lecture recording on 10 February 2025 at 11.46.35 AM

Class Discussion: Gilgamesh and Ishtar

• Ishtar's Offer

  • Ishtar (goddess of love) approaches Gilgamesh to be her lover.

  • Gilgamesh declines due to Ishtar's history with previous lovers, resulting in Ishtar's anger.

  • She seeks revenge through her father Anu, requesting a curse.

• Covenant Characteristics

  • The Israelites perceived God as rational and predictable, contrasting with Ishtar's erratic nature.

  • This perception reflects their own desire for a reliable and predictable covenant dynamic.

The Abrahamic Covenant

• Introduction of the Abrahamic Covenant:

  • God's promises to Abraham include land, numerous descendants, and stipulations for worship and rites like circumcision.

Moses' Narrative and the Context of the Covenant

• Moses' Background

  • Born to a Levite woman; depicted in a narrative with parallels to Sargon of Akkad's birth story.

  • Description of Moses' early life: hidden from Pharaoh's decree to kill male Hebrew children, raised in royalty.

  • Birth narratives serve to mark Moses and Sargon as uniquely chosen leaders.

• Moses’ Commissioning by God

  • Encounter with God at the burning bush; hesitance and eventual acceptance of his mission.

• Circumcision Narrative

  • Zipporah saves Moses' life during a mysterious attack by circumcising their son; this act raised interpretative questions about covenant obligations.

The Mosaic Covenant and the Law

• Acquisition of the Law:

  • The Sinai event introduces the Mosaic covenant with God's laws, essential to Jewish identity.

  • Moses' prophetic role emphasized through the delivery of the law to the Israelites.

Artistic Depictions and Historical Context of Moses

• Moses Depicted with Horns

  • Historical trends in Egyptian art depict Moses with horns, derived from a translation error.

  • Hebrew term interpreted variably, leading to depictions of Moses as having horns or beams of light.

Translation Influences

• Impact of Translations

  • Differences in translation from Hebrew to Latin resulted in varying representations of Moses, influencing artistic traditions and interpretations of his character.