Israel and Babylon: The Babylonian Influence on Israelite Religion

by Hermann Gunkel, KC Hanson

Overview

Franz Delitzsch's lectures in 1902 and 1903 set off the Babel-Bible controversy, which rocked Europe and North America. In this searing critique of Delitzsch, Gunkel provides his own analysis of the relationship between ancient Israel and Babylon. In this edition, Gunkel's original work is newly translated, with a new Foreword, notes, bibliographies, and indexes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780227173671
Publisher:	James Clarke & Co. Ltd
Publication date:	08/25/2011
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	78
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.95(h) x (d)

About the Author

Hermann Gunkel (1862-1932) was Professor of Old Testament at the universities in Berlin, Giessen, and Halle, Germany. Among his major works in English are Genesis, Introduction to the Psalms, and Creation and Chaos in the Primeval Era and the Eschaton.

K. C. Hanson, editor and translator, is editor in chief at Wipf and Stock Publishing. He is the co-author of Palestine in the Time of Jesus, 2nd ed. (with Douglas E. Oakman).

Editorial Reviews

"Hermann Gunkel was one of the 'greats' of modern Biblical scholarship ... Written in the context of the famous 'Babel-Bible' debate of the beginning of the twentieth century, this book, in a lively, even passionate way, raises some important questions about how to compare cultures and assess their relationships to each other - questions that have not lost their value more than a century later. We must be grateful, therefore, to K.C. Hanson for bringing Gunkel's book back into print in a revised translation with helpful introduction, notes, and up-dated bibliography."Peter Machinist, Harvard University"Hanson's new translation and edition of Gunkel's classic response to the Delitzsch's views of the Babel-Bible controversy is a welcome addition to the growing works on the relationship of Mesopotamia and Israel in antiquity. The new edition of Gunkel's work places in historical context the sometimes overly strong reaction against Delitzsch, headed in part by Gunkel. Hanson has provided scholars a great service in this edition, as he has composed an excellent Foreword that contains a contemporary evaluation of Delitzsch's claims, as well as a solid review of the comparative method used today to investigate Mesopotamian and Israelite connections. Hanson deserves thanks from those of us in the field of Mesopotamian and Biblical studies."Mark W. Chavalas, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse"K.C. Hanson's new translation of Israel and Babylon is a mostly welcomed contribution to the academic community of students and scholars working in the fields of Old Testament and ANE comparative studies. K.C. Hanson has significantly enhanced the readability of the text by revising the translation, adding the original Hebrew words, and providing helpful editorial footnotes. This new English edition of Israel and Babylon is furnished by foreword, bibliography, and indexes of ancient documents, ancient names and modern authors."Igal German, in Theological Book Review, Vol 23, No 2"Besides correcting the syntactical and stylistic deficiencies of the original English translation, Hanson's main concern is to promote the enduring relevance of Gunkel's scholarship. Given the accessibility of his translation, the helpful organization of references, and the concise contextualization in his foreword, he has certainly met this goal. ... We must thank Hanson for bringing back one of the great figures of OT scholarship, and we must thank Gunkel for reminding us that comparative study which exchanges the virtues of balance, honesty, and literary competence for the vice of public renown is detrimental for the state of scholarship and the life of the Church."Samuel Hildebrandt, University of Edinburgh, in The Expository Times, Vol 125, No 6

From the Publisher

Besides correcting the syntactical and stylistic deficiencies of the original English translation, Hanson's main concern is to promote the enduring relevance of Gunkel's scholarship. Given the accessibility of his translation, the helpful organization of references, and the concise contextualization in his foreword, he has certainly met this goal.[...] We must thank Hanson for bringing back one of the great figures of OT scholarship, and we must thank Gunkel for reminding us that comparative study which exchanges the virtues of balance, honesty, and literary competence for the vice of public renown is detrimental for the state of scholarship and the life of the Church.

The Expository Times, Vol. 125, No.6, March 2014 - Samuel Hildebrandt