The ‘Hymn’ of Amos: An Ancient Flood Narrative

Abstract

A comparison of Amos with Sumerian City-Lament (SCL) reveals that SCL was likely used as the literary template for Amos’ prophecy. Amos also contains references to the flood, used as a covenant-curse to warn Israel of her treaty violations. This article compares these flood passages, 4.13; 5.8+9; 8.8; 9.5+6, (described by scholars as ‘hymnic’), with SCL, Genesis’ flood account, and Job 9.5–10, a similar flood-like hymn, in order to determine common vocabulary and themes. Analyzing the Amos hymn's vocabulary roots reveals an ancient narrative source. Exploration of the passage's literary connections to Amos in terms of a ‘flood covenant-curse',’, demonstrates why such literature was utilized. This article also discusses a new proposal that Amos’ hymn should be extended to incorporate a fragment at 7.4.