chapter 10 the monism of darkness and the dualism of limit and ...

MONISM OF DARKNESS - DUALISM OF LIMIT AND INDETERMINACY 69
and inside, the two aboriginal Abysses of Water, namely Apsu (male
ocean of unsalted water) and Tiamat (Tethys, Sea, female profusion of
saltwater), and later Anshar (male “whole heaven”) and Kishar (female
profusion “whole earth”) are also born symbolizing the spermatic or
potential prefiguration of the as yet non-existent Heaven and Earth.
Anu, Sky still-unshaped, follows. Inside Apsu and after his defeat by
Ea (the Sumerian Enki, a deity of fresh water (of fountainsprings), of
wisdom and (magical) incantations), the great Bel-Marduk is born
(Enuma Elish Tablet I). With the rending of Tiamat into pieces after
two divine battles the World is at last organised in the form of the real
Sky and Earth (Tablet IV-V). In Genesis I, 2 prior to creation the
earth was invisible and unconstructed, an unarticulated ur-earth that
subsisted in the Abyss of Water, as solid matter in the watery slime.
Ophion’s kingship in the tradition that comprises it corresponds
therefore to Ouranos’ kingdom in the Hesiodic and received
Common Tradition (e.g. Apollodorus Bibliotheca s. in.) that is
ignorant thereof, but this is an ur-Sky since it has not been fully
distinguished from the Earth. This means that in both versions we
find ourselves either in primordial Chaos or in a situation somewhat
evolved from it but not yet completely formed nor articulated.
However, since domination is meaningless in absolute Chaos, the
second version is more probable; in which case also Ophion’s kingdom
corresponds to Ocean’s sovereignty prior to the existence of Earth.
Moreover, we expect in addition a preceding, even more primary
hypostatic level.
When Ophion was defeated, Ouranos, Earth and Ocean were
separated by Cronos 27 . The Ocean runs round the horizon thus
forming the common limit of Heaven and Earth (v. OF 115); hence
the Ocean is in the distinguished Cosmos the remnant of the
distinctionless world, it constitutes the condition that comes the
closest to the chaotic and undifferentiated. In images, the Ocean is
conceived as a gigantic serpent that embraces and holds the world
together. (Thus Ovid, Metamorphoses I, 30-1 but without the snake
imagery: with the discernment of elements according to their
appropriate identity, the Ocean
circumfluus umor
ultima possedit solidumque coercuit orbem).