Enuma Elish Literary Analysis

The Enuma Elish doesn’t only serve as a creation story, but doubles as political propaganda which was used to validate the right for kings to rule, which is exemplified by the fact that most the Enuman Elish focuses on the hierarchy of the gods instead of the creation of mankind. In the Enuma Elish, Marduk is the god of Babylon and the king of all gods. The Enuman Elish describes how Marduk is stronger than gods of other cities and establishes order. This story was used to justify the kingship of Babylonian kings (ex. Hammurabi), that Babylonian kings doubled as Marduk’s representatives and they had a right to conquer lands to establishes order, just as Marduk did. The political message of the Enuma Elish was that the political power of Babylon
ensures the natural order, and prosperity. To keep this message fresh in the mind of the subjects the Enuma Elish was recited before the statue of Marduk every year on the fourth day of the New Year festival called the Akita.