NEW COURSE
ANE 202/ ANE 302/ HDS 1119 – Mesopotamian Textual Traditions and the Hebrew Bible
Semester: Fall
Offered: 2022
Instructor: Gojko Barjamovic
Meeting Time: T 12:00pm-2:45pm
This class looks at stories and genres in Mesopotamia that Biblical authors drew upon and reshaped to make new artistic statements and claims to political and religious agency. It introduces students to methods of comparing texts and studies the different ways we can theorize intersections and similarities between ancient Near Eastern literary traditions. It explores the significance of textual parallels for debated issues in current research, such as dating biblical traditions and reconstructing the intentions of biblical authors.
Readings will be thematic and cover a selection of core areas in which scholars have pointed to a convergence of Mesopotamian and biblical writings, including cosmologies, historical narratives, codes and covenants, prophecy and apocalypse.
Course Notes: Students taking this class can read the texts in translation only (by choosing ANE202) or also engage with them in Akkadian (by choosing ANE302). ANE302 requires students to have previous coursework in Akkadian equivalent to one year. Students enrolled in #ANE300 meet for one additional hour each week to read texts in original language and orthography. ANE202 has no language requirement.
Offered jointly with: Harvard Divinity School as HDS 1119
For more details please visit the Harvard Course Catalog.