The mythic mind

Abstract

Many biblical scholars (and particularly those specializing in Old Testament and Hebrew Bible studies) continue to deny the presence of myth in Israelite literature. Even when mythical elements are conceded to survive, pains are taken to demonstrate their ''foreign' origin. This paper challenges this reluctant view, attempting to break down the impasse by applying the analyses of M. Donald and S. Guthrie, and proposing that myth is a mental disposition rather than a literary genre, a universal meaning-giving strategy. Far from being incompatible with history, it has played a significant part in its shaping, a trait evident even in modern scientific historiography. Three strands of mythic tradition are noted as determining a wide range of biblical material, the Chaoskampf , the theogony cum royal birth and the deposition myth (whose origins lie in enthronement rites). While myth is generally concerned with the past and its remembering, its use in apocalyptic literature indicates its importance in the conceptualization of the future.