Epic of Gilgamesh VI
Ancient Near East
Gilgamesh spoke to Utanapishtim, the Faraway: I have been looking at you, but your appearance is not strange - you are like me! You yourself are not different - you are like me! My mind was resolved to fight with you, but instead my arm lies useless over you. Tell me, how is it that you stand in the Assembly of the Gods, and have found life! Utanapishtim spoke to Gilgamesh, saying: I will reveal to you, Gilgamesh, a thing that is hidden, a secret of the gods I will tell you!
Date: 2100 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
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: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
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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 ..."
Trotter, James M.
Death of the Elohim in Psalm 82
(pp. 221-239) Journal of Biblical Literature, no. 2, 2012
* 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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