Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: Enuma Elish

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: a.c.smith AT juno.com (Andrew C Smith)
  • To: iriegner AT concentric.net
  • Cc: a.c.smith AT juno.com, b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Enuma Elish
  • Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 11:04:11 EST



On Mon, 04 Jan 1999 10:18:58 -0500 Irene Riegner
<iriegner AT concentric.net> writes:

>In trying to understand biblical verses it is important to distinguish
>between later understandings of the text and the understanding that
>ancient Israelites and Judahites may have had. Ideas of "first
>causes" and "prime movers" are later conceptualizations---Greek I
>believe---and not part of the Mesopotamian worldview from which these
>texts emerged. It is more likely that a Judahite writing in exile from
Babylonia
>would have a greater understanding of the Mesopotamian worldview than
that
>of the Greek and incorporate this into his text rather than anything
>Greek---especially if part of his task is to write for an exile
>Judahite audience.

But wasn't the point of Genesis chapter one to offer a refutation of that
Babylonian world view? I agree with you that the author was well
acquainted with Enuma Elish and similar documents of Babylonian or other
Mesopotamian world-views, but his point was to systematically refute
those documents at each point.


a.c.smith AT juno.com
http://www.lcms.org
http://www.lcms.com
http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/5680

___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page