A 4,300-year-old silver goblet, known as the Ain Samiya goblet, has been identified as the oldest known depiction of the creation of the universe, using “before and after” scenes to illustrate the peaceful triumph of order over chaos as the Sun takes its place in the sky.
A silver goblet, known as the Ain Samiya goblet, discovered in the West Bank and dating back to between 2650 and 1950 BC, has been re-examined and identified as the earliest known depiction of cosmic creation, predating the Babylonian creation myth by over a millennium.
The 3.1-inch vessel features two scenes: the first showing a state of chaos ruled by a monstrous snake and a powerless Sun; the second showing the snake subdued and the Sun held aloft in a celestial “boat of light” by two deities, representing the triumph of order. This imagery, which suggests a peaceful process of cosmic ordering rather than a violent struggle between gods, shares similarities with earlier Neolithic sites and even the Genesis creation story, hinting that these early creation myths may draw from a single, deeply ancient source.