ABSTRACT
Is There Anything like the Yahweh Passages in Ancient Near Eastern Literature?
The mythologies of the ancient Near East focus on the conflict between chaos and cosmos. The battle ends in the triumph of cosmos represented by a god who establishes a palace (temple) which represents the cosmos. The god then assumes power over all created things and peoples which is most noticeable in the goodwill shown to the nation involved in the worship. Where this mythology is represented in ritual and liturgy the conclusion is a time for praise to be offered to the conquering deity by his own people and by other nations whether they come in bonds or move freely to offer worship to the one who by conquest has established his sovereignty. The Yahweh passages of ON-IJE are to be read and interpreted within this context and so, before coming to a study of the passages thus designated, a brief review of the pertinent theme in other cultures will be presented.
