Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament with - Supplement

Brings together the important historical, legal, mythological, liturgical, and secular texts of the ancient Near East, to provide a contextual base for understanding the people, cultures, and literature of the Old Testament. This book aims to understand the likenesses and differences which existed between Israel and the surrounding cultures.

Summary

This anthology brought together the most important historical, legal, mythological, liturgical, and secular texts of the ancient Near East, with the purpose of providing a rich contextual base for understanding the people, cultures, and literature of the Old Testament. A scholar of religious thought and biblical archaeology, James Pritchard recruited the foremost linguists, historians, and archaeologists to select and translate the texts. The goal, in his words, was "a better understanding of the likenesses and differences which existed between Israel and the surrounding cultures." Before the publication of these volumes, students of the Old Testament found themselves having to search out scattered books and journals in various languages. This anthology brought these invaluable documents together, in one place and in one language, thereby expanding the meaning and significance of the Bible for generations of students and readers. As one reviewer put it, "This great volume is one of the most notable to have appeared in the field of Old Testament scholarship this century."

Princeton published a follow-up companion volume, The Ancient Near East in Pictures Relating to the Old Testament (1954), and later a one-volume abridgment of the two, The Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures (1958). The continued popularity of this work in its various forms demonstrates that anthologies have a very important role to play in education--and in the mission of a university press.

Additional text

"[A] very useful book, soundly conceived, competently edited, and beautifully printed. It offers in translation texts of the most important documents which throw light on the Near East background of the Old Testament. As a source book it will be welcomed not merely by Biblical students, but by all ancient historians who concern themselves with the cultures anterior to those of Greece and Rome."

Product details

• Authors: B. James, James B. Pritchard
• Assisted by: James B. Pritchard (Editor), Pritchard James B. (Editor)
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.07.1992
• EAN: 9780691035031
• ISBN: 978-0-691-03503-1
• No. of pages: 744
• Dimensions: 225 mm x 288 mm x 47 mm
• Series: Princeton Studies on the Near East; Princeton Studies on the Near; Princeton Studies on the Near East
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Religion: general, reference works; HISTORY / Middle East / General, HISTORY / Ancient / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Ancient & Classical, LITERARY CRITICISM / Middle Eastern, Middle East, Literary studies: classical, early & medieval, Middle Eastern history, Ancient History, Ancient history: to c 500 CE, Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval