
Before Genesis: What the Old Testament Borrowed from Mesopotamian Stories
From Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman by Bart Ehrman
May 26, 2026 · 40 min · Episode 188
About this episode
This episode discusses the cultural influences on the Old Testament from surrounding Mesopotamian societies and literature.
The Old Testament wasn't written in a cultural vacuum, but who and what influenced its writers. Today we're talking about the cultural background of the Old Testament and how the literature and societies of the surrounding cultures impacted its creation.
People in this episode
Host: Bart Ehrman
Topics covered
- Old Testament
- Mesopotamian influence
- cultural background
- literature
- societies
Keywords
- Old Testament
- Mesopotamia
- cultural influence
- literature
- societies
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Old Testament
Places: Mesopotamia
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