An Examination of Libation Practices in the Levant Amy M
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Ancient Religions: Public Worship of the Greeks and Romans by E.M
Ancient Religions: Public worship of the Greeks and Romans By E.M. Berens, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.07.16 Word Count 1,250 Level 1190L TOP: The temple and oracle of Apollo, called the Didymaion in Didyma, an ancient Greek sanctuary on the coast of Ionia (now Turkey), Wikimedia Commons. MIDDLE: The copper statue of Zeus of Artemision in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece. BOTTOM: Engraving shows the Oracle of Delphi, bathed in shaft of light atop a pedestal and surrounded by cloaked figures, Delphi, Greece. Getty Images. Temples Long ago, the Greeks had no shrines or sanctuaries for public worship. They performed their devotions beneath the vast and boundless canopy of heaven, in the great temple of nature itself. Believing that their gods lived above in the clouds, worshippers naturally searched for the highest available points to place themselves in the closest communion possible with their gods. Therefore, the summits of high mountains were selected for devotional purposes. The inconvenience of worshipping outdoors gradually suggested the idea of building temples that would offer shelter from bad weather. These first temples were of the most simple form, without decoration. As the Greeks became a wealthy and powerful people, temples were built and adorned with great splendor and magnificence. So massively were they constructed that some of them have withstood the ravages of This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. time. The city of Athens especially contains numerous remains of these buildings of antiquity. These ruins are most valuable since they are sufficiently complete to enable archaeologists to study the plan and character of the original structures. -
Liquids in Temple Ritual
UCLA UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology Title Liquids in Temple Ritual Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7gh1n151 Journal UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, 1(1) Author Poo, Mu-Chou Publication Date 2010-09-25 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California LIQUIDS IN TEMPLE RITUAL السوائل بطقوس المعابد Mu-chou Poo EDITORS WILLEKE WENDRICH Editor-in-Chief Area Editor Material Culture University of California, Los Angeles JACCO DIELEMAN Editor University of California, Los Angeles ELIZABETH FROOD Editor University of Oxford JOHN BAINES Senior Editorial Consultant University of Oxford Short Citation: Poo 2010, Liquids in Temple Ritual. UEE. Full Citation: Poo, Mu-chou, 2010, Liquids in Temple Ritual. In Willeke Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, Los Angeles. http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0025dxbr 1088 Version 1, September 2010 http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0025dxbr LIQUIDS IN TEMPLE RITUAL السوائل بطقوس المعابد Mu-chou Poo Flüssigkeiten im Tempelritual Les liquides utilisés dans les rituels du temple In ancient Egypt the liquids most commonly used in temple rituals included wine, beer, milk, and water. The meaning of the ritual act was intimately related to the nature of the liquid employed, as well as to whatever religious and mythological associations the liquid was known to possess. With the exception of beer, all the ritual offerings of liquids were connected in some way with the idea of rejuvenation. كانت أكثر السوائل المستخدمة بالطقوس بالمعابد ھي النبيذ والجعة والحليب والماء، فكان مغزى الطقسه مرتبط بطبيعة السائل المستخدم وأيضاً متعلق باﻹرتباطات الدينية واﻷسطورية المعروفة عن ھذا السائل. -
Arsu and ‘Azizu a Study of the West Semitic "Dioscuri" and the Cods of Dawn and Dusk by Finn Ove Hvidberg-Hansen
’Arsu and ‘Azizu A Study of the West Semitic "Dioscuri" and the Cods of Dawn and Dusk By Finn Ove Hvidberg-Hansen Historiske-filosofiske Meddelelser 97 Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters DET KONGELIGE DANSKE VIDENSKABERNES SELSKAB udgiver følgende publikationsrækker: THE ROYAL DANISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND LETTERS issues the following series of publications: Authorized Abbreviations Historisk-filosofiske Meddelelser, 8° Hist.Fil.Medd.Dan.Vid.Selsk. (printed area 1 75 x 104 mm, 2700 units) Historisk-filosofiske Skrifter, 4° Hist.Filos.Skr.Dan.Vid.Selsk. (History, Philosophy, Philology, (printed area 2 columns, Archaeology, Art History) each 199 x 77 mm, 2100 units) Matematisk-fysiske Meddelelser, 8° Mat.Fys.Medd.Dan.Vid.Selsk. (Mathematics, Physics, (printed area 180 x 126 mm, 3360 units) Chemistry, Astronomy, Geology) Biologiske Skrifter, 4° Biol.Skr. Dan. Vid.Selsk. (Botany, Zoology, Palaeontology, (printed area 2 columns, General Biology) each 199 x 77 mm, 2100 units) Oversigt, Annual Report, 8° Overs. Dan.Vid.Selsk. General guidelines The Academy invites original papers that contribute significantly to research carried on in Denmark. Foreign contributions are accepted from temporary residents in Den mark, participants in a joint project involving Danish researchers, or those in discussion with Danish contributors. Instructions to authors Manuscripts from contributors who are not members of the Academy will be refereed by two members of the Academy. Authors of papers accepted for publication will re ceive galley proofs and page proofs; these should be returned promptly to the editor. Corrections other than of printer's errors will be charged to the author(s) insofar as the costs exceed 15% of the cost of typesetting. -
Between the Cults of Syria and Arabia: Traces of Pagan Religion at Umm Al-Jimål
!"#$%&"%'#(")*%+!"$,""-%$."%/01$)%23%45#(6%6-&%7#68(69%:#6;")%23%<6=6-%>"1(=(2-%6$% % ?@@%61AB(@61*C%!"#$%&'(%)("*&(+%'",-.(/)$(0-1*/&,2,3.(,4(5,-$/)(6D%7@@6-9% % E"F6#$@"-$%23%7-$(G0($(")%23%B2#&6-%HIJJKL9%MNNAMKMD% Bert de Vries Bert de Vries Department of History Calvin College Grand Rapids, MI 49546 U.S.A. Between the Cults of Syria and Arabia: Traces of Pagan Religion at Umm al-Jimål Introduction Such a human construction of religion as a so- Umm al-Jimål ’s location in the southern Hauran cial mechanism to achieve security does not pre- puts it at the intersection of the cultures of Arabia to clude the possibility that a religion may be based the south and Syria to the north. While its political on theological eternal verities (Berger 1969: 180- geography places it in the Nabataean and Roman 181). However, it does open up the possibility of an realms of Arabia, its cultural geography locates it archaeology of religion that transcends the custom- in the Hauran, linked to the northern Hauran. Seen ary descriptions of cult centers and cataloguing of on a more economic cultural axis, Umm al-Jimål altars, statues, implements and decorative elements. is between Syria as Bilåd ash-Shåm, the region of That is, it presupposes the possibility of a larger agricultural communities, and the Badiya, the re- interpretive context for these “traces” of religion gion of pastoral nomad encampments. Life of soci- using the methodology of cognitive archaeology. ety on these intersecting axes brought a rich variety The term “traces” is meant in the technical sense of economic, political and religious cross-currents of Assmann’s theory of memory (2002: 6-11). -
The Lesser Mysteries of Eleusis Stefanie Goodart, M.A., S.R.C
The Lesser Mysteries of Eleusis Stefanie Goodart, M.A., S.R.C he town of Eleusis, twelve miles from Haides as an uninitiate and non-participant Athens, was home to the famous in the initiation rites will lie in mud, but he TEleusinian Mysteries. People would or she who has been both purified and has come from all parts of Greece to be initiated into participated in the initiation rites, upon this cult of “The Two Goddesses,” Demeter and arrival there, will dwell with the gods.”4 Persephone. The Mysteries consisted of two parts, Scholars have reason to believe that prior the Lesser Mysteries, which were conducted in to the fifth century BCE, these purification the spring (Athenian month of Anthesterion), rituals took place in the courtyard of the and the Greater Mysteries, which took place in Eleusinian Telesterion.5 However, there were the autumn (Athenian month of Boedromion). also very similar purification rituals that were The Lesser Mysteries can best be taking place in Athens, near the Ilissos River. characterized as a preliminary purification Around the middle of the fifth century, the that a candidate must undergo before sacred officials from Eleusis decided that taking part in the Greater Mysteries.1 Even the Athenian purifications could serve as Socrates comments that one is not permitted the necessary prerequisite to the Greater 6 to be initiated into the Greater Mysteries Mysteries. Thus, a new tradition began, without having first been initiated into the in which candidates underwent the initial 7 Lesser.2 Plutarch wrote that “in mystery purifications in Athens in the spring. -
The Higher Aspects of Greek Religion. Lectures Delivered at Oxford and In
BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIET OF Henirg m. Sage 1891 .A^^^ffM3. islm^lix.. 5931 CornelJ University Library BL 25.H621911 The higher aspects of Greek religion.Lec 3 1924 007 845 450 The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924007845450 THE HIBBERT LECTURES SECOND SERIES 1911 THE HIBBERT LECTURES SECOND SERIES THE HIGHER ASPECTS OF GREEK RELIGION LECTURES DELIVERED AT OXFORD AND IN LONDON IN APRIL AND MAY igii BY L. R. FARNELL, D.Litt. WILDE LECTURER IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD LONDON WILLIAMS AND NORGATE GARDEN, W.C. 14 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT 1912 CONTENTS Lecture I GENERAL FEATURES AND ORIGINS OF GREEK RELIGION Greek religion mainly a social-political system, 1. In its earliest " period a " theistic creed, that is^ a worship of personal individual deities, ethical personalities rather than mere nature forces, 2. Anthrqgomorphism its predominant bias, 2-3. Yet preserving many primitive features of " animism " or " animatism," 3-5. Its progress gradual without violent break with its distant past, 5-6. The ele- ment of magic fused with the religion but not predominant, 6-7. Hellenism and Hellenic religion a blend of two ethnic strains, one North-Aryan, the other Mediterranean, mainly Minoan-Mycenaean, 7-9. Criteria by which we can distinguish the various influences of these two, 9-1 6. The value of Homeric evidence, 18-20. Sum- mary of results, 21-24. Lecture II THE RELIGIOUS BOND AND MORALITY OF THE FAMILY The earliest type of family in Hellenic society patrilinear, 25-27. -
The Palmyrene Prosopography
THE PALMYRENE PROSOPOGRAPHY by Palmira Piersimoni University College London Thesis submitted for the Higher Degree of Doctor of Philosophy London 1995 C II. TRIBES, CLANS AND FAMILIES (i. t. II. TRIBES, CLANS AND FAMILIES The problem of the social structure at Palmyra has already been met by many authors who have focused their interest mainly to the study of the tribal organisation'. In dealing with this subject, it comes natural to attempt a distinction amongst the so-called tribes or family groups, for they are so well and widely attested. On the other hand, as shall be seen, it is not easy to define exactly what a tribe or a clan meant in terms of structure and size and which are the limits to take into account in trying to distinguish them. At the heart of Palmyrene social organisation we find not only individuals or families but tribes or groups of families, in any case groups linked by a common (true or presumed) ancestry. The Palmyrene language expresses the main gentilic grouping with phd2, for which the Greek corresponding word is ØuAi in the bilingual texts. The most common Palmyrene formula is: dynwpbd biiyx... 'who is from the tribe of', where sometimes the word phd is omitted. Usually, the term bny introduces the name of a tribe that either refers to a common ancestor or represents a guild as the Ben Komarê, lit. 'the Sons of the priest' and the Benê Zimrâ, 'the sons of the cantors' 3 , according to a well-established Semitic tradition of attaching the guilds' names to an ancestor, so that we have the corporations of pastoral nomads, musicians, smiths, etc. -
Paganism and Idolatry in Near Eastern Christianity
Durham E-Theses 'The Gods of the Nations are Idols' (Ps. 96:5): Paganism and Idolatry in Near Eastern Christianity NICHOLS, SEBASTIAN,TOBY How to cite: NICHOLS, SEBASTIAN,TOBY (2014) 'The Gods of the Nations are Idols' (Ps. 96:5): Paganism and Idolatry in Near Eastern Christianity, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10616/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Sebastian Toby Nichols ‘The Gods of the Nations are Idols’ (Ps. 96:5): Paganism and Idolatry in Near Eastern Christianity This thesis will explore the presentation in Christian literature of gentile religious life in the Roman Near East in the first few centuries AD. It will do so by performing a close study of three sources – the Syriac Oration of Meliton the Philosopher, the Syriac translation of the Apology of Aristides, and the Greek Address to the Greeks of Tatian. -
The Eleusinian Mysteries
© 2004 Frater E.V. - SRC&SSA Splendor Solis - No. II - 6 i & - 2004 A.D. The Eleusinian Mysteries his paper is no more than a write-up seriously interested to work out what the of notes I made for a group discussion Eleusinian myths and initiations are trying to Tof the Eleusinian Mysteries. Firstly I convey. give the myth around which the mysteries were based. I think I have told the basic story with From the foregoing it will be gleaned that the accuracy, but there are complications and final section is tentative and speculative in na- additions I have left out. These additions ture, and, as such, open to doubt and revision. make no material difference to the overall tale, and are actually bits and pieces of other myths The Myth tacked onto the main story at various times in history. One day Persephone (Proserpine, Cora, Kore) was gathering flowers with a group of The second section gives a brief outline of companions, and all was well until Persephone the basic format of the Lesser and Greater started to pick a lovely bunch of Narcissi. Mysteries. This is to provide a context for my Pluto (Hades), God of the Underworld, discussion of the more important matters, at noticed her, thought her very beautiful and, least as far as Golden Dawn initiates are with the permission of Zeus, abducted, raped concerned, which are the mystic initiations and carried Persephone away to his Under- themselves. Most of what is known of the world abode of gloom. Eleusinian Mysteries are the places and details of the exoteric celebrations; the more inte- Demeter (Ceres), the mother of Persephone, resting parts of the mysteries were jealously rushed to assist her daughter, but arrived too guarded secrets that were not to be revealed late, not even able to catch a glimpse of her to the outside World, and so little detail is seducer. -
The Mystery of the Church
THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH IN THE THEOLOGY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Notre Dame in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by James Kang Hoon Lee ____________________________________ John C. Cavadini, Co-Director ____________________________________ Brian E. Daley, Co-Director Graduate Program in Theology Notre Dame, Indiana July 2012 © Copyright JAMES KANG HOON LEE 2012 All rights reserved THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH IN THE THEOLOGY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE Abstract by James Kang Hoon Lee This study seeks to recover the richness of Augustine’s ecclesiology by exploring the development of his thought on the Church as a great “mystery” and “sacrament” (magnum sacramentum). It contributes to the scholarship that documents the shift from his earlier, more Platonizing views to his mature Biblical and sacramental theology, particularly after his reading of Paul in the 390s. Chapter 1 examines the distinction between the Latin terms mysterium and sacramentum for the translation of the Biblical µυστήριον. Augustine inherits this distinction from predecessors such as Cyprian, Hilary, and Ambrose, and applies it to the Church in order to unite the “invisible” and “visible” aspects of the one mystery. For Augustine, the Church resists reduction to an “inner, invisible” reality, for her “outer, visible” condition in history is intrinsic to the mystery revealed by Scripture. James Kang Hoon Lee Chapters 2 and 3 trace the development of Augustine’s ecclesiology through his use of two key themes: 1) the body of Christ, and 2) the bride of Christ. Augustine’s early works, such as the Cassiciacum dialogues, reveal the influence of Neoplatonism upon his thought, with an emphasis on the ascent of the Soul that yields vision. -
Who Were the Daughters of Allah?
WHO WERE THE DAUGHTERS OF ALLAH? By DONNA RANDSALU B.A., University of British Columbia,1982. A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (RELIGIOUS STUDIES) We accept this thesis—as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA September 1988 © Donna Kristin Randsalu, 1988 V In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of £gLlfr/OU^ £TUO>eS> The University of British Columbia 1956 Main Mall Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Y3 Date Per- n} DE-6(3/81) ABSTRACT Who were the Daughters of Allah, the three Arabian goddesses mentioned in the Qur'an and venerated by the pagan Arabs prior to the rise of Islam, and who since have vanished into obscurity? Can we reconstruct information about these goddesses by reference to earlier goddesses of the Near East? It is our intention to explore this possibility through an examination of their predecessors in view of the links between the Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Peninsula. Moving back in time from the seventh century A.D. (Arabia) through the Hellenistic Period (Syro/Phoenicia 300 B.C.-A.D. -
Queen Arsinoë II, the Maritime Aphrodite and Early Ptolemaic Ruler Cult
ΑΡΣΙΝΟΗ ΕΥΠΛΟΙΑ Queen Arsinoë II, the Maritime Aphrodite and Early Ptolemaic Ruler Cult Carlos Francis Robinson Bachelor of Arts (Hons. 1) A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2019 Historical and Philosophical Inquiry Abstract Queen Arsinoë II, the Maritime Aphrodite and Early Ptolemaic Ruler Cult By the early Hellenistic period a trend was emerging in which royal women were deified as Aphrodite. In a unique innovation, Queen Arsinoë II of Egypt (c. 316 – 270 BC) was deified as the maritime Aphrodite, and was associated with the cult titles Euploia, Akraia, and Galenaië. It was the important study of Robert (1966) which identified that the poets Posidippus and Callimachus were honouring Arsinoë II as the maritime Aphrodite. This thesis examines how this new third-century BC cult of ‘Arsinoë Aphrodite’ adopted aspects of Greek cults of the maritime Aphrodite, creating a new derivative cult. The main historical sources for this cult are the epigrams of Posidippus and Callimachus, including a relatively new epigram (Posidippus AB 39) published in 2001. This thesis demonstrates that the new cult of Arsinoë Aphrodite utilised existing traditions, such as: Aphrodite’s role as patron of fleets, the practice of dedications to Aphrodite by admirals, the use of invocations before sailing, and the practice of marine dedications such as shells. In this way the Ptolemies incorporated existing religious traditions into a new form of ruler cult. This study is the first attempt to trace the direct relationship between Ptolemaic ruler cult and existing traditions of the maritime Aphrodite, and deepens our understanding of the strategies of ruler cult adopted in the early Hellenistic period.