Greek Myth and the Bible Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies Series

Since the nineteenth-century rediscovery of the Gilgamesh epic, we have known that the Bible imports narratives from outside of Israelite culture, refiguring them for its own audience. Only more recently, however, has come the realization that Greek culture is also a prominent source of biblical narratives.

Greek Myth and the Bible argues that classical mythological literature and the biblical texts were composed in a dialogic relationship. Louden examines a variety of Greek myths from a range of sources, analyzing parallels between biblical episodes and Hesiod, Euripides, Argonautic myth, selections from Ovid?s Metamorphoses, and Homeric epic.

This fascinating volume offers a starting point for debate and discussion of these cultural and literary exchanges and adaptations in the wider Mediterranean world and will be an invaluable resource to students of the Hebrew Bible and the influence of Greek myth.

Introduction; Part I: The Hebrew Bible; Chapter 1: Iapetos and Japheth: Hesiod’s Theogony, Iliad 15.187-93, and Genesis 9-10; Chapter 2: Euripides’ Ion and the Genesis Patriarchs; Chapter 3: Jason, Hera, Medea, and Aietes; Jacob, Rebecca, Rachel, and Laban: Argonautic Myth and Genesis 27-33; Chapter 4: Euripides’ Hecuba and Jael (Judges 4-5); Part II: New Testament; Chapter 5: The oath that cannot be taken back: Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.751-2.400, Mark 6 and Matthew 14 (cf. Iliad 19; Genesis 27); Chapter 6: Luke 24 and Homer: Odyssey 3, Iliad 24, and Postponed Recognition; Chapter 7: Euripides’ Alcestis and John’s Lazarus (John 11:1-44, 12:1-8); Chapter 8: Hesiod’s Theogony and the Book of Revelation 4, 12, and 19-20; Chapter 9: Ovid’s Palace of the Sun (Metamorphoses 2.1-30) and Revelation 4; Chapter10: Retrospective Prophecy and the Vision in Aeneid 6, Ovid, and Revelation; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index

Bruce Louden is Professor in the Department of Language and Linguistics, the Humanities Program, and Philosophy, at the University of Texas at El Paso, USA.