Mythological Crossings in Ancient Near East

The literary motif of crossing has been transmitted over generations in royal Mesopotamian inscriptions as well as in the Levant with its political and ideological issues, mostly royal conquest and victory. It also plays an important role in mythological sources particularly in the Epic of Gilgameš...

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Main Author: Stéphanie Anthonioz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Université Lumière Lyon 2 2019-12-01
Series:Frontière·s
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/frontieres/124
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author Stéphanie Anthonioz
author_facet Stéphanie Anthonioz
author_sort Stéphanie Anthonioz
collection DOAJ
description The literary motif of crossing has been transmitted over generations in royal Mesopotamian inscriptions as well as in the Levant with its political and ideological issues, mostly royal conquest and victory. It also plays an important role in mythological sources particularly in the Epic of Gilgameš and also in the case of the divine vision in the book of Ezekiel which evidences different Mesopotamian influences. This contribution in its comparative approach adds to past research concerning echoes or dependence between the book of Ezekiel and Mesopotamian sources. It is also the occasion to reflect further on the use of motifs in ancient literature, the way they were transmitted and reinterpreted along particular lines of ideology or history. And finally, in deepening our understanding of the literary motif of crossing, it is highlighted how such a motif was indeed mythologically reworked to the point of mysticism: crossing the border of human reality and entering a fourth dimension beyond human grasp, divine and transcendent.
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spelling doaj-art-6998a682aceb47fcbec8238bea7404112025-01-09T12:57:21ZengUniversité Lumière Lyon 2Frontière·s2534-75352019-12-01110.35562/frontieres.124Mythological Crossings in Ancient Near EastStéphanie AnthoniozThe literary motif of crossing has been transmitted over generations in royal Mesopotamian inscriptions as well as in the Levant with its political and ideological issues, mostly royal conquest and victory. It also plays an important role in mythological sources particularly in the Epic of Gilgameš and also in the case of the divine vision in the book of Ezekiel which evidences different Mesopotamian influences. This contribution in its comparative approach adds to past research concerning echoes or dependence between the book of Ezekiel and Mesopotamian sources. It is also the occasion to reflect further on the use of motifs in ancient literature, the way they were transmitted and reinterpreted along particular lines of ideology or history. And finally, in deepening our understanding of the literary motif of crossing, it is highlighted how such a motif was indeed mythologically reworked to the point of mysticism: crossing the border of human reality and entering a fourth dimension beyond human grasp, divine and transcendent.https://journals.openedition.org/frontieres/124
spellingShingle Stéphanie Anthonioz
Mythological Crossings in Ancient Near East
Frontière·s
title Mythological Crossings in Ancient Near East
title_full Mythological Crossings in Ancient Near East
title_fullStr Mythological Crossings in Ancient Near East
title_full_unstemmed Mythological Crossings in Ancient Near East
title_short Mythological Crossings in Ancient Near East
title_sort mythological crossings in ancient near east
url https://journals.openedition.org/frontieres/124
work_keys_str_mv AT stephanieanthonioz mythologicalcrossingsinancientneareast