The Literary-Historical Memory of Sargon of Akkad in Assyria as the Background for Nimrod in Genesis 10:8–12

The figure of Nimrod in Gen 10:8-12 remains enigmatic: while the passage clearly depicts a Mesopotamian figure, no consensus has been reached on attempts to identify Nimrod with any historical or mythological character. I argue that the passage dates from the mid-seventh century and should be unders...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Jones, Christopher W. (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
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Publié: 2022
Dans: Journal of Biblical literature
Année: 2022, Volume: 141, Numéro: 4, Pages: 595-615
Sujets / Chaînes de mots-clés standardisés:B Bibel. Genesis 10,8-12 / Nimrod / Mesopotamien / Geschichte 674 v. Chr. / Akkad / Asarhaddon, Assyrien, König -669 avant J.-C. / Sargon, Akkad, König ca. 2235 avant J.-C.-2180 avant J.-C. / Identification
Classifications IxTheo:HB Ancien Testament
TC Époque pré-chrétienne
Accès en ligne: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Résumé:The figure of Nimrod in Gen 10:8-12 remains enigmatic: while the passage clearly depicts a Mesopotamian figure, no consensus has been reached on attempts to identify Nimrod with any historical or mythological character. I argue that the passage dates from the mid-seventh century and should be understood in light of the literary-historical memory of Sargon of Akkad and the Akkad dynasty then circulating in the Neo-Assyrian Empire. With royal support, Assyrian court scholars used omens, chronicles, epics, and geographic lists to present the Neo-Assyrian Empire of the seventh century as the heir to the legacy of Sargon's empire a millennium and a half earlier, a process that culminated in the refounding of the city of Akkad by Esarhaddon in 674 BCE. The identification of Assyria with Sargon of Akkad served as an ideological justification for imperialism, and the Nimrod pericope should be understood as a response to and a critique of Assyrian imperial ideology.
ISSN:1934-3876
Contient:Enthalten in: Journal of Biblical literature