The Divine Constellation: Theology in the Ancient World

In the ancient world, theology wasn't practiced in the same way we do today. One scholar suggests the divine was thought of like a constellation of stars, with each star representing an aspect of a god. This understanding of theology meant that one could only truly understand the divine by understanding each piece of the whole. In this video, we explore how this ancient understanding of the divine contrasts with our modern conceptions. And we'll explore if Yahweh had a divine constellation and what kind of constellation he had.

#constellation #divine #yahweh #archaeology #biblicalarchaeology #ancienthistory #mesopotamia

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If you'd like to read more here are just a few of the sources we used in this video:

Michael Hundley, Yahweh Among the Gods: The Divine in Genesis, Exodus, and the Ancient Near East. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022.

Michael Hundley, "'Hear a god, There a god,' An Examination of the Divine in Ancient Mesopotamia," Altorientalische Forschungen 40 (2013) 1, 68–107.

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02:05 What is the Divine Constellation concept?
04:58 What makes a god a god?
10:34 A Case Study: Ishtar's Constellation
13:46 Yahweh's Divine Constellation: Anthropomorphic Core
18:30 Yahweh's Message/Messengers
19:58 Yahweh's Names and Epithets
21:07 Yahweh's Regional Manifestations
22:16 Fire and Storm Theophanies
23:50 Holiness
24:44 Physical Access Points: Flame the Whirling Sword, Moses Staff, and Bethel Pillar
29:17 Why this is helpful - practicing theology
32:16 Thanks for your support!