John H. Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible

Bibliographical details:
Walton, J. H. (2007). Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. Nottingham: Apollos.

Publisher’s information:
Much of the Old Testament can seem strange to contemporary readers. However, as we begin to understand how ancient people viewed the world, the Old Testament becomes more clearly a book that stands within its ancient context, while also speaking against it.

John Walton offers a thoughtful introduction to ancient Near Eastern literature and the ‘common cognitive environment’ that it provides for understanding the world of ancient Israel. After surveying types of literature, he considers the perspectives they offer on beliefs about gods, religion, the cosmos, people and history. Throughout, helpful sidebars focus on Old Testament interpretation to illuminate the continuities and discontinuities between the Israelites and their neighbours.

Walton suggests that there are three important roles that comparative studies can play in biblical interpretation: critical analysis, defence of the biblical text, and exegesis. He focuses particularly on the third aspect and its importance for preventing misinterpretation through the imposition of modern world-views.

This volume provides an excellent introduction to the field of comparative studies, and will be an important guide for all those who want to make use of extrabiblical resources to enrich their understanding of ancient Israel and its Scriptures.

‘John Walton has produced an important and useful guide to entering into some of the major worldviews and value systems found in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Israel. As a unique contribution to the study of that era, his work both introduces readers to that thought world and bridges the gaps between ancient Near Eastern texts and the perspectives of the Bible. Walton’s engaging style makes this an ideal introductory text for these important areas of Bible backgrounds.’ – Richard S. Hess, Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Denver Seminary

John H. Walton (PhD Hebrew Union College) is Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including A Survey of the Old Testament, Old Testament Today, and The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament.

Table of contents:
List of Illustrations … 7
Acknowledgments … 9
Abbreviations … 10

Part 1 Comparative Studies
1 History and Methods … 15
2 Comparative Studies, Scholarship, and Theology … 29

Part 2 Literature of the Ancient Near East
3 Summary of the Literature of the Ancient Near East … 43

Part 3 Religion
4 The Gods … 87
5 Temples and Rituals … 113
6 State and Family Religion … 135

Part 4 Cosmos
7 Cosmic Geography … 165
8 Cosmology and Cosmogony … 179

Part 5 People
9 Understanding the Past: Human Origins and Role … 203
10 Understanding the Past: Historiography … 217
11 Encountering the Present: Guidance for Life – Divination and Omens … 239
12 Encountering the Present: Context of Life – Cities and Kingship … 275
13 Encountering the Present: Guidelines for Life – Law and Wisdom … 287
14 Pondering the Future on Earth and after Death … 313

Appendix … 335
Bibliography … 343
Scripture Index … 351
Foreign Words Index … 354
Modern Author Index … 356
Ancient Literature Index … 361
Subject Index … 364

Review to follow …

For further information, you might also be interested in the following reviews by:

• Peter Enns, published on his blog a time to tear down ¦ A time to Build Up or
• Alan Lenzi, published in the Review of Biblical Literature.

A click on the author’s name will take you to the review.

Buy this book from Amazon. Click here for some top titles in biblical studies.

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Gordon McConville, The Old Testament
• A Response to the Question of Violence in Scriptures
• Ancient Near Eastern Themes in Biblical Theology
• Book Review: Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament