Marduk

Marduk, also rendered Merodach in earlier Akkadian sources, was a major deity in ancient Mesopotamian religion and the chief god of the city of Babylon. By the second millennium BCE his cult spread beyond Babylon, and he became the head of the Mesopotamian pantheon, associated with justice, order, and kingship. In many traditions he is regarded as the son of Ea (Enki) and Damkina, though genealogies vary in different texts.

In the Babylonian creation epic Enuma Elish, Marduk rises to supreme authority after defeating the primordial chaos goddess Tiamat. He slays her forces, fashions the heavens and the earth from her body, and establishes the cosmic order. The gods acknowledge him as king of the gods, and humanity is created from the blood of Kingu to serve the divine will. This myth frames Marduk’s rule as divine legitimation of Babylonian political power.

Marduk is closely associated with the mušḫuššu, a dragon-like creature, which becomes a symbol of his authority. He is linked to cosmic and social order, including aspects of justice, rain, and fertility. His principal cult center was the Esagil temple in Babylon, and the Akītu festival celebrated his kingship and the renewal of order each year.

In later periods, especially during the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty, Marduk remained central to state ideology and royal legitimacy. He is frequently titled “king of the gods” and “lord of the great city.” In biblical and Near Eastern literature, the deity is sometimes referred to as Merodach, with Merodach-Baladan illustrating the cultural influence of his cult.