The Role of Temples from the Third Dynasty of Ur to the First Dynasty of Babylon

The Role of Temples from the Third Dynasty of Ur to the First Dynasty of Babylon
Author: Fritz Rudolf Kraus
Publisher:
Total Pages: 32
Release: 1990
Genre: History
ISBN:

F. R. Kraus Die Rolle der Tempel von der dritten Dynastie von Ur bis ersten Dynastie von Babylon," an unpublished manuscript in German published in French in The Journal of World History in anticipation of inclusion in a scientific and cultural history of mankind to be issued by the International Commission for a Scientific and Cultural History of Mankind. The essay discusses in general terms the role of temples in early Mesopotamian society. then turns to more detailed consideration of the respective positions of temples in Babylonian society at the end of the third and during the first half of the second millennium B.C.

Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia

Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia
Author: Gwendolyn Leick
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 301
Release: 2009-11-16
Genre: History
ISBN: 0810863243

The Greek name Mesopotamia means 'land between the rivers.' The Romans used this term for an area that they controlled only briefly (between 115 and 117 A.D.): the land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, from the south Anatolian mountains ranges to the Persian Gulf. It comprises the civilizations of Sumer and Akkad (third millennium B.C.) as well as the later Babylonian and Assyrian empires of the second and first millennium. Although the 'history' of Mesopotamia in the strict sense of the term only begins with the inscriptions of Sumerian rulers around the 27th century B.C., the foundations for Mesopotamian civilization, especially the beginnings of irrigation and the emergence of large permanent settlements, were laid much earlier, in the fifth and fourth millennium. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia defines concepts, customs, and notions peculiar to the civilization of ancient Mesopotamia, from adult adoption to ziggurats. This is accomplished through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-reference dictionary entries on religion, economy, society, geography, and important kings and rulers.

Hasanlu Special Studies, Volume III

Hasanlu Special Studies, Volume III
Author: Michelle I. Marcus
Publisher: UPenn Museum of Archaeology
Total Pages: 266
Release: 1996-01-29
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 092417126X

Photographs, with extensive commentary, of 105 seals and seal impressions from Tepe Hasanlu in southwestern Azerbaijan, Iran, dating to about 800 B.C.

A Handbook of Ancient Religions

A Handbook of Ancient Religions
Author: John R. Hinnells
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 571
Release: 2007-03-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1139461982

Ancient civilisations exercise an intense fascination for people the world over. This Handbook provides a vivid, scholarly, and eminently readable account of ancient cultures around the world, from China to India, the Middle East, Egypt, Europe, and the Americas. It examines the development of religious belief from the time of the Palaeolithic cave paintings to the Aztecs and Incas. Covering the whole of society not just the elite, the Handbook outlines the history of the different societies so that their religion and culture can be understood in context. Each chapter includes discussion of the broad field of relevant studies alerting the reader to wider debates on each subject. An international team of scholars convey their own deep enthusiasm for their subject and provide a unique study of both popular and 'official' religion in the ancient world.

Who Will Lament Her?

Who Will Lament Her?
Author: Laurel Lanner
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2006-05-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567543978

It is not surprising that non-academic bible readers largely ignore Nahum. Comprising only a few pages, it is easily overlooked in the midst of the twelve Minor Prophets. When a reader does stop in passing, the book appears to be brief, brutish, and uncomfortably violent. Looking more closely, however, readers may observe echoes of other much greater prophets, such as Isaiah and Ezekiel, perhaps even of the Psalms, and conclude that the book is a rather second-rate pastiche of other writings, although some rather brilliant poetry is woven into it. Who Will Lament Her? takes a fresh look at Nahum. It explores further the presence of the feminine in the book of Nahum, the extent to which it is present in the text, how the structure of the text makes the feminine both present and absent, and the possible reasons why this is so. Lanner takes two methodological approaches. The first sets out to show that it is possible that a feminine deity is present in the text of Nahum. The second approach engages three theories of the literary fantastic with the text, taking into consideration the findings of the historical and exegetical work. Using these two approaches hand in hand results in a fresh reading of Nahum.

The Age of Agade

The Age of Agade
Author: Benjamin R. Foster
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 590
Release: 2015-12-14
Genre: History
ISBN: 1317415515

The Age of Agade is the first book-length study of the Akkadian period of Mesopotamian history, which saw the rise and fall of the world’s first empire during more than a century of extraordinary political, social, and cultural innovation. It draws together more than 40 years of research by one of the world’s leading experts in Assyriology to offer an exhaustive survey of the Akkadian empire. Addressing all aspects of the empire, including its statecraft and military, territory and cities, arts, religion, economy, and production, The Age of Agade considers what can be said of Akkadian political and social history, material culture, and daily life. A final chapter also explores how the empire has been presented in modern historiography, from the decipherment of cuneiform to the present, including the extensive research of Soviet historians, summarized here in English for the first time. Drawing on contemporaneous written and artifactual sources, as well as relevant materials from succeeding generations, Foster introduces the reader to the wealth of evidence available. Accessibly written by a specialist in the field, this book is an engaging examination of a critical era in the history of early Mesopotamia.

Current Issues in Priestly and Related Literature

Current Issues in Priestly and Related Literature
Author: Roy E. Gane
Publisher: SBL Press
Total Pages: 548
Release: 2015-10-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1628371226

New directions and fresh insight for scholars and students The single greatest catalyst and contributor to our developing understanding of priestly literature has been Jacob Milgrom (1923-2010), whose seminal articles, provocative hypotheses, and comprehensively probing books vastly expanded and significantly altered scholarship regarding priestly and related literature. Nineteen articles build on Milgrom's work and look to future directions of research. Essays cover a range of topics including the interpretation, composition and literary structure of priestly and holiness texts as well as their relationships to deuteronomic and extra-biblical texts. The book includes a bibliography of Milgrom's work published between 1994 and 2014. Features: Comparisons with Mesopotamian Hittite texts Essays from a diverse group of scholars representing a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and methodologies Charts and tables illustrate complex relationships and structures

The Penguin Handbook of Ancient Religions

The Penguin Handbook of Ancient Religions
Author: Various contributors
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 585
Release: 2009-08-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0141956666

This overview of the religious customs of ancient cultures boasts an international selection of contributors, all of whom are leading scholars in their field. The cultural practices of popular as well as formal religion are explored in detail, giving an impression of all, not only elite societies. Every topic is placed in its own cultural context, while bearing in mind its relevance to a wider historical and sociological debate. The result is an erudite and thoroughly readable handbook to ancient religions, from Palaeolithic cave art to the rituals of Aztec and Inca civilizations.

The Social Meanings of Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible

The Social Meanings of Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible
Author: David Janzen
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2012-08-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3110904810

This work uses anthropological theory and field studies to investigate the social function and meaning of sacrifice. All rituals, including sacrifice, communicate social beliefs and morality, but these cannot be determined outside of a study of the social context. Thus, there is no single explanation for sacrifice - such as those advanced by René Girard or Walter Burkert or late-19th and early-20th century scholars. The book then examines four different writings in the Hebrew Bible - the Priestly Writing, the Deuteronomistic History, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles - to demonstrate how different social origins result in different social meanings of sacrifice.

Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture

Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture
Author: William H. Stiebing Jr.
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2016-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 1315511169

This introduction to the Ancient Near East includes coverage of Egypt and a balance of political, social, and cultural coverage. Organized by the periods, kingdoms, and empires generally used in Near Eastern political history, the text interlaces social and cultural history with the political narrative. This combination allows students to get a rounded introduction to the subject of Ancient Near Eastern history. An emphasis on problems and areas of uncertainty helps students understand how evidence is used to create interpretations and allows them to realize that several different interpretations of the same evidence are possible.This introduction to the Ancient Near East includes coverage of Egypt and a balance of political, social, and cultural coverage.