ESSENTIALS for OT Survey (Ancient Near Eastern Literature)

Question 1

Enuma Elish

Answer 1

Babylonian praise hymn to their chief god Marduk, recounting his ascension to the head of the pantheon. Dates to ca. 1200 BC and contains a creation account

Question 2

Gilgamesh

Answer 2

Epic from second millennium BC that records the exploits of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and his companion, Enkidu, and ultimately the king’s search for immortality. Includes an account of a devastating flood that destroyed humanity

Question 3

Treaty/Covenant

Answer 3

Hittite treaties from second millennium BC and Assyrian treaties from first millennium that use a literary format similar to that which the Old Testament uses for the covenant

Question 4

Atrahasis Epic

Answer 4

Akkadian text from early in second millennium BC that has an account of creation, followed by population growth and then a flood that destroys the human race