Primeval History: Babylonian, Biblical, and Enochic Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism
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Primeval History: Babylonian, Biblical, and Enochic Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism Editors Benjamin G. Wright, III Department of Religion Studies, Lehigh University Associate Editors Florentino García Martínez Qumran Institute, University of Groningen Hindy Najman Department and Centre for the Study of Religion, University of Toronto Advisory Board g. bohak – j.j. collins – j. duhaime – p.w. van der horst – a.k. petersen – m. popoviĆ – j.t.a.g.m. van ruiten – j. sievers – g. stemberger – e.j.c. tigchelaar – j. magliano-tromp VOLUME 149 Primeval History: Babylonian, Biblical, and Enochic An Intertextual Reading By Helge S. Kvanvig LEIDEN • BOSTON 2011 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kvanvig, Helge S., 1948– Primeval history : Babylonian, biblical, and Enochic : an intertextual reading / by Helge S. Kvanvig. p. cm. — (Supplements to the Journal for the study of Judaism ; v. 149) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-16380-5 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Atrahasis (Old Babylonian epic) 2. Assyro-Babylonian literature—History and criticism. 3. Bible. O.T. Genesis— History of Biblical events. 4. Ethiopic book of Enoch VI–XXXVI—Cricitism, interpretation, etc. 5. Creation—Comparative studies. I. Title. PJ3611.K83 2011 208’.2—dc22 2010053917 ISSN 1384-2161 ISBN 978 90 04 16380 5 Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. I have learned the art of the sage, Adapa, I am familiar with the secret storehouse of all scribal learning, celestial and terrestrial portents. I can debate in an assembly of scholars and discuss with the clever oil diviners (the treatise) “if the liver is a replica of the sky.” I used to figure out complicated divisions and multiplications that have no solutions. Time and again I have read the cleverly written composi- tions in which the Sumerian is obscure and the Akkadian is difficult to interpret correctly. I have studied inscriptions on stone from before the Flood which are sealed, obscure and confused. Assurbanipal (668–627 BCE) CONTENTS Acknowledgments .............................................................................. xi Abbreviations ..................................................................................... xiii Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 Primeval History ............................................................................ 1 Babylonian, Biblical, and Enochic .............................................. 3 PART ONE MESOPOTAMIAN PRIMEVAL TRADITIONS 1. The Epic of Atrahasis ................................................................... 13 1.1 The Manuscripts of Atrahasis ........................................... 13 1.2 Outline of the Story ............................................................ 19 1.2.1 The Igigu Myth ....................................................... 19 1.2.2 The Flood Myth ...................................................... 21 1.3 The Overall Structure of the Epic .................................... 25 1.3.1 Creation and Annihilation ................................... 25 1.3.2 First and Second World Order for Humans ..... 29 1.3.3 TheConfusion of the Human and the Divine ... 39 1.4 The Characters ..................................................................... 60 1.4.1 The Gods .................................................................. 60 1.4.2 Atrahasis .................................................................. 65 1.5 The Noise: Conceptualizing the Story ............................. 72 1.5.1 “Noise and Din” in the Scholarly Discussion ... 72 1.5.2 Rigmu as a Key Word ............................................ 75 2. Primeval Lists and Stories ........................................................... 83 2.1 The Variety of Traditions .................................................. 83 2.2 The Eridu Genesis ............................................................... 84 2.3 Antediluvian Kings and Cities .......................................... 90 2.4 Extraordinary Antediluvian Kings ................................... 99 3. The Traditions of the Apkallus .................................................. 107 3.1 The Lists of the Seven Apkallus ........................................ 107 3.2 Bīt Mēseri and the Adapa Myth ....................................... 117 3.3 TheApkallus as Protective Spirits .................................... 129 viii contents 3.4 TheApkallus as Guardians of the Cosmic Order and of the King ................................................................... 136 3.5 TheApkallus and the Transmission of Antediluvian Revelation ............................................................................. 146 4. The Poem of Erra and the Disruption of Cosmic Stability .... 159 5. Concluding Remarks ................................................................... 177 PART TWO PRIMEVAL HISTORY IN GENESIS 1. The Sources of the Primeval History ........................................ 185 2. The Overall Composition of Genesis ........................................ 189 3. The Theology of the Priestly Source .......................................... 191 4. The Beginning and End of the Primeval History ................... 197 5. Priestly and Non-Priestly Material in the Primeval History ............................................................................................ 201 6. The Biblical Flood Story and Mesopotamian Parallels .......... 209 7. The Structure of the Priestly Source and Mesopotamian Primeval Traditions ...................................................................... 235 7.1 Mesopotamian and Biblical Primeval Histories ............ 235 7.2 The Protagonists: Enoch and Noah ................................. 243 7.3 The Priestly Document as a Counter Story .................... 258 8. The Reason for the Flood and the non-P Material ................ 265 8.1 The Earliest Strata of non-P .............................................. 265 8.2 Genesis 6:1–4 and the Fate of the Antediluvians .......... 274 9. Concluding Remarks ................................................................... 311 PART THREE THE PRIMEVAL HISTORY IN THE BOOK OF WATCHERS 1. The Book of Watchers ................................................................. 319 1.1 The Literary Sources ........................................................... 319 1.2 The Parts and Content of the Book of Watchers .......... 323 1.3 Diffusion ............................................................................... 325 1.3.1 Enochic Writings and the Aramaic Testament of Levi ....................................................................... 325 contents ix 1.3.2 The Wisdom of Ben Sira and Pseudo-Eupolemus ................................................. 330 1.3.3 Evidence from Qumran and Daniel 7 ................ 341 2. The Watcher Story ....................................................................... 347 2.1 Growth and Date ................................................................ 347 2.2 Genesis and the Watcher Story ........................................ 361 2.2.1 Comparison between Genesis 1–9 and the Watcher Story ......................................................... 361 2.2.2 The Watcher Story and the Priestly Source ....... 368 2.2.3 The Watcher Story and Genesis 6:1–4 ................ 373 2.3 The Literary Structure of the Watcher Story ................. 395 2.4 The Flood in the Watcher Story ....................................... 405 2.4.1 The Flood Structure in the Watcher Story and in the Priestly Source ............................................. 405 2.4.2 The Human-Divine Mixture and the Giants ..... 413 2.5 The Rebellion in the Watcher Story ................................ 426 2.5.1 The Watcher Story and the Poem of Erra ......... 426 2.5.2 The Watchers in Daniel 4 ..................................... 428 2.5.3 The Watchers in the Watcher Story ................... 443 2.5.4 The Watchers and Teaching ................................. 453 2.5.5 Forbidden Marriage ............................................... 469 2.6 Enoch in the Watcher Story ............................................. 498 2.6.1 Enoch as Protagonist ............................................. 498 2.6.2 The Demons ............................................................ 504 2.6.3 Enoch as Intercessor and Primary Sage ............. 508 3. Concluding Remarks ................................................................... 517 Appendix: The Primeval History in Genesis and in the Watcher Story ................................................................................ 531 Bibliography ........................................................................................ 575 Indices .................................................................................................