Mesopotamian Civilization and the Origins of the New TestamentThis book is a couple of years old. I seem to have missed it when it came out.AUTHOR: Robin Baker, University of Winchester
DATE PUBLISHED: June 2022
AVAILABILITY: Available
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781009098946£ 75.00
Hardback
Other available formats:
Paperback, eBookDescription
In this ground-breaking study, Robin Baker investigates the contribution ancient Mesopotamian theology made to the origins of Christianity. Drawing on a formidable range of primary sources, Baker's conclusions challenge the widely held opinion that the theological imprint of Babylonia and Assyria on the New Testament is minimal, and what Mesopotamian legacy it contains was mediated by the Hebrew Bible and ancient Jewish sources. After evaluating and substantially supplementing previous research on this mediation, Baker demonstrates significant direct Mesopotamian influence on the New Testament presentation of Jesus and particularly the character of his kingship. He also identifies likely channels of transmission. Baker documents substantial differences among New Testament authors in borrowing Mesopotamian conceptions to formulate their Christology. This monograph is an essential resource for specialists and students of the New Testament as well as for scholars interested in religious transmission in the ancient Near East and the afterlife of Mesopotamian culture.
- Provides a deeper and richer understanding of the New Testament, significantly supplementing information from Hebrew Biblical, Jewish and Classical sources
- Examines the channels by which Mesopotamian ideology, theology and mythology reached New Testament authors
- Demonstrates a considerable diversity in reception of that material between New Testament writers and offers explanations for the diversity
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