Deck 6: Mesopotamia: Enuma Elish

Question 1

Marduk creates the world from ___________________.

A) nothing
B) the leftovers from a previous world
C) Tiamat's body
D) the waters of the Tigris River

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Marduk's parents are__________________________

A) Lahame and Lahme
B) Anshar and Kishar
C) Apsu and Tiamat
D) Nudimmud and Damkina

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to the Enuma Elish, Marduk created the Tigris and Euphrates rivers by ____________________.

A) calling on the gods to send rain
B) making openings in Tiamat's eyes
C) boring holes in the earth
D) perfecting a tremendous irrigation system

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In this ritual, human beings are created primarily to _____________________________________________.

A) be caretakers of the newly created earth
B) take over caring for all of the gods' temples
C) worship Marduk as their creator and lord
D) demonstrate Marduk's mighty power

Question 5

As the story begins, Apsu and Tiamat are upset with their offspring because they ______________________.

A) are making too much noise
B) selfishly demand too much of the elder gods
C) are plotting to take over leadership from the elders
D) refuse to serve the older gods in their temples

Question 6

In response to the Annunakis' request for a shrine, Marduk ________________________________________.

A) tells them to build their own shrines
B) commands the newly formed humans to build them
C) declares Apsu the foremost shrine of all
D) instantaneously creates a shrine for each of them

Question 7

As a creation myth, Enuma Elish shares many concepts with Genesis, including that ________________.

A) humans are created as a favor to the gods
B) a supreme deity creates the world
C) God creates every living thing that moves
D) a and b
E) b and c

Question 8

There is evidence in our reading of Enuma Elish that Tiamat behaves like a __________________.

A) monster
B) mother
C) goddess
D) all of the above
E) b and c

Question 9

The description of how Marduk creates the world and sets stars in the sky is an example of ____________________.

A) cosmogony
B) creation ex nihilo
C) ritual
D) cosmology

Question 10

The keeper of the Tablet of Destinies controls ___________________________________________.

A) all of the operations of the earth and sky
B) the activities of the lesser gods
C) the fate of each individual
D) Marduk's enemies

Question 11

Enuma Elish begins with a description of the water gods _________________ and_____________________.

Question 12

When Apsu proposes to send the young gods away, Tiamat strongly disagrees because, she says, _______________________.

Question 13

_________________ was a central component of religion and cosmology for the Mesopotamian civilizations, since their lives and livelihoods depended on it.

Question 14

The _____________________, the elder gods, supported Tiamat's decision to attack the Igigi.

Question 15

As an indication of his physical superiority, Marduk had ___________ ears and ____________ eyes.

Question 16

When Marduk defeats _____________, he takes from him the symbols of kingship and preeminence: his belt, crown, and "mantle of radiance."

Question 17

After Marduk defeated Qingu and "counted him among the dead gods," he took from him the __________________________.

Question 18

Marduk created humans from the blood of ______________.

Question 19

In Babylonian mythology, ___________________ was the sweet-water deity.