Almost Nothing in the Hebrew Bible Is Original
Bart D. Ehrman
183,992 views
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
https://www.bartehrman.com/rise50 - All through September we have Joel's course on sale: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Israel. This is an eight lecture course on Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. It’s 50% off, the entire month of September, via this link.
https://www.bartehrman.com/askjoel - submit your questions to Joel about the Hebrew Bible, or anything else in the Misquoting Moses podcast!
Episode Outline:
0:00 Ancient Mesopotamian myths that sound suspiciously similar to stories in the Bible
1:34 Why flood stories make more sense in Mesopotamia than in ancient Israel Misquoting Moses - episode 8 - …
4:42 How Mesopotamian stories traveled to Israel through the Fertile Crescent
8:00 The striking similarities between the biblical Flood and Mesopotamian flood traditions
10:28 Did the biblical authors plagiarize Mesopotamian myths?
12:42 Genesis 1 and Enuma Elish: ancient parallels in the creation of the world
14:35 Tiamat, the watery chaos goddess, and the Hebrew word for “the deep”
16:00 How Mesopotamian discoveries challenged traditional views of biblical origins
24:07 How biblical authors adapted older polytheistic stories into an Israelite worldview
29:01 The Code of Hammurabi and the biblical laws of Exodus
35:10 The goring ox, “eye for an eye,” and direct parallels with Mesopotamian law codes
39:13 Moses’ birth story and the much older legend of Sargon
42:36 Proverbs and the Egyptian Wisdom of Amenemope
44:00 Why almost every biblical literary genre has Ancient Near Eastern parallels
46:38 Scholar Spotlight: Andrew Tobolowsky and better ways to compare ancient cultures
Episode Description
The Hebrew Bible did not emerge in isolation. Its authors lived among ancient cultures, powerful empires, and stories that had circulated for centuries. In this episode of *Misquoting Moses*, host Megan Kraege and Dr. Joel Baden explore the Bible’s deep connections with the myths, laws, and traditions of the Ancient Near East, especially Mesopotamia.
The discussion begins with the Flood. Dr. Baden notes that catastrophic floods were a major reality in Mesopotamia, while ancient Israel was more familiar with drought and famine. The presence of a Mesopotamian-style flood story in Genesis reflects the movement of people, goods, and stories along the Fertile Crescent.
The parallels between Noah’s Flood and Mesopotamian epics such as Gilgamesh and Atrahasis are striking. Both feature divine destruction, a chosen survivor, a massive boat, preserved family and animals, birds sent to find dry land, and a sacrifice afterward. Rather than simple plagiarism, Dr. Baden suggests these stories likely became part of a shared cultural tradition over time.
Biblical law shows similar connections. The Code of Hammurabi predates the laws of Moses and contains familiar principles such as “an eye for an eye” and the famous “goring ox” law.
The infancy story of Moses also resembles the older legend of Sargon of Akkad, in which a baby is placed in a reed basket, set on a river, and later rises to greatness. Wisdom literature provides another strong example: parts of Proverbs closely parallel the Egyptian *Wisdom of Amenemope*.
Dr. Baden argues that these connections do not diminish the Bible. Instead, they place it within its historical world and show biblical authors engaging creatively with familiar stories, laws, and ideas to express their own views of God and humanity.
In “Scholar Spotlight,” Dr. Baden introduces the work of Andrew Tobolowsky, who encourages scholars to move beyond simply asking who borrowed from whom. A broader comparative approach can reveal why cultures told similar stories and what those stories say about their values, fears, and worldview.
20 Comments
One thought I find particularly interesting is that very few ideas are truly original. Most of us are working with ideas we have inherited. Even the ideas we feel are distinctly our own are usually part of a conversation that started as far back as ancient times. I imagine that is true of all of us . . .including the speakers themselves.
That is one reason I sometimes find the presentation a little surprising in its tone. There seems to be an assumption that discovering that certain biblical ideas have precedents in earlier traditions is somehow shocking to everyone or that people who haven't encountered those connections before are particularly uninformed. To me, the much more fascinating question is from where these ideas emerged, why they made sense to people at the time, and in what form they were passed on.
I also find myself thinking about how much our own understanding depends on the time and culture in which we happen to be born. If any of us had been born into a very different historical period, we would have accepted many ideas that seem obvious and mistaken to us today. People living in different cultural and educational environments today can likewise have very different starting points. I don't find that amusing. I find it deeply human.
The story of humanity is fascinating. I appreciate when the presentation leans into that fascination. I like it when there is less emphasis on what seems surprising or amusing about what other people have believed, and there is more emphasis on where their ideas came from, why they made sense in their historical & geographical context, how they changed over time and, and how they continue to influence the way we think today. It is super cool stuff!
Almost Nothing in the Hebrew Bible Is Original
Bart D. Ehrman
183,992 views
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
https://www.bartehrman.com/rise50 - All through September we have Joel's course on sale: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Israel. This is an eight lecture course on Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. It’s 50% off, the entire month of September, via this link.
https://www.bartehrman.com/askjoel - submit your questions to Joel about the Hebrew Bible, or anything else in the Misquoting Moses podcast!
Episode Outline:
0:00 Ancient Mesopotamian myths that sound suspiciously similar to stories in the Bible
1:34 Why flood stories make more sense in Mesopotamia than in ancient Israel Misquoting Moses - episode 8 - …
4:42 How Mesopotamian stories traveled to Israel through the Fertile Crescent
8:00 The striking similarities between the biblical Flood and Mesopotamian flood traditions
10:28 Did the biblical authors plagiarize Mesopotamian myths?
12:42 Genesis 1 and Enuma Elish: ancient parallels in the creation of the world
14:35 Tiamat, the watery chaos goddess, and the Hebrew word for “the deep”
16:00 How Mesopotamian discoveries challenged traditional views of biblical origins
24:07 How biblical authors adapted older polytheistic stories into an Israelite worldview
29:01 The Code of Hammurabi and the biblical laws of Exodus
35:10 The goring ox, “eye for an eye,” and direct parallels with Mesopotamian law codes
39:13 Moses’ birth story and the much older legend of Sargon
42:36 Proverbs and the Egyptian Wisdom of Amenemope
44:00 Why almost every biblical literary genre has Ancient Near Eastern parallels
46:38 Scholar Spotlight: Andrew Tobolowsky and better ways to compare ancient cultures
Episode Description
The Hebrew Bible did not emerge in isolation. Its authors lived among ancient cultures, powerful empires, and stories that had circulated for centuries. In this episode of *Misquoting Moses*, host Megan Kraege and Dr. Joel Baden explore the Bible’s deep connections with the myths, laws, and traditions of the Ancient Near East, especially Mesopotamia.
The discussion begins with the Flood. Dr. Baden notes that catastrophic floods were a major reality in Mesopotamia, while ancient Israel was more familiar with drought and famine. The presence of a Mesopotamian-style flood story in Genesis reflects the movement of people, goods, and stories along the Fertile Crescent.
The parallels between Noah’s Flood and Mesopotamian epics such as Gilgamesh and Atrahasis are striking. Both feature divine destruction, a chosen survivor, a massive boat, preserved family and animals, birds sent to find dry land, and a sacrifice afterward. Rather than simple plagiarism, Dr. Baden suggests these stories likely became part of a shared cultural tradition over time.
Biblical law shows similar connections. The Code of Hammurabi predates the laws of Moses and contains familiar principles such as “an eye for an eye” and the famous “goring ox” law.
The infancy story of Moses also resembles the older legend of Sargon of Akkad, in which a baby is placed in a reed basket, set on a river, and later rises to greatness. Wisdom literature provides another strong example: parts of Proverbs closely parallel the Egyptian *Wisdom of Amenemope*.
Dr. Baden argues that these connections do not diminish the Bible. Instead, they place it within its historical world and show biblical authors engaging creatively with familiar stories, laws, and ideas to express their own views of God and humanity.
In “Scholar Spotlight,” Dr. Baden introduces the work of Andrew Tobolowsky, who encourages scholars to move beyond simply asking who borrowed from whom. A broader comparative approach can reveal why cultures told similar stories and what those stories say about their values, fears, and worldview.