Deconstruction is a term I'll be using often in these studies. The
similarities between the Biblical record and the surrounding myths and
legends of the contemporary peoples are being increasingly revealed. The
critical school likes to see in this evidence that the Bible is just another
myth, or is repeating pre-existing myths. My approach is that the Bible is
indeed alluding to the myths and legends which Israel would have
encountered, and showing which parts of them are true and which aren't; and
especially, showing the utter supremacy of Israel's God over the supposed
gods and demigods of other religions. The gods of the underworld, whose
characteristics were slowly merged into the classical but mistaken images of
'Satan', are particularly singled out for allusion and deconstruction. The
point of all the allusions to them is to deconstruct them and thus
demonstrate their effective non-existence, in that their function in human
life is in fact in the hands of Israel's God, Yahweh. Thus the Ninevites had
grown up believing in Divine heroes being swallowed alive by monsters and
yet emerging alive; and God chose to subvert that belief by making His
man, Jonah, appear alive out of the large fish in order to witness His Truth
to them. Viewed this way, the Hebrew Bible can be understood as an extended
appeal to reject pagan notions of 'Satan' figures. This theme continues into
the New Testament, whose language often alludes to incorrect beliefs [not
least in demons] precisely in order to deconstruct them.
Stephanie Dalley has translated a text titled "Erra and Ishum" (24),
dated by its colophon to the time of the Assyrian king Asshurbanipal. Erra
was a name for the god of the underworld. There are amazing similarities
between this document and the Biblical prophets, especially Nahum, who wrote
in an Assyrian context. Following are just a sample (page numbers refer to
Dalley):
"How could you plot evil for gods and men?" (p. 301)
"Nobody can stand up to you in your day of wrath!" (p. 310)
"Erra became angry and set his face towards overwhelming
countries and destroying their people, but Ishum his counsellor
placated him so that he let a remnant." (p. 311)
"The mountains shake, the seas surge at the flashing of your
sword..." (p. 302)
"I shall sever the life of the just man... and the wicked man"
(p. 298) "I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked" (Ez. 21:4)
The Biblical allusions to this language is to show that Israel's God, as
the one and only God, is the One to be feared, and not any god of the
underworld, or 'Satan' figure. Alluding in this way to contemporary writings
or ideas in order to deconstruct them was often done in Bible times; and it
was done without as it were soecifically referencing the material being
alluded to. This is what makes all such literature, the Bible included, so
hard to interpret when we read it many centuries later without full access
to nor appreciation of the material being alluded to. Such literary style
was "a typical enough formula of the ancient Easter... Jahwism is forever
pouring entirely new wine into the old bottles, and sooner or later, in many
cases, these do indeed burst" (25). This effective re-writing of texts
wasn't uncommon in the Biblical world. Wilfred Lambert has observed: "...the
ancient world had no proper titles, no sense of literary rights, and no
aversion to what we call plagiarism. Succeeding ages often rewrote old
texts" (26). And again: "The authors of ancient cosmologies were essentially
compilers. Their originality was expressed in new combinations of old
themes, and in new twists to old ideas. Sheer invention was not part of
their craft" (27). Donald Redford puts it like this: "The nature of Ancient
Near Eastern writing proves unannounced quotation to have been the rule, not
the exception" (28). The Gilgamesh Epic has been analyzed as evidencing "the
adaptation of earlier works of various genres, some of which are employed
within their new literary context in a manner contrary to their original
intent" (29). The Bible is doing the same- but under Divine inspiration. And
my point throughout these studies will be that it does so particularly with
reference to false, if popular, ideas about evil, sin and 'Satan' figures.
These ideas are alluded to, at times the language of the myths about them is
used and effectively quoted, in order to invert and deconstruct those ideas.
The text of the Hebrew Bible was initially given by God for the guidance of
His people Israel, a largely illiterate group of people bombarded on every
side by the myths and legends of the societies around them. And God through
His word was speaking to those issues they faced, teaching them the true
position, and revealing those false ideas for what they really were. And so
it has been observed that "No one familiar with the mythologies of the
primitive, ancient, and Oriental worlds can turn to the Bible without
recognizing counterparts on every page, transformed, however, to render an
argument contrary to the older faiths" (30).
Notes
(24) Stephanie Dalley, Myths From Mesopotamia, Creation, The Flood,
Gilgamesh, And Others (Oxford: O.U.P., 1991).
(25) H. Renckens, Israel's Concept of the Beginning: The Theology of
Genesis 1-3 (New York: Herder & Herder, 1964) p. 114.
(26) W. G. Lambert & A. R. Millard, Atra-Khasis, The Babylonian Story
Of The Flood (Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1999) p. 5.
(27) Wilfred G. Lambert, "A New Look at the Babylonian Background of
Genesis" in Richard S. Hess and David T. Tsumura, eds., I Studied
Inscriptions From Before the Flood: Literary And Linguistic Approaches To
Genesis 1 — 11 (Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1994) p. 107.
(28) Donald Redford, The Biblical Story of Joseph (Leiden: E.J.
Brill, 1970) p. 109.
(29) C. L. Seow, "Qohelet's Autobiography" in Astrid B. Beck, ed.,
Fortunate The Eyes That See (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995) p. 285.
(30) Joseph Campbell, The Masks Of God: Vol. 3, Occidental Mythology
(New York: Viking Arkana, 1991) p. 9.