The Bible And The Ancient Near East

"The stories collected in the Hebrew Bible provide for many an essential and original vision of a moral and coherent universe. It is thus surprising to learn that these stories were not simply the product of a single culture, of Hebrew poets, prophets, and priests; they had strange and diverse origins in the various civilizations of the ancient Near East. Recent archaeological and linguistic research shows that these civilizations - among them Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Hebrew - shared many common legends and even characters." "Furthermore, each season of archaeological work brings new discoveries that allow us to fill in gaps in our knowledge, of both Israel in particular and the ancient Near East in general. Among the most notable of the recent discoveries have been the first extrabiblical references to the house of David, found in an inscription on a stela at Dan. This and other exciting discoveries animate this thorough revision of Cyrus Gordon's classic text, The Ancient Near East. Professors Gordon and Rendsburg bring their combined expertise on the Bible and the ancient Near East to produce a comprehensive and cohesive account of Israelite history, literature, and theology against a backdrop of ancient civilization." "In preparing this volume the authors have sought to understand the Bible on its own terms by situating it in the world of the ancient Near East. By concentrating on what the language and literature of the Bible meant to contemporary hearers, Gordon and Rendsburg reveal undetected subtleties in the familiar narratives of the Bible."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Leading evangelical scholar John Walton surveys the cultural context of the ancient Near East, bringing insight to the interpretation of specific Old Testament passages. This new edition of a top-selling textbook has been thoroughly updated and revised throughout to reflect the refined thinking of a mature scholar. It includes over 30 illustrations. Students and pastors who want to deepen their understanding of the Old Testament will find this a helpful and instructive study.

Comprehensive, up-to-date collection of primary source documents (creation accounts, epic literature, etc.) gives insight into the Ancient Near East and the Old Testament.

Tracing parallels between biblical accounts and pagan cultures of the ancient Near East, Niehaus explores creation and flood narratives; literary and legal forms; and the acts of deities and the God of the Bible. He reveals not just cultural similarities but spiritual dimensions of common thought and practice, providing an overarching view of the story of the Bible. - Publisher.

This book greatly enhances our knowledge of the interrelationship of Greek religion & culture and the Ancient Near East by offering important analyses of Greek myths, divinities and terms like a ~magica (TM) and 'paradise', but also of the Greek contribution to the Christian notion of atonement.

Presented in this volume is a collection of the shorter writings of one of the more innovative scholars working on the relationship between the writings of the Hebrew Bible and its ancient Near East context. Topics include: ANE environment, literature of the ANE, myth versus history, Nebuchadnezzar I's Elamite crisis, Job and the Israelite religious tradition, motif of the weeping God in Jeremiah, lament tradition in ANE, the hand of Yahweh, and whether God lies.

The cultures of the great empires of the ancient Near East from Egypt to Mesopotamia influenced Israel's religion, literature, and laws because of Israel's geographic location and political position situation. Anyone who wishes to understand the Old Testament texts and the history of ancient Israel must become familiar with the history, literature, and society of the surrounding kingdoms that at times controlled the region. Brief in presentation yet broad in scope, Ancient Near East will introduce students to the information and ideas essential to understanding the texts of the Old Testament while clarifying difficult issues concerning the relationship between Israel and its neighbors. Abingdon Essential Guides fulfill the need for brief, substantive, yet highly accessible introductions to the core disciplines in biblical, theological, and religious studies.

This volume brings together the work of scholars using various methodologies to investigate the prevalence, importance, and meanings of feasting and foodways in the texts and cultural-material environments of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East. Thus, it serves as both an introduction to and explication of this emerging field. The offerings range from the third-millennium Early Dynastic period in Mesopotamia to the rise of a new cuisine in the Islamic period and transverse geographical locations such as southern Iraq, Syria, the Aegean, and especially the southern Levant. The strength of this collection lies in the many disciplines and methodologies that come together. Texts, pottery, faunal studies, iconography, and anthropological theory are all accorded a place at the table in locating the importance of feasting as a symbolic, social, and political practice. Various essays showcase both new archaeological methodologies--zooarchaeological bone analysis and spatial analysis--and classical methods such as iconographic studies, ceramic chronology, cultural anthropology, and composition-critical textual analysis.