Demons in Early Judaism and Christianity : Characters and Characteristics /
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This volume sheds light on how Jews and Christians in Antiquity understood the nature and characteristics of demons. The contributions cover a wide range of corpora and explore aspects of continuity and change as ideas flowed between groups and cultures.
For Jews and Christians in Antiquity beliefs about demons were integral to their reflections on fundamental theological questions, but what kind of 'being' did they consider demons to be? To what extent were they thought to be embodied? Were demons thought of as physical entities or merely as metaphors for social and psychological realities? What is the relation between demons and the hypostatization of abstract concepts (fear, impurity, etc) and baleful phenomenon such as disease? These are some of the questions that this volume addresses by focussing on the nature and characteristics of demons - what one might call 'demonic ontology'.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004518148
9789004517141
The Septuagint South of Alexandria : Essays on the Greek Translations and Other Ancient Versions by the Association for the Study of the Septuagint in South Africa (LXXSA) /
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This volume presents original research on the historical context, narrative and wisdom books, anthropology, theology, language, and reception of the Septuagint, as well as comparisons of the Greek translations with other ancient versions and texts.
This volume tackles topics relevant to the study of the Septuagint and related fields of research, such as the historical context of the Greek translations and texts, their anthropology, theology, language, and reception, as well as the comparison of the Septuagint with other ancient translations and texts of its intellectual environment. The authors make contributions to the study of the texts themselves, their themes, and theories in modern research on the ancient artefacts.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004521384
9789004521377
Sonnengrüße: Die sumerischen Kiutu-Gebetsbeschwörungen /
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Dieses Buch ist eine umfassende Diskussion der mesopotamischen Kiutu-Gebetsbeschwörungen, das viele bisher nicht übersetzte Texte enthält und zum ersten Mal die literarische Typologie genau definiert und den rituellen Kontext beschreibt, in dem sie verwendet wurde.This book is a comprehensive discussion of the Mesopotamian Kiutu incantation-prayers, containing many previously untranslated texts as well as for the first time precisely defining the literary typology and describing the ritual context in which it was used.
Was sind die Kiutu-Gebetsbeschwörungen? Was sind ihre besonderen Merkmale im Vergleich zu anderen Arten von Gebetsbeschwörungen? Unter Verwendung vieler bisher unveröffentlichter Texte bietet dieses Buch die erste vollständige philologische Edition eines Korpus der sumerischen Literatur, der in der Wissenschaft oft unterrepräsentiert ist. Das Buch untersucht diese speziell an den Sonnengott gerichtete Texttypologie und ordnet sie in die breitere Geschichte der mesopotamischen Literatur und Religion ein. Einzigartig ist, dass diese Typologie von Gebetsbeschwörungen die Bewegung der Sonne am Himmel mit der Tageszeit verbindet, zu der sie vorgetragen wurde, was uns einen seltenen Einblick in die praktische Realität der mesopotamischen religiösen Praxis gewährt. What are the Kiutu incantation-prayers? What are their distinctive features in comparison to other types of incantation-prayers? Making use of many previously unpublished texts, this book offers the first complete philological edition of a corpus of Sumerian literature often underrepresented in scholarship. The book examines this textual typology specifically addressed to the Sun god finding its place within the broader history of Mesopotamian literature and religion. Uniquely, this typology of incantation-prayers connects the movement of the sun in the sky to the time of day when it was performed, giving us a rare glimpse into the practical realities of Mesopotamian religious practice.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004503724
9789004503717
Isis on the Nile : Egyptian gods in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt : proceedings of the IVth International Conference of Isis Studies, Liège, November 27-29, 2008 : Michel Malaise in...
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The diffusion of the cults of Isis is recently again intensively studied. Research on this fascinating phenomenon has traditionally been characterised by its focus on L'Égypte hors d'Égypte, while developments in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt itself were often seen as belonging to a different domain. This volume tries to overcome that unhealthy dichotomy by studying the cults of Isis in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt itself in relation to developments in the Mediterranean at large. The book not only presents an overview of the most important deities, often based on new or unpublished material, but also pays ample attention to the cultural processes behind Isis on Nile, like relations between style and identity, religious choice, social- and cultural memory and Egypt's view of its own past.
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1 online resource (xxviii, 293 pages, [68] pages of plates) : illustrations (1 color) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. xi-xiv) and index. :
9789004210868 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Coping with the gods : wayward readings in Greek theology /
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Inspired by a critical reconsideration of current monolithic approaches to the study of Greek religion, this book argues that ancient Greeks displayed a disquieting capacity to validate two (or more) dissonant, if not contradictory, representations of the divine world in a complementary rather than mutually exclusive manner. From this perspective the six chapters explore problems inherent in: order vs. variety/chaos in polytheism, arbitrariness vs. justice in theodicy, the peaceful co-existence of mono- and polytheistic theologies, human traits in divine imagery, divine omnipotence vs. limitation of power, and ruler cult. Based on an intimate knowledge of ancient realia and literary testimonia the book stands out for its extensive application of relevant perceptions drawn from cultural anthropology, theology, cognitive science, psychology, and linguistics.
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1 online resource (xiii, 593 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 561-576) and indexes. :
9789004210905 :
0927-7633 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Nvmina magna : Roma e il culto dei Grandi dei di Samotracia /
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Underlines the main aspects of the cult of the Great Gods of Samothrace in light of the influences of Roman cultural and mythological substratum.
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Previously issued in print: 2019. :
1 online resource (x, 142 pages) : illustrations (black and white, and colour). :
Specialized. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9781789690927 (ebook) :
Tutankhamun knew the names of the two great gods : d̲t and nḥḥ as fundamental concepts of pharaonic ideology /
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'Tutankhamun Knew the Names of the Two Great Gods' offers a new interpretation of the terms Dt and nHH as fundamental concepts of Pharaonic ideology, terms that, until now, have often been treated as synonyms reflecting notions related to the vastness of time.
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Also issued in print: 2022. :
1 online resource (ix, 181 pages) : illustrations (black and white, and colour). :
Specialized. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9781789699869 (PDF ebook) : :
Open access.
Inventaire bibliographique des Isiaca (IBIS).
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This fourth volume of IBIS completes the first series of this analytical bibliography of publications concerning the spread of cults of Isis published between 1940 and 1969 (nos. 1167 to 1752). Authors have sometimes been driven to look beyond the limits of the Greco-Roman world and the field of the Isiac cults stricto sensu . Such is the case with Egyptian or Egyptisizing documents carried by Greek or Phonecian-Punic commerce towards the distant western coasts of the Mediterranean basin. The Egyptophile tradition in our European culture seems to have taken its place here too. Each of the literature reviews given here is accompanied by very precise bibliographical references for the publications concerned, as well as a detailed analysis of the contents of the publication and its contribution to the general themes of research. The authors have aimed to provide the most complete and practical research tool possible. Furthermore, a number of cross-references and additional bibliographical information have been provided in the notes. A detailed index of more than 150 pages allows not only a rapid consultation of the work, but also fairly direct access to complete bibliographies on the cults of Isis, the Aegyptiaca and Egyptian influences in the Greco-Roman world. Avec ce 4e volume d' IBIS se termine la première série de cette bibliographie analytique des publications relatives à la diffusion des cultes isiaques parues entre 1940 et 1969 (nos. 1167 à 1752). Les auteurs ont été parfois entrâinés à dépasser les limites du monde gréco-romain et le domaine des cultes isiaques stricto sensu . Tel est le cas pour les documents égyptiens ou égyptisants véhiculés par le commerce grec ou phénico-punique jusque vers les côtes lointaines de l'Ouest du bassin méditerranéen. La tradition de l'égyptophilie dans notre culture européenne a semblé également devoir prendre ici sa place. Pour chacune des 585 notices sont données les références bibliographiques très précises de la publication concernée, ainsi qu'une analyse détaillée du contenu de la publication et de son apport à nos thèmes de recherches. L'objectif des auteurs a été de fournir un instrument de travail le plus complet et le plus pratique possible. Aussi, de nombreux renvois et compléments bibliographiques ont-ils été fournis pour la plupart des notices. Un index minutieux de plus de 150 pages permet non seulement une consultation rapide de l'ouvrage, mais encore la constitution en quelque sorte immédiate de bibliographies complètes sur les cultes isiaques, les Aegyptiaca et les influences égyptiennes dans le monde gréco-romain. Destiné aux spécialistes des cultes orientaux, l' IBIS sera utile également à tous ceux qui travaillent sur l'Antiquité classique.
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Includes index. :
1 online resource (ix, 374 pages) :
9789004296237 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Romanising oriental Gods : myth, salvation, and ethics in the cults of Cybele, Isis, and Mithras /
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The traditional grand narrative correlating the decline of Graeco-Roman religion with the rise of Christianity has been under pressure for three decades. This book argues that the alternative accounts now emerging significantly underestimate the role of three major cults, of Cybele and Attis, Isis and Serapis, and Mithras. Although their differences are plain, these cults present sufficient common features to justify their being taken typologically as a group. All were selective adaptations of much older cults of the Fertile Crescent. It was their relative sophistication, their combination of the imaginative power of unfamiliar myth with distinctive ritual performance and ethical seriousness, that enabled them both to focus and to articulate a sense of the autonomy of religion from the socio-political order, a sense they shared with Early Christianity. The notion of 'mystery' was central to their ability to navigate the Weberian shift from ritualist to ethical salvation.
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1 online resource (xx, 486 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 423-444) and indexes. :
9789047441847 :
0927-7633 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Hellenic religion and Christianization. c. 370-529 /
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This work discusses the decline of Greek religion and the christianization of town and countryside in the eastern Roman Empire between the death of Julian the Apostate and the laws of Justinian the Great against paganism, c. 370-529. It examines such questions as the effect of the laws against sacrifice and sorcery, temple conversions, the degradation of pagan gods into daimones , the christianization of rite, and the social, political and economic background of conversion to Christianity. Several local contexts are examined in great detail: Gaza, Athens, Alexandria, Aphrodisias, central Asia Minor, northern Syria, the Nile basin, and the province of Arabia. It lays particular emphasis on the criticism of epigraphy, legal evidence, and hagiographic texts, and traces the demographic growth of Christianity and the chronology of this process in select local contexts. It also seeks to understand the behavioral patterns of conversion.
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1 online resource (xvi, 344 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004276772 :
0927-7633 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The supreme gods of the Bosporan Kingdom : Celestial Aphrodite and the Most High God /
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This is the first systematic study of the cults of the Bosporan Kingdom, which existed in South Russia in the first centuries AD. The research is based on a variety of sources: archaeological evidence and inscriptions, largely unknown to the non-Russian readers, as well as historical and literary texts. The religion of the Bosporus is viewed in this monograph as a blend of Greek and indigenous Iranian traditions. Its first part is dedicated to the cult of Celestial Aphrodite. The second part examines the controversial cult of the Most High God and its alledged Jewish affinities. The book, illustrated with thirty figures, is an important contribution to the understanding of the religious life in Greek colonies, and the history of Eastern Mediterranean in Late Antiquity.
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1 online resource (x, 371 pages) : illustrations, maps. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 293-321) and index. :
9789004295902 :
0927-7633 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Mixed Messages: Using the Bible and Qur'ān in Swahili Tracts /
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The present volume sets Swahili religious tracts available in Kenya and Tanzania in their context. The book starts with an overview of tracts in Swahili from the 19th century to the present day, an examination of Swahili as a religious language, and an introduction to Swahili versions of the Bible and Qurʾān. Chesworth then introduces the range of tracts currently available, examining eight in detail. In particular he considers how they present scripture in order to promote their own faith, Islam or Christianity, whilst denigrating the 'other'. Finally, the volume discusses the impact from modern media on these tracts.
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The present volume sets Swahili religious tracts found in Kenya and Tanzania in their context. It examines how they present scripture in order to promote Islam or Christianity whilst denigrating the 'other'. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004519664
9789004519039
Diana Umbronensis a Scoglietto : santuario, territorio e cultura material (200a.C.-550d.C.) /
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This volume details the archaeological investigations of the ager Rusellanus, in coastal southern Etruria, undertaken by the Alberese Archaeological Project. It focuses on the Roman temple and sanctuary dedicated to Diana Umbronensis, located at Scoglietto (Alberese - GR) on the ancient Tyrrhenian coast.
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1 online resource : illustrations (black and white). :
Specialized. :
9781784910532 (PDF ebook) :
La implantación del culto imperial de la provincia en Hispania /
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This study shows how the Imperial Cult was introducted and organised in provincial Hispania. The book also examines the collaboration with the Romanised native elites who came from Lusitania, Baetica, and Hispania Citerior.
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Also issued in print: 2015. :
1 online resource (ix, 150 pages) : illustrations (black and white). :
Specialized. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9781784911775 (PDF ebook) :
Popular religion and ritual in prehistoric and ancient Greece and the eastern Mediterranean /
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This volume features a group of select peer-reviewed papers by an international group of authors, both younger and senior academics and researchers, on the frequently neglected popular cult and other ritual practices in prehistoric and ancient Greece and the eastern Mediterranean.
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Previously issued in print: 2018. :
1 online resource (x, 170 pages) : illustrations (black and white, and colour). :
Specialized. :
9781789690460 (ebook) :
Maritime-related cults in the coastal cities of Philistia during the Roman period : legacy and change /
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This title questions the origins and the traditions of the cultic rites practised during Roman times along the southern shores of the Land of Israel. This area was known since biblical times as 'Peleshet' (Philistia), after the name of one of the Sea Peoples that had settled there at the beginning of the Iron Age. Philistia's important cities Jaffa, Ashkelon, Gaza and Rafiah were culturally and religiously integrated into the Graeco-Roman world. At the same time, each city developed its own original and unique group of myths and cults that had their roots in earlier periods. Their emergence and formation were influenced by environmental conditions as well as by ethno-social structures and political circumstances. Philistia's port cities served as crossroads for the routes connecting the main centres of culture and commerce in ancient times.
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Also issued in print: 2019. :
1 online resource (ii, 212 pages) : illustrations (black and white, and colour). :
Specialized. :
Includes bibliographical references. :
9781789692570 (PDF ebook) :
Environment and religion in ancient and coptic Egypt : sensing the cosmos through the eyes of the divine : proceedings of the 1st Egyptological Conference of the Hellenic Institute...
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The proceedings of a conference held in Athens in 2017, this volume presents 34 fresh and original papers (plus 2 abstracts) on ancient Egyptian religion, environment and the cosmos. Papers connect many interdisciplinary approaches including Egyptology, archaeology, archaeoastronomy, geography, botany, zoology, ornithology, theology, and history.
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Also issued in print: 2020.
Conference proceedings. :
1 online resource (xliv, 536 pages) : illustrations (black and white, and colour), maps (colour). :
Specialized. :
Includes bibliographical references. :
9781789696400 (PDF ebook) :
Religious practice and cultural construction of animal worship in Egypt from the Early Dynastic to the New Kingdom : ritual forms, material display, historical development /
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This study presents an articulated historical interpretation of Egyptian 'animal worship' from the Early Dynastic to the New Kingdom, and offers a new understanding of its chronological development through a fresh review of pertinent archaeological and textual data.
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Also issued in print: 2021. :
1 online resource (242 pages) : illustrations (black and white, and colour). :
Specialized. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9781789698220 (PDF ebook) :
Hellenic religion and Christianization, c. 370-529 /
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This work discusses the decline of Greek religion and the christianization of town and countryside in the eastern Roman Empire between the death of Julian the Apostate and the laws of Justinian the Great against paganism, c. 370-529. It examines such questions as the effect of the laws against sacrifice and sorcery, temple conversions, the degradation of pagan gods into daimones , the christianization of rite, and the social, political and economic background of conversion to Christianity. Several local contexts are examined in great detail: Gaza, Athens, Alexandria, Aphrodisias, central Asia Minor, northern Syria, the Nile basin, and the province of Arabia. It lays particular emphasis on the criticism of epigraphy, legal evidence, and hagiographic texts, and traces the demographic growth of Christianity and the chronology of this process in select local contexts. It also seeks to understand the behavioral patterns of conversion.
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1 online resource (xv, 430 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 387-402) and index. :
9789004276789 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.