Scion
I did a search but can't find any discussion of this article: "The Assyrian Tree of Life: Tracing the Origins of Jewish Monotheim and Greek Philosophy" which was published in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies in July of 1993. Professor Parpola teaches Assyriology at the University of Helsinki.
In this article, Parpola identifies and analyzes a recurrent symbolic Tree in 4th millenium Mesopotamian iconography and then goes on to argue very persuasively that this image/idea is the origin for the Tree of LIfe popularized in Jewish Kabbalah. His sources are impeccable and his logic systematic and coherent. No weird flights of fancy, no ancient alien crystal pyramids; this is a scholastic article written for academia.
He makes a strong case for the Tree's original symbolic meaning in the Near East, finding uncanny connections between the Sephir Yetzirah and the Enuma Elish. He posits an origin for the Ain/Ain Soph/Ain Soph Aur. He identifies Mesopotamian divinities that may originall have occupied each of the sephirah, and then goes on to demonstrate the ways in which this readiung of the Tree is supported not only in Babylonian myth but in application of the Qabalah itself. As a finale, he wraps up with a spectacular Qabalistic reading of the epic of Gilgamesh that illuminates both traditions. Thrilling.
Has anyone else read this piece? I'm kind of blown away by it, and even if I'm instinctively resistant to accepting bold theory wholesale, I can't find a hole in his logic and research.
Would love to hash these ideas out with someone who's gone over it...
Scion
In this article, Parpola identifies and analyzes a recurrent symbolic Tree in 4th millenium Mesopotamian iconography and then goes on to argue very persuasively that this image/idea is the origin for the Tree of LIfe popularized in Jewish Kabbalah. His sources are impeccable and his logic systematic and coherent. No weird flights of fancy, no ancient alien crystal pyramids; this is a scholastic article written for academia.
He makes a strong case for the Tree's original symbolic meaning in the Near East, finding uncanny connections between the Sephir Yetzirah and the Enuma Elish. He posits an origin for the Ain/Ain Soph/Ain Soph Aur. He identifies Mesopotamian divinities that may originall have occupied each of the sephirah, and then goes on to demonstrate the ways in which this readiung of the Tree is supported not only in Babylonian myth but in application of the Qabalah itself. As a finale, he wraps up with a spectacular Qabalistic reading of the epic of Gilgamesh that illuminates both traditions. Thrilling.
Has anyone else read this piece? I'm kind of blown away by it, and even if I'm instinctively resistant to accepting bold theory wholesale, I can't find a hole in his logic and research.
Would love to hash these ideas out with someone who's gone over it...
Scion