The Poem of Erra in the Book of Ezekiel A Comparative Study of Apsû and Yam Metaphor

This study examines the literary and theological connections between the Poem of Erra and the Book of Ezekiel by comparing water imagery, focusing on the metaphors of abūbu (deluge) and Apsû (primordial waters). While previous scholarship has noted parallels between the two texts, this article offers a new perspective on the dual nature of water, which is both destructive and restorative. In the Poem of Erra , water acts as a metaphor for divine wrath, chaos and socio-political catastrophe, but also symbolises renewal and the presence of the divine, being linked to the Apsû and the Apkallū . Similarly, Ezekiel uses water imagery in contexts of judgement and restoration, particularly in the temple vision, where life-giving waters signify the return of the divine presence. Rather than proposing direct textual dependence, the study argues for dynamic intertextual engagement shaped by Ezekiel’s Babylonian milieu. The prophet reimagines Mesopotamian cosmological and theological motifs within a unique Yahwistic framework, transforming shared ancient Near Eastern (ANE) imagery to express themes of exile, divine absence, and restoration. This comparative approach enriches discussions on biblical intertextuality, cultural hybridity and the reinterpretation of Mesopotamian traditions within exilic prophetic literature from a theological perspective