, in the creation epic they form a
separate class, and Delitzsch has justly recognized,[709] in this
separation, the intention of the compilers to emphasize an advance in
the evolution of chaos to order, which is the keynote of the Babylonian
cosmology. Lakhmu and Lakhamu represent the 'monster' world where
creatures are produced in strange confusion, whereas Anshar and Kishar
indicate a division of the universe into two _distinct_ and sharply
defined parts. The splitting of 'chaos' is the first step towards its
final disappearance.

The creation of Anshar and Kishar marks indeed the beginning of a severe
conquest which ends in the overthrow of Tiamat, and while in the present
form of the epic, the contest is not decided before Anu, Bel, and Ea and
the chief deities of the historic pantheon are created, one can see
traces of an earlier form of the tradition in which Anshar--perhaps with
some associates--is the chief figure in the strife.

Of the first tablet, we have two further fragments supplementing one
another, in which the beginnings of this terrible conflict are
described. With Apsu and Tiamat there are associated a variety of
monsters who prepare themselves for the fray. The existence of these
associates shows that the 'epic' does not aim to account for the real
origin of things, but only for the origin of the _order_ of the
universe. At the beginning there was chaos, but 'chaos,' so far from
representing emptiness (as came to be the case under a monotheistic
conception of the universe) was on the contrary marked by a
superabundant fullness.

Through Alexander Polyhistor,[710] as already mentioned, we obtain a
satisfactory description of this period of chaos as furnished by
Berosus. At the time when all was darkness and water, there flourished
strange monsters, human beings with wings, beings with two heads, male
and female, hybrid formations, half-man, half-animal, with horns of rams
and horses' hoofs, bulls with human faces, dogs with fourfold bodies
ending in fish tails, horses with heads of dogs, and various other
monstrosities.

This account of Berosus is now confirmed by the cuneiform records. The
associates of Tiamat are described in a manner that leaves no doubt as
to their being the monsters referred to. We are told that

Ummu-Khubur,[711] the creator of everything, added
Strong warriors, creating great serpents,
Sharp of tooth, merciless in attack.
With poison in place of blood, she fille