Assyrian Prophecies (review)

THE JEWISH QUARTERLYREVIEW,XCII, Nos. 1-2 (July-October, 2001) 227-232 SIMO PARPOLA. Assyrian Prophecies. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press, 1997. Pp. cxxi + 84, illustrationsandplates. S. Parpola'sAssyrian Prophecies is the ninth volume of the State Archives of Assyria series, which publishes Neo-Assyrian text editions. The present volume follows the format of the series with a foreword, preface, introduction,transliterations,glossary, indices, collations and plates. The book consists of an edition of eleven prophecy texts comprising less than 40 pages preceded by an introductionof 105 pages, including notes. The authorjustifies this disproportionby arguingthat Assyrian prophecy texts have a direct influence on the Assyrian religion. The Introductionis an intricateand not very easy to understandpresentation of Assyrian and Mesopotamianreligion. I cannot delve into all aspects and details but will attemptto give a general impression of Parpola's study, which attemptsto establish a model for the interpretationof Assyrian religion. Parpolaelucidates the model in ten points on pp. xv-xvi and describes an "ecstatic cult of Istar,"which is "an esoteric mystery cult promising its devotees transcendentalsalvation and eternallife." The cult, according to Parpola, can be comparedto Shakta Tantarism,a Hindu ecstatic cult thathad "a sophisticatedcosmogony, theosophy, soteriology and theory of the soul."These aspects of the cult were known only to initiates, who were boundby an oath of secrecy, and which otherwise were kept secret by symbols, metaphors,and riddles. A basis of Istarcult was a doctrine of salvation based on the myth of Istar'sdescent to the netherworld where the "goddess plays the role of the Neoplatonic Cosmic Soul." An aspect of the doctrineconsisted of the mission of a "heavenly perfect man sent for the redemptionof mankind,materializedin the institutionof kingship . The king's perfection, homousia, with God made him god in human form and guaranteedhis resurrectionafterbodily death."The central symbol of the cult was the cosmic tree which connected heaven and earthand contained "the secret key to the psychic structureof the perfect man and thus to eternal life." Other symbols are used "to give visual form to basic doctrinesof the cult" althoughthey arehiddenfrom outsidersandused for meditation.The worship of I'star,called the "Goddess,"included transcendental meditation, extreme asceticism and mortificationof flesh accompanied by weeping and "other ecstatic techniques" which could "result in altered states, visions and inspired prophecy."The authoralso sees parallels with Canaanite, Phrygian, and Egyptian cults and suggests that the similarities between Assyrian and biblical prophecyare due to the conceptual and doctrinalsimilarities of the "underlying"religions. 228 THE JEWISH QUARTERLYREVIEW The information presented in the model is explicated in the chapter called "The Conceptual and Doctrinal Background,"which begins by attempting to demonstratean Assyrian monotheism on the premise that certain deities were identical and not distinct entities. Parpolauses evidence from the oracles to support this contention. The oracle numbered 1.4 = K.4310 ii:16ff. (p. xviii) is addressedto Esarhaddonby three deities. Bel, Istar, and Nabuf.In interpretingthis oracle, Parpola assumes that we are dealing with one deity and states: In oracle 1.4, the deity firstspeaks as Bel, then as Istarof Arbela,and finally as Nabuf,the son of Bel and the keeper of celestial records.It is as if in this short oracle the deity were repeatedlyputting on new masks to suit the changing themes of the discourse, and one cannot help being reminded of the Holy Trinity of Christianity,where the Father,the Son, andthe Holy Spiritareexplainedas differenthypostases of one indivisible Divine Being. (p. xviii) Passages like these leave the readerwith the impression that the authoris forcing the text to fit his theories. Besides the fact thatone is not necessarily remindedof the Holy Trinitywhen reading the oracle, it is difficultto understandwhy in this particulartext one unnameddeity should be speaking in differentguises. The oracle is clearly dealing with differentstages of Esarhaddon'slife, and for each of these phases a different god (or gods) looked afterhim. His birthwas supervised by Bel and othergods; Istar,as is well-known, took care of him throughoutthis childhood; andNabufgave him or aided him with wisdom or knowledge as an adult. It would seem that the purpose of the oracle is to console the king and build up his confidence: the gods will protect him. There are three deities and each...