Israel and Babylon: The Influence of Babylon on the Religion of Israel

by Hermann Gunkel

Publisher:

John Jos. McVey

, 1904

Overview

In the early twentieth century, there was a fierce, ongoing debate in Germany about the influence of ancient Babylon on the nation of Israel. Many books and lectures were published on this topic at the time, and perhaps none so famous as scholar Herman Gunkel’s Israel and Babylon: The Influence of Babylon on the Religion of Israel. He joins in the discussion with a succinct yet thorough essay, addressing previous conversations, Babylonian civilization, and the proper place of other cultures in ancient Hebrew context.

This edition features a preface by the translator, giving a complete introduction to the debate and context surrounding it. As well as showing the prevalence of Scripture, Israel and Babylon: The Influence of Babylon on the Religion of Israel is an important historical document from one of the premier German scholars of the 1900s. The Logos edition allows you to search for words and topics with just one click, making study of this topic fast and easy.

Key Features

• Concise discussion of the influence of ancient Babylon on Israel
• Contains introduction to topic

Contents

Top Highlights

“Far be it from us to limit God’s revelation to Israel! ‘The seed is sown on the whole wide land!’” (Page 25)

“let us ask whether we may assume an influence of Babylon on the culture of Israel?” (Page 20)

“The Babylonians became the teachers of our whole cultured world, especially in astronomy and in all branches dependent on it—in mathematics and metrics. We likewise still divide the zodiac into twelve signs and the circle into 360 degrees. And modern Christians still call the seven days of the week after the seven planet-gods of the Babylonians: Sunday [Samas], Monday [Sin], Tuesday [French, Mardi, Ninib or Käîvânu], Wednesday [French, Mercredi, Nabû], Thursday [Marduk], Friday [Istar], Saturday [Gunkel writes this in English, Nergal]. [Note: Käîvânu and Nergal were later interchanged.] These names are obtained by the modern world through the Graeco-Roman civilization, but the latter obtained them from the Orient—originally from Babylonia.” (Page 17)

“As considerable as the Babylonian influence may be, perhaps more considerable still than we can suspect at present, yet even at the present time it may be said with all safety that the great nations of antiquity, who have come later than the Babylonians, on whose foundation our spiritual culture is built,—especially Israel, Hellas, and Rome—that these, in spite of occasional and perchance deep-reaching Babylonian influence, have preserved their own especial characteristics.” (Page 18)

“The question is: Do the results of Assyriological science destroy the possibility of a uniquerevelation in the Old Testament?” (Page 6)

Product Details

• Title: Israel and Babylon: The Influence of Babylon on the Religion of Israel
• Author: Herman Gunkel
• Publisher: John Jos. McVey
• Publication Date: 1904
• Pages: 72

About Hermann Gunkel

Hermann Gunkel (1862–1932) was a German Protestant Old Testament scholar. He is noted for his contribution to form criticism and the study of oral tradition in biblical texts. He was an outstanding representative of the “History of Religion School.”