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Book summary Ancient Near Eastern Through and the Old Testament1...

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Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament

A Paper Submitted to Dr. Kristi Miller of the Liberty University Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course Old Testament Introduction: OBST 590-CO4-LUO in the Division of Old Testament

Stephen N. Jackson B.S., Mississippi Valley State University 1981 November 4, 2012

CONTENTS Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................... I Part 1. COMPARATIVE STUDIES ...................... 1 A. History and Methods ……………………………..2 B. Comparative Studies, Scholarship and Theology………3-4 Part 2. Literature of the Ancient Near East…….5 C. Summary of the Literature of the Ancient Near East………6 Part 3. Religion ……………………………..7 4. The Gods.................... 8 5. Temples and Rituals…9-11 6. State and Family Religion…………. Part 4 Cosmos ......12 7. Cosmic Geography 8. Cosmology and Cosmogony ......13 Part 5. People …......................................... 9. Understanding the Past: Human Origins and Role 10. Understanding the Past: Historiography 11. Encountering the Present: Guidance for Life—Divination

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INTRODUCTION

As I stated in the first writing I wrote, “In speaking with a number of high profile Pastors, Teachers, Bishops, etc; once you have been in the ministry for a number of years Theology goes out the window.” In making this statement, if you want to deepen your understanding of the Old Testament I know this will be a helpful and edifying study. Now I do believe the Arthur John Walton is providing a very thoughtful introduction to the conceptual world of the ancient Near East. This book gives the reader can understand on how ancient people viewed the world. The Old Testament becomes more clearly a book that stands within its ancient context. The writer (John Walton) investigation all his finding and literature of the ancient Near East then present the reader to a number of beliefs in the world about God and religion. In this book he suggests that there are three important roles comparative studies can play in biblical interpretation: critical analysis, defense of the biblical text, and exegesis. John Walton also particularly focuses on the third facet and the importance of preventing misinterpretation through the imposition of modern worldviews.

CHAPTER 1

Part 1, “Comparative Studies,” helps to give the audience a better understanding and history of the ancient New East. Chapter 1 gives history and how it all worked and then in Chapter 2 we find the different views of each position of the critics and the scholars. The first chapter discusses the comparison of the Bible with the ancient Near East views and histories. Walton highlights important facts and through his description of history shows the critical verses the intellectual ways of thinking from the very beginning. Each offers an alternate route but Walton continually goes back to the intellectual definitions throughout the entire book. He chooses a side and attempts to bring the two together in order to show the differences. This is where the problem actually arises. The remainder of the chapter is focused on the methodology. He devotes his writing to comparing the differences. Walton clearly shows that the ancient Near East was a learning environment and the cognition of their views was easily understandable to themselves. In comparison he demonstrates that the writers of the Bible we similarly connected to the ancient Near East views and had a very clear understanding of that environment. It is important; however, to understand that the reader concludes their reading with an understanding of the general principals of comparison and that all points of view must be considered.

CHAPTER 2

Part 2, “Literature of the Ancient Near East,” discusses the ancient Near East theory on “Myths, Literary Texts and Epics, Ritual Texts, Divination/Incantation Texts, Letters, Royal Inscriptions, Annals/Chronicles, Treaties, Law Collections, Legal Documents, Hymns and Prayers, Wisdom Literature, Prophecy, Fictional Autobiography/Apocalyptic, Archives and Miscellaneous.” Each of these sections represents a geographical origin. Walton really begins to set the entire tone of his writing here in Chapter 2. He lays a foundation which sets the standard for his approach to the comparisons of the Bible verses the ancient New East.

Walton writes,

“…it is not uncommon for traditional interpreters to believe that the divine authorship of Scripture is mitigated if the human input into the text is used to arrive at an interpretation. Inspiration, in their view, lifts the text above its human element” (p. 36). Here he states that it is easier for the intellectual scholars to receive the views of the Bible if there is human input. Thus the need for the Theological way of thinking. Walton insinuates the one thoroughly consider the material used before accepting it as face value.

CHAPTER 3

Part 3 of Walton’s writing discussed the ancient Near East religion. The ancient Near East religion has three parts to it: the gods; the temples and rituals and; the state and family religion. The section regarding the gods demonstrates the way of life for the people of that and what the thought about gods. This why it was so hard to the Israelite’s to believe that God should be worshipped. To the ancient Near East way of thinking this was ludicrous. Parts 3, 4 and 5 show the manmade descriptions in which Walton compares to the Bible. Part 3 discusses religion. He shows the intellectual purpose of gods and how people use them to justify their paganistic ways. They do this through idols and rituals to sway others to their way of thinking. Walton exposes this and through is comparisons of the Bible with the idols and temples built for those idols. Walton points out the similarities of the Old Testament and the ancient New Eastern ways. He gives examples of the background and then the culture to show exactly how the people of those times viewed things and how their thought process was shaped.

CHAPETR 4

Part 4 explores how the people of ancient civilizations view the cosmos and the geography of that cosmos. The used the cosmos played important roles in how the functioned as a society and explains a lot of how they thought. There are many references to the heavens as the sky; rain as heavenly waters; and heavenly bodies represented the earth and the sea. I found this part of the book the most interesting. How the view the stars and the cycles of the moon to determine seasons and predict whether patterns. They planned their entire lives and travel was based on this cosmos that Walton describes in Chapter 4.

CHAPTER 5

The final part of Walton’s writing describes the people of the ancient New East. He gives a detailed view of their evolution throughout their human origins and their history. He shows how the functioned as a people and how they based their entire lives on their own history. He proves that these people were not ignorant of their circumstances and they understood what was going on around them. They had roles and a chain of command that involved divination, laws, social status and etc. The last section of the book is actually the largest section and it touches on the psychological process of the people of the ancient New East. It proves that they had the capability of understanding other people and were not just stuck in their own worlds. Walton shows how they knew right from wrong and how they knew what they needed to do in regards to religion. They knew how to build cities and how to view kings. They made and enforced laws using a profound wisdom.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion Walton’s book gave me a better understanding of how history plays a major role in how the ancient people lived, worked and worshipped. Though there were many pagan idols and gods, they were able to discern the difference between what was true and Godly and what was not. The comparative studies of the Bible with the ancient New East ways were absolutely necessary to show how similar the two really are. All together, it proves the relationship of all human kind with the Bible is imperative and relevant....