War and Ethics in the Ancient Near East: Military Violence in Light of Cosmology and History (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 407)

The monograph considers the relationships of ethical systems in the ancient Near East through a study of warfare in Judah, Israel and Assyria in the eighth and seventh centuries BCE. It argues that a common cosmological and ideological outlook generated similarities in ethical thinking. In all three societies, the mythological traditions surrounding creation reflect a strong connection between war, kingship and the establishment of order. Human kings?? military activities are legitimated through their identification with this cosmic struggle against chaos, begun by the divine king at creation. Military violence is thereby cast not only as morally tolerable but as morally imperative. Deviations from this point of view reflect two phenomena: the preservation of variable social perspectives and the impact of historical changes on ethical thinking.The research begins the discussion of ancient Near Eastern ethics outside of Israel and Judah and fills a scholarly void by placing Israelite and Judahite ethics within this context, as well as contributing methodologically to future research in historical and comparative ethics. War and Ethics in the Ancient Near East: Military Violence in Light of Cosmology and History......Page 4 Foreword......Page 8 Contents......Page 10 1. Introduction......Page 14 Part I: Ideology, cosmology and ethics......Page 26 2. Ideology and the confrontation of cultures......Page 28 3. Assyrian cosmology......Page 34 4. Judahite and Israelite cosmology......Page 42 Part II: Ethics and society......Page 46 5.1. Method......Page 48 5.2.1. Cosmology......Page 49 5.2.2. Practice......Page 51 5.3.1. Cosmology......Page 61 5.3.2. Practice......Page 65 6.1.1. Method......Page 78 6.1.2.1. Cosmology......Page 81 6.1.2.2. Practice......Page 89 6.1.2.3. Conclusions......Page 92 6.2.1. Method......Page 93 6.2.2.1. Cosmology......Page 96 6.2.2.2. Practice......Page 97 6.2.2.3. Conclusions......Page 109 7.1. Amos......Page 110 7.1.2. Agency......Page 111 7.1.3. Practice......Page 116 7.1.3.2. Philistia......Page 118 7.1.3.3. Ammon......Page 119 7.1.3.4. Moab......Page 120 7.1.3.5. Amos 4......Page 121 7.1.3.6. Conclusions......Page 122 7.1.4. Lex talionis......Page 123 7.1.5. Conclusions......Page 128 Part III: Ethics and history......Page 130 8.1.1. Practice......Page 132 8.1.2. Ideology......Page 136 8.1.3.1. Historical review......Page 137 8.1.3.2. Early inscriptions......Page 138 8.1.3.3. The accounts of Halulê......Page 139 8.1.3.4. Enuma eliš......Page 144 8.2.1.1. Cosmology......Page 145 8.2.1.2. Divination and prophecy......Page 147 8.2.1.3. Oaths......Page 150 8.2.2. Practice......Page 151 8.3.1.1. Divination and prophecy......Page 154 8.3.1.2. Oaths......Page 155 8.3.2.1. Egypt......Page 156 8.3.2.2. Teumman and the Elamites......Page 157 8.3.2.3. Šamaš-šuma-ukîn and the Babylonian rebellion......Page 163 8.3.2.4. The final campaign......Page 167 9.1. Isaiah......Page 169 9.2.1. Cosmology......Page 171 9.2.2. Agency......Page 179 9.2.3. Practice......Page 180 Excursus – The death of children in Israelite and Judahite warfare......Page 181 9.2.4. Lex talionis......Page 182 9.2.5. Conclusions......Page 185 10.1.1. Holy war......Page 187 10.1.2. Herem......Page 190 10.1.2.1. Herem as battle against chaos......Page 191 10.1.2.2. Herem and the ancient Near East......Page 194 10.1.3. Deuteronomy 20......Page 197 10.1.4. Conclusions......Page 202 11. Conclusions......Page 204 Abbreviations......Page 210 Bibliography......Page 216 Index of ancient sources......Page 246 Index of modern authors......Page 256 Ideology and the confrontation of cultures Assyrian cosmology Judahite and Israelite cosmology Ethics of the Assyrian élite Ethics of the Judahite and Israelite élite Ethics of the non-élite Developments in Assyrian ethics Developments in Judahite and Israelite ethics I Developments in Judahite and Israelite ethics II.