Nocturnal Ciphers

This monograph seeks to understand the cultural context and function of wordplay as employed by ancient Mesopotamian dream interpreters and other divinatory experts. The author then aims to use this context to explain the presence of punning in Akkadian literary and epistolary accounts of enigmatic dreams. Noegel also examines the later appearance of Egyptian oneirocritic punning and explores the possibility that it represents intellectual exchange between Egypt and Mesopotamia. Building upon these observations, he then argues that Israelite, and possibly Ugaritic, literary reports of enigmatic dreams similarly reflect the punning hermeneutic and therefore also may share a mantic context, as well as possible Mesopotamian influence. Finally, Noegel traces punning oneirocritic strategy into other cultures and later times and texts, including early Greek and Talmudic literature.

Noegel’s investigation provides insights into a variety of subjects including the social context of divination and the production of literary texts, the role of writing and script in the divinatory process, the impact of Mesopotamian intellectual thought, the authorship of certain biblical pericopes, the relationship of oneiromancy to prophecy, and the function of ancient Near Eastern literary devices. In so doing, he draws attention to broader theoretical concerns that confront the study of the ancient world.