The battle with the night serpent signifies, therefore, the conquering of the mother, who is suspected of an infamous crime, that is, the betrayal of the son. A full confirmation of the connection comes to us through the fragment of the Babylonian epic of the creation, discovered by George Smith, mostly from the library of Asurbanipal. The period of the origin of the text was probably in the time of Hammurabi (2,000 B.C.). We learn from this account of creation[528] that the sun-god Ea, the son of the depths of the waters and the god of wisdom,[529] had conquered Apsû. Apsû is the creator of the great gods (he existed in the beginning in a sort of trinity with Tiâmat—the mother of gods and Mumu, his vizier). Ea conquered the father, but Tiâmat plotted revenge. She prepared herself for battle against the gods. “Mother Hubur, who created everything, Procured invincible weapons, gave birth to giant snakes With pointed teeth, relentless in every way; Filled their bellies with poison instead of blood, Furious gigantic lizards, clothed them with horrors, Let them swell with the splendor of horror, formed them rearing, Whoever sees them shall die of terror. Their bodies shall rear without turning to escape. She arrayed the lizards, dragons and Laḫamen, Hurricanes, mad dogs, scorpion men, Mighty storms, fishmen and rams. With relentless weapons, without fear of conflict, Powerful are Tiâmat’s commands, irresistible are they. “After Tiâmat had powerfully done her work She conceived evil against the gods, her descendants; In order to revenge Apsu, Tiâmat did evil. When Ea now heard this thing He became painfully anxious, sorrowfully he sat himself. He went to the father, his creator, Ans̆ar, To relate to him all that Tiâmat plotted. Tiâmat, our mother, has taken an aversion to us, Has prepared a riotous mob, furiously raging.” The gods finally opposed Marduk, the god of spring, the victorious sun, against the fearful host of Tiâmat. Marduk prepared for battle. Of his chief weapon, which he created, it is said: “He created the evil wind, Imḫullu, the south storm and the hurricane, The fourth wind, the seventh wind, the whirlwind and the harmful wind, Then let he loose the winds, which he had created, the seven: To cause confusion within Tiâmat, they followed behind him, Then the lord took up the cyclone, his great weapon; For his chariot he mounted the stormwind, the incomparable, the terrible one.” His chief weapon is the wind and a net, with which he will entangle Tiâmat. He approaches Tiâmat and challenges her to a combat.