Marduk the Fisherman

This note considers Marduk's use of the net in Enuma elis. This weapon is usually assumed to be a net for catching birds inherited from Marduk's relationship to Ninurta mythology, since Ninurta's opponent in battle was the demonic bird Anzu. Here it is suggested that the net can also be used as a fishing net and portrays Marduk as a fisherman. This coheres with the nature of Marduk's opponent, Ti'amtu, whose name means sea, and also fits into the depiction of Marduk taking over from Enlil as chief god in Enuma elis, since Enlil is also described as both fisher and fowler in Sumerian texts. Thus an image that is sometimes thought to be awkwardly borrowed is shown to be coherently integrated after all, adding another dimension to the depiction of Marduk in battle.