Primeval History ─ Babylonian, Biblical, and Enochic: An Intertextual Reading

Kvanvig (Old Testament studies, U. of Oslo, Norway) starts his introduction by explaining that using the word "history" in the title puts him on shaky ground, because "[t]he ancient sages of the Ancient Near East never wrote anything like our history books or made the investigations necessary to call anything historical." But they did write, and his sources are the writings they did create in reference to the origins of the cosmos and life. The study is structured in three sections. The first offers thorough discussion of Mesopotamian primeval traditions. He then proceeds to primeval history in Genesis, in particular the Biblical flood story and Mesopotamian parallels. Discussion continues with a focus on the Book of Watchers, including comparisons with Genesis, the literary structure of the Watcher story, and Enoch as protagonist, intercessor, and primary sage, among other topics. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Helge S. Kvanvig, Dr. theol. (1984), University of Oslo, is professor in the Old Testament at the University of Oslo. He has published extensively on Early Jewish apocalyptic and Enochic texts including Roots of Apocalyptic. (Neukirchen-Vluyn 1988).