Babel and Bible

The Impact of Mesopotamia on Biblical Studies 1872–1924

AvRannfrid I. Thelle,Laura Quick

Inbunden, Engelska, 2026

Del i serien Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies

1 488 kr

Kommande

Beskrivning

A compelling exploration of how Mesopotamian discoveries reshaped biblical scholarship, and why their connection to the Bible made them matter. From the first public reading of the Babylonian flood story in 1872 to the controversies sparked by Delitzsch’s Babel–Bible lectures, Lasine Thelle traces the formative encounters between Assyriology and biblical studies. This book reveals how excavations in Assyria and Babylonia, and the decipherment of Akkadian texts, transformed the study of the Old Testament and redefined core concepts still taken for granted today.Through detailed analysis of major figures, including Wellhausen, Gunkel, and Mowinckel, Thelle shows how scholarly debates over creation myths, chronology, and cultural influence shaped modern biblical research. She also uncovers the reciprocal dynamic: Mesopotamia’s appeal to Western explorers was inseparable from its perceived biblical significance.Rich in historical insight and critical reflection, this study illuminates the intertwined histories of two disciplines and offers a fresh perspective on the intellectual currents that continue to inform contemporary scholarship.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2026-09-03
Mått:156 x 234 x 25 mm
Vikt:454 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Antal sidor:288
Förlag:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN:9780567673824

Utforska kategorier

Religion: allmänt inom Filosofi och religion
Kristendom inom Filosofi och religion

Mer om författaren

Rannfrid I. Lasine Thelle is Senior Fairmount Lecturer in the Ransom-Butler Department of Religion at Wichita State University, USA.

Innehållsförteckning

PrefaceAcknowledgementsAbbreviationsPart I: Introductory forays1. Approaching the subject2. “First Contact”: The Chaldean Account of GenesisPart II: Assyria, Assyriology, and the history of ancient Israel3. Assyriology in the 1870s and 80s and early responses in biblical studies4. Julius Wellhausen and the history of Israel: on its own terms or in context?Part III: Mesopotamian cosmology, myth, and Israelite religion5. Beyond source criticism and history writing: biblical studies and Assyriology in the 1890s6. Hermann Gunkel: the transformation of Babylonian myth in biblical traditions7. The Primacy of Babylon: trends in Assyriology in the 1890s to 1910s8. Babel and Bible in the German public square: Friedrich Delitzsch’s lectures9. Israel and Babylonia: the place of revelation in Assyriology and theologyPart IV: Assyriology in specific Old Testament fields10. Creation and flood in commentaries on Genesis11. Mesopotamian ritual and ancient Israelite ritual practice: Mowinckel’s Psalmenstudien12. The prophets of Duhm, Assyria, and comparative studiesPart V: Concluding ruminationsReferencesIndex