Predicting the Past in the Ancient Near East: Mantic Historiography in Ancient Mesopotamia, Judah, and the Mediterranean World

Updated by: 
Oren Ableman
Research notes: 
Reader Checked OA 24/10/2013
Reference type: 
Book
Author(s): 
Neujahr, Matthew
year: 
2012
Full title: 

Predicting the Past in the Ancient Near East: Mantic Historiography in Ancient Mesopotamia, Judah, and the Mediterranean World

Issue / Series Volume: 
354
Series Title: 
Brown Judaic Studies
Abbreviated Series Name: 
BJS
Place of Publication: 
Rhode Island
Publisher: 
Brown Judaic Studies
Abstract: 

This work provides an in-depth investigation of after-the-fact predictions in ancient Near Eastern texts from roughly 1200 B.C.E.–70 C.E. It argues that the Akkadian, Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek works discussed are all part of a developing scribal discourse of “mantic historiography” by which scribes blend their local traditions of history writing and predictive texts to produce a new mode of historiographic expression. This in turn calls into question the use and usefulness of traditional literary categories such as “apocalypse” to analyze such works.

Hebrew bible: 
Book: 
Daniel
Chapter(s): 
2
Book: 
Daniel
Chapter(s): 
7^12
Label: 
12/11/2012
Record number: 
15 604