Old Testament Field Guideنموونە

Intro

Nicole introduces this lesson about the cultures of Israel’s neighbors, examining written sources such as religious hymns, legal codes, historical records, prophecies, treaties, poetry and proverbs.

Ancient Near Eastern: In the Text

Why are non-biblical sources from the ancient Near East important for students of the Bible? Let’s look at one example and begin to organize some answers.

2 Kings 18–19 & Taylor’s Prism

Read 2 Kings 18–19.

Compare the above account of 2 Kings 18-19 with the below account of the Assyrian invasion of Israel and Judah under Sennacherib.This Assyrian account is engraved on a stone prism (the "Taylor Prism") acquired in 1830 by Colonel R. Taylor. The account has Sennacherib making these proclamations in the first person:

As for Hezekiah the Judahite who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded 46 of his strong-walled towns, and innumerable small places around them, and conquered them by means of earth ramps and siege engines, attack by infantrymen, mining, breaching, and scaling. 200,150 people of all ranks, men and women, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, cattle and sheep without number I brought out and counted as spoil. He himself I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I put watch-posts around him, and made it impossible for anyone to go out of his city. The cities which I had despoiled I cut off from his territory and gave to Mitinti king of Ashdod, Padi king of Ekron, and Sil-Bel king of Gaza, so reducing his realm. I added to their previous annual tax a tribute befitting my lordship, and imposed it on them. Now the fear of my lordly splendour overwhelmed that Hezekiah. The warriors and select troops he had brought in to strengthen his royal city, Jerusalem, did not fight. He had brought after me to Nineveh, my royal city, 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, best antimony, great blocks of red stone, ivory-decorated beds, ivory-decorated chairs, elephant hide, tusks, ebony, box-wood, valuable treasures of every sort, and his daughters, women of his palace, men and women singers. He sent his messenger to pay tribute and do obeisance.

Source: A. R. Millard, “Sennacherib’s Attack on Hezekiah,” Tyndale Bulletin, 36, 1985, pp. 62-63.

What similarities do you observe between the biblical account and the Taylor Prism?

What differences do you notice?

How do you feel about the differences?

How do you think these sorts of ancient Near East parallel texts should be treated alongside the Bible?

Colossians 2:8 & Ancient Near East Writings

The passage below gives clear warning to believers to beware of human traditions and philosophies:

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NASB)

This passage has been cited as a rationale for Christians to avoid studying books and texts other than the Bible. Thus, studying “parallels” from the ancient Near East could be viewed with suspicion as having the potential to lead believers astray or to stir up doubt.

BibleJourney, however, will occasionally expose you to excerpts of writings from the ancient world—writings from the same period as the Bible. We have good reason for this.

There are several ways that gaining exposure to ancient Near Eastern writings can be a great advantage to believers. Here’s just a few:

1. Increased awareness of the cultural context of the region into which the Bible was speaking
2. Knowledge of other events happening at the same time and in the same region as events described in the Bible
3. Confirmation from sources outside the Bible of certain details found in the Bible, including references to Israel/Judah and their monarchs