Esther's Revenge at Susa
From Sennacherib to Ahasuerus
ISBN13: 9780199216635ISBN10: 0199216630
Hardback,
280 pages
Jan 2008,
In Stock
Price:
$110.00 (06)Description
Why are the names of the chief characters in the biblical Book of Esther those of Mesopotamian deities? Stephanie Dalley argues that the narrative reflects real happenings in seventh-century Assyria, where the widespread belief that revenge belongs to the gods explains why Assyrian kings described punitive campaigns as divine acts, leading to the mythologizing of certain historical events. Ashurbanipal's sack of Susa, led by the deities Ishtar and Marduk, underlies the Hebrew story of Esther, and that story contains traces of the cultic calendar of Ishtar-of-Nineveh. Dalley traces the way in which the long-term settlement of `lost tribes' in Assyria, revealed by the fruits of excavation in Iraq and Syria, inspired a blend of pagan and Jewish traditions.Features
- A fascinating new interpretation of the prehistory of the Book of Esther
- Draws upon the latest archaeological findings in Iraq and Syria
Product Details
280 pages; 54 in-text illus., 4 maps; 5 1/2 X 8 1/4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-921663-5ISBN10: 0-19-921663-0About the Author(s)
Stephanie Dalley is Senior Research Fellow in Assyriology at the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford.
