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Circumcision in the Ancient near East

1966; Society of Biblical Literature; Volume: 85; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/3264032

1934-3876

Jack M. Sasson,

Genital Health and Disease

FOR a long time, scholars have assumed a direct relationship between the Egyptian and West Semitic worlds in one matter of personal hygiene and, probably, of religious rites.' "Circumcision," stated Eduard Meyer, "was at home in Egypt from the earliest times, and from there it was adopted by the Israelites and by the Phoenicians."2However, the evidence that one gleans from the Egyptian sources suggests that such a strong statement should, at best, be subjected to further investigation.Indeed, to my mind, it is highly improbable. The earliest Egyptian document to shed light on circumcision is a palette, now in theBritish Museum, from the predynastic, Late Gerzean, era.3It shows bearded, circumcised captives being devoured by vultures and by a lion, presumably the symbols of Nilotic power.Those represented, it has been observed, were not Egyptians.Rather, they were strangers, enemies of the king who, in the guise of a proud lion, sought their extermination.4Aside from an invocation from the Pyramid Texts, 660C, whose debatable interpretation may have referred to circumcision, the earliest written document witnessing the rite comes from the first intermediate period.Thus, a Naga-ed-Der stele begins with the pronouncement of one chieftain: "When I was circumcised, together with one hundred and twenty men ...."5 This is reminiscent of Gen 17 23, where Abraham orders the rite to be performed on his retinue the same day as that of his own circumcision.In Egypt, no more than seven texts, from the age of the Pyramids to that of Piankhi, preserve mention of the ritual.6Study of the plastic arts and of the remains of The cultural and religious significance of circumcision has been amply discussed.It seems doubtful that a satisfactory explanation can be arrived at.For a large and up-to-date bibliography see the recent article of Erich Isaac, "Circumcision as a Covenant Rite," Anthropos, 59 (1964), pp.444-56.The excellent chapter of Pere de Vaux's Les institutions de l'Ancien Testament, I, ?IV:4, should also be consulted.