Apsu

In Mesopotamian mythology, Apsu (also spelled Abzu or Engur) refers to the primordial freshwater ocean that existed before creation. In Zecharia Sitchin’s cosmological reading, Apsu is reinterpreted as a celestial body — specifically, the Sun.

Apsu in the Enuma Elish

In the Enuma-Elish, the creation epic, Apsu and Tiamat (the saltwater ocean) are the original parental entities. Apsu represents the freshwater underground ocean that mingles with Tiamat’s saltwaters to create the first generation of gods.

“When on high the heaven had not been named, / Firm ground below had not been called by name, / Naught but primordial Apsu, their begetter…”

Sitchin’s Interpretation

Sitchin rejected the traditional mythological reading and proposed that Apsu represents the Sun — the central body around which the solar system formed. In his reading:

1. Apsu = the Sun (the “begetter” of the solar system)
2. Tiamat = a primordial planet between Mars and Jupiter
3. Mummu = Mercury (the “messenger” or “servant” of Apsu)

Sitchin argued that Apsu’s description as “the begetter” who “made the first gods” reflects the astronomical understanding that the Sun’s gravitational field and radiation provided the conditions for planetary formation.

Apsu in Sumerian Temple Architecture

Historically, the Abzu in Sumerian temples was a sacred pool or water basin symbolizing the primordial freshwater ocean. The most famous was at the Enki temple in Eridu, where the Abzu was the source of wisdom and life-giving waters. Enki was the god of the Abzu — the god of wisdom, fresh water, and creation.

Parallels in Other Cultures

Sitchin drew parallels between Apsu and:

• Abyss (Greek abyssos) — the “bottomless deep”
• Tehom (Hebrew) — the “deep” in Genesis 1:2
• Nu (Egyptian) — the primordial watery chaos

Sitchin Analysis

Where Sitchin Agrees with Mainstream

• Apsu is the primordial begetter: Both Sitchin and mainstream Assyriology agree Apsu (Abzu) is the freshwater primal element of the Enuma Elish, consort of Tiamat, from whom the first gods spring. This is not disputed.

• Mummu belongs to the pair: Both agree Mummu appears alongside Apsu and Tiamat in the opening theogony.

• The Abzu is Enki’s domain: Both agree the Abzu is the sacred freshwater deep of Enki, symbolized by the temple water-basin at Eridu.

• The “deep” motif is widespread: Both agree the Greek abyssos, Hebrew tehom, and Egyptian Nu are related primeval-water concepts.

• Tehom is linguistically close to Tiamat: Both accept the Semitic kinship of the words.

Where They Differ

• Sun or freshwater: Sitchin makes Apsu the Sun, center of the forming solar system. Mainstream reads the personified subterranean fresh water.

• Mummu: Sitchin reads Mercury. Mainstream reads Apsu’s vizier, a divine counselor.

• Tiamat: Sitchin reads a planet. Mainstream reads the personified salt sea.

• “Made the first gods”: Sitchin reads planetary formation. Mainstream reads theogony, the waters mingling to beget gods.

• The epic’s genre: Sitchin reads an astronomy record. Mainstream reads a theological cosmogony.

PRO vs CONTRA

Argument PRO (Sitchin)	Counterargument (mainstream)
Apsu is the primordial “begetter” in the Enuma Elish	Agreed - but a cosmogonic freshwater deity, not the Sun
Apsu = the Sun, the center of the forming solar system	Apsu personifies the subterranean fresh water mingling with Tiamat’s salt sea
Mummu = Mercury, the messenger-servant of Apsu	Mummu is Apsu’s vizier in the myth, a divine counselor, not a planet
”He made the first gods” describes planetary formation	It is theogony: the waters mingle and beget the gods, a creation myth
The Abzu basin at Eridu preserved this astronomy	The temple Abzu is the sacred freshwater deep, a cultic symbol, not a star map
Tehom, abyssos, and Nu remember the same cosmic body	They are shared “primeval deep” motifs of ancient cosmology, not a planet
The epic encodes a real account of solar-system origins	The epic is a theological cosmogony, not a record of astrophysics

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See Also

• Tiamat-Kingu — The celestial interpretation of Tiamat
• Enuma-Elish — The creation epic
• Enki — The god of the Abzu
• Eridu — The temple of Enki at Eridu
• DUR.AN.KI — The “Bond Heaven-Earth”

Sources

• Sitchin, Z. (1976). The 12th Planet. Chapters 4-6.
• Sitchin, Z. (1990). Genesis Revisited. Chapter 1.
• Heidel, A. (1942). The Babylonian Genesis. University of Chicago Press.