The Sumerian cosmogony was as follows:
There was the primeval ocean in the beginning (There is no information on its origin and how it came into being). This mother-sea produced the cosmic-mountain which was formed by the unseparated sky and Earth, An-Ki. Sky (An) was male and Earth (Ki) was female, the union of which has produced Enlil. Enlil has separated the sky and Earth. An took the sky. Enlil took his mother Ki (Earth). Union of Ki and Enlil established the basis for the ordered universe.
This union was the starting point and the source of man, animals, plants and the institution of civilization. The universe was created by the first cosmic gods: The creator gods, sky, Earth, air, water. Since the creator gods were the organizers of the Universe which they hold in their hands, the existence, development and survival of vast kingdoms have depended on them. This was the fundamental " truth of itself " for the Sumerians. These gods did not reveal themselves to the mortals. Each god was in charge of a different corner of the universe.
Sumerians have invented the "kingdoms in the sky" with assorted supreme beings in charge of various things.
Their universe was necessarily supervised, cared for, administered and controlled by living, anthropomorphic superior beings.
Gods were invisible but they had their statues in the temples.
Their gods were immortal but they needed food.
They were thought of as very very powerful because they governed the universe.
They were thought as immortals because their death may mean the loss of the order of the universe and consequently life may end.
Gods in the Sumero-Babylonian creation stories were not creators in a transcendental sense, they were an integral part of the universe and a product of its creative process.
Enki, the god of apsu-abzu (god of unfathomable deep) and also the god ofa wisdom was looking after earthly affairs working harmoniously with Enlil.
Enlil was designing the general plan and Enki was carrying it out. (There is always a chief deity with surrounding lesser deities. Archangels have appeared around the chief deity
Everything was tied to Enki"s creative effect. The judgment was "Enki did it" or "Enki did it and organized it so".
Gods preferred morality to immorality.
Sumerians have exalted the goodness, equity, candidness and honesty of gods.
But at the same time Sumerians have believed that gods embedded in mankind equal amounts of evil, lie, cruelty and tyranny.
Gods have invented "me"s. A "me" is a principle invented and signed by the gods with the aim of ensuring the trouble-free functioning of the Universe (This must be the origin of the present day concept of destiny).
Gods had so many important things to do, they did not involve themselves in earthly matters. Man needed a mediator to make himself heard by gods. Hence consulting personal supreme overseers was widespread; these became protective angels connected to the leader of the family.
Sacrifices and offerings were made to these deities in the temples called Ziggurats.
Deities were believed to be organizing and controlling everything.
The Sun-god Utu was an all-seeing supreme entity ensuring justice and equity, and helping mankind.
In later sources going back to 2500 B.C. Enlil playing the role of the chief deity. He has taken An's place. The oldest comprehensible documents describes him as the "father of gods", "king of sky and earth", "king of all countries".
Later myths and hymns tell that Enlil was a benevolent god who was responsible for the design and creation of the universe and also furnishing it with all the best things. He was the source of almost everything.
In the Sumerian tablets which were read and published since the 1930s hymns and myths present Enlil as a friendly and fatherly god who has safeguarded the security and well-being of mankind generally and Sumerians especially (The concept of "chosen people"?).
The underlined and highlighted sections will provide the inquisitive mind with the vital clues to the origins of the myths, legends, and the fundamental doctrines of the next belief systems.
