Mesopotamian Mythology and Genesis 1–11

The imprint of Mesopotamia’s mythic thought and literature on Genesis’ Primeval History (Genesis 1–11) is hard to overstate, even if the biblical unit also contains much that is non-Mesopotamian in origins, and even if it must ultimately be considered on its own terms and, more broadly, those of the Bible as a whole. But these factors cannot take away from the place of Mesopotamia’s stories of origins in the Bible’s opening chapters; and the latter, remarkably, do not fully conceal these antecedents. To the contrary, in its layout the biblical text appears frank about the locale of what preceded its eventual epic-making call to Abraham to “go forth” (Gen. 12:1) from his homeland and begin anew in a faraway place. The reason for this admission of Mesopotamian priority is easy enough to appreciate. When it came to world origins, the traditions of this “nation from old” (Jer. 5:15)—traditions that, as the story of Gilgamesh makes explicit, brim with their own antiquity—could not simply be brushed aside. If, then, the Bible was to offer something meaningful about such topics, Mesopotamia’s version of events would necessarily have to be addressed. The challenge presented by Mesopotamia, therefore, would amount to a delicate balancing act: How was the Bible to incorporate this ancient tradition while at the same time not losing its own claim for a theological revolution? The question is no less challenging for modern interpretation, which must struggle with the evaluation of specific parallels, contact points, or alleged borrowings, and, more generally, articulate a broader vision of the nature of this interaction. The bibliography appearing below strives to shed light on specific topics in the broader subject, with an emphasis on recent Assyriological research bearing on the overall topic. This research has advanced considerably in the last generation in ways not fully appreciated or even known in biblical studies; the latter discipline appears to have departed in considerable ways from the sort of comparatism promoted in former days, partly, it seems, in reaction to overly confident speculation of earlier studies. But this shift also suggests a decreased interest in such matters in favor of other topics and interests. In order to enable renewed research on the matter—appropriately cautious but better informed by the latest in Assyriology—the following includes translations of texts, broad overviews, and more focused studies pertaining to the Mesopotamian mythic background of the Primeval History.