Download or read book A Reassessment of Asherah written by Steve A. Wiggins and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Reassessment of Asherah written by Steve A. Wiggins and published by Gorgias PressLlc. This book was released on 2007 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most popular goddesses from the ancient world is Asherah. She appears everywhere from the Bible to novels and comic books. The facts about Asherah, however, are often overlooked. In this edition of Wiggins 1993 study of the goddess, the authors articles and book reviews concerning the goddess have been added to his original book. To date, this monograph contains the only full-length treatment of the Ugaritic material on Asherah in addition to a comprehensive examination of the textual sources from the Hebrew Bible, ancient Mesopotamia, Epigraphic South Arabian and Hittite sources, as well as the intriguing Hebrew inscriptions that perhaps mention the goddess. The original text of the monograph is supplemented by articles that update the ever-expanding bibliography on the goddess and that deal with iconographic representations and Asherahs supposed associations with trees, snakes, and lions. Gorgias Press is pleased to bring back into print this study on a timely subject.
Download or read book Holy Horror written by Steve A. Wiggins and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2018-12-03 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What, exactly, makes us afraid? Is it monsters, gore, the unknown? Perhaps it's a biblical sense of malice, lurking unnoticed in the corners of horror films. Holy Writ attempts to ward off aliens, ghosts, witches, psychopaths and demons, yet it often becomes a source of evil itself. Looking first at Psycho (1960) and continuing through 2017, this book analyzes the starring and supporting roles of the Good Book in horror films, monster movies and thrillers to discover why it incites such fear. In a culture with high biblical awareness and low biblical literacy, horrific portrayals can greatly influence an audience's canonical beliefs.
Download or read book Did God Have a Wife written by William G. Dever and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2008-07-23 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This richly illustrated, non-technical reconstruction of "folk religion" in ancient Israel is based largely on recent archaeological evidence, but also incorporates biblical texts where possible.
Download or read book In His Own Image and Likeness written by Randall Garr and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2003-06-01 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about nothing less than Genesis 1, or human creation. Humanity, the author convincingly argues, is created within the Priestly tradition as a replacement of God's divine community; human creation marks the decisive moment that P's God separates himself from other gods and institutes monotheism. After discussing the references of God's self-inclusive yet plural first person speech and examining the ramifications of this speech pattern in other biblical texts, Randall Garr discusses the divine-human relationship as it is represented by carefully analysing the prepositions and nouns that characterize it. After highlighting some themes and theological concepts elaborated in Gen 1, it clearly situates the creation of humanity within the programmatic agenda of the Priestly tradition.
Download or read book Weathering the Psalms written by Steve A. Wiggins and published by Cascade Books. This book was released on 2014-12-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The weather is all around us all the time. From ancient times people have attributed the weather to the work of the gods. Ancient Israel shared this perception. The book of Psalms reflects theologically significant views on the weather that have not, until now, been fully explored. In this meteorological survey of the Psalms, whimsically called ""meteorotheology,"" every reference to the weather is translated in accordance with the known climate and weather of ancient Israel. Each verse is discussed with particular attention to the function of the weather in the hymnal of ancient Israel. This book will be a resource for translators, clergy, and scholars with an interest in how the weather impacted religious outlooks in ancient Israel. Readers will learn that some expected associations, such as thunder and lightning, did not influence Israelite views on the natural world in the same way that they do today. Yahweh was God of the weather, and the Psalms frequently use this paradigm as a reason for both praise and fear of the Lord. ""Steve Wiggins explores the nuances and subtleties of weather-related terms by applying meteorologically correct terminology to weather-related references in the psalms. He aptly demonstrates a theological understanding of how the weather was perceived by the psalmists and used in their texts. This well-organized monograph will be useful to students of Hebrew Scripture and those who regularly use the psalms in worship."" --Joseph A. Kucharski, Professor of Church Music, Nashotah House Episcopal Seminary, Nashotah, WI ""This immensely readable volume discusses climate in an ancient context, recognizing that in a prescientific Israel, 'always, in some way, (the weather) is indicative of Yahweh's relationship with humanity.' Every possible instance of a meteorological allusion in the psalms is considered, and with his usual caution and fine analytical skills, Wiggins carefully distinguishes in this important contribution to psalms scholarship, between the certain, the probable, and the dubious, and shows how the cosmic battle ('Chaoskampf') often lurks suggestively in the background, emphasizing Yahweh's victorious power."" --Nick Wyatt, Professor Emeritus, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK ""Wiggins is a first-rate scholar and editor. In this long-awaited book, he offers an indispensable survey of weather imagery in the Psalter that covers everything from translation issues to palaeoclimatology to what he calls 'meteorotheology'--the theological understanding of the weather by the ancients. Throughout, Wiggins proves a central point: '[t]o understand the weather is somehow to glimpse the divine.' This is a treasure trove of a book (the bibliography alone is worth the price), underscoring the never-ending complexity of the Bible, and the countless ways it moves from its ancient contexts to the present-day scientific world. I will consult it often."" --Brent A. Strawn, Professor of Old Testament, Emory University, Atlanta, GA Steve A. Wiggins is an independent scholar, and former Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Nashotah House Seminary in Wisconsin. He is the author of A Reassessment of Asherah (1993 and 2007).
Download or read book The Troubles of Templeless Judah written by Jill Middlemas and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2005-10-13 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The time of the Babylonian captivity is of seminal importance for the formation of the Hebrew Bible as well as for the religious development of Judaism. Jill Middlemas challenges conventional notions surrounding this period, arguing that too much importance has been placed on the perspective of the Golah community.
Download or read book Introduction to World Religions written by Jacob Neusner and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With an emphaisis on communities of faith, this accessible book will introduce students to the classic texts, important events, key figures, defining rituals, essential creeds and symbols of world religions. Contents: Introduction by William Scott Green Judaism A. Judaism: Beginnings: Religion of Ancient Israel by Baruch A. Levine B. Judaism: The Formation by Jacob Neusner C. Judaism in Modern Times: Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative Judaism, Zionism by Jacob Neusner 2. Christianity A. Christianity: Beginnings by Bruce Chilton B. Christianity: Roman Catholicism by Lawrence S. Cunningham C. Orthodox Christianity by J. A. McGuckin D. Christianity: Protestantism by Martin E. Marty 3. Islam A. Islam: Beginnings by Th. Emil Homerin B. Islam: The Shiite Tradition by Liyakat Takim C. Islam: The Sunni Tradition by Th. Emil Homerin 4. Hinduism by Douglas Brooks 5. Buddhism A. Buddhism: Beginnings by Mario Poceski B. Buddhism: The Theravada Tradition by Kristen Scheible C. Buddhism: The Mahayana Tradition by Mark L. Blum 6. Daoism by Mark Meulenbled 7. Confucianism by Mark A. Csikszentmihalyi 8. Shinto by James L. Ford 9. Indigenous Religions A. Indigenous Religious Tradition by Jualynne E. Dodson and Soyna Maria Johnson B. African Indigenous Religions by Jacob Olupona 10. New 19th Century American Religions by Danny L. Jorgensen 11. New 20th Century American Religions by Dell deChant
Download or read book In the Wake of the Goddesses written by Tikva Simone Frymer-Kensky and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring the rich and powerful symbols of religion and culture that have shaped Western thought, In the Wake of the Goddesses shows how conceptions of gender and sexualtiy developed and changed from the goddesses of ancient Mesopotamian civilizations to the one God of Biblical monotheism. 8-page insert.
Download or read book Fishers of Fish and Fishers of Men written by Tyler R. Yoder and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2016-08-25 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The metaphor is a hallmark of Classical Hebrew poetry. Some metaphors, such as “Yhwh is king” or “Yhwh is warrior,” play a foundational role. The same does not hold for metaphors from the fishing industry. Because they had access to only two major freshwater sources, archaeological research demonstrates that this industry did not play a major socioeconomic role in ancient Israel. Fishing has nevertheless made a substantial contribution to prophetic and wisdom literature. All metaphors manifest reality, but given the physical circumstances of a largely agrarian, nonmarine society, what does the sustained presentation of fishing metaphors in the Hebrew Bible communicate? Examining the use of fishing images in the Hebrew Bible is a formidable task that demands an open mind and a capacity to mine the gamut of contemporaneous evidence. In Fishers of Fish and Fishers of Men, Tyler Yoder presents the first literary study devoted to the fishing images used in the Hebrew Scriptures as well as in the Mesopotamian textual records. This calls for a penetrating look into cultural contact with Israel’s neighbors to the east (Mesopotamia) and southwest (Egypt). Though nearly all fishing metaphors in the Hebrew Bible carry overt royal or divine connotations that mirror uses well-attested in Mesopotamian literature, this comparative analysis remains a largely untapped area of research. In this study of the diverse literary qualities of fishing images, Yoder offers a holistic understanding of how one integral component of ancient Near Eastern society affected the whole, bringing together the assemblage of disparate materials related to this field of study to enable scholars to integrate these data into related research and move the conversation forward.
Download or read book Goddesses in World Culture written by Patricia Monaghan and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2010-12-01 with total page 973 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of accessible essays relates the stories of individual goddesses from around the world, exploring their roles in the cultures from which they came, their histories and status today, and the controversies surrounding them. Goddesses in World Culture brings readers the fascinating stories of close to 100 of the world's goddesses, ranging from the immediately recognizable to the obscure. These figures, many of whom derive from ancient cultures and civilizations, serve as points of departure for examining questions that go well beyond the role of women in religion and spirituality to include social organization, environmental awareness, historical developments, and psychological archetypes. Each volume of this groundbreaking set is composed of 20–25 previously unpublished articles written by expert contributors from diverse disciplines. Volume one covers Asia and Africa, volume two covers the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe, and volume three covers Australia and the Americas. Goddesses from cultures often overlooked in texts on religion, such as those of the Australian Aborigines, Korea, Nepal, and the Caribbean, are included here. In addition, the work offers new translations of ancient texts, introduces little-known folklore, and suggests new approaches to contemporary religious practices.
Download or read book Rethinking Israel written by Oded Lipschits and published by Eisenbrauns. This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Israel Finkelstein is perhaps the best-known Israeli archaeologist in the world [...] His work has greatly changed the face of archaeological and historical research of the biblical period. His unique ability to see the comprehensive big picture and formulate a broad framework has inspired countless scholars to reexamine long-established paradigms. His trail-blazing work covering every period from the beginning of the Early Bronze Age through the Hasmonean period, while sometimes controversial, has led to a creative new approach that connects archaeology with history, the social sciences, and the natural and life sciences [...] This volume, dedicated to Professor Finkelstein's accomplishments and contributions, features 36 articles written by his colleagues, friends, and students in honor of his decades of scholarship and leadership in the field of biblical archaeology"--back cover.
Download or read book Ancient Canaan and Israel written by Jonathan M Golden and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2009-05-21 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on the extensive archeological record, Golden looks at daily life in antiquity, providing rich portraits of the role of women, craft production, metallurgy, technology, political and social organization, trade, and religious practices. He traces the great religious traditions that emerged in this region back to their most ancient roots and he also considers the Canaanites and Philistines, examining the differences between highland and coastal cultures and the cross-fertilization between societies.
Download or read book Who Will Lament Her written by Laurel Lanner and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2006-05-24 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lanner uses feminist theory and the theories of the fantastic to fashion a new reading of Nahum. >
Download or read book Cultures of the Jews written by David Biale and published by Schocken. This book was released on 2012-08-29 with total page 1234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WITH MORE THAN 100 BLACK-AND-WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS THROUGHOUT Who are “the Jews”? Scattered over much of the world throughout most of their three-thousand-year-old history, are they one people or many? How do they resemble and how do they differ from Jews in other places and times? What have their relationships been to the cultures of their neighbors? To address these and similar questions, twenty-three of the finest scholars of our day—archaeologists, cultural historians, literary critics, art historians , folklorists, and historians of relation, all affiliated with major academic institutions in the United States, Israel, and France—have contributed their insight to Cultures of the Jews. The premise of their endeavor is that although Jews have always had their own autonomous traditions, Jewish identity cannot be considered immutable, the fixed product of either ancient ethnic or religious origins. Rather, it has shifted and assumed new forms in response to the cultural environment in which the Jews have lived. Building their essays on specific cultural artifacts—a poem, a letter, a traveler’s account, a physical object of everyday or ritual use—that were made in the period and locale they study, the contributors describe the cultural interactions among different Jews—from rabbis and scholars to non-elite groups, including women—as well as between Jews and the surrounding non-Jewish world. Part One, “Mediterranean Origins,” describes the concept of the “People” or “Nation” of Israel that emerges in the Hebrew Bible and the culture of the Israelites in relation to that of the Canaanite groups. It goes on to discuss Jewish cultures in the Greco-Roman world, Palestine during the Byzantine period, Babylonia, and Arabia during the formative years of Islam. Part Two, “Diversities of Diaspora,” illuminates Judeo-Arabic culture in the Golden Age of Islam, Sephardic culture as it bloomed first if the Iberian Peninsula and later in Amsterdam, the Jewish-Christian symbiosis in Ashkenazic Europe and in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the culture of the Italian Jews of the Renaissance period, and the many strands of folklore, magic, and material culture that run through diaspora Jewish history. Part Three, “Modern Encounters,” examines communities, ways of life, and both high and fold culture in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, the Ladino Diaspora, North Africa and the Middle East, Ethiopia, Zionist Palestine and the State of Israel, and, finally, the United States. Cultures of the Jews is a landmark, representing the fruits of the present generation of scholars in Jewish studies and offering a new foundation upon which all future research into Jewish history will be based. Its unprecedented interdisciplinary approach will resonate widely among general readers and the scholarly community, both Jewish and non-Jewish, and it will change the terms of the never-ending debate over what constitutes Jewish identity.
Download or read book Cultures of the Jews Volume 1 written by David Biale and published by Schocken. This book was released on 2006-01-10 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scattered over much of the world throughout most of their history, are the Jews one people or many? How do they resemble and how do they differ from Jews in other places and times? What have their relationships been to the cultures of their neighbors? To address these and similar questions, some of the finest scholars of our day have contributed their insights to Cultures of the Jews, a winner of the National Jewish Book Award upon its hardcover publication in 2002. Constructing their essays around specific cultural artifacts that were created in the period and locale under study, the contributors describe the cultural interactions among different Jews–from rabbis and scholars to non-elite groups, including women–as well as between Jews and the surrounding non-Jewish world. What they conclude is that although Jews have always had their own autonomous traditions, Jewish identity cannot be considered the fixed product of either ancient ethnic or religious origins. Rather, it has shifted and assumed new forms in response to the cultural environment in which the Jews have lived. Mediterranean Origins, the first volume in Cultures of the Jews, describes the concept of the “People” or “Nation” of Israel that emerges in the Hebrew Bible and the culture of the Israelites in relation to that of neighboring Canaanite groups. It also discusses Jewish cultures in Babylonia, in Palestine during the Greco-Roman and Byzantine periods, and in Arabia during the formative years of Islam.
Download or read book The Origins of Biblical Monotheism written by Mark S. Smith and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2003-11-06 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the leading scholars of ancient West Semitic religion discusses polytheism vs. monotheism by covering the fluidity of those categories in the ancient Near East. He argues that Israel's social history is key to the development of monotheism.
