Exegesis

Lore & Background

One of the earliest examples of exegesis comes from Mesopotamia in the first millennium BC, with over 860 manuscripts dating mostly to 700–100 BC. These commentaries explore literary works, medical treatises, magical texts, dictionaries, and law collections, but most comment on divination treatises predicting the future from celestial bodies or sheep livers. Written on clay tablets in Akkadian cuneiform, they often include Sumerian words and are the earliest known examples of textual interpretation, possibly influencing rabbinical exegesis.

Reader's Guide

Exegesis is significant as the foundational method for understanding texts across cultures and eras. Mesopotamian commentaries provide unique insights into ancient languages and culture, such as the pronunciation of Gilgamesh's name, and reveal the concerns of the literate elite. In Christianity, exegesis has relied on various doctrines, including the four senses of Scripture, the historical-grammatical method, historical criticism, revealed exegesis, and rational exegesis. Catholic centers like the École Biblique and the Pontifical Biblical Institute have shaped Biblical exegesis, while Protestant traditions have been advanced at German universities and American divinity schools. The Mimamsa school of Indian philosophy also represents a tradition of exegesis. The study of cuneiform commentaries remains ongoing among Assyriologists.

Did You Know?

• The term exegesis comes from the Greek ἐξηγεῖσθαι, meaning 'to lead out.'
• The opposite of exegesis is eisegesis, which involves importing subjective interpretations into a text.
• Mesopotamian commentaries, dating to 700–100 BC, are among the earliest examples of textual interpretation.
• The pronunciation of the name Gilgamesh was discovered in a cuneiform commentary on a medical text.