A House of Weeping: The Motif of Tears in Akkadian and Hebrew Prayers

by David A. Bosworth

David Bosworth draws on modern research on weeping to understand references to the petitioner's tears in biblical and other ancient Near Eastern prayers. Weeping reflects helplessness and being overwhelmed with emotion, and tears can motivate others to help. Similarly, people turn to prayer at times of extreme distress; therefore, weeping and prayer reinforce one another as strategies to move the deity to offer assistance. Bosworth finds that prayer...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1628372354
• ISBN13: 9781628372359
• Release Date: February 2018
• Publisher: SBL Press
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"