Posted by: religionthink | May 18, 2007

Know That All Lives Are Mine- Thoughts On Original Sin

Know That All Lives Are Mine- Thoughts On Original Sin

By A. D. Wayman

Since the day of Saint Augustine brought forth his view of original sin 1 , and that view was implemented in the Orthodox Christian Church it later spread to become the biblical “world view.” It is with this idea that led Christians to see the whole world, born lost, without hope of redemption, only though the saving power of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Distorting the views of the Apostle Paul and misunderstanding what the term “Born Again’ meant from a Jewish perspective, they set out to reap the fields that were white with harvest. It is the intent of this essay to show, in essence, what the victims of that harvest thought, and to point out a few major differences between the Jewish theology of original sin and that of their Christian counterparts.

It is the Jewish view that Man is responsible for his own sin. He is born with the gift of free will (”beḥirah”). However he is also frail and and has evil tendencies. Therefore Yahweh, in his mercy allows him to repent. While some hold that Adam was responsible for passing on sin the majority do not view it in these terms. 2

Below we read the text where such an idea was dispelled and it is this text that is overlooked by many in the camp of original sin descending from Adam. Below we read clearly that Yahweh told Ezekiel to expel this issue from being among Israeli thinking. The whole of Ezekiel 18 discusses the issue, showing alternating generations of righteous and unrighteous. It is within the following verses below that seem to be most relevant.

“The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own. But if the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right, they shall surely live; they shall not die. None of the transgressions that they have committed shall be remembered against them; for the righteousness that they have done they shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live? But when the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity and do the same abominable things that the wicked do, shall they live? None of the righteous deeds that they have done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which they are guilty and the sin they have committed, they shall die. Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.” (Eze 18:20-32 NRSV)

So in light of the text above why would there still be controversy on the issue of sin being passed on. There are many examples that the opposition can list in opposition to the text above. The First is Genesis 8:21 and another is from the Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 20. It is also important to note the wandering in the wilderness for the forty year stretch.

The text from Genesis comes to us from the J writer. In the text we read:

“And when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.” (Gen 8:21)

Above it sounds as if the deity admits his issues creating man, and acknowledges his perceived inbred inclination to do evil. This is counter acted by the concept that believe Yahweh suppresses the free will allowing one to transgress until full punishment is met for the sin committed. 3 This also could be an explanation on the reaction of Pharaoh during the competition between the gods of Egypt and Moses’ god Yahweh.

The text from the Babylonian Talmud also appears to infer that sin is passed on. This text deals with the sin of the golden calf lasted for some time before it was “worked off”. Below we read:

“It reads [Michah, l. 14]: “Therefore shalt thou have to give presents to Moreshe thgath: the houses of Achzib shall become a deception to the kings of Israel.” Said R. Hanina b. Papa: A heavenly voice was heard saying: “To him who has killed Goliath the Philistine and inherited to you the city of Gath, should ye send away his descendants?” Therefore the house of Achzib shall be a deception to the kings of Israel. It reads [II Kings, xvii. 21]: “And Jeroboam misled Israel from following the Lord, and caused them to commit a great sin.” Said R. Hanina: As one throws a stick by means of another stick–i.e., he makes Israel to sin against their will. Said R. Aushia: Until Jeroboam came, Israel had to bear the iniquity of one golden calf, and from that time farther on for two and three. Said R. Itz’hak: Every evil dispensation which came upon Israel contained in it a twenty-fourth part as punishment for the golden calf, as the above cited verse [Ex. xxxii.] states. Said R. Hanina: After twenty-four generations this verse was fulfilled, as it reads [Ezek, ix, i]: “The ‘pkudas’ of the city came already at an end.” 4

The above could be explained that it was not by original sin that they had to work off the burden but by sin after their birth. It is interesting to note the difference. One born unclean is in stark contrast to being born into the world clean, and then committing transgressions out of human frailty and ignorance. For all things that come from the creator, according to the Jewish Mindset is clean. It is man that has the issues. Free will also plays an important role. It is from this view point that possibly is the reason why in the Jewish after life one’s experience in Sheol is not for all eternity. In Jewish thought there is not sin that can not be pardoned.5

In passing some scholars bring up the text of The Zohar. It is the opinion of the author that these text, although being Jewish literature, because they are from the 13th century, cannot be used in this essay. The text, Zohar, for those who are unfamiliar in places refer to the sin of Adam eating the apple and Eve copulating with the serpent. These places are directly influenced by Christian views and don not give us an accurate view of the Jewish thinking and theology on original sin. 6

1. Augustine “On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin” Book I http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/15061.htm

2. Jewish Encyclopedia “Sin” http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp…id=812&letter=S

3. Rejoinder to Talmid’s Thoughts on Deuteronomy 30:6. http://www.jewish-history.com/Occident/vol…847/talmid.html

4. Rodkinson, Michael L. Babylonian Talmud. Boston New Talmud Publishing Company, Cincinnati, OH. 1903. pg 325-326.

5. Jewish Encyclopedia “ Atonement” http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp…d=2092&letter=A

6. A good article addressing this topic is: Cooper, Alan. “A medieval Jewish version of original sin: Ephraim of Luntshits on Leviticus 12.” Harvard Theological Review. 10/01/2004

Posted by the author of  Religionthink.com

 

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Bible, Hell, Judaism, Old Testament, Original Sin, Religion, Sin, Uncategorized

Posted by: religionthink | May 18, 2007

The Terror of the Warriors Was in the Land of the Living: Thoughts on Sheol.

The Terror of the Warriors Was in the Land of the Living: Thoughts on Sheol.

Hell to the Jewish mind is altogether different then the views popular among the evangelical Christians. To obtain a better understanding of this most horrible dimension it is important to note that the Jewish “Tofet” lasts not for eternity as the Christian but after a time some of the condemned are brought to the Gates of Eden. Below we will explore some texts and ideas of the underworld. The first examples are those that may have been influence by Greeks, Romans, and later Christianity. The next will be from earlier texts that have not. What we will find is that no specific doctrine exists amoung Jewish theology.

The most modern view can be found in an essay by Shlomo Yaffe and Yanki Tauber:

“While there are numerous stations in a soul’s journey, these can generally be grouped into four general phases:

i) the wholly spiritual existence of the soul before it enters the body;

ii) physical life;

iii) post-physical life in Gan Eden (the “Garden of Eden,” also called “Heaven” and “Paradise”);

iv) the “World to Come” (Olam HaBa) that follows the resurrection of the dead.”1

The first view we find in the Babyloian Talmud:

“Nay; even Resh Lakish admits that the sinners descend into hell; but our father Abraham, seeing that they are circumcised, rescues them. R. Jeremiah ben Elazar said again. “Hell has three gates: One in the desert, one in the sea, and one in Jerusalem.” “In the desert,” as it is written [Numbers xvi. 33]: “And they went down, they, and all they that appertained to them, alive into the pit (Sheol-Gehenna).” “In the sea,” as it is written [Jonah ii. 3]: “Out of the depth of the grave have I cried, and thou hast heard my voice.” “And one in Jerusalem,” as it is written [Isaiah xxxi. 9]: “Who hath a fire in Zion, and a furnace in Jerusalem.” And the disciples of R. Ishmael taught, that by a fire in Zion is meant Gehenna, and by the furnace in Jerusalem is meant the gate of Gehenna.R. Jehoshua, ben Levi said, that hell has seven names, viz.: Sheol, Abadon, Baar Shachath, Bor Sheon, Tit Hayavon, Tzalmoveth, and Eretz Hathachthith ”2

In short there is said to be three types of transgressions that one would commit to end up in such a dimension. The first one would be the denial of God, second, those who deny the divine authority of the law, and lastly, those who reject the resurrection of the dead. In passing the last, perhaps was to sure up a theological belief. Not all get out for some are consumed eventually altogether. 3

The second, found in the book of Enoch, another description is told:

“I saw the spirits of the children of men who were dead, and their voice went forth to heaven and made suit. Then I asked Raphael the angel who was with me, and I said unto him: ‘This spirit–whose is it whose voice goeth forth and maketh suit?’ Then I asked regarding it, and regarding all the hollow places: ‘Why as one separated from the other?’. And he answered me and said unto me: ‘These three have been made that the spirits of the dead might be separated. And such a division has been made for the spirits of the righteous, in which there as the bright spring of water. And such has been made for sinners when they die and are buried in the earth and judgment has not been executed on them in their lifetime. Here their spirits shall be set apart in this great pain till the great day of judgment and punishment and torment of those who curse for ever, and retribution for their spirits. There He shall bind them for ever. And such a division has been made for the spirits of those who make their suit, who make disclosures concerning their destruction, when they were slain in the days of the sinners. Such has been made for the spirits of men who were not righteous but sinners, who were complete in transgression, and of the transgressors. they shall be companions: but their spirits shall not be slain in the day of judgment nor shall they be raised from thence. Then I blessed the Lord of glory and said: ‘Blessed be my Lord, the Lord of righteousness, who ruleth for ever.”4

A third example come to us from Rabbi Joshua son of Levi. Rabbi Joshua contributed to such views. In a vision, after he was denied by one angel, he found a second angel could not go either. After much hardship he was finally able to observe hell and its different parts.

“He saw compartments ten miles in length and five in width and they were full of mountains of fire and consuming the sinners. And in one compartment he saw ten nations from the heathens, and Absalom, the son of David presides over them…”5

After reading such accounts it would be interesting to note the influences these writings had on Dante.

A different kind of hell was to those of the past. Although it is clear that there is destruction in the grave but is not with great detail.

“This is the portion of the wicked with God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty: If their children are multiplied, it is for the sword; and their offspring have not enough to eat. Those who survive them the pestilence buries, and their widows make no lamentation. Though they heap up silver like dust, and pile up clothing like clay— they may pile it up, but the just will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver. They build their houses like nests, like booths made by sentinels of the vineyard. They go to bed with wealth, but will do so no more; they open their eyes, and it is gone. Terrors overtake them like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries them off. The east wind lifts them up and they are gone; it sweeps them out of their place. It hurls at them without pity; they flee from its power in headlong flight. It claps its hands at them, and hisses at them from its place.” (Job 27:13-23 NRSV)

The Psalms and laments are filled with images of death and the pit. Ezekiel 32:27 discusses the fate of warriors in Sheol. Below as another example we view one who feels betrayed. Here references to Shoel, the pit, and being forgotten by the deity are used to describe the place of death.

“O Lord, God of my salvation, when, at night, I cry out in your presence, let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help, like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. (Selah) You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a thing of horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call on you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise you? (Selah) Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness? But I, O Lord, cry out to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. O Lord, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me? Wretched and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am desperate. Your wrath has swept over me; your dread assaults destroy me. They surround me like a flood all day long; from all sides they close in on me. You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness.” (Psa 88:1-18 NRSV)

Thirdly, I would like to use a text that is not Jewish at all but comes from a distant history far removed that at times many forget that it compares with Jewish themes of the underworld and gives us a glimpse of the idea of the after life in the Ancient Near East in general. That text is the epic of Gilgamesh.

In a short summery, for those not so familiar, Gilgamesh was thought to be two thirds God and one third human. He conquers all, and experiences mostly all things then becomes board. That is until Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s soon to be rival, comes out of the forest and is domesticated by a harlot. It is in this text one views the struggles of the nomadic life style with that of the civilized. In the end they become best of friends, so much so that when Enkidu dies Gilgamesh is disillusioned by his death. He sets out to find life everlasting. Below we have the most beautiful description of Gilgamesh travels through the pains of loosing a friend and death.

“The scorpion-being spoke to Gilgamesh, saying:
“Go on, Gilgamesh, fear not!
The Mashu mountains I give to you freely (!),
the mountains, the ranges, you may traverse …
In safety may your feet carry you.
The gate of the mountain …”
As soon as Gilgamesh heard this
he heeded the utterances of the scorpion-being.
Along the Road of the Sun L he journeyed–
one league he traveled …,
dense was the darkness, light there was none.
Neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see.
Two leagues he traveled …,
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see.
Four leagues he traveled …,
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see.
Five leagues he traveled …,
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see.
Six leagues he traveled …,
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see.
Seven leagues he traveled ..
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see.
Eight leagues he traveled and cried out (!),
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see.
Nine leagues he traveled … the North Wind.
It licked at his face,
dense was the darkness, light there was none,
neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see.
en leagues he traveled …
… is near,
… four leagues.
Eleven leagues he traveled and came out before the sun(rise).
Twelve leagues he traveled and it grew brilliant.
…it bears lapis lazuli as foliage,
bearing fruit, a delight to look upon.” 6

As we come to a conclusion we can see the stark difference between view that were influenced and those that were not. It seems that after the Babylonian Exile the dimensions of haven and hell, named angels, and other ideas appear in the texts. However before that it appears that one would be as dust in the ground until the day when Yahweh, out of his own will chose to resurrect the bones of dust that lay piled, and forgotten in the earth. It is topic of many writings hoping the deity did not forget our human state in death.


1.” What Happens after we die?” [URL=http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=282508]http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=282508[/URL]

2. Babyloian Talmud Book 2 Tract Erubin-7

3. Rappoport, Angelo. Ancient Israel Myths and Legends Vol. I. Gresham publishing Company, London 1995. pg. 130-131.

4. Book of Enoch 22:5-14

5. Ancient Israel Myths and Legends Vol. I 130-131.

6. Kovacs, Maureen Gallery. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Tablet 9.

*This essay was written by the author of religionthink.com

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Ancient Near East, Bible, Gilgamesh, Hell, Old Testament, Psalms, Religion, Sheol, Uncategorized

Posted by: religionthink | April 30, 2007

Psalm 26:I did not sit with dishonest men.

 

Psalm 26: I did not sit with dishonest men

With in the Psalm 26 we have a protest of innocence. Here the writer has been accused of idol worship (vss. 1-2) and so makes his case before Yahweh (vss. 3-7). He says a prayer to Yahweh (8-10), then expects to be vindicated of the issue and reaffirms his innocent. For if not he could be banned from the temple. However there is much more to this Psalm then meets the eye and inorder to shed new light on the topic we will compare this text to a few others from the Ancient Near East to better understand the issue of making a case before Yahweh.

In the prayer to Yahweh we read:

I did not sit with dishonest men, neither did I go with hypocrites.I hated the congregation of the evildoers, and I did not sit with the wicked.I washed my hands with cleanliness, and I encompassed Your altar, O Lord. To proclaim thanksgiving with a loud voice and to recite all Your wonders. (Tehillim 26:4-7)

This text sounds reminiscent of the forty confessions of Matt from the Egyptian literature. Below we read some of this text listed here for comparison.

I have not plundered the offerings in the temples.
I have not defrauded the gods of their cake-offerings.
I have not carried off the fenkhu cakes [offered to] the Spirits.
I have not committed fornication.

Another topic that can be brought to light is the idea of washing the hands to clean oneself of transgressions. As mentioned before in another essay on the Psalms we find this happening elsewhere in Ancient Near Eastern literature. Below we read the text of Anet the War goddess of the Canaanite pantheon washing herself after doing battle:

She made the chairs chairs again,
the tables tables;she made the stools stools.
She drew water and washed,the heavens’ dew,
the earth’s oil,the rain of the Rider on the Clouds,
dew which the heavens pour,
rain which is poured from the stars.

Moving on possible the best example of a text that falls along these lines is the text of Job and his prayer for vindication. It is within this text that Job is wrongly accused by those who came to comfort him and his response to them can be contrasted with this Psalm. First Job entertained the idea of putting Yahweh on trial. After the speech from the whirlwind he realizes as do readers of the text that Yahweh is the ultimate judge and vindicates who he will vindicate.

“Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: Shall he that reproveth contend with the Almighty? He that argueth with God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the LORD, and said: Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer Thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer again; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: Gird up thy loins now like a man; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto Me. Wilt thou even make void My judgment? Wilt thou condemn Me, that thou mayest be justified? Or hast thou an arm like God? And canst thou thunder with a voice like Him?” (Job 40:1-9)

Idol worship was a serious charge. Written and was expounded on by the prophets, and in their view it was one of the main issues that was said to cause the fall of Israel to foreign enemies. Being banned from the temple as a Levite was also devastating and if one were to be accused of such a crime as idolatry in a period of religious reformation as was seen during the kingships of Hezekiah and Jeroboam then one would have every reason to worry.

Coogan, Michael David. Stories from Ancient Canaan. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1978.

Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

-Judaic Press Complete Tanach http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=16247

Wilson, Epiphanius. Egyptian Literature: Comprising Egyptian Tales, Hymns, Litanies, Invocations, the Book of the Dead. Colonial Press. 1901. pg 103.

*This essay was written by the author of religionthink.com

 

1 Comment

Posted in Ancient Near East, Bible, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | March 28, 2007

Psalm 25: Do Not Remember the Sins of My Youth.

Psalm 25: Do Not Remember the Sins of My Youth.

Psalms 25 written as a lament, and using another letter from the Hebrew alphabet at the start of each verse, is a beautiful read of on calling to Yahweh for intervention. It is also interesting to note that the layout of these texts in their form show the issues copyist had in reproducing the texts. At times some of the format out of place or inserted in the wrong spot. Such issues resulted when scribes tried to keep the flow of thought or made copy errors. Another text with this format is Psalms 35. For this essay, we will look at the verse seven of this text and see one other place it was used in the Old Testament and its application. Also we will examine two other laments from the ancient near east and see how they compare to the Psalm of our discussion.

In the text of Psalms 25:7, the writer maybe talking about the issue of idolatry. It seems that even Job was worried about such issues for we read “For you write bitter things against me, and make me reap the iniquities of my youth.” ( Job 13:26 NRSV) It might be of interest to point out the reply Jacob gives to Pharaoh when asked how old he was. The reply is most poetic and describes the hardship of the wanderings and might apply to the statement we are discussing and also the Psalm its self. “The years of my earthly sojourn are one hundred thirty; few and hard have been the years of my life. They do not compare with the years of the life of my ancestors during their long sojourn.”(Gen 47:9 NRSV)

The laments we will compare as we have seen in the past in the “Prayer of Lamentation to Ishtar”, and another “An Elergy on the Death of Nawretum”. In both of these we will observe that the writer is concerned about the pardon and forgiveness of sins. Looking first to the

“Prayer of Lamentation to Ishtar” we read the following:

To thee have I prayed; forgive my debt.
Forgive my sin, my iniquity, my shameful deeds, and my offence.
Overlook my shameful deeds; accept my prayer;
Loosen my fetters; secure my deliverance;
Guide my steps aright; radiantly like a hero let me enter the streets with the living.
Speak so that at thy command the angry god may be favorable;
(And) the goddess who has been angry with me may turn again.
(Now) dark and smoky, may my brazier glow;
(Now) extinguished, may my torch be lighted.
Let my scattered family be assembled;
May my fold be wide; may my stable be enlarged.
Accept the abasement of my countenance; hear my prayers.
Faithfully look upon me and accept my supplication.
How long, O my Lady, wilt thou be angered so that thy face is turned away?
How long, O my Lady, wilt thou be infuriated so that thy spirit is enraged?
Turn thy neck which thou hast set against me; set thy face [toward] good favor.
Like the water of the opening up of a canal let thy emotions be released.
My foes like the ground let me trample;
Subdue my haters and cause them to crouch down under me.

This text, and the emotion within it takes our memory to the texts of Job and his sufferings. Here also the writer seems to question the goddess about the hardships and asks the ever familiar question “How Long?” In the next text we find like language being used in a prayer for the dead. “An Elergy on the Death of Nawretum” some of the text is broken but the main idea can still be comprehended.

He wears their……, he weeps for her: “O where is ……?
I would call upon you! Where are Meme and the alluring protective spirits?
I would call upon you! Where is the ……, the ……, the gracious mouth?
I would call upon you! Where are my …… weapon and gloriously fashioned quiver?
I would call upon you! Where is that which brightens the …… face, my noble counsel?
I would call upon you! Where is my ……, my precious brilliance?
I would call upon you! Where are my sweet songs which make the heart rejoice?
I would call upon you! Where are my …… weapon and golden quiver which brightens the spirit?
I would call upon you! Where are my dancing, hand-waving, and frolicking (?)?
I would call upon you! “May your way of life not be forgotten, may your name be called on.
May the guilt of your house be erased, may your sin be released.
May your husband stay well, may he achieve valor and seniority.
May the fate of your children be propitious, may well-being be in store for them. May your household progress, may its future be ample.
May Utu bring forth for you bright light from the netherworld, …… clear water.
May Ninkura stand by you, may she raise you high.
Concerning the bitter storm that has been turned against you, may it return to the horizon.

Turning now back to the biblical texts we look to the life of David. The writer of this essay is in no way saying that the texts of this Psalm, or any of them were actually written by David, for many scholars are still divided on the issue. Many times texts were ascribed to biblical heros to gain credibility among readers. In modern day thinking, however, it is the opinion of the author that such attributions, all to many times serve as a distraction in putting the text in proper context.

Stepping out on a limb, however, the account of David’s affair with Bathsheba and his punishment is worth noting. His punishment for his transgression against Yahweh and, in the cover up, against the people would have prompted a psalm like the one above. However David was much older when this supposedly happened and it was no longer safe for him to go into battle. So it is thought that in order to feel adequate and to “Conquer” he coveted Bathsheba. His supposed psychological issues at this time were no excuse. Below we read of his reaction to the punishment dealt out by Yahweh, as relayed to him through the prophet Nathan.

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan said to David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. (2Sa 12:10-13)

As seen above in the last example concerning David, many times misery was thought to be brought on by sinful acts or displeased gods. In other cases texts deal with suffering of the just for no reason at all. The text deal with suffering many different ways and it is important to ask questions, as many do. Why do the just suffer? Why would a just God allow so much suffering in the world? The texts try to deal with such questions and there is no single answer. Many accounts in the bible answer the questions of suffering in many different ways. In closing we will look at one of the many answers by recalling Yahweh’s reply to suffering from the whirlwind found in the text of Job.

And the Lord said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Anyone who argues with God must respond.” Then Job answered the Lord: “See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further.” Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: “Gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you declare to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? “Deck yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look on all who are proud, and abase them. Look on all who are proud, and bring them low; tread down the wicked where they stand. Hide them all in the dust together; bind their faces in the world below. Then I will also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can give you victory. (Job 40:1-14)

Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zolyomi, G., “An elegy on the death of Nawirtum (Elegy 2): translation” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Oxford 1998

Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

McCarter, P.Kyle. The Anchor Bible. II Samuel. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, NY 1984

Pritchard, James. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New York 1950.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Ancient Near East, Bible, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | March 5, 2007

Psalm 24: Who shall ascend the hill of Yahweh?

Psalm 24: Who shall ascend the hill of Yahweh?

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.(Selah) Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. (Selah) (Psa 24:1-10)

Traditionally it is thought that this Psalm was used with others in the temple as part of a fall festival. Still others claim it was the text about the entry of the ark into Jerusalem. All of these opinions may in fact be correct. However, with this essay we will approach the topic from a far different view that combines both Yahweh and the ark of the covenant returning to Israel even before Jerusalem was the capital. Here we have the Divine Warrior returning home to his people and his temple victorious. One might wonder how such conclusions can be drawn, but there is a biblical account where the Yahweh returns the ark on his own from battle. But first we read the same questions posed in Psalms 15 as we do in Psalms 24:

O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors; in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved. (Psa 15:1-5 NRSV)

Moving on to Psalm 24; even though it asks the same questions as Psalm 15; another more important background texts can be brought to the forefront. It comes at the end of Psalm 24, where we find like wording in the Canaanite text the Epic of Baal. We read the similar text below.

“Gods, why have you lowered your heads
to the top of your knees,
and onto your princely seats?
I see, gods, that you are stricken with fear of the messengers of Sea,
the mission of Judge River.
Gods, raise your heads
from the top of your knees,
from your princely seats,
For I will reply to the messengers of Sea,
the mission of Judge River.”
The gods raised their heads
from the top of their knees,
from their princely seats.( Coogan p.82).

It is thought by some that the final part of Psalms 24 may have been influenced by this text the word “gates” may have been substituted for “gods”. At any rate, the main topic of this essay will be to point out one event that possibly may relate more closely with the “return of the divine warrior” theme and with the “return of the ark” theme. We find that in the texts of I Samuel chapter 5 and 6.

As the story relates the ark of the convent was captured in battle by the Sea Peoples. They brought the ark to Ashdod and placed it in the house of their god Dagon, a fish- human sea god, of the Sea Peoples. Thus the battle of the gods began, as we read below;

When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod; then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and placed it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off upon the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. (1Sa 5:1-5 NRSV)

It is here that Yahweh battles once more the god of the sea, forbidding to be the footstool of Dagon. The texts later relate that a plague strikes the Sea Peoples and their cities and they are forced to perform a ritual against pestilence.

They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed and will be ransomed; will not his hand then turn from you?” And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five gold tumors and five gold mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for the same plague was upon all of you and upon your lords. So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps he will lighten his hand on you and your gods and your land. Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had made fools of them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? Now then, get ready a new cart and two milch cows that have never borne a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. Take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart, and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off, and let it go its way. And watch; if it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.” The men did so; they took two milch cows and yoked them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. They put the ark of the Lord on the cart, and the box with the gold mice and the images of their tumors. The cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went; they turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. (1Sa 6:3-12 NRSV)

We get a ritual like the above being preformed in text outside the biblical literature. In the texts of the many Hittite writings we come to one called Ritual against Pestilence thought to be brought on by an enemy god.

These are the words of Uhha-muwas, the Arzawa man. If people are dying in the country and if some enemy god has cause that, I act as follows: They drive up one ram. They twine together blue wool, red wool, yellow wool, black wool, and white wool, make it into a crown and crown the ram with it. They drive the ram on to the road leading to the enemy and while dong so they speak as follows: “Whatever god of the enemy land has caused this plague-see! We have now driven up this crowned ram to pacify thee Oh god!” (Pritchard p.347).

Brown, E. Raymond., Fitzmyer, Joseph. And Murphy, Ronalde. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice-Hall, Inc, New Jersey, 1990

Coogan, Michael David. Stories from Ancient Canaan. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1978.

Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

McCarter, K.L., 1 Samuel, Anchor Bible, Doubleday and Co., Garden City, N.Y., 1980

Pritchard, James. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New York 1950.

Quoted biblical texts are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

1 Comment

Posted in Ancient Near East, Baal, Bible, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | February 28, 2007

Psalm 23: You spread a table for me in full view of my enemies.

Psalm 23: You spread a table for me in full view of my enemies.

It is most difficult to analyze this Psalm in its proper context. The common reader already has much so New Testament imagery and symbolism preconceived from the start. Even finding a proper title for this essay has proven difficult. Therefore the author of this essay has chosen a translation different from the common to step out of the preconceived traditional translation so that we may view the text from perspective that is traditionally overlooked. Below is a paraphrased translation from the Tanakh published by the Jewish Publication Society 1999 translation.

The LORD is my shepherd; I lack nothing.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me to water in places of repose;

He renews my life;

He guides me in right paths

as befits his name.

Though I walk through a valley of deepest darkness,

I feel no harm for you are with me;

Your rod and Your staff-they comfort me.

You anoint my head with oil;

my drink is abundant.

Only goodness and steadfast love shall pursue me

all the day of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

for many long years.

The goal of this essay is to consider three other ancient near Eastern texts that reflect the same themes. First, we will look at the similarities of The Hymn to Shamash (a sun god of ancient Mesopotamia). Next, we will view a Canaanite text from the Baal Epic. Lastly, we will discuss the dining ritual and symbolism by discussing a section of the text Adapa and the Food of Life.

The Hymn to Shamash has many comparisons to Psalm 23. Here the sun god is praised for his works and much of the imagery and symbols are used in the same way. We can see this in evident in a portion of the text below.

In the brilliance of thy light their path [is obscured].

… constantly look at thy radiance.

The four world regions like fire ….

Opened wide is the gate which entirely ….

The bread-offerings of all the Igigi ….

O Shamash, at thy rising … are bowed down.

… O Shamash …,

O shining one, who opens the darkness, who …,

Who intensifies the noonday heat … the grain fields.

The mighty mountains are covered with thy brightness.

Thy brilliance fills the extent of the land.

(When) thou art risen over the mountains thou dost scan the earth.

Thou art holding the ends of the earth

suspended from the midst of heaven.

The people of the world, all of them, thou dost watch over.

Whatever Ea, the counselor-king, has willed to create,

thou art guarding altogether.

Those endowed with life, thou likewise dost tend;

Thou indeed art their shepherd both above and below.

Faithfully thou dost continue to pass through the heavens;

The broad earth thou dost visit daily.

After reading this text we can see that the author feels the same appreciation and reaps the benefits of being a follower. The faithfulness of the god is expressed and also reference to the “Shepard” motif is also present. The theme of protection from darkness is mentioned and the “caregiver-creator role” is a sign that Yahweh was not the only god in the ancient Near East to posses theses qualities. When compared to Yahweh, Shamash has many of the same qualities and characteristics throughout the Near Easten literature. He is described as both “their shepherd both above and below” as Yahweh is in the Psalm above.

Next we come to a text that is the total opposite of Psalm 23. In the Baal Epic we find the war goddess Anat on a rampage to sooth herself. The peaceful valley becomes that valley of darkness. The staff that is mentioned above that guides is used to make war, the house and the meal is turned into a state of carnage and fury. It may well be that Psalm 23 is a direct opposite due to Hebrew retaliation of Canaanite religion. We read of the acts of Anat below.

The gates of Anat’s house were shut,

and the lads met the lady of the mountain.

And then Anat went to battle in the valley,

she fought between the two cities:

she killed the people of the coast,

she annihilated the men of the east.

Heads rolled under her like balls,

hands flew over her like locusts,

the warriors’ hands like swarms of grasshoppers.

She fastened the heads to her back,

she tied the hands to her belt.

She plunged knee-deep into the soldiers’ blood,

up to her thighs in the warriors’ gore;

with a staff she drove off her enemies,

with the string of her bow her opponents.

And then Anat arrived at her house,

the goddess reached her palace;

there, not satisfied with her battling in the valley,

her fighting between the two cities,

she made the chairs into warriors,

she made the tables into an army,

the stools into heroes.

She battled violently, and looked,

Anat fought, and saw:

her soul swelled with laughter,

her heart was filled with joy,

Anat’s soul was exuberant,

as she plunged knee-deep into the soldiers’ blood,

up to her thighs in the warriors’ gore,

until she was satisfied with her battling in the house,

her fighting between the tables.

The soldiers’ blood was wiped from the house,

oil of peace was poured from a bowl.

The Virgin Anat washed her hands,

the Mistress of the Peoples her fingers;

she washed the soldiers’ blood from her hands,

the warriors’ gore from her fingers.

She made the chairs chairs again,

the tables tables;

she made the stools stools.

She drew water and washed,

the heavens’ dew, the earth’s oil,

the rain of the Rider on the Clouds,

dew which the heavens pour,

rain which is poured from the stars.

The similarities to Yahweh and Psalms 23 are striking. Although Yahweh is also a warrior god, and uses the elements to wage war on his enemies, after he is content and his anger appeased, he restores everything to its proper context. We find many times in the text, where Yahweh’s anger results in carnage. However, after the storm we find him relenting or repenting his decision. A good example of this would be the account of the flood in Genesis.

Moving on to the last topic we will take time to discuss the dinning ritual alluded to in this psalm by comparing this to the text of Adapa and the Food of Life. Below we read a small portion of the text, where Adapa is welcomed to heaven and is offered to dine. Apparently it was a custom to anoint the head with oil because it is mentioned in all three of the texts we are discussing. Adapa is told not to eat or drink anything while in the presence of the gods because of the possibly it might end in his death.

Answered … “art thou.” To Anu

They speak. He calmed himself, his heart was . . .

“Why has Ea revealed to impure mankind

The heart of heaven and earth? A heart

… has created within him, has made him a name?

What can we do with him? Food of life

Bring him, that be man, eat.”Food of life

They brought him, but he ate not. Water of life

They brought him, but he drank not. Garments

They brought him. He clothed himself. Oil

They brought him. He anointed himself.

Anu looked at him; he wondered at him.

” Come, Adapa, why hast thou not eaten, not drunken?

Now thou shalt not live.” … men …Ea, my lord

Said: “Eat not, drink not.”

Take him and bring him back to his earth.

When Adapa finds it was in fact the food and drink of life he was angered at following the bad advice of his father and in turn looses his chance at becoming immortal. It appears that there are some differences in the three texts used concerning the anointing and when the anointing comes into play. In the Psalm above (although not mentioned in the translation used here), the table is set and then the guest is anointed with oil. . Anat, however uses the oil of peace to wash her bloody hands, then puts her house in order. Adapa is offered food and drink and then oil to anoint. In prospective there may be a meal ritual hidden with in the text.

When the New Testament ideas are removed from Psalms 23 a whole new set of ideas and information become apparent. When this is combined to the other texts of the Near East the symbols, rituals, and imagery can be better understood. In one a picture of a kind and gentle god is described, while in the other the harshness is emphasized using the same metaphors. While is one text assurance of security in this life and the after is mentioned, the other is tricked into mortality.

Coogan, Michael David. Stories from Ancient Canaan. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1978.

Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

Dally, Stephanie. Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood Gilgamesh, and Others. Oxford University Press Inc., Oxford, New York 1989.

Pritchard, James. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New York 1950.

Rogers, R.W. “Adapa and The Food of Life” Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament 1912.

Stern, Philip D. “The “Bloodbath of Anat” and Psalm XXIII” Vetus Testamentum, Vol. 44, Fasc. 1 (Jan., 1994), pp. 120-125

3 Comments

Posted in Ancient Near East, Baal, Bible, Gilgamesh, Judaism, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion, Uncategorized

Posted by: religionthink | February 19, 2007

Psalm 22: I can count all my bones.

Psalm 22: I can count all my bones.

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled; I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me; they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog! (Psa 22:11-20)

The text that we are about to discuss in this particular essay has many motifs and images, not only from the ancient Near East, but also from the New and Old Testament. Due to time and space we will only discuss those contributions made possibly from the ancient Near East. However, in passing, one must recognize that the words in this Psalm were said to be spoken by Christ at the crucifixion. In the text Lamentation to Ishtar and in sections taken from the Epic of Gilgamesh, we will see, as in Psalm 22, that the lamenter complains of his sufferings to a great extent, with the intention of the gods or God intervening in their behalf. The last section of the Psalm is an expression of the confidence of that intervention. It is proper to note that the text of Job, and the last part of Jonah, also may be relevant to this particular Psalm.

In Near Eastern literature such laments are common. Not only are their individual laments; but also laments for cities, as in the biblical texts among prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. In the Lamentation to Ishtar, we see the writer complaining of great suffering in order to move the goddess to intervene.

“I have cried to thee, suffering, wearied, and distressed, as thy servant.
See me O my Lady, accept my prayers.
Faithfully look upon me and hear my supplication.
Promise my forgiveness and let thy spirit be appeased.
Pity! For my wretched body which is full of confusion and trouble.
Pity! For my sickened heart which is full of tears and suffering.
Pity! For my wretched intestines (which are full of) confusion and trouble.
Pity! For my afflicted house which mourns bitterly.
Pity! For my feelings which are satiated with tears and suffering.
O exalted Irnini, fierce lion, let thy heart be at rest.
O angry wild ox, let thy spirit be appeased.
Let the favor of thine eyes be upon me”.

When reading both we can feel the anguish, both mentally and physically, of the writers. Such themes of hunger, thirst, bone pain, mental anguish, and enemies plague the writers as they make their pleas to the God and Goddess for help. Here Ishtar, like Yahweh, is a war goddess and was known to perform almost the same acts as Yahweh. Ishtar was known to control weather, wage holy war, was jealous, and like Yahweh, she had terrible temper.

Moving on to the text of Gilgamesh we come to the section in the text where Gilgamesh is searching out Utanapishtim, an Enoch like character, in order to enquire how he was allowed by the council of the gods to have eternal life. When asked why he looks so weary, we find the following reply:

“Enkidu, my friend, whom I love deeply, who went through

every hardship with me,

the fate of mankind has overtaken him.

Six days and seven nights I mourned over him

and would not allow him to be buried

until a maggot fell out of his nose.

I was terrified by his appearance(!),

I began to fear death, and so roam the wilderness.

The issue of my friend oppresses me,

so I have been roaming long trails through the wilderness.

The issue of Enkidu, my friend, oppresses me,

so I have been roaming long roads through the wilderness.

How can I stay silent, how can I be still!

My friend whom I love has turned to clay;

Enkidu, my friend whom I love, has turned to clay!

Am I not like him! Will I lie down never to get up again!“

Gilgamesh here relates his sufferings and the details of his journey in order to persuade Utanapishtim to tell him the secret of eternal life. After being put through a series of tests, which he fails, Utanapishtim tells him of a plant that will grant him immortality like the gods. He retrieves the plant only to have it snatched away by a water serpent. In a beautiful speech, like the speech of Yahweh to Job from the whirlwind, Utanapishtim tells Gilgamesh:

“Why, Gilgamesh, do you … sadness?

You who were created (!) from the flesh of gods and mankind

who made … like your father and mother?

Have you ever… Gilgamesh … to the fool …

They placed a chair in the Assembly, …

But to the fool they gave beer dregs instead of butter,

bran and cheap flour which like …

Clothed with a loincloth (!) like …

And … in place of a sash,

because he does not have …

does not have words of counsel …

Take care about it, Gilgamesh,

… their master…

… Sin…

… eclipse of the moon …

The gods are sleepless …

They are troubled, restless(!) …

Long ago it has been established…

You trouble yourself…

… your help …

If Gilgamesh … the temple of the gods

… the temple of the holy gods,

… the gods …

… mankind,

they took … for his fate.

You have toiled without cease, and what have you got!

Through toil you wear yourself out,

you fill your body with grief,

your long lifetime you are bringing near (to a premature end)!

Mankind, whose offshoot is snapped off like a reed in a

canebreak,

the fine youth and lovely girl

… death.

No one can see death,

no one can see the face of death,

no one can hear the voice of death,

yet there is savage death that snaps off mankind.

For how long do we build a household?

For how long do we seal a document!

For how long do brothers share the inheritance?

For how long is there to be jealousy in the land(!)!

For how long has the river risen and brought the overflowing

waters,

so that dragonflies drift down the river!’

The face that could gaze upon the face of the Sun

has never existed ever.

How alike are the sleeping(!) and the dead.

The image of Death cannot be depicted.

(Yes, you are a) human being, a man (?)!

After Enlil had pronounced the blessing,'”

the Anunnaki, the Great Gods, assembled.

Mammetum, she who forms destiny, determined destiny with them.

They established Death and Life,

but they did not make known ‘the days of death'”.

The texts of the ancient Near East and their themes and motifs help us to better understand the biblical texts. It pulls us from our own, and sometimes narrow theological view, and opens our understanding in a broader sense. It pulls us into the fierce environment of the region and time period where more then one person cried to his or her god or goddess for intervention. Transported forward to our time, their metaphoric value and message can be applied to our fast paced environment. It freezes us in time and place, with our hardship, and allows us to reflect inward while waiting for intervention that is sure to come.

Brown, E. Raymond., Fitzmyer, Joseph. And Murphy, Ronalde. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice-Hall, Inc, New Jersey, 1990

Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

Dally, Stephanie. Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood Gilgamesh, and Others. Oxford University Press Inc., Oxford, New York 1989.

Pritchard, James. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New York 1950.

Quoted biblical texts are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

1 Comment

Posted in Ancient Near East, Bible, Gilgamesh, Judaism, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion, Sheol

Posted by: religionthink | January 20, 2007

Psalm 21: He asked you for life; you gave it to him.

Psalm 21: He asked you for life; you gave it to him.

In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord, and in your help how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. (Selah) For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold on his head. He asked you for life; you gave it to him— length of days forever and ever. His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. You bestow on him blessings forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them like a fiery furnace when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. You will destroy their offspring from the earth, and their children from among humankind. If they plan evil against you, if they devise mischief, they will not succeed. For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power. (Psalms 21:1-13)

In the text of Psalms 21 we see that the King has returned victorious. This Psalm is possibly connected with Psalms 20 in that it praises the help of Yahweh in battle. In the Ancient near east there are a few other comparisons worth noting. One comparison to this Psalm is called “The Return of Ninurta to Nippur” and also another text is A Hymnal Prayer of Enheduanna. We will take some time and note the similarities of these three texts and their relations to Psalms 21. It is hoped at after reading one will begun to understand that not only the Hebrews boasted of their gods and of victories. It is also important to point out that Egyptian literature is also rich in such themes.

As mention above we will now examine the text of “The Return of Ninurta to Nippur”. In the text the warrior god comes to visit his father Enlil and his mother Ninlil at Nippur. As the story goes, a messenger comes from the city to tell the god/man his face is so bright that he may need to reduce some of his splendor before he enters the city. He complies and takes off most of his weapons and enters the temple of the city.

Below we read the word of the man/god boasting of himself as he answers his mother:

“My battle, like an onrushing flood, overflowed in the mountains. With a lion’s body and lion’s muscles, it rose up in the rebellious land. The gods have become worried and flee (?) to the mountain ranges. They beat their wings like a flock of small birds. They stand hiding in the grass like wild bulls ……. No one can confront my radiance, heavy as heaven.

“Because I am the lord of the terraced mountain ranges, in every direction ……. Because I have subjugated these mountain ranges of alabaster and lapis lazuli, the Anuna hide like mice.

“Now I have reestablished my heroic strength in the mountains. On my right, I bear my Mows-down-a-myriad. On my left, I bear my Crushes-a-myriad. I bear my Fifty-toothed-storm, my heavenly mace. I bear the hero who comes down from the great mountains, my No-resisting-this-storm. I bear the weapon which devours corpses like a dragon, my agasilig axe. I bear my …….

“I bear my ……. I bear the alkad net of the rebellious land, my alkad net. I bear that from which the mountains cannot escape, my cucgal net. I bear the seven-mouthed mucmah serpent, the slayer, my spike (?). I bear that which strips away the mountains, the sword, my heavenly dagger.

“I bear the deluge of battle, my fifty-headed mace. I bear the storm that attacks humans, my bow and quiver. I bear those which carry off the temples of the rebellious land, my throwing stick and shield. I bear the helper of men, my spear. I bear that which brings forth light like the day, my Obliterator-of-the-mountains. I bear the maintainer of the people in heaven and earth, my The-enemy-cannot-escape.

“I bear that whose awesome radiance covers the Land, which is grandly suited for my right hand, finished in gold and lapis lazuli, whose presence is amazing, my Object-of-trust. I bear the perfect weapon, exceedingly magnificent, trustworthy in battle, having no equal, well-suited for my wrist on the battlefield, my fifty-headed mace, I bear the weapon which consumes the rebellious land like fire, my fifty-headed club.

When compared to the text above we see here references made to interments of war. Also Like Yahweh we see the references to the god in this text using the elements of weather against his enemies and the Judgment of the evil doers. It is also proper to mention that the god Baal in the Ugaritic texts was also a warrior and storm god. Also the above could be compared to the biblical character Samson

Moving on to the next example we find the beautiful text “A Hymnal Prayer of Enheduanna” This prayer is to the warrior goddess Inanna, who also uses the elements of weather to do battle. In this case a drought against the enemy is spoken of. Below is a small section of the text however, in order for one to get the full context, the whole should be read. Again the same themes exist in the following.

Vegetation ceases, when You thunder like Ishkur,

You who bring down the Flood from the mountain,

Supreme One, who are the Inanna of Heaven (and) Earth,

Who rain flaming fire over the land,

Who have been given the me by An,

Queen Who Rides the Beasts,

Who at the holy command of An, utters the (divine) words,

Who can fathom Your great rites!

Destroyer of the Foreign Lands,

You have given wings to the storm,

Beloved of Enlil – You made it (the storm) blow over the land,

You carried out the instructions of An.

My Queen,

the foreign lands cower at Your cry,

In dread (and) fear of the South Wind, mankind

Brought You their anguished clamor,

Took before You their anguished outcry

Opened before You wailing and weeping,

Brought before You the “great” lamentations in the city streets.

From reading these small examples, we can see that hymns to gods proclaiming their powers, acts, and victories were common. Also, from these examples, we see that some of the same characteristics existed among the warrior god and goddesses. At times it is said that the Old Testament texts are ruthless and violent. But when putting the text in historical context we see their neighbors were also writing on the same subject matter.


Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G., “The return of Ninurta to Nippur.”The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Oxford 1998-.

Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

Pritchard, James D. (1975):” “A Hymnal Prayer of Enheduanna.” The Ancient Near East, Volume II, Princeton University Press, Chichester, USA.

Quoted biblical texts are taken from the New Revised Standard Version

Leave a Comment

Posted in Ancient Near East, Baal, Bible, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | January 3, 2007

Psalm 20: May He Send You Help From The Sanctuary.

Psalm 20: May He Send You Help From The Sanctuary.

 

The temple or “sanctuary” played an important role in early Israeli society the same as it dose today. In this particular psalm we will discuss some similarities on the pre-war preparations that the king and people would go through to ensure victory and also how the people participated in this ritual. The temple gave Yahweh a ligament foot hold in a nation that was mixed with other gods and goddesses of the region. So the dwelling of Yahweh changed from a tent shrine to a stationary building. It was used as a religious, economic, and political center. The temple soon became an important center for rituals and religious rites. We read below from the prophet Haggai how important the temple would later become to Yahweh.

You have looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. (Hag 1:9-10)

In Psalms 20 we read of a pre-war song where the congregation, in verses 1-5, wishes the king well with the strength of Yahweh. In verses 6-9 the priest or prophet recites the following assurance of victory:

Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand. Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God. They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright. Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call. (Psalms 20:6-9)

What is absent from this psalm is the ritual itself. Although we find the requirements for Holy war and some of the steps in the books of Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel and more in the Book of Kings, we never get the full detail of the preparation the King went through. Psalms 20 could possibly be recalling to mind the holy war song of Deborah in Judges 4 and 5, with its references to chariots and the victory over enemies. We read below:

Sisera called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the troops who were with him, from Harosheth-ha-goiim to the Wadi Kishon. Then Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand warriors following him. (Jdg 4:13-14)

So what took place in the temple when the rites of holy war were being performed? To answer this we must travel to the neighboring regions to find an example. Neighboring peoples had profound effect on the formation of religious ideas, ritual, and writings of the early Hebrews as did the Hebrews on them.

We will look to the text of Ishtar and Izdubar or what is known as The Epic of Babylon. It is in this text we find a king preparing for war. The King goes to the temple of Ishtar to get the blessing from the priestess and the goddess. In this beautifully translated account, translated to English from cuneiform by Leonidas Hamilton, we find the ritual in detail.

The richest and the poorest here must stay,
Each proud or humble maid must take her way
To Ishtar’s temple grand, a lofty shrine,
With youth and beauty seek her aid divine.
Some drive in covered chariots of gold,
With courtly trains come to the temple old.
With ribbons on their brows all take their seats,
The richer maid of nobles, princes, waits
Within grand chambers for the nobler maids;
The rest all sit within the shrine’s arcades.
Thus fill the temple with sweet beauties, crones;
The latest maids are the most timid ones.

In rows the maidens sat along the halls
And vestibules, on couches, where the walls
Were carved with mystic signs of Ishtar’s feast;
Till at the inner shrine the carvings ceased.
Amid the crowd long silken cords were strung
To mark the paths, and to the pillows clung.
The King through the great crowd now pressed his way
Toward the inner shrine, where he may pray.
The jewelled maidens on the cushioned seats,
Now babbling hailed the King, and each entreats
For sacred service, silver or of gold,
And to him, all, their sweetest charms unfold.
Sonic lovely were, in tears besought and cried,
And many would a blooming bride provide;
While others were deformed and homely, old,
As spinsters still remained, till now grown bold,
They raised their bony arms aloft and bawled.
Some hideous were with harshest voices squalled,

And hags like dal-khi from the Under-World,
Their curses deep, growled forth from where they curled.
But these were few and silent soon became,
And hid their ugliness away in shame.
For years some maids had waited day and night,
But beauty hides the ugly ones from sight.

The King astounded, eyed them seated round;
Beneath their gaze his eyes fell to the ground.
“And hath great Accad lost so many sons,
And left so many maids unmarried ones?”
He eyed the image where the goddess stood
Upon a pedestal of cedar wood
O’erlaid with gold and pearls and uk-ni stones,
And near it stands the altar with its cones
Of gold adorned with gems and solid pearls,–
And from the golden censer incense curls.
Beside the altar stands a table grand
Of solid metal carved with skilful hand;
Upon it stands a mass of golden ware,
With wines and fruits which pious hands prepare.
The walls are glistening with gold and gems,
The priestesses all wear rich diadems.
The Sar now eyes the maidens, while they gaze;
Thus they expectant wait, while he surveys.
And see! he takes from them a charming girt
With Ishtar’s eyes and perfect form, the pearl
Of beauty of them all; turns to the shrine,
When in her lap he drops a golden coin,
And says, “The goddess Ishtar, prosper thee!”
She springs, for she from Ishtar’s halls is free,
And kneels and weeps before the monarch’s feet,
“O great and mighty Sar I thee entreat,
My will is thine, but all my sisters free:
Behold my sisters here imploring thee!”
The King gazed at the beauteous pleading face,
Which roused within his breast the noble race

Before her heavenly charms transfixed he stood.
Before her heavenly charms transfixed he stood.

“‘Tis well! my daughter, I the favor grant!”
And to the priestess said, “Let here be sent
Great coffers filled with gold! for I release
These maids. Let all their weary waiting cease,
The price I’ll send by messengers to thee.”
And all rejoicing sing a psalmody.
A ring of maidens round the image forms;
With flashing eyes they sing, with waving arms,
A wilderness of snowy arms and feet,
To song and dance the holy measure beat;
A mass of waving ringlets, sparkling eyes.
In wildest transport round each maiden flies,
The measure keeps to sacred psalmody,
With music ravishing,–sweet melody.
The priestess leads for them the holy hymn,
Thus sing they, measure keep with body, limb:

“Let length of days, long lasting years,
With sword of power, extend his holy life!
With years extended full of glory, shine,
Pre-eminent above all kings in strife.
Oh, clothe our king, our lord, with strength divine,
Who with such gifts to gods appears!

“Let his great empire’s limits be,
Now vast and wide, enlarged, and may he reign
(Till it shall spread before his eyes complete)
Supreme above all kings! May he attain
To silver hairs, old age, and nations greet
Our sovereign in his royalty!

“When gifts are ended of Life’s days,
The feasts of the Land of the Silver Sky,
With bliss, the Blest Abode Refulgent Courts,

May he enjoy through all eternity,
Where Light of Happy Fields with joy transports
And dwell in life eternal, holy there
In presence of the gods with sacred cheer,
With Assur’s gods walk blessèd ways!”

In the above epic poem, we see the interaction of the people, also we get a small glimpse of how the ritual may have been preformed in the Hebrew society. When compared to the language in Psalms 20 there are many similar themes mentioned. Although it may not be totally in sync with early Israeli ceremony; we know how the people celebrated when King David returned victorious from war in the book of Kings; so it would not far fetched to consider like pre-war preparations. In the next essay, on Psalms 21, we will discuss the King’s triumphant return. We will also look to the same Babylonian text for possible answers and examine some of the triumphant returns of kings of the Old Testament.

Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

Hamilton, Leonidas Le Cenci. Ishtar and Izdubar: The Epic of Babylon. New York, W.H. Allen & Co. 1884.

Quoted biblical texts are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Bible, Judaism, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | January 2, 2007

Psalm 19: The heavens are telling the glory of El.

Psalm 19: The heavens are telling the glory of El.


In exploring Psalms 19 we find instantly in the first verse the use of the name El. Some scholars believe that this Psalm is divided into two parts, verses 1-6 may be a Canaanite hymn to the sun included in a hymn to Yahweh. Verses 7-14 we find the writer praising the law of Yahweh. Below we will discuss some of these topics and also try something that is not often done. In this essay we will not only compare a Canaanite text to Psalm 19, but also a Hymn in the Rig Veda. Due to trade with India, the writers of the Psalms have used some of the same techniques that they seen in religious hymns abroad. One good example would be the similarities between of Song of Solomon and the love hymns to Krishna.


When Canaanite references and writings are found in the Psalms, many may feel it as an intrusion in the biblical texts. Much effort has been made to hide and disguise these types of references by white washing them in the paint of Yahwehism. Some fail to realize that there is no such thing as pure culture; and when the two cultures of Yahweh and Baal lived in the same community, much intermingling and competition ensued. If we take the first six verses of the Psalm being discussed we may be able to view these references more clearly.


The heavens are telling the glory of God;

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat. (Psalms 19:1-6 NRSV)


Now turning to the Canaanite text of Aqhat we read the following text concerning the sun, tent and a wedding theme.

As Sun, the gods’ torch, went in,

Pagat entered the fields;

as Sun, the gods’ torch, set,

Pagat arrived at the tents.

Word was brought to Yatpan:

“Our mistress has come to your pavilion,

Pagat has come to the tents.”

And Yatpan, the Lady’s man, replied:

“Receive her: she’ll give me wine to drink;

she’ll take the cup from my hand,

the mug from my right hand.”

Pagat was received; she gave him a drink;

she took the cup from his hand,

the mug from his right hand.


Turning to Eastern literature we look to the Rig Veda for an example in comparison to this Psalm. The Rig Veda is about ten times longer then the Psalms and they span through the years 1200 B.C. through 900 B.C. Below, in full, is a beautiful hymn attributed to Dawn.

1. This light is come, amid all lights the fairest; born is the brilliant, far-extending brightness.

Night, sent away for Savitar’s uprising, hath yielded up a birth-place for the Morning.

2 The Fair, the Bright is come with her white offspring; to her the Dark One hath resigned her dwelling.

Akin, immortal, following each other, changing their colours both the heavens move onward.

3 Common, unending is the Sisters’ pathway; taught by the Gods, alternately they travel.

Fair-formed, of different hues and yet one-minded, Night and Dawn clash not, neither do they travel.

4 Bright leader of glad sounds, our eyes behold her; splendid in hue she hath unclosed the portals.

She, stirring up the world, hath shown us riches: Dawn hath awakened every living creature.

5 Rich Dawn, she sets afoot the coiled-up sleeper, one for enjoyment, one for wealth or worship,

Those who saw little for extended vision. All living creatures hath the Dawn awakened.

6 One to high sway, one to exalted glory, one to pursue his gain, and one his labour:

All to regard their different vocations, all moving creatures hath the Dawn awakened.

7 We see her there, the Child of Heaven apparent, the young Maid, flushing in her shining raiment.

Thou sovran Lady of all earthly treasure, flush on us here, auspicious Dawn, this morning.

8 She first of endless morns to come hereafter, follows the path of morns that have departed.

Dawn, at her rising, urges forth the living him who is dead she wakes not from his slumber.

9 As thou, Dawn, hast caused Agni to be kindled, and with the Sun’s eye hast revealed creation.

And hast awakened men to offer worship, thou hast performed, for Gods, a noble service.

10 How long a time, and they shall be together,–Dawns that have shone and Dawns to shine hereafter?

She yearns for former Dawns with eager longing, and goes forth gladly shining with the others.

11 Gone are the men who in the days before us looked on the rising of the earlier Morning.

We, we the living, now behold her brightness and they come nigh who shall hereafter see her.

12 Foe-chaser, born of Law, the Law’s protectress, joy-giver, waker of all pleasant voices,

Auspicious, bringing food for Gods’ enjoyment, shine on us here, most bright, O Dawn, this morning.

13 From days eternal hath Dawn shone, the Goddess, and shows this light to-day, endowed with riches.

So will she shine on days to come immortal she moves on in her own strength, undecaying.

14 In the sky’s borders hath she shone in splendour: the Goddess hath thrown off the veil of darkness.

Awakening the world with purple horses, on her well-harnessed chariot Dawn approaches.

15 Bringing all life-sustaining blessings with her, showing herself she sends forth brilliant lustre.

Last of the countless mornings that have vanished, first of bright morns to come hath Dawn arisen.

16 Arise! the breath, the life, again hath reached us: darkness hath passed away and light approacheth.

She for the Sun hath left a path to travel we have arrived where men prolong existence.

17 Singing the praises of refulgent Mornings with his hymn’s web the priest, the poet rises.

Shine then to-day, rich Maid, on him who lauds thee, shine down on us the gift of life and offspring.

18 Dawns giving sons all heroes, kine and horses, shining upon the man who brings oblations,–

These let the Soma-presser gain when ending his glad songs louder than the voice of Vayu.

19 Mother of Gods, Aditi’s form of glory, ensign of sacrifice, shine forth exalted.

Rise up, bestowing praise on our devotion all-bounteous, make us chief among the people.

20 Whatever splendid wealth the Dawns bring with them to bless the man who offers praise and worship,

Even that may Mitra, Varuna vouchsafe us, and Aditi and Sindhu, Earth and Heaven.

In reviewing the Hymn above one can see the similarities. Not only dose this text speak of the sun, and law themes, we also find word phrases similar to the Psalms. A few examples are the use of the phrases “How Long”, and “Arise”. Also, similar themes are in the texts: Psalms 57:8; Psalms 108:2; and Psalms 119:147 of the Old Testament.

We can see in the texts above, that when reading we need to remember such influences, and at times, have the courage to view and point them out. The writers of the texts did not live in a vacuum. They used the inspiration, writing styles, themes, and motifs of their neighbors while contributing their own identity to them. Also, the competition among Yahweh and neighboring gods was always fierce.

Griffith,Ralph T.H. Hymns of the Rig Veda, 1896.

Coogan, Michael David. Stories from Ancient Canaan. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1978.

Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

O’flaherty, Wendy. The Rig Veda: An Anthology, 108 Hymns Translated from the Sanskrit. Harmondsworth: Penguin Classics, London 1981.

Quoted biblical texts are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

1 Comment

Posted in Baal, Bible, Judaism, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion, Rig Veda

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories