Childhood dropouts in cuneiform and biblical literature

Abstract

In the world of mythology, child abandonments were a recurring literary topic in practically all ancient civilizations. However, the phenomenon of abandoning children should not be limited only to the mythical plane, since undoubtedly such a practice would be carried out with relative regularity. The objective of this article is to present and analyze the main sources that the cuneiform and biblical literature (between the 3rd and the 1st millennium BC) offers for the study of children's exhibitions. For this purpose, we will attend to the main characteristics of the different types of documents, presenting, when appropriate, the translation of paradigmatic examples for each case. Sharing this corpus on child abandonment in the ancient East will help to better understand the myth of the foundling child in ancient legends, as well as the tragic socio-economic background by which many parents would choose to abandon their children to their fate.