Texts in Conversation
Psalm 82 and the Epic of Gilgamesh describe a divine council, a bureaucratic group of gods who govern the world. In Gilgamesh, the gods regret their decision to send a flood, while in Psalm 82, the high God rebukes other gods for their unjust rule.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Epic of Gilgamesh XI 119
Ancient Near East, Babylonian
114 Even the gods took fright at the Deluge! 115 They withdrew, they went up to the heaven of Anu. 116 The gods curled up like dogs, lying out in the open. 117 The goddess, screaming like a woman in childbirth, 118 Bēlet-ilī, the sweet-voiced, wailed aloud: 119 “Indeed the past has truly turned to clay, 120 because I spoke evil in the assembly of the gods. 121 How was it I spoke evil in the assembly of the gods, 122 (and) declared a war to destroy my people? 123 It is I that gave birth (to them)! They are my people! 124 (Now) like so many fish they fill the sea.” 125 The gods, the Anunnaki, were weeping with her, 126 wet-faced with sorrow, they were weeping [with her], 127 their lips were parched, being stricken with fever. 128 For six days and (seven) nights,
Date: 2100 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Psalm 82:1
Hebrew Bible
1 A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he renders judgment. 2 He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah) 3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless. Vindicate the oppressed and suffering.
Date: 600–201 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Divine council scenes in ancient Near Eastern texts are the location for discussion, decision making, and vital activities of the gods (such as creation). In Mesopotamian texts there are numerous references to divine council scenes. Almost all of the key events and decisions in Enuma elish, for example, are discussed, planned, and affirmed in the context of a council of gods. Similarly, in response to the crisis created by the refusal of the Igigi to continue their hard labor, the gods gather in the assembly In Atrahasis to discuss the issue and create a solution. In Ugaritic texts also, the gods gather in the divine council or the council of El for comparable activities. For example, there is an extended narrative set in the divine council in the Baal Cycle (KTU l.2.1; compare 1.4). The gods are also depicted gathering in an assembly to decree their judgment on humanity in the Balaam texts from Deir 'Alla. These depictions of divine council scenes from other ancient Near Eastern texts provide the cultural context for understanding the council scene presented in Psalm 82 ..."
James M. Trotter, Death of the Elohim in Psalm 82 (Journal of Biblical Literature, no. 2, 2012), 221–239.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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