The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East
Title | The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East PDF eBook |
Author | Stefan M. Maul |
Publisher | |
Pages | 0 |
Release | 2018 |
Genre | Divination |
ISBN | 9781481308595 |
The art of divination in the ancient Near East : reading the signs of heaven and earth by Stefan M. Maul (2018).
The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East
Title | The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East PDF eBook |
Author | Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Studies Stefan M Maul |
Publisher | |
Pages | 0 |
Release | 2024-07-15 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 9781481308601 |
You stars of Anu, I call on you! You stars of Enlil, turn to me! You stars of Ea, all of you together, gather around me! I have offered you a pure sacrifice, I have scattered pure incense to you, I have poured out pure beer for you. Eat what is pure, drink what is sweet! With these words, the Babylonians invoked the gods of the night as they prepared their sacrifices under a clear, starry sky. Discovering divine will was a part of everyday life for the people of the ancient Near East. Every state action and every military campaign was preceded by a king's meticulous ritual that petitioned the gods for a sure answer about the outcome of their endeavors. But royals were not alone in their quest. Wealthy merchants, simple craftsmen, poor widows--everyone wanted and needed certainty for future undertakings. Those who could afford it sacrificed a flawless sheep, whose liver was used by the diviner to determine the answer. Others sought guidance in oil and flour. The desire for certainty in the face of an unknown future unified all classes in the ancient world. Stefan M. Maul, a noted expert on ancient Near Eastern divination, offers an overview of this fascinating subject. Maul surveys the "art" of divination as it expanded from Sumerian roots to Babylonian mastery, cataloging its evolving methodology--from entrails to astrology--and the class of experts who performed it. He argues that the discernment of the will of the gods, though vital for political counsel, was far from a cynical ploy of the elite: at root this was a genuine attempt to unite Mesopotamian cultures under a common purpose. What seems to the post-Enlightenment world a mere superstition was, in its own way and to its own ends, a robust scholarly enterprise that lent these ancient peoples a sense of control over a world populated by fickle forces. These practices remind us that the desire to know the future is a part of what it means to be human, regardless of time or place.
Etruscology
Title | Etruscology PDF eBook |
Author | Alessandro Naso |
Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |
Pages | 2173 |
Release | 2017-09-25 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 1614519102 |
This handbook has two purposes: it is intended (1) as a handbook of Etruscology or Etruscan Studies, offering a state-of-the-art and comprehensive overview of the history of the discipline and its development, and (2) it serves as an authoritative reference work representing the current state of knowledge on Etruscan civilization. The organization of the volume reflects this dual purpose. The first part of the volume is dedicated to methodology and leading themes in current research, organized thematically, whereas the second part offers a diachronic account of Etruscan history, culture, religion, art & archaeology, and social and political relations and structures, as well as a systematic treatment of the topography of the Etruscan civilization and sphere of influence.
Divination in Ancient Israel and Its Near Eastern Environment
Title | Divination in Ancient Israel and Its Near Eastern Environment PDF eBook |
Author | Frederick H. Cryer |
Publisher | Burns & Oates |
Pages | 376 |
Release | 1994 |
Genre | History |
ISBN |
Divination, Politics, and Ancient Near Eastern Empires
Title | Divination, Politics, and Ancient Near Eastern Empires PDF eBook |
Author | Alan Lenzi |
Publisher | Society of Biblical Literature |
Pages | 0 |
Release | 2014-06-02 |
Genre | Religion |
ISBN | 9781589839977 |
Advance your understanding of divination’s role in supporting or undermining imperial aspirations in the ancient Near East This collection examines the ways that divinatory texts in the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East undermined and upheld the empires in which the texts were composed, edited, and read. Nine essays and an introduction engage biblical scholarship on the Prophets, Assyriology, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the critical study of Ancient Empires. Features: Interdisciplinary approaches include propaganda studies Essays examine how biblical and other ancient Near Eastern texts were shaped by political and theological empires Index of ancient sources
Magic and Divination in the Ancient World
Title | Magic and Divination in the Ancient World PDF eBook |
Author | Leda Ciraolo |
Publisher | BRILL |
Pages | 164 |
Release | 2021-10-01 |
Genre | Body, Mind & Spirit |
ISBN | 9004497366 |
This collection of essays focuses on divination across the Ancient World from early Mesopotamia to late antiquity. The authors deal with the forms, theory and poetics of this important and still poorly understood ancient phenomenon.
Neo-Assyrian and Greek Divination in War
Title | Neo-Assyrian and Greek Divination in War PDF eBook |
Author | Krzysztof Ulanowski |
Publisher | BRILL |
Pages | 588 |
Release | 2020-10-20 |
Genre | Body, Mind & Spirit |
ISBN | 9004429395 |
Neo-Assyrian and Greek Divination in War is about practices which enabled humans contact the divine. These relations, especially in difficult times of military conflict, could be crucial in deciding the fate of individuals, cities, dynasties or even empires.