Major Background Issues from the Ancient Near East | xxxvii
of a deity . A god ’ s name could be invoked either for effective exercise of power over another person , or for summoning or commanding the god himself . Divination was understood to provide access to information about what the gods were doing ( signaled in the stars , terrestrial occurrences , dreams , entrails of sacrificed animals , and in many other indicators ). Israelites were forbidden to practice most forms of divination and were not to use God ’ s name to attempt to control him .
10 . Death and Memory . In the ancient world people viewed community as extending beyond the world of the living . When someone died , the deceased joined the group of ancestors in the netherworld , yet also remained in the community of those still alive — remembered by them and in most instances , receiving care from them ( in the form meals to the dead ). Burial customs reflected these beliefs : people believed that improper burial ( or no burial ) would make it impossible for the dead to join the community of ancestors and would therefore leave them homeless , uncared for , and very unhappy ( as well as prone to haunt the living ). As to the concern to be remembered , people would strive throughout their lives to make a name for themselves ( defined as doing anything that would cause them to be remembered ). Having children was the most important way of doing this . To die childless was to die with little hope of being remembered , which in turn would have a severely negative impact on their existence in the netherworld . Israel thought in very similar ways .
11 . Identity in Community . In stark contrast to Westerners who find their main identity in themselves as individuals , in the ancient world people found their identity in their community . It was in this sort of context that arranged marriages made sense and levirate marriage would be important . In such a community context , religion was a family choice , not an individual choice . Families worshiped gods within their family circle , so that a woman who married into another clan naturally adopted the gods of that clan . Legal cases related to clan identities and judgment could target the whole communal group rather than just one individual . Guilt and blessing both operated on a communal level . Israel ’ s perspectives were very much the same .
12 . Retribution Principle . People believed that the righteous would prosper and the wicked would suffer . This led to the belief that if one pleased the gods ( took care of them well ), one would receive their blessing ; if one didn ’ t , the gods would be angry and lash out . Such a belief led people to conclude that if someone was prospering , they must be doing well by the gods ; if they were suffering , they must have done something to anger the gods and as such should be shunned . In the ancient world this was applied not only to the level of the individual but also to the level of the community , clan or family . This particular belief can be problematic for the modern Bible reader because some of the psalms and proverbs seem to affirm this principle . A full reading of the Bible , however , especially from the book of Job , nuances this principle . ◆