1Historical Survey:Alexander to AntiochusEpiphanes (334- ca 170 BCE)From last time “Religion of the Bible” and mythology of the Ancient NearEastFor today Alexander’s conquests Ptolemies and Seleucid Hellenism, Hellenization Judaea in the Hellenistic PeriodSeptember 27, 2006“Religion of the Bible” and mythology ofthe Ancient Near East Flood narratives: Genesis 6-8 and theGilgamesh epic Genesis 1 and a de-mythologizedcreation (cf. Enuma Elish) Biblical myths of cosmic battle atcreation, and their near-eastern contextFlood narratives: Genesis 6-8and the Gilgamesh epic Further discussion in section Common features: Dove, Raven to test the receding waters Sacrifice Odor of the sacrifice appeasing But also differences Moral tenor of the genesis account Conflict of the Gods vs. disobediencetoward the one creator God.2Genesis 1 and a de-mythologized creation Genesis 1: orderly, logical creation, progressing fromdarkness and watery deep (tehom) But Enuma Elish:“[Having defeated Tiamat [//Tehom], Marduk] gazed at the huge body,pondering how to use it, what to create from the dead carcass. He splitit apart like a cockle-shell; with the upper half he constructed the arc ofsky, he pulled down the bar and set a watch on the waters, so theyshould never escape.” (Cf. Day 2 of creation)In what follows, Marduk creates the rest of the world from Tiamat’scarcase Genesis 1 possibly an active rejection of a mythologyit knows and understandsBiblical myths of cosmicbattle at creation Enuma Elish Ugarit (Ras Shamra), examples of 13th C-12thC canaanite versions of a cosmic battleover chaos, with Ba‘al the great champion Assigned for class: Is 51, Ps 74, Ps 89include examples of this motif Significance: Genesis 1 (“P”) suppresses notonly “gentile” mythology, but also IsraelitemythologyYHWH as conquerorPs. 85 (RSV):5 Let the heavens praise thy wonders, O LORD, thy faithfulnessin the assembly of the holy ones! 6 For who in the skies can becompared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings islike the LORD, 7 a God feared in the council of the holy ones,great and terrible above all that are round about him? 8 OLORD God of hosts, who is mighty as thou art, O LORD, withthy faithfulness round about thee? 9 Thou dost rule the ragingof the sea; when its waves rise, thou stillest them. 10 Thou didstcrush Rahab like a carcass, thou didst scatter thy enemies withthy mighty arm. 11 The heavens are thine, the earth also isthine; the world and all that is in it, thou hast founded them. 12The north and the south, thou hast created them; Tabor andHermon joyously praise thy name.3Empire of Alexander (334-323)Seleucids and Ptolemies, ca 240Hellenistic Era Palestine4Alexander’s conquests Asia Minor (Issus, 333) Syria, Phoenicia (Lebanon), Palestine 333-332 Invasion of Egypt in 332 Invasion of Mesopotamia and Persia(Gaugamela 331) 327 invasion of India 325 returns to Mesopotamia; dies in Babylon323Ptolemies and Seleucid Ptolemies: Centered in Egypt From ca 300, control southern Syria, including Palestine Character: fairly developed governmental (“bureaucratic”)structures in Egypt; Limited documents suggest attempts to establish similarpattern in other areas Seleucids: Initially centered in Mesopotamia and East. Later centermoves west to Syria 202-195, establish control over southern Syria (AntiochusIII). Possibly a policy of encouraging refoundations of cities aspoleis (sing. polis, Greek city state)Hellenism, Hellenization From the Greek word for Greece (Hellas), broadly the spread of“Greek” culture Culture of the conquerorsNB: the culture of Macedonian officers and soldiers, and Greek scribesand agents, looking back at “democratic” Athens as a modelInfluence on conquered population Sometimes directly the result of conquest: new bureaucraticneeds; “Greek” cities founded by outright settlement (e.g.,Samaria, late 4th C) But also indirect: adaptation and appropriation of new ideas,practices, language, trade goods, tastes, etc. E.g.,under leaderships with established connections to rulers,some ancient city-states (e.g., Gaza, Tyre) “became” Greekcities5Judaea in the EarlyHellenistic Period A small “Temple state”—a territory governedby a temple and its priesthood (product of latePersian, Hellenistic) Political (and economic) reorientation toMediterranean rather than to Mesopotamia Particularly under Seleucids: Opportunities forlocal elites to advance through adoptingGreek language, culture; through politicalreform (foundation of