Chapter One
I. BACKGROUND
A. Maps of Israel and Ancient Near East
B. Hebrew Language and Writing
Hebrew is a Semitic language and is related to many of the
languages that were used in the ancient world. Unlike Akkadian
cuneiform, it is alphabetic rather than syllabic (i.e., each
sign is a letter rather than a syllable). It is written from right to
left using only consonants. A system of marks above and below
the consonants was developed during the first millennium AD
to fill in vowels and thus preserve the pronunciation of what
was at that time a dying language.
C. Ten Key Bridges to the Ancient Near East
* Enuma Elish-Babylonian praise hymn to their chief God,
recounting his ascension to the head of the pantheon. Dates
to about 1200 BC and contains an account of creation
* Gilgamesh-Epic from second millennium BC that records the
exploits of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and his companion, Enkidu, and
ultimately the king's search for immortality. Includes an account of a
devastating flood that destroyed humanity
* Treaty/Covenant-Hittite treaties from second millennium
BC and Assyrian treaties from first millennium that use a
literary format similar to that which the Old Testament uses
for the covenant
* Ugaritic Texts-Archive from 13th century BC that provides
literary texts that would have been familiar to the Canaanites
of the Judges period
* Sumerian Proverbs-Several collections of proverbial sayings
that date back to a millennium before Solomon and
often deal with topics similar to biblical Proverbs
* Egyptian Instructions-Wisdom literature offered as instruction
from a father to his son to prepare him for life and
often for rule
* Neo-Assyrian Royal Inscriptions-Record of the activities
of the Assyrian kings that provides many details illuminating
the Old Testament historical context
* Atrahasis Epic-Akkadian text from early in second millennium BC
that has an account of creation, followed by population growth and then
a flood that destroys the human race
(Continues.)
