Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide

Book

Religions of the Ancient World

A Guide

Edited by: Sarah Iles Johnston

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2004

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This book is in the series

Harvard University Press Reference Library

About this book

Religious beliefs and practices, which permeated all aspects of life in antiquity, traveled well-worn routes throughout the Mediterranean. New gods encountered by travelers abroad were sometimes taken home to be adapted and adopted. This first basic reference work on the topic offers an expansive, comparative perspective.

Reviews

Comparative study of ancient cultures--especially ancient religious conceptions--has evolved in recent decades, and this volume meets an important desideratum in light of scholarly advances... 'Key Topics' is the most distinctive feature of the book, and one that will make this reference tool valuable for many years to come, especially when used together with the first two parts for comparative purposes...This volume contains a wealth of information.
-- Bill T. Arnold Review of Biblical Literature

Every once in a long while, a reference work comes along that is certain from the outset to become a well-used standard. Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide is such a work, which is unsurprising given that approximately one hundred forty top scholars contributed to the articles inside. Not quite an encyclopedia, not quite a collection of essays, this unique volume is the first comprehensive and comparative reference guide to a wide array of topics in ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern religions.
-- Frances Flannery Journal of the American Oriental Society

Topics

Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies Classical Studies Ancient Science and Medicine

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Frontmatter
i

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Contents
v

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Introduction
ix
Sarah Iles Johnston

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Note on Translation and Transliteration
xv

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Abbreviations
xvii

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Maps
xviii

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Encountering Ancient Religions
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What Is Ancient Mediterranean Religion?
1
Fritz Graf

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Monotheism and Polytheism
17
Jan Assmann

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Ritual
32
Jan Bremmer

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Myth
45
Fritz Graf

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Cosmology: Time and History
59
John J Collins

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Pollution, Sin, Atonement, Salvation
71
Harold W. Attridge

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Law and Ethics
84
Eckart Otto

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Mysteries
98
Sarah Iles Johnston

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Religions in Contact
112
John Scheid

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Writing and Religion
127
Mary Beard

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Magic
139
Sarah Iles Johnston

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Histories
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Egypt
153
Jan Assmann and David Frankfurter

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Mesopotamia
165
Paul-Alain Beaulieu

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Syria and Canaan
173
David P. Wright

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Israel
181
John J. Collins

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Anatolia: Hittites
189
David P Wright

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Iran
197
William Malandra and Michael Stausberg

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Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations
206
Nanno Marinatos

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Greece
210
Jon Mikalson

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Etruria
220
Olivier de Cazanove

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Rome
225
John North

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Early Christianity
233
Harold Attridge

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Key Topics
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Sacred Times and Spaces
241

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Religious Personnel
288

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Religious Organizations and Bodies
311

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Sacrifice, Offerings, and Votives
325

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Prayers, Hymns, Incantations, and Curses
349

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Divination and Prophecy
370

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Deities and Demons
392

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Religious Practices of the Individual and Family
423

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Rites of Passage
438

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Illnesses and Other Crises
452

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Death, the Afterlife, and Other Last Things
470

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Sin, Pollution, and Purity
496

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Ethics and Law Codes
514

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Theology, Theodicy, Philosophy
531

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Religion and Politics
547

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Controlling Religion
564

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Myth and Sacred Narratives
578

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Visual Representations
598

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Sacred Texts and Canonicity
622

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Esotericism and Mysticism
640

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Epilogue
657
Bruce Lincoln

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Illustrations
669

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Acknowledgments
671

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Contributors
673

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Index
677

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Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

November 30, 2004

eBook ISBN:

9780674264823

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

736

https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674264823

eBook ISBN: 9780674264823

Audience(s) for this book

General/trade;

Religions of the Ancient World

Overview

About this book

Reviews

Topics

Table of contents

Frontmatter

Contents

Introduction

Note on Translation and Transliteration

Abbreviations

Maps

What Is Ancient Mediterranean Religion?

Monotheism and Polytheism

Ritual

Myth

Cosmology: Time and History

Pollution, Sin, Atonement, Salvation

Law and Ethics

Mysteries

Religions in Contact

Writing and Religion

Magic

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria and Canaan

Israel

Anatolia: Hittites

Iran

Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations

Greece

Etruria

Rome

Early Christianity

Sacred Times and Spaces

Religious Personnel

Religious Organizations and Bodies

Sacrifice, Offerings, and Votives

Prayers, Hymns, Incantations, and Curses

Divination and Prophecy

Deities and Demons

Religious Practices of the Individual and Family

Rites of Passage

Illnesses and Other Crises

Death, the Afterlife, and Other Last Things

Sin, Pollution, and Purity

Ethics and Law Codes

Theology, Theodicy, Philosophy

Religion and Politics

Controlling Religion

Myth and Sacred Narratives

Visual Representations

Sacred Texts and Canonicity

Esotericism and Mysticism

Epilogue

Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Contributors

Index

Bibliographic data