The Meaning of Human Existence in Biblical Genesis and Mesopotamian Literature: A Synoptic Analysis
The Meaning of Human Existence in Biblical Genesis and Mesopotamian Literature: A Synoptic Analysis

Summary/Abstract: The sacred literature of the Middle East reveals to us a human being who, by virtue of bearing the image of God, is a rational being, capable of seeing in nature the work of an almighty Creator and, moreover, of entering dialogue with Him. Divine worship, expressed in a doxological manner, thus becomes the central element of human life, even daily labour being viewed as a form of service, through which man offers nature and his own life to God in a gesture of profound gratitude. The deepest expression of this vision is found in Judaism, yet it becomes clearer when viewed within the context of ancient Near Eastern ideology. This is the aim of the present paper, highlighting both the areas of overlap between the Jewish and Mesopotamian traditions, as well as the existing differences, in an exercise designed to emphasize the coherence of the image of God in man, as well as the truly “revolutionary” status of the Jewish perspective, which transcends Eastern anthropological conceptions and forms the basis of how modern man understands himself.

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