Death Rituals Ideology And The Development Of Early Mesopotamian Kingship

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Death rituals, ideology, and the development of early Mesopotamian kingship

Author : Andrew C. Cohen
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 267 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : History
ISBN : 9789004146358

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Death rituals, ideology, and the development of early Mesopotamian kingship by Andrew C. Cohen Pdf

At the beginning of Mesopotamia s Early Dynastic period, the political landscape was dominated by temple administrators, but by the end of the period, rulers whose titles we translate as king assumed control. This book argues that the ritual process of mourning, burying, and venerating dead elites contributed to this change. Part one introduces the rationale for seeing rituals as a means of giving material form to ideology and, hence, structuring overall power relations. Part two presents archaeological and textual evidence for the death rituals. Part three interprets symbolic objects found in the Royal Cemetery of Ur, showing they reflect ideological doctrines promoting the office of kingship. This book will be particularly useful for scholars of Mesopotamian archaeology and history.

Death Rituals and Social Order in the Ancient World

Author : Colin Renfrew,Michael J. Boyd,Iain Morley
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 469 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : History
ISBN : 9781107082731

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Death Rituals and Social Order in the Ancient World by Colin Renfrew,Michael J. Boyd,Iain Morley Pdf

This volume, with essays by leading archaeologists and prehistorians, considers how prehistoric humans attempted to recognise, understand and conceptualise death.

Caring for the Dead in Ancient Israel

Author : Kerry M. Sonia
Publisher : SBL Press
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2020-11-02
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780884144625

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Caring for the Dead in Ancient Israel by Kerry M. Sonia Pdf

A new reconstruction of cultic practices surrounding death in ancient Israel In Caring for the Dead in Ancient Israel, Kerry M. Sonia examines the commemoration and care for the dead in ancient Israel against the broader cultural backdrop of West Asia. This cult of dead kin, often referred to as ancestor cult, comprised a range of ritual practices in which the living provided food and drink offerings, constructed commemorative monuments, invoked the names of the dead, and protected their remains. This ritual care negotiated the ongoing relationships between the living and the dead and, in so doing, helped construct social, political, and religious landscapes in relationship to the past. Sonia explores the nature of this cult of dead kin in ancient Israel, focusing on its role within the family and household as well as its relationship to Israel’s national deity and the Jerusalem temple. Features: A reevaluation of whether burial and necromantic rituals were part of the cult of dead kin A portrait of the various roles Israelite women played in the cult of dead kin A reassessment of biblical writers’ attitudes toward the cult of dead kin

An Ox of One's Own

Author : T. M. Sharlach
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Page : 348 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2017-09-11
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781501505263

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An Ox of One's Own by T. M. Sharlach Pdf

Shulgi-simti is an important example of a woman involved in sponsoring religious activities though having a family life. An Ox of One’s Own will be of interest to Assyriologists, particularly those interested in Early Mesopotamia, and scholars working on women in religion. An Ox of One’s Own centers on the archive of a woman who died about 2050 B.C., one of King Shulgi’s many wives. Her birth name is unknown, but when she married, she became Shulgi-simti, “Suitable for Shulgi.” Attested for only about 15 years, she existed among a court filled with other wives, who probably outranked her. A religious foundation was run on her behalf whereby courtiers, male and female, donated livestock for sacrifices to an unusual mix of goddesses and gods. Previous scholarship has declared this a rare example of a queen conducting women’s religion, perhaps unusual because they say she came from abroad. The conclusions of this book are quite different. An Ox of One’s Own lays out the evidence that another woman was queen at this time in Nippur while Shulgi-simti lived in Ur and was a third-ranking concubine at best, with few economic resources. Shulgi-simti’s religious exercises concentrated on a quartet of north Babylonian goddesses.

International Review of Biblical Studies, Volume 52 (2005-2006)

Author : Bernhard Lang
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 566 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2007-02-28
Category : Reference
ISBN : 9789047419228

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International Review of Biblical Studies, Volume 52 (2005-2006) by Bernhard Lang Pdf

Greek and Roman Musical Studies is the first and, at present, the only specialist periodical that publishes papers in the fields of ancient Greek and Roman music, including musical theory, musical archaeology and musical iconography in Classical antiquity, as well as on its reception in later times.

City of Culture 2600 BC: Early Mesopotamian History and Archaeology at Abu Salabikh

Author : John Nicholas Postgate
Publisher : Archaeopress Publishing Ltd
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2024-03-07
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781803276700

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City of Culture 2600 BC: Early Mesopotamian History and Archaeology at Abu Salabikh by John Nicholas Postgate Pdf

This book presents the city beneath the surface of Abu Salabikh, southern Iraq. The archaeology and the textual data combine to reveal its architecture, agricultural and industrial enterprises, and social structure. Integrated with our wider knowledge of south Mesopotamia at this time it creates a vivid image of city life in 2600 BC.

The Rephaim

Author : Jonathan Yogev
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2021-04-12
Category : History
ISBN : 9789004460867

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The Rephaim by Jonathan Yogev Pdf

In this study, Jonathan Yogev analyzes every text that mentions the Rephaim, in order to determine their exact function and importance in societies of the ancient Levant.

Human Sacrifice and Value

Author : Sean O'Neill,Matthew J. Walsh,Marianne Moen,Svein H. Gullbekk
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 432 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2023-10-26
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781000981865

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Human Sacrifice and Value by Sean O'Neill,Matthew J. Walsh,Marianne Moen,Svein H. Gullbekk Pdf

The present volume was made possible by the Norwegian Research Council’s generous funding of the Human Sacrifice and Value project (FRIPROHUMSAM 275947). It explores concepts of human sacrifice. This volume explores concepts of human sacrifice, focusing on its value – or multiplicity of values – in relative cultural and temporal terms, whether sacrifice is expressed in actual killings, in ideas revolving around ritualized, sanctioned or sanctified violence or loss, or in transformed and (often sublimated) undertakings. Bridging a wide variety of interdisciplinary perspectives, it analyses a spectrum of sacrificial logics and actions, daring us to rethink the scholarship of sacrifice by considering the oft hidden, subliminal and even paradoxical values and motivations that underlie sacrificial acts. The chapters give needed attention to pivotal questions in studies of sacrifice and ritualized violence – such as how we might employ new approaches to the existing evidence or revise long-debated theories about what exactly ‘human sacrifice’ is or might be, or why human sacrifice seems to emerge so often and so easily in human social experience across time and in vastly different cultures and historical contexts. Thus, the volume will strike a chord with scholars of sociology, anthropology, archaeology, history, religious studies, political science and economics –wherever interest is focused on critically rethinking questions of sacred and sanctified human violence, and the values that make it what it is.

Weavers, Scribes, and Kings

Author : Amanda H. Podany
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 673 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2022
Category : Middle East
ISBN : 9780190059040

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Weavers, Scribes, and Kings by Amanda H. Podany Pdf

"This sweeping history of the ancient Near East (Mesopotamia, Syria, Anatolia, Iran) takes readers on a journey from the creation of the world's first cities to the conquest of Alexander the Great. The book is built around the life stories of many ancient men and women, from kings, priestesses, and merchants to bricklayers, musicians, and weavers. Their habits of daily life, beliefs, triumphs, and crises, and the changes that they faced over time are explored through their written words and the archaeological remains of the buildings, cities, and empires in which they lived. Rather than chronicling three thousand years of kingdoms, the book instead creates a tapestry of life stories through which readers come to know specific individuals from many walks of life, and to understand their places within the broad history of events and institutions in the ancient Near East. These life stories are preserved on ancient cuneiform tablets, which allow us to trace, for example, the career of a weaver as she advanced to became a supervisor of a workshop, listen to a king trying to persuade his generals to prepare for a siege, and feel the pain of a starving young couple who were driven to sell all four of their young children into slavery during a famine. What might seem at first glance to be a remote and inaccessible ancient culture proves to be a comprehensible world, one that bequeathed to us many of our institutions and beliefs, a truly fascinating place to visit"--

A History of the Ancient Near East, ca. 3000-323 BC

Author : Marc Van De Mieroop
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 424 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2015-06-25
Category : History
ISBN : 9781118718179

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A History of the Ancient Near East, ca. 3000-323 BC by Marc Van De Mieroop Pdf

Incorporating the latest scholarly research, the third edition ofA History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000–323 BCpresents a comprehensive overview of the multiculturalcivilizations of the ancient Near East. Integrates the most up-to-date research, and includes a richerselection of supplementary materials Addresses the wide variety of political, social, and culturaldevelopments in the ancient Near East Updated features include new “Key Debate” boxes atthe end of each chapter to engage students with variousperspectives on a range of critical issues; a comprehensivetimeline of events; and 46 new illustrations, including 12 colorphotos Features a new chapter addressing governance and continuity inthe region during the Persian Empire Offers in-depth, accessible discussions of key texts andsources, including the Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh

Defining the Sacred

Author : Nicola Laneri
Publisher : Oxbow Books
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2015-05-08
Category : History
ISBN : 9781782976837

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Defining the Sacred by Nicola Laneri Pdf

Religion is a phenomenon that is inseparable from human society. It brings about a set of emotional, ideological and practical elements that are pervasive in the social fabric of any society and characterizable by a number of features. These include the establishment of intermediaries in the relationship between humans and the divine; the construction of ceremonial places for worshipping the gods and practicing ritual performances; and the creation ritual paraphernalia. Investigating the religious dimensions of ancient societies encounters problems in defining such elements, especially with regard to societies that lack textual evidences and has tended to lead towards the identification of differentiation between the mental dimension, related to religious beliefs, and the material one associated with religious practices, resulting in a separation between scholars able to investigate, and possibly reconstruct, ritual practices (i.e., archaeologists), and those interested in defining the realm of ancient beliefs (i.e., philologists and religious historians). The aim of this collection of papers is to attempt to bridge these two dimensions by breaking down existing boundaries in order to form a more comprehensive vision of religion among ancient Near Eastern societies. This approach requires that a higher consideration be given to those elements (either artificial -- buildings, objects, texts, etc. -- or natural -- landscapes, animals, trees, etc.) that are created through a materialization of religious beliefs and practices enacted by members of communities. These issues are addressed in a series of specific case-studies covering a broad chronological framework that from the Pre-pottery Neolithic to the Iron Age. (Cover illustration © German Archaeological Institute, photo N. Becker)

A Covenant with Death

Author : Christopher B. Hays
Publisher : Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Page : 466 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2015
Category : History
ISBN : 9780802873118

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A Covenant with Death by Christopher B. Hays Pdf

Death is one of the major themes in First Isaiah, although it has not generally been recognized as such. In this study Christopher Hays offers fresh interpretations of more than a dozen passages in Isaiah 538 in light of ancient beliefs about death. Hays first summarizes what is known about death in the ancient Near East during the Second Iron Age, covering beliefs and practicesin Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria-Palestine, and Judah/Israel. He then shows how select passages in the first part of Isaiah employ the rhetorical imagery of death that was part of their cultural context, and he also identifies ways in which those texts break new creative ground. This books holistic approach to questions that have attracted much scholarly attention in recent decades produces new insights not only for the interpretation of specific biblical passages but also for the formation of the book of Isaiah and for the history of ancient Near Eastern religions.

Land of Our Fathers

Author : Francesca Stavrakopoulou
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 208 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2011-04-17
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780567551177

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Land of Our Fathers by Francesca Stavrakopoulou Pdf

The biblical motif of a land divinely-promised and given to Abraham and his descendants is argued to be an ideological reflex of post-monarchic, territorial disputes between competing socio-religious groups. The important biblical motif of a Promised Land is founded upon the ancient Near Eastern concept of ancestral land: hereditary space upon which families lived, worked, died and were buried. An essential element of concept of ancestral land was the belief in the post-mortem existence of the ancestors, who were venerated with grave offerings, mortuary feasts, bone rituals and standing stones. The Hebrew Bible is littered with stories concerning these practices and beliefs, yet the specific correlation of ancestor veneration and certain biblical land claims has gone unrecognized. The book remedies this in presenting evidence for the vital and persistent impact of ancestor veneration upon land claims. It proposes that ancestor veneration, which formed a common ground in the experiences of various socio-religious groups in ancient Israel, became in the Hebrew Bible an ideological battlefield upon which claims to the land were won and lost.

The Sumerians

Author : Paul Collins
Publisher : Reaktion Books
Page : 215 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2021-03-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9781789144239

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The Sumerians by Paul Collins Pdf

The Sumerians are widely believed to have created the world’s earliest civilization on the fertile floodplains of southern Iraq from about 3500 to 2000 BCE. They have been credited with the invention of nothing less than cities, writing, and the wheel, and therefore hold an ancient mirror to our own urban, literate world. But is this picture correct? Paul Collins reveals how the idea of a Sumerian people was assembled from the archaeological and textual evidence uncovered in Iraq and Syria over the last one hundred fifty years. Reconstructed through the biases of those who unearthed them, the Sumerians were never simply lost and found, but reinvented a number of times, both in antiquity and in the more recent past.

The Birth of the State

Author : Petr Charvát
Publisher : Karolinum Press
Page : 358 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2013-09-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9788024622149

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The Birth of the State by Petr Charvát Pdf

In the book titled Birth of the State, readers learn what researchers nowadays think about the rise and stabilization of the oldest statehood in the original civilization centres of the Old World - Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. The scholar takes them through essential economic, political and spiritual changes caused in those societies by the rise and stabilization of the first states. The overviews are completed with a comprehensive view of the entire theme, attempting to provide a balanced view of the rise of the oldest states not only as a question of economy, politics or power, but also as exceeding the basic threshold in the spiritual sphere. The book allows the very founders and cultivators of the oldest state units to speak: in the moments when their work seemed to be on the verge of total collapse, they spoke to their contemporaries urging them to defend the ideals that formed the basis of their civilizations. The book is intended for university students as well as others interested in the rise and development of the oldest states of the humankind.