Israel and Babylon

Description

Franz Delitzsch's lectures in 1902 and 1903 set off the Babel-Bible controversy, which rocked Europe and North America. In this searing critique of Delitzsch, Gunkel provides his own analysis of the relationship between ancient Israel and Babylon. In this edition, Gunkel's original work is newly translated, with a new Foreword, notes, bibliographies, and indexes.

Subjects

• Books
• Savoirs
• Religions

Informations

• Published by: Wipf and Stock Publishers
• Published: 01 March 2009
• Reads: 0
• EAN13: 9781725244719
• Language: English
• Document size: 3 MB

Exrait

Israel and Babylon

Israel and Babylon

The Babylonian Influence on Israelite Religion

Hermann Gunkel

editEd with à nEw FOREwORd, nOtEs, àNd BibLiOgRàphY bY k. C. HàNsON

Transaed by E. S. B. and K. C. anson

ISRAEL AND BABYLON The Babylonian Influence on Israelite Religion

Copyright ©2009Wipf and Stock Publishers. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers,199W.8th Ave., Suite3, Eugene, OR97401.

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isbn13:9781606082508

CataloginginPublication data:

Gunkel, Hermann,1862–1932.

Israel and Babylon : the Babylonian influence on Israelite religion / Hermann Gunkel. Edited with a New Foreword, Notes, and Bibliography by K. C. Hanson. Translated by E. S. B. and K. C. Hanson.

isbn13:9781606082508

xviii +78p. ;20cm. Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Translation of Israel und Babylonien.

1. Delitzsch, Friedrich,1850–1922. Babel und Bibel.2. AssyroBabylonian literature—Relation to the Old Testament.3. Literature, comparative— Hebrew and AssyroBabylonian.4. Judaism—History—To70C.E. I. Hanson, K. C. (Kenneth Charles). II. E. S. B. III. Title.

BS1180G872009

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

Contents

List of Illustrations •vi Foreword by K. C. Hansonvii • Abbreviationsxvii •

DELitzsch, BàbYLON, àNd thE BibLE • 1 1 ThE BROàd rEàch Of BàbYLONiàN CiviLizàtiON • 7 2 BàbYLONiàN INflUENcEs àNd DELitzsch’s 3 misiNtERpREtàtiONs • 13 • 25BàbYLONiàN INflUENcEs ON IsRàELitE CULtURE 4 5 • 31BàbYLONiàN INflUENcEs ON IsRàELitE rELigiON 6 • 57rEvELàtiON iN IsRàEL

Bibliography • 65 Index of Ancient Documents73 • Index of Ancient Names75 • Index of Authors • 76

Illustrations

IshtàR GàtE Of BàbYLON • 4

aMàRNà tàbLEts • 9

HàMMURàbi StELE • 27

BàbYLONiàN gOd nàbU • 29

FLOOd TàbLEt Of thE GiLgàMEsh epic • 35

màRdUK àttàcKiNg TiàMàt • 42

GiLgàMEsh • 45

Poo credîs: ïsar Gae © K. C. anson 2000, used by permmîssîon. A oers rom Rober Wîîam Rogers,Cuneîorm Paraes o e Od Tesamen.

vi

Foreword

DELitzsch àNd thE BàbEL–BibLE CONtROvERsY

He conroversy over e reaîonsîp beween Babyon and ïsrae was înîîaed by ecures deîvered în January and February 1902, January 1903, and Ocober 1904 by Proessor Frîedrîc Deîzsc (1850–1922). He major reacîons o ese ecures were due în arge par o Deîzsc’s deîver- îng e Irs wo ecures a e Deusce Orîen-Gesescat (German Orîena Socîey), wî Kaîser Wîem ïï, e em- peror’s wîe, and members o e roya cour în aendance. e gave e îrd ecure a îerary socîeîes în Barmen and Kön. He conroversy became so wîdespread a î even gar- nered îs own name: în German “Der Babe-Bîbe Sreî,” and  în Engîs “e Babe–Bîbe Conroversy.” Frîedrîc Deîzsc was e son o e Od Tesamen scoar Franz Deîzsc (1813–1890). He eder Deîzsc was we known or e serîes o commenarîes e coauored

1. See e îrd secîon o e bîbîograpy on e Babe-Bîbe Conroversy beow, 70–72.

vii

viii

Foreword

 wî C. F. Keî; and wîe conservaîve, e was no a un- damenaîs. He younger Deîzsc made îs repuaîon as a promînen Assyrîoogîs and Sumeroogîs, raîned by e emînen Eberard Scrader a e Unîversîy o Berîn. A e îme o îs ecures, e was Proessor o Assyrîoogy a e Unîversîy o Berîn and curaor o e Wesern Asîaîc co- ecîon o e Roya Museum (1899–1919). He conroversy sîrred up by Deîzsc’s ecures was due în par o e sensaîona manner în wîc e ramed îs concusîons. Raer an sîmpy reporîng on e advances în Assyrîoogy, e new documens excavaed, and e îg ey sed on e ancîen Near Eas, e pu or îs posîîon a e comparîsons beween e Babyonîan documens and e Od Tesamen demonsraed a ïsrae ad subsanîay obaîned îs îeraure rom Babyon. And regardîng many o îs comparîsons, e argued a e Babyonîan orms were superîor and e ïsraeîe orms pae îmîaîons. e empoyed îs knowedge o e ancîen Near Eas o caracerîze e Od Tesamen as înerîor, naîve, derîvaîve. Years aer Deîzsc deveoped ese vîews even urer în îs bookDîe grosse Täuscung(he Grea Decepîon). As Savî and Eran summarîze:

No ony dîd Deîzsc ake o exremes e vîew a paraes beween e cuure o Babyonîa and e Bîbe aesed o e ac a a arge par o e bîbîca word was borrowed rom Babyonîa, nor was e conen o descrîbe Babyonîa one spîrîua eve îger an a o ancîen ïsrae, presenîng e Babyonîan cuure as a mode o aw, eîcs

2. Keî and Deîzsc,Bîbîca Commenary on e Od Tesamen, 25 vos.

Foreword

and jusîce. Hus e urned “sînu Babyon,” e cîy a, în e word o Crîsîanîy, symboîzed vaîngory, sîn and evî, îno e ancîen source o Crîsîan vaues and Wesern cîvîîzaîon—a vîa îs înluence on Greek cuure and Crîsîanîy. Babyonîa, now enjoyîng a renaîssance, was de- pîced as a deveoped, advanced cuure wory o admîraîon or îs esîmabe quaîîes, a cuure a înluenced e enîre regîon în wose cener î dweed, and even beyond a, a cuure wose îeraure—and no e Bîbe—represened e va-  ues o umanîsîc-unîversa eîcs.

Gunke acknowedged Deîzsc’s aen and repua- îon în e Ied o Assyrîoogy. Deîzsc was a respeced Semîîs, we versed în ancîen Near Easern documens and anguages. e was correc în makîng comparîsons beween Babyon and ïsrae în erms o bo genera cuura îssues as we as reîgîon, especîay gîven Babyon’s cenurîes o înlu- ence rougou e ancîen Near Eas and e Judeans’ exîe o Babyon în e sîx cenury BCE. Bu despîe ese ac- knowedgmens, Gunke e compeed o pubîs îs sma voume o expose wa e consîdered Deîzsc’s poemîca aîude and serîous laws o meod and ogîc. Gunke’s crî- îque încudes e oowîng key poîns:  Deîzsc unorunaey reaed e comparîsons be - ween Babyon and ïsrae în a cavaîer manner, oten wî poemîca îneress.



e mîsînerpreed numerous bîbîca passages—a îmes no akîng genre îno accoun (suc as e

3. Savî and Eran,he Hebrew Bîbe Reborn, 212.

i

x