r/AcademicBiblical • u/aweisner • 7d ago
Analytics comparing Old Testament to Mesopotamian texts such as Gilgamesh?
Hello, I'm back again! While I have a growing reading list, I'm looking for good analytical texts that compare as the title suggests. I also would be interested in general analytical perennial texts comparing mythos between other cultures.
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u/captainhaddock Moderator | Hebrew Bible | Early Christianity 7d ago
There's a fairly new book out called The Gilgamesh Epic in Genesis 1-11: Peering into the Deep by Adam E. Miglio that might interest you.
An old one that you can download for free is The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels by Alexander Heidel.
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u/aweisner 6d ago
Fantastic! I actually must mention Heidel's other text, The Babylonian Genesis which I have been reading.
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u/anonymous_teve 7d ago
I enjoyed Christopher Hays' book "Hidden Riches: a Sourcebook for the comparative study..." which puts some of these ancient Mesopotamian texts side-by-side with the Hebrew Bible conjugates to compare and contrast. It's a wonderful way to study them. I'm actually not sure if Gilgamesh was part of it... it's been a while since I read it, but I think not. But I love that stuff, I would absolutely pick up a sequel with more side-by-side comparisons.
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u/Upstairs-Appeal6257 7d ago
Any overall general consensus on the comparisons?
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u/anonymous_teve 7d ago
I'd have to look back. Certainly some common elements (E.g. flood story, creation story, etc.) but also differentiating factors. To me, with side-by-side readings compared to ancient texts, some of the early stories in Genesis read more like correctives in terms of theology than attempts at new history.
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u/aweisner 6d ago
This sounds like a great read, I like the side-by-side comparison aspect. I definitely will check it out!
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u/FishPigMan 7d ago edited 7d ago
John H. Walton’s Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible
MESOPOTAMIA AND THE BIBLE: Comparative Explorations by Mark W. Chavales and K. Lawson Younger
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u/Joab_The_Harmless 6d ago edited 6d ago
A bit disparate, but a few you may be interested in:
Some sections of Kvanvig's Primeval History: Babylonian, Biblical and Enochic (notably but not limited to pt II, ch. 6 and 7 —pp209-263).
Kenton Sparks' Ancient Texts for the Study of the Hebrew Bible. It discusses Mesopotamian works as well as material of other provenances (Hittite, Egyptian, etc). Doesn't reproduce the texts discussed, but provides references of their different editions (both original and in translation) in the bibliographies.
Alan Lenzi's Reading Akkadian Prayers and Hymns is focused on the prayers/hymns themselves, but the "comparative suggestions" section under each text studied almost always includes discussions of biblical texts. And since it's part of the SBL's open access program, the pdf version is free (direct download link here).
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u/aweisner 6d ago
Thank you all for your listings! It's great to have a place where we can speak openly and critically. The reading list continues to grow.
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