Mesopotamian Civilization and the Origins of the New Testament

by Robin Baker

Overview

In this ground-breaking study, Robin Baker investigates the contribution ancient Mesopotamian theology made to the origins of Christianity. Drawing on a formidable range of primary sources, Baker's conclusions challenge the widely held opinion that the theological imprint of Babylonia and Assyria on the New Testament is minimal, and what Mesopotamian legacy it contains was mediated by the Hebrew Bible and ancient Jewish sources. After evaluating and substantially supplementing previous research on this mediation, Baker demonstrates significant direct Mesopotamian influence on the New Testament presentation of Jesus and particularly the character of his kingship. He also identifies likely channels of transmission. Baker documents substantial differences among New Testament authors in borrowing Mesopotamian conceptions to formulate their Christology. This monograph is an essential resource for specialists and students of the New Testament as well as for scholars interested in religious transmission in the ancient Near East and the afterlife of Mesopotamian culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781009116572
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/30/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Robin Baker is Emeritus Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Winchester and a Fellow of University College London. He is the author of Hollow Men, Strange Women:  Riddles, Code and Otherness in the Book of Judges.

Table of Contents

1. The Religious Landscape of the Near East at the Turn of the Era; 2. Channels of Transmission; 3. New Testament Epistemology: A Reappraisal; 4. Kingship; 5. Ninurta, Nimrod, Abimelech and Christ: A Case Study of Mediated Influence; 6. Marduk, Ištar and Nabû and New Testament Christology; 7. Blood-Lines, Omens and Festivals; 8. Conclusions on the New Testament's Mesopotamian Legacy.

Editorial Reviews

‘This book … repays careful reading page after page. It showcases the author’s substantial learning which spans multiple Ancient Near Eastern cultures as well as broad scholarship on both biblical Testaments … Baker has sufficiently demonstrated, with considerable detail and erudition, that significant light may be shed on the New Testament writings through looking eastward from Jerusalem, and not merely to the West.’ Ian Boxall, New Directions

From the Publisher