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Job 3:8-Cosmological Snake-Charming and Leviathanic Panic in a Near Eastern Setting

Wikander, Ola LU (2010) In Zeitschrift für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 122(2). p.265-271
Abstract
The author examines the intriguing mention of “those who curse Yamm” and “rouse Leviathan” in Job 3:8, and tries to relate these expressions to Near Eastern religious history. The old assumption that two texts inscribed on Aramaic incantation bowls indicate the full background of these expressions is challenged, and further evidence is sought in texts such as the Enuma Elish, the Gnosticizing “Hymn of the Pearl” and in a passage from the Hittite myth of Illuyanka. A pattern emerges in which the users of the Aramaic incantations are not themselves “those who curse Yamm” but that they, too, refer back to a much larger and more intricate tradition concerning spells powerful enough to bind the chaotic powers of the sea.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Job 3:8, Leviathan, Hymn of the Pearl, Illuyanka, Yamm, curse-magic
in
Zeitschrift für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
volume
122
issue
2
pages
265 - 271
publisher
De Gruyter
external identifiers
  • scopus:77953967451
ISSN
0044-2526
DOI
10.1515/zaw.2010.020
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a428074e-93c5-4eb1-b9d5-83369c899c69 (old id 1488336)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:05:01
date last changed
2022-02-04 19:02:34
@article{a428074e-93c5-4eb1-b9d5-83369c899c69,
  abstract     = {{The author examines the intriguing mention of “those who curse Yamm” and “rouse Leviathan” in Job 3:8, and tries to relate these expressions to Near Eastern religious history. The old assumption that two texts inscribed on Aramaic incantation bowls indicate the full background of these expressions is challenged, and further evidence is sought in texts such as the Enuma Elish, the Gnosticizing “Hymn of the Pearl” and in a passage from the Hittite myth of Illuyanka. A pattern emerges in which the users of the Aramaic incantations are not themselves “those who curse Yamm” but that they, too, refer back to a much larger and more intricate tradition concerning spells powerful enough to bind the chaotic powers of the sea.}},
  author       = {{Wikander, Ola}},
  issn         = {{0044-2526}},
  keywords     = {{Job 3:8; Leviathan; Hymn of the Pearl; Illuyanka; Yamm; curse-magic}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{265--271}},
  publisher    = {{De Gruyter}},
  series       = {{Zeitschrift für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft}},
  title        = {{Job 3:8-Cosmological Snake-Charming and Leviathanic Panic in a Near Eastern Setting}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/zaw.2010.020}},
  doi          = {{10.1515/zaw.2010.020}},
  volume       = {{122}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}