The “Pall of Silence”. Remarks on the Ancient Near Eastern Studies Between the 19th and 20th Centuries and their Effects on Historical-Religious Enquiries

This article examines the correlation between Assyriology and the history of religions between the 19th and 20th centuries. In the first part, the study explores the intimate connections that initially bound together Assyriology and biblical studies, focusing on biblical archaeology, the Babel-Bible Streit, and pan-Babylonism. The second part considers how Landsberger’s concept of “conceptual autonomy” resulted in the separation of Assyriology from biblical studies and the spreading of a strong philological perspective that censored exegetical analysis, including those related to religious enquiries. The aim is therefore to reflect on how a “pall of silence” has descended on historical-religious studies related to the civilisations of ancient Mesopotamia and what has been done and can still be done to disperse this fog.