The Mesopotamian epic of Atra-Hasis (circa 1800 BCE), contains the myth of the creation, it details the birth of mankind, human overpopulation, and a great flood. The Igigi were giant, powerful anthropomorphic beings, yet they were younger minor deities made to serve as labourers for the superior Anunnaki gods.

According to the epic, after many years of exhausting work, mining gold and constructing watercourses, the Igigi grew resentful and rebelled. In response, the gods Enki, (the god of creation), and Ninhursag, (the great mother who birthed humanity), are tasked with genetically engineering a new species to replace them. By mixing clay with the flesh and blood of the slain god ‘Kingu’, they craft the first human being, ‘Adamu’. Designed to be less powerful with shorter lifespans, humans were created to take over as labourers for the gods.