02_Walton_179_200_179_200 10/07/15 11:58 Pagina 196 196 JONATHAN H. WALTON 196 VIII. Divine Manipulation One of the primary functions of an ancient Near Eastern king was to ensure the continued favor and attention of the gods 76. In theory, as in Israel, this was accomplished by piety, ritual diligence, and maintenance of order and justice, but in practice the process was more subversive. As Greenwood notes, “Although the king proclaimed and portrayed a humble, unconditional piety, the reality was that service to the gods served a practical purpose. It provided a hope that the deities would, in turn, take care of the kings, whether in battle, in legacy, or in provisions” 77. This is because, in ancient Near Eastern religion, humans were supposed to provide for the needs of the gods. “The literature from throughout the ancient Near East clearly addresses the fact that the gods have needs that are met by human beings. […] rituals and other cultic activities were de- signed to address those needs. The king and the priests each had duties in the process” 78. The neediness of the gods and their de- pendence (at least partially) on the services of the king — offering sacrifices, building and repairing temples, maintaining civic order so that ritual activity could proceed efficiently, etc. — gave the king some leverage with which to “negotiate” for the favor of the gods. There are two issues involved here, both theologically problematic for orthodox Israel: the first is initiative, the second is dependence. As noted above, the elders of Israel take the initiative in hauling the ark to battle, rather than first inquiring of God. They do not want YHWH to decide when (or if, or against whom) wars will be fought; they want to decide this for themselves. A “king like the nations” is able to take this initiative; as long as he has been suitably attentive to his duties, the gods will fall in behind him: I approached Ishtar the most high, I placed myself before her […]. I am Asurbanipal, king of Assyria […]. I am the one who visits reg- ularly your dwellings, I come to worship you and take care of your rituals. […] you are the most warlike among the gods! Scatter [the king of Elam] like a load in the tumult of battle; raise against him a destructive wind and storm! Ishtar heard my desperate sighs. […] 76 WALTON, Thought, 281-83. 77 GREENWOOD, Aššur, 86. 78 WALTON, Thought, 136.