The variety of local religious life in the Near East in the Hellenistic and Roman periods / / edited by Ted Kaizer.

• Superior document: Religions in the Graeco-Roman world, v. 164
• TeilnehmendeR: Kaizer, Ted.
• Year of Publication: 2008
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Religions in the Graeco-Roman world ; v. 164.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (416 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

A ‘Near Eastern religion’, along the lines of ‘Greek religion’ or ‘Roman religion’, is hard to distinguish for the Classical period, since the religious cultures of the many cities, villages and regions that constituted the Near East in the Hellenistic and Roman periods were, despite some obvious similarities, above all very different from each other. This collection of articles by scholars from different disciplines (Ancient History, Archaeology, Art-History, Epigraphy, Numismatics, Oriental Studies, Theology) contributes to our quest for understanding the polytheistic cults of the Near East as a whole by bringing out the variety between the different local and regional forms of worship in this part of the world.

Table of Contents

Introduction / Ted Kaizer -- The aniconic image of the Roman Near East / Milette Gaifman -- Sanctuaries and villages on Mt. Hermon during the Roman period / Julien Aliquot -- Religious architecture in the Roman Near East : temples of the basalt lands (Trachon and Hauran) / Arthur Segal -- Artemis and Zeus Olympios in Roman Gerasa and seleucid religious policy / Achim Lichtenberger -- How to be a bad Samaritan : the local cult of Mt. Gerizim / Jonathan Kirkpatrick -- Man and god at Palmyra : sacrifice, lectisternia and banquets / Ted Kaizer -- Tradition and change in the beliefs at Assur, Nineveh and Nisibis between 300 BC and AD 300 / Peter W. Haider -- Aspects of Hatrene religion : a note on the statues of kings and nobles from Hatra / Lucinda Dirven -- Ephraem Syrus and the solar cult / Jurgen Tubach.