Epic of Gilgamesh VII
Ancient Near East
The gods were cowering like dogs, crouching by the outer wall. Ishtar shrieked like a woman in childbirth, the sweet-voiced Mistress of the Gods wailed: The olden days have alas turned to clay, because I said evil things in the Assembly of the Gods! How could I say evil things in the Assembly of the Gods, ordering a catastrophe to destroy my people! No sooner have I given birth to my dear people than they fill the sea like so many fish! The gods - those of the Anunnaki - were weeping with her, the gods humbly sat weeping, sobbing with grief, their lips burning, parched with thirst.
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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