OA

De interpretatie van de Atrachasis-mythe, een Babylonische oergeschiedenis

The publication, in 1969, of ‘Atra-ḫasīs. The Babylonian Story of the Flood’, which made an important Mesopotamian myth on primeval history available for study, started a lively scholarly discussion on the interpretation and ‘message’ of the text. In 1980, R.A. Oden (ZAW 93, 1981, 197-216) drew up a preliminary balance of this discussion, also from the Old Testament point of view. This article, again ten years later, does the same, though more from the Assyriological perspective. It concentrates on the more recent studies and the main topics of the discussion: the view of the gods and the crisis among them; the creation, nature and function of man; the reason for divine displeasure and punishment culminating in the flood; and, finally, the measures taken to resolve the problems and to ensure a successful coexistence between god and man.