Unveiling Contradictions: A Cultural Analysis of the Old Testament

As a result of many contradictions and repeated stories, when reading the modern Old Testament it can be at times confusing. An opinion shared by many is that this confusion is a consequence of the Old Testament being written in different languages and then later translated into Latin as well as the several English versions by authors who sometimes it seems had their own specific agenda. Many biblical and non-biblical scholars claim these possible contradictions and repeated stories can be better explained by understanding of the traditions, and religions of neighboring ancient cultures and civilizations of the Near East. Only after reading, researching and collecting information of the history and religions of the Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians,

While being held captive in the city of Babylon, the Judeans were exposed to the stories and mythologies of the various and older Mesopotamian cultures such as the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians. No doubt that during their captivity of almost 60 years in Babylon, the Judeans increased the size of their community with new generations. These new generations while still captive in Babylon became the future of the Judeans as they grew from infants, into children, into adolescences and finally young adults, which would begin their own families and repeat the cycle. It is the consensus of a majority of sociologists and historians that all of the Judeans, whether they were young, middle age and old became exposed and eventually influenced by the stories and mythologies from Mesopotamia's past, such as the Enuma Elish, the Eridu Genesis, Enki and Ninhursag, Tale of Adapa, the Epic of Atra-Hasis, Enki and Ninmah, Enmerkar and the Lord of Arata, king Sargon and the Code of Hammurabi along with many