which is the famous Genesis 1, from the bible. The author of this essay speculates that the Genesis 1 text might have been composed during the Babylonian exile where the Judean elite might have come across Babylonian literature.
And to end a quote on the intertextuality of the Epic: "the poem draws on a wide range of different sources and weaves together motifs to create an entirely new tapestry. It's use of earlier material is skillful and not merely a matter of stitching together, but also of transforming it's sources. The threads are discernible, but they have created something very different from the original compositions." (Selena Wisnom)
Recommend.
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