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Series: The Biblical Resource Series (BRS)Foreword by Peter Machinist
Hermann Gunkel's groundbreaking
Schöpfung und Chaos, originally published in German in 1895, is here translated in its entirety into English for the first time. Even though available only in German, this work by Gunkel has had a profound influence on modern biblical scholarship.
Discovering a number of parallels between the biblical creation accounts and a Babylonian creation account, the
Enuma Elish, Gunkel argues that ancient Babylonian traditions shaped the Hebrew people's perceptions both of God's creative activity at the beginning of time and of God's re-creative activity at the end of time.
Including illuminating introductory pieces by eminent scholar Peter Machinist and by translator K. William Whitney, Gunkel's
Creation and Chaos will appeal to serious students and scholars in the area of biblical studies.
REVIEWS
Expository Times
"Welcome and long overdue translation of a seminal work."
François Bovon
— Harvard University
"When Hermann Gunkel's book was first published, Julius Wellhausen said: 'Hier ist mehr Chaos als Schöpfung!' ('Here is more chaos than creation!'). Scholars today will admiringly reverse that phrase: 'Hier ist mehr Schöpfung als Chaos!' ('Here is more creation than chaos!')"
John J. Collins
— Yale University
"Gunkel's Schöpfung und Chaos was one of the defining works of the 'history of religions' school, which revolutionized biblical scholarship at the end of the nineteenth century. It has been one of the few major works of that era never fully translated. This new translation by K. William Whitney fills the gap, and Whitney's helpful preface explains to a new generation why this book is so important in the history of scholarship. Whitney and Eerdmans have rendered a great service to students of the Bible by making this book available in English."
Michael E. Stone
— Hebrew University of Jerusalem
"Hermann Gunkel's epochal Schöpfung und Chaos marked a major shift in biblical studies when it appeared in 1895, but it has never been translated. K. William Whitney here presents the world of scholarship with a polished and sophisticated English translation that will stimulate readers to rethink basic assumptions. His excellent preface puts Gunkel's work into its context and draws out its importance for the twenty-first century. Whitney has filled out and enriched the original indexes and bibliography, making the book easier to consult. This work is destined to be a cornerstone for students and scholars alike."