“Inuma ilu awilu,” When gods [were] men.

[dtango]

A "serious conversation" might just begin by mentioning that you have overreached......

You may complain of overreaching when the entire story has been restored and an attempt is made to fit it to historical events. At the present point we are trying to decide on what it was in the mind of the author of the phrase “When gods were human.”
His opinion, his belief, is the one that counts. Neither yours not mine. So, the point here is: do you care to know what he was thinking and what he believed? If “yes” then reflect on what he wrote; otherwise there is no point in arguing.

If, however, you are interested in the way scholars handle this matter, you may read a discussion that has just been started -and I hope it will continue in spite of the fighting- in the homonymous City-data thread: http://www.city-data.com/forum/religion-...-were.html