Babel and Bible

An exploration of the impact of Mesopotamia and the discovery of ancient Assyrian and Babylonian manuscripts and artefacts on the biblical studies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A compelling exploration of how Mesopotamian discoveries reshaped biblical scholarship, and why their connection to the Bible made them matter. From the first public reading of the Babylonian flood story in 1872 to the controversies sparked by Delitzsch’s Babel–Bible lectures, Lasine Thelle traces the formative encounters between Assyriology and biblical studies. This book reveals how excavations in Assyria and Babylonia, and the decipherment of Akkadian texts, transformed the study of the Old Testament and redefined core concepts still taken for granted today.

Through detailed analysis of major figures, including Wellhausen, Gunkel, and Mowinckel, Thelle shows how scholarly debates over creation myths, chronology, and cultural influence shaped modern biblical research. She also uncovers the reciprocal dynamic: Mesopotamia’s appeal to Western explorers was inseparable from its perceived biblical significance.

Rich in historical insight and critical reflection, this study illuminates the intertwined histories of two disciplines and offers a fresh perspective on the intellectual currents that continue to inform contemporary scholarship.