The Gods of The Epic Creation

As I read the Epic of Creation I found the concept of gods with human emotions and actions to be quite intriguing. For the most part the gods acted in ways I could understand. This is perhaps one of the great separations between modern religion and ancient religion. The gods that can be found in The Epic Creation and in other myths display an array of human emotions ranging from love to lust, while many of the gods of our day are viewed as perfect, mysterious, even unknowable. This separation can be seen in a number of the characters in the poem.  Marduk is a classic example of humanity at it's best. He is brave, strong, and wise. He vanquished his foes and deals with them justly. On the other hand Tiamat seems to be driven out of fear and anger. Again two emotions I can understand and relate to. She is stirred into actions by the words of others, but ultimately in an act of anger she allows herself to be pulled into a battle she can not win.
The Epic of Creation displays a not always pretty picture of the gods, but it nonetheless paints a picture that the people of Babylon and indeed we today can understand.