MMW 11 Midterm - Key Terms for Mesopotamia and Israel

Pt. 2 of Midterm study guide

Mesopotamia

• Region between Tigris and Euphrates rivers that developed the first urban societies.

Tigris-Euphrates

• two rivers outside the border of Mesopotamia

• allowed for development of agriculture and irrigation systems

Cuneiform

• earliest form of writing, using wedge-shaped symbols to represent words

• used to record economic transactions

Epic of Creation

• Gods Apsu and Tiamat want to punish their offspring gods for being noisy

• Marduk triumphs over Tiamat, using her tears to make the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

• Marduk imposes the labors of the gods upon humanity

• *theme of gods punishing their creations for wild, unrestrained impulses of humanity

(Mesopotamia) Marduk’s defeat of Tiamat

• symbolized shift from pluralistic, consensus-based authority to permanent, absolute authority

• basis for the shift from an assembly of elders to a single king

• King as “shepherd” of the people

• Marduk = patron god of Babylon

Epic of Gilgamesh

• exploits of a young nobleman and king who ruled Uruk

• 2/3 god, 1/3 human

• symbolizes extent kings should go to for their people

• loss of privacy and liberty of the people due to extensive government power

(Gilgamesh) Quest for immortality

• Gilgamesh’s anguish at the death of Enkidu

• Arrogance of own youth

• Death of Enkidu = realization that Gilgamesh has to face his own mortality one day since he is also human

(Gilgamesh) Symbolism of Enkidu

• represents wild, unrestrained impulses of humanity— “natural man”

• humanity’s struggle to balance opposing impulses

• taming Enkidu = absorption of “the wild” into society/the reconciliation of sedentary and nomadic impulses

(Gilgamesh) Siduri’s Counsel

• qoman sitting on rim of world

• advice to Gilgamesh to be content with the simple pleasures in life

• symbolizes philosophical response to human mortality

(Gilgamesh) Utnapishtim’s story of the flood

• theme of god trying to destroy his own creation

• Sumerian precursor of Noah

Purpose and logic of Hammurabi’s code

• harsh, “eye for an eye” form of justice

• realistically perpetuated social stratification due to severity of punishment varying between social status

Ancient Israel

• tradition of ethical monotheism as foundation for three major religions today

• ethical monotheism prevails in predominantly polytheistic world due to running motif of journey, divine planning

• rise of interpersonal relationship with a single god

TaNaKh

“Old Testament”

• Torah: Laws

• Nevi’im: Prophets

• Kethuvium: Writings

Five Books of the Torah/Pentatauch

• made of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

• written by different scholars/sources, causing varied versions of the same story

• agenda of scholars

The Documentary Hypothesis

• theory that the Torah came to exist through the combination of four embedded sources (J, E, P, D) that were originally separate documents with different agendas

• different, sometimes contradictory, versions of the same story

“Yahweh” vs. “Elohim”

• Yahweh (“Lord”, J): portrays God as more “human,” with complex, intimate emotions

• Elohim (“God”, E): portrays God as more remote, controlling, transcendent, detached

Book of Genesis—2 versions of creation

E version: Adam and Eve created at the same time, more allusions to Mesopotamian myths, humans more wicked

J version: Adam created first and Eve created from rib bone, fallible God with complex human emotions and thoughts

Earliest covenant with Noah

• story of flood supports recurring theme of punishment from gods

• first monotheistic covenant with God to worship him

Henotheism as historical backdrop

• idea of progression of/evolving faith portrayed in Genesis

• development of interpersonal relationship with God

Ethical monotheism

• includes recurring symbols of underdog culture, threatened minority, nation in flight

Abraham personal attributes

• symbol of underdog culture, threatened minority, nation in flight

• resourceful survivor

• skilled negotiator

• hospitable

• humility

• submission to God

Abraham historical context of migration

• uplifting of underdog nomadic people

• moving away from cradle of civilization

Sarai —> Sarah, mother of Isaac

Choice of Rebekah as Isaac’s wife

Moses as leader

• God called Moses to bring people of Israel out of Egypt

• given the law by God

• reestablishment of covenant God made with Abraham— God will be their God if they obey him

Symbolic role of Pharaoh

• God repeatedly hardened Pharoah’s heart to reveal his power

Shift to Kingship

• need for stability

• need for military leadership

Prophet Samuel

• anointed the kings of Israel, Saul and David

King Saul and his transgressions

• first king of Israel

• overstepped role as king

• disobeyed God by not destroying the Amalekites

• presumed to know God’s will as his own

• fell on account of ego

King David

• second king of Israel who united and made Israel powerful

• more centralized control and administrative complexity

• rose due to humility

• strong warrior

• moved capital of Israel to Jerusalem

• respect to House of Saul

Dual Priesthood in Jerusalem

• combination of kings from North and South

• symolize unity and centralization of their civilization

• North: Abiathar— Shiloh, descendant of Moses

• South: Zabok— Hebron, descendant of Aaron

Bathsheba and Uriah

• David has an affair with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, and sends him to the front line of battle to be killed

• David’s sin despite being otherwise pious

• first son dies as consequence of sin

• trans-generational consequence of breaching covenant

Deuteronomist view of history and trans-generational retribution

• idea that actions both good and bad have consequences in subsequent generations

• virtue of generation = rewards to following generations

• vices of generation = punishments to following generations

Solomon

• King David’s second son

• third king of Israel

• hands tainted with blood of other tribes, unlike David

• known for wisdom, building temple

Purging of Solomon’s rivals, Adonijah, Joab

• Adonijah: Solomon’s half-brother, killed for the throne

• Joab:

12 Administrative Districts

• system of conscript labor (“missim”) for builing the Temple of Jerusalem

• region divided into 12 districts, each in charge of food and taxes for a month

Treaty with King Hiram of Tyre

• gives Solomon cedar to build temple in return for labor

Marriage diplomacy

• having many wives

• Solomon’s marriage diplomacy: 700 wives and 300 concubines, punished by God

Divided Kingdom

• split of Israel into Judah (South) and Israel (North) after Solomon died

Rehoboam of Judah

• son of Solomon

• harsh policies towards north

Jeroboam of Israel

• Israel crowned king after Rehoboam rebellion

• king of 10 tribes of Israel

• took on priestly duties (taboo)

Fall of Israel 722

• Israel falls to Assyria

• 10 lost tribes of Israel

King Josiah’s reforms in 622

• reinstate exclusive worship of Yahweh

• set much of the ethical focus and religious agenda of the Torah

• centralization of worship at Jerusalem

• Agenda of Deuteronomy and uses it as justification for reforms/new ethical code

• known as “Second Age of Moses”

Babylonian Exile of 597

• occurs after neo-Babylonians overrun Judah

Job’s integrity of faith

• Job tested by God and suffers, but did not give up his faith

• people do not always receive what they rightfully deserve

Question of divine justice

• judgement and blame dominate discourse among Job’s friends

• concept that bad things happen to good people, independent from merit of a person

Meaning of God’s response

• no right to question

• covenant does not mean entitlement to rewards from God

Role of Eli-phaz, Bildad, Zophar

• Job’s friends who judge him

• insinuate that Job sinned in some way to harshly suffer

• enable Job to question God