Tablet of Destinies


In Mesopotamian mythology, the Tablet of Destinies was envisaged as a clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform writing, also impressed with cylinder seals, which, as a permanent legal document, conferred upon the god Enlil his supreme authority as ruler of the universe. His aptitude as the greatest god gives him power over the other gods; only he has the ability to transform present circumstances back into their original state – redefining the course of fate. It is a major literary motif in ancient Sumerian myths including Ninurta and the Turtle, and in Akkadian myths including Enuma Elish.

Other mentions

In the Sumerian poem Ninurta and the Turtle it is the god Enki, rather than Enlil, who holds the Tablet; it therefore resides with Enki in the Abzu and the earth. Both this poem and the Akkadian Anzû poem concern the theft of the tablet by the bird Imdugud or Anzû from its original owner. In the end, the Tablet is recovered by the god Ninurta and returned to Enlil.
The Tablet of Destinies is an important device in the Babylonian epic Enuma Elish, in which Tiamat bestows this tablet on Kingu when she takes him as her consort and gives him command of her army. The tablet is seized by the god Marduk after his defeat of Qingu.
The Tablet of Destinies is referenced in Text B on the tablet K 6177 + 8869, now in the British Museum.

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