The ancient myths of the Near East are the foundation stones of both Western and Middle Eastern cultures. These stories originate in the period before the development of writing systems and tell how people made sense of the world through tales of gods, animals, men, women, and combined human/divine beings. These myths—among them the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Descent of Ishtar to the Netherworld, the Babylonian Creation Epic, the Tale of Innana—have great literary merit and reveal much about the development of historical writing and the evolution of religious systems. You study the myths and cultures of Egypt, Sumer, the Hittites, Ugarit, Assyria, and Babylon. You concentrate on the relationship between Ancient Near Eastern myth and biblical accounts.
Ancient Near Eastern Mythology
01: Studying Ancient Near Eastern Myth
Studying Ancient Near Eastern Myth
02: The Emergence of Civilization in the Near East
The Emergence of Civilization in the Near East
03: Hittites and Canaanites
Hittites and Canaanites
04: Archaeology, Science, and Ideology
Archaeology, Science, and Ideology
05: Principles of Writing Systems
Principles of Writing Systems
06: Literary and Religious Aspects of Myth
Literary and Religious Aspects of Myth
07: Ancient Near Eastern Myths and the Bible
Ancient Near Eastern Myths and the Bible
08: The Ancient Gods—Egypt and Mesopotamia
The Ancient Gods—Egypt and Mesopotamia
09: The Ancient Gods—Syria/Canaan
The Ancient Gods—Syria/Canaan
10: The Creation Myths of Egypt and Mesopotamia
The Creation Myths of Egypt and Mesopotamia
11: Epics of the Gods—Syria/Canaan
Epics of the Gods—Syria/Canaan
12: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Part One
The Epic of Gilgamesh, Part One
13: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Part Two
The Epic of Gilgamesh, Part Two
14: Myths of Death and Destruction, Part One
Myths of Death and Destruction, Part One
15: Myths of Death and Destruction, Part Two
Myths of Death and Destruction, Part Two
16: The Individual and Society—Legal Texts
The Individual and Society—Legal Texts
17: The Individual and Society—Myth and Legend
The Individual and Society—Myth and Legend
18: Love, Lust, and Poetry
Love, Lust, and Poetry
19: Marriage, Divorce, and Other Arrangements
Marriage, Divorce, and Other Arrangements
20: Kingship and the Gods
Kingship and the Gods
21: Royal Historians, Poets, and Artists—Mesopotamia
Royal Historians, Poets, and Artists—Mesopotamia
22: A Royal Couple—Myth and Reality
A Royal Couple—Myth and Reality
23: Royal Historians, Poets, and Artists—Egypt
Royal Historians, Poets, and Artists—Egypt
24: Wisdom Literature; Conclusions
Wisdom Literature; Conclusions
Overview Course No. 2917
About
Shalom L. Goldman is an Associate Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature in the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies at Emory University. He completed his undergraduate work at New York University and received his M.A. from Columbia University. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in the study of Hebrew and Ancient Near Eastern texts from New York University. Prior to taking his position at Emory, Professor Goldman taught at Dartmouth College. He has been a visiting professor at Brown, Case Western, and Ohio State. At both Dartmouth and Emory, Dr. Goldman has received awards for distinguished undergraduate teaching. In 2002 he was recognized by the Emory chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for his contribution to excellence in undergraduate education. Professor Goldman is the editor of Hebrew and the Bible in America, and the author of God's Sacred Tongue: Hebrew and the American Imagination. Dr. Goldman also worked with American composer Philip Glass to create the opera Akhnaten.
