Book Review: The Ancient Near East. Supplementary Texts and Pictures Relating to the old Testament. Edited by James B. Pritchard. Princeton University Press; London: OUP, 1969. viii+274 pp. 110 plates, 3 maps. £7.25.; Ancient Near Eastern Texts. Relating to the Old Testament. Edited by James B. Pritchard. Third Edition with Supplement. Princeton University Press; London: OUP, 1969. xxv+710 pp. £14.50

Theology ◽  
1971 ◽  
Vol 74 (610) ◽  
pp. 170-172
Author(s):  
Sophie S. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Near East ◽  
Ancient Near East ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Princeton University

scholarly journals Symbolic Inversion in Death: Some Examples from the Old Testament and the Ancient Near Eastern world

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 398-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A Kruger
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Near East ◽  
Ancient Near East ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Ordinary Life ◽  
Life After Death ◽  
Cultural Phenomenon ◽  
Symbolic Inversion

Symbolic inversion is a widespread cultural phenomenon, the earliest examples of which can be traced back to the cultures of the ancient Near East. Symbolic inversion (mundus inversus) relates to those forms of expressive behaviour which invert commonly accepted social codes. One such area in the ancient Near Eastern and Old Testament world where this phenomenon manifested itself prominently is in the conception of life after death: life after death is often conceived as the direct inverse of what is customary in ordinary life. 

Ancient Near Eastern History: the Case of Cyrus the Great of Persia

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
AMÉLIE KUHRT
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Near East ◽  
Ancient Near East ◽  
Religious Toleration ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
The Past ◽  
Standard Picture

This chapter examines how an historian of the ancient Near East sets about reconstructing a picture of the past using material of great diversity in terms of type and historical value. It demonstrates this approach by considering the figure of the Achaemenid king, Cyrus II ‘the Great’ of Persia. The discussion begins by creating a conventional image of the king and consolidating it. It then analyses the evidence that has been used to strengthen the picture and presents some historical realities. The basis for the standard picture of Cyrus the Great is provided by material in classical writers and the Old Testament. Cyrus introduced a new policy of religious toleration together with active support for local cults, exemplified by the permission he granted to the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple, with generous funding from central government. The chapter also considers the date for Cyrus' defeat of the Median king Astyages (550), as well as his conquest of Babylon itself.

Biblical Prophecy—A Scribal Enterprise. The Old Testament Prophecy of Unconditional Judgement considered as a Literary Phenomenon

2011 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthijs J. de Jong
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Near East ◽  
Ancient Near East ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Total Destruction ◽  
The Common ◽  
Literary Phenomenon

AbstractAt the heart of the biblical prophetic books is scribal reinterpretation of earlier prophetic legacies. These legacies testify to prophetic activity in Israel and Judah—kinds of prophecy which in essence resembled prophetic and other divinatory activity found elsewhere in the ancient Near East. It was however the scribal reception, revision, and elaboration of these earlier legacies that gave rise to “biblical prophecy” and prompted the development of the prophetic books. In this process of reinterpretation the ‘prophets’ were removed from the realm of divination. They became to be portrayed as isolated figures, contra society, commissioned by Yahweh to declare his message of unconditional and total destruction. Through their ‘message’ the disastrous events that had befallen the states of Israel and Judah were explained (ex eventu) as being due to divine anger. This was in fact the common explanation for calamities, used throughout the ancient Near Eastern world.

scholarly journals WEATHER, AGRICULTURE, AND RELIGION IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Perichoresis ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-124
Author(s):  
Aurelian Botica
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Near East ◽  
Religious Life ◽  
Ancient Near East ◽  
Natural Phenomena ◽  
Religious Thought ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Religious Texts ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Concept Of God

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine those areas of agricultural and religious life that intersected with each and influenced the way people thought of God (or the gods). We will start with the premise that in the Ancient Near East religion was intrinsically connected to agriculture and fertility, though not entirely defined by them. It is also plausible that people shared a concept of God (gods) that at times was shaped by their interaction with natural phenomena like rain, drought, storms, flooding, and animal and crop plagues. In this sense, scholars have noted the connection between “fertility” and religious life, even though some remain caution of pushing this connection too far. To evaluate the strength of this idea we will examine a number of cultic texts that appear to have presumed the link between weather, agriculture and religion. In particular, we will focus on references to weather/ storm/ fertility gods. In the later part of our study, we will ask to what extent Biblical men and women were influenced by Ancient Near Eastern religious thought. We will also explore the concept of the link between agriculture, weather and religion in Greek religious texts.

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