Ishtar Gate, ca. 600 B.C., Pergamon Museum, Berlin
Two centuries of archaeological excavation and exploration have revealed that ancient Israel’s neighbors—Egypt, Canaan, Aram, Assyria, and Babylonia—all contributed significantly to its history, from its origins through the Babylonian exile and beyond. Biblical narratives, in particular, reflect connections to these ancient cultures. In an illustrated all-day program, biblical scholar Gary Rendsburg explores how the people who left us the Bible were informed by other civilizations, and how these influences are reflected in its books.
9:30–10:45 a.m. Egypt and Israel
Rendsburg follows the Nile from the pyramids at Giza upstream to Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel to present interconnections between Egypt and Israel, including the earliest mention of “the people of Israel” ever recorded, c. 1210 B.C.
11 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Egypt and the Book of Exodus
Egyptian literary, religious, and magical texts inform readings of the Book of Exodus. Examples include the story of the goddess Isis hiding her infant son Horus in the bulrushes to protect him, and an Egyptian tale of wonder in which a magician-priest separates the waters to save the day.
12:15–1:30 p.m. Lunch (participants provide their own)
1:30–2:45 p.m. Canaan and Aram
Israel’s closest connections were with the Canaanites, with whom they shared the land of Canaan, and the Arameans to the northeast. Canaanite myths about Baal and epics about human heroes illuminate various biblical passages. Aramaic historical texts, including one that mentions two kings known from the Bible, further our understanding of ancient Israel.
3–4:15 p.m. Assyria and Babylonia
These two great powers to the east developed large empires, with the Assyrians eventually destroying the northern kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians doing the same to the southern kingdom of Judah. Documents from both empires reveal how these testimonies intersect with information conveyed in the Bible.
Rendsburg is the Blanche and Irving Laurie professor of Jewish history at Rutgers University.
