Enūma Eliš in the context of "Anu"

Marduk (/ˈmɑːrdʊk/; cuneiform: 𒀭𒀫𒌓 AMAR.UTU; Sumerian: amar utu.k "calf of the sun; solar calf"; Hebrew: מְרֹדַךְ, Modern: Merōdaḵ, Tiberian: Mərōḏaḵ) is a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of Babylon who eventually rose to prominence in the 1st millennium BC. In Babylon, Marduk was worshipped in the temple Esagila. His symbol is the spade and he is associated with the Mušḫuššu.

By the 1st millennium BC, Marduk had become astrologically associated with the planet Jupiter. He was a prominent figure in Babylonian cosmology, especially in the Enūma Eliš creation myth.

Apkallu or and Abgal (𒉣𒈨; Akkadian and Sumerian, respectively) are terms found in cuneiform inscriptions that in general mean either "wise" or "sage".

In several contexts the Apkallu are seven demigods, sometimes described as part man and part fish or bird, associated with human wisdom; these creatures are often referred to in scholarly literature as the Seven Sages. Sometimes the sages are associated with a specific primeval king. After the Great Flood (see Epic of Gilgamesh), further sages and kings are listed. Post-deluge, the sages are considered human, and in some texts are distinguished by being referred to as Ummanu, not Apkallu. Another use of the term Apkallu is when referring to figurines used in apotropaic rituals; these figurines include fish-man hybrids representing the seven sages, but also include bird-headed and other figures. In a later work by Berossus describing Babylonia, the Apkallu appear again, also described as fish-men who are sent by the gods to impart knowledge to humans. In Berossus, the first one, Oannes (a variant of Uanna), is said to have taught humans the creation myth, the Enūma Eliš.

Anshar ( 𒀭𒊹 AN.ŠAR₂, Neo-Assyrian Akkadian: 𒀭𒊹, lit. 'whole sky') was a Mesopotamian god regarded as a primordial king of the gods. He was not actively worshiped. He was regarded as the father of Anu. In the first millennium BCE his name came to be used as a logographic representation of the head god in the Assyrian state pantheon, Ashur. He is attested in a number of god lists, such as An = Anum, and in literary compositions, including the Enūma Eliš.

Damgalnuna, also known as Damkina, was a Mesopotamian goddess regarded as the wife of the god Enki. Her character is poorly defined in known sources, though it is known that like her husband she was associated with ritual purification and that she was believed to intercede with him on behalf of supplicants. Among the deities regarded as their children were Nanshe and Asalluhi. While the myth Enki and Ninhursag treats her as interchangeable with the goddess mentioned in its title, they were usually separate from each other. The cities of Eridu and Malgium were regarded as Damgalnuna's cult centers. She was also worshiped in other settlements, such as Nippur, Sippar and Kalhu, and possibly as early as in the third millennium BCE was incorporated into the Hurrian pantheon. She appears in a number of myths, including the Enūma Eliš, though only a single composition, Damkina's Bond, is focused on her.

Enbilulu (Sumerian: 𒀭𒂗𒁉𒇻𒇻 EN-bi.lu.lu) was a Mesopotamian god associated with irrigation, and by extension with both canals and rivers. The origin of his name is unknown, and there is no agreement among experts in which way he was related to the similarly named deities Bilulu and Ninbilulu. While originally an independent deity, he eventually came to be seen as a name of Marduk and is mentioned in this role in the Enūma Eliš.

The Babyloniaca (Koine Greek: Βαβυλωνιακά, Babyloniaka, "History of Babylonia") is a history of the Babylonian civilization, written as three books. It was written in Greek during the Hellenistic period around 281 BCE, by the historian and Babylonian priest, Berossus, in dedication to the ascent of Antiochus I Soter to the throne of the Seleucid Empire.

The first book describes the beginning of Babylonian civilization, geography, and cosmology (a version that resembles the cosmology of the famous creation myth Enūma Eliš), and explains the transition of mankind before and after the revelation of divine law. The second book focuses on the genealogy of Babylon, starting with the antediluvian kings down to Nabu-Naṣir in 747 BCE, and presents an account of the Mesopotamian flood myth. The third book covered the recent history of Babylonia from Nabu-Naṣir to Alexander the Great.