Divine and Human Dependencies

Asymmetrical dependencies, esp. strong asymmetrical dependencies, substantially determine social relationships and interactions in the Ancient Near East (ANE) and in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (OT/HB). This basic feature not only characterizes human relationships but also the interactions between divine and human beings. In the ANE, these social, political and religious fields can neither be separated nor be discriminated neatly. Instead, religious, political and social norms, rationales, metaphors and actions intertwine and the fields interact constantly. At the same time, (strong) asymmetrical dependencies take very different forms and are operative on many different levels of society. The workshop will bring together scholars from the fields of ANE-Studies, Egyptology, Iconography and OT/HB Studies in order to work on these questions in a transdisciplinary perspective. Textual and material/iconographic sources from the ANE will be analysed from various methodological angles.