The Destruction of Sacred Texts in Biblical Antiquity

Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 8 pm EST via Zoom

The Destruction of Sacred Texts in Biblical Antiquity

Nathaniel Levtow, University of Montana

The intentional destruction of texts dates back to the beginnings of writing in Mesopotamia and has for millennia been associated with violence against human beings. From the burning of the Talmud in Medieval Europe to the burning of the Qur’an in contemporary America, the public violation of sacred texts has remained a powerful expression of symbolic violence and cross-cultural conflict.

In the ancient world, however, writing was a ritual activity that could physically embody divine will and human relationships through words inscribed upon stones, tablets and scrolls. This was especially true in the ancient Near East, where the destruction of texts was explicitly linked to the destruction of cities, gods, people and the world itself.

This illustrated presentation will explore the variety of ways in which law codes, written spells and oracles, royal monuments, inscribed statues and treaty tablets were burned, smashed, cut, buried, submerged, eaten, hidden, abducted, erased and rewritten.

Nathaniel Levtow is Associate Professor of History at the University of Montana

For questions or to request accommodations contact:

Donald Kane