Ancient religions and Mythologies Books
Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd. Shiva
Book SynopsisIn this book, read three stories from Shiva''s adventure-filledife. Find out the tale behind the origin of the river Ganga and what role Shiva had to play in it; how the Shivaingam avatar of Shiva came about and how Shiva destroyed three demons with one arrow. Beautifully retold by Subhadra Sen Gupta and accompanied by Tapas Guha''s magnificent illustrations, this book will beoved by every child.
£8.79
Almuzara Beltane
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£17.09
Edaf Antillas Corpus Hermeticum
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£13.22
100 LEYENDAS DE LA MITOLOGIA JAPONESA
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£14.75
Museum Tusculanum Press Lay Belief in Norse Society 1000-1350
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£45.89
Museum Tusculanum Press Lotus and Laurel: Studies on Egyptian Language
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£61.19
Museum Tusculanum Press Rethinking Religion: Studies in the Hellenistic
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£28.04
University Press of Southern Denmark Initiation Between Two Worlds: Structure &
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£30.60
University Press of Southern Denmark Oracular Tales in Pausanias
Book SynopsisPausanias'' Description of Greece is the only or at least the most important source to more than 60 percent of the oracular tales. This makes the work crucial to everybody, who wishes to study the oracular tales in the form they have been handed down to us in the antique written sources, In Oracular Tales in Pausanias a study of the collected oracular tales in Pausanias'' Description of Greece is made available for the first time. Up until now, research into the history of oracles has emphasised either the archaeology of the oracle sites of the degree of authenticity of the oracular responses. The present book provides a new approach by not only focusing on the god''s oracular response, but also by viewing the entire oracle consultation as a narrative with a certain narrative structure, which makes it possible to view oracular tales as a specific, orally transmitted literary genre.
£32.94
Five Continents Editions Mythical Diary: Sculptures from the Farnese
Book SynopsisMythical Diary is a visual journey through the classical sculpture of Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. It is a physical engagement with the marble bodies of myth. Through his black and white photography, Luigi Spina disassembles the limbs of the sculptures, emphasising their curves and hidden eroticism, humanising them to establish a dialogue with the observer. A sculpture is the sign of eternal, unchanging beauty: the only real evidence of the many lives that have passed and come to an end leaving a profound mark in the story of many other existences. For Spina, with his own vision of sculpture, a statue of Aphrodite is not merely a stereotypical portrayal of myth. In it are gathered the anxieties, dreams, hopes and joys of all those who have set eyes on her and dreamed or studied her. In a way, classical sculpture is profoundly present in our veins, in our very breath. The project takes the form of an imaginary diary covering fifteen days. But this is only an ephemeral period of time, a convention. The whole work developed over a period of days and months amounting to years, always in contact with the circumscribed space made of myriad lives and stories, which we call a museum. In Mythical Diary, Spina attempts to make classical sculpture interact with the viewer's desire to be a part of this ancient world that has always influenced our way of life, our culture and our society, proving itself to be contemporary with any period.
£37.50
Brill Athena in the Classical World
Book SynopsisAmong ancient Greek deities, none has enjoyed as rich a life as Athena - goddess of war, wisdom and the arts - and she continues to fascinate and challenge today. This volume sheds light on the goddess more comprehensively than has previously been attempted. It brings together the latest research, centring on Greek and Roman religion, literature and archaeology, yet also encompassing ancient Near Eastern, Indo-European, and modern interpretations. Cults and myths are explored, as are political, social, and gendered roles, and art historical and etymological developments. Recurrent themes are investigated, as are the many dividing lines and contradictory aspects which characterise representations of the goddess. The volume will enhance our understanding of Athena, and will be a source of inspiration for new ideas and interpretations for years to come.
£219.00
Brill Cosmology and Fate in Gnosticism and Graeco-Roman
Book SynopsisIn Cosmology and Fate in Gnosticism and Graeco-Roman Antiquity, Nicola Denzey Lewis dismisses Hans Jonas' mischaracterization of second-century Gnosticism as a philosophically-oriented religious movement built on the perception of the cosmos as negative or enslaving. A focused study on the concept of astrological fate in “Gnostic” writings including the Apocryphon of John, the recently-discovered Gospel of Judas, Trimorphic Protennoia, and the Pistis Sophia, this book reexamines their language of “enslavement to fate (Gk: heimarmene)” from its origins in Greek Stoicism, its deployment by the apostle Paul, to its later use by a variety of second-century intellectuals (both Christian and non-Christian). Denzey Lewis thus offers an informed and revisionist conceptual map of the ancient cosmos, its influence, and all those who claimed to be free of its potentially pernicious effects.Trade Review"focused study that seeks to rebut the characterisation of second-century Gnosticism as a religious philosophy that apprehends the universe as an enslaving force. [...] a rich study, which offers a new way of thinking about the concept of face in Gnostic texts. ...it promises to be a valuable and provocative contribution." – Paul Foster, University of Edinburgh, in: The Expository Times 126/2 (2014) "...concise and convincing, [...] the book is clearly-argued [...]. Its critical engagement with the research of the old school dispels scholarly myths and provides a new starting point for debate about how we are to understand the problems of fate, providence, and salvation in late ancient religious life.[...] worthwhile reading not just for students of Gnostic and Hermetic literature, but the New Testament, early Christian studies, and religion in the later Roman Empire as well." – Dylan Burns, Leipzig University, in: Numen 61 (2014) "...excellent overview of the primary sources whilst producing numerous thought-provoking arguments [...] It is a useful book for anyone interested in second-century thought patterns and is suitable for a wide audience with a range of interests." – Sarah Parkhouse, Durham University, in: Reviews of Biblical and Early Christian Studies (RBECS.org)Table of Contents1. Were the Gnostics Cosmic Pessimists? 2. Nag Hammadi and the Providential Cosmos 3. This Body of Death: Cosmic Malevolence and Enslavement to Sin in Pauline Exegesis 4. Heimarmene at Nag Hammadi: The Apocryphon of John and On the Origin of the World 5. Middle Platonism, Heimarmene, and the Corpus Hermeticum 6. Ways Out I: Interventions of the Savior God 7. Ways Out II: Baptism and Cosmic Freedom 8. Astral Determinism in the Gospel of Judas 9. Conclusions, and a New Way Forward
£137.80
Brill Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World
Book SynopsisThis volume contains a series of provocative essays that explore expressions of magic and ritual power in the ancient world. The strength of the present volume lies in the breadth of scholarly approaches represented. The book begins with several papyrological studies presenting important new texts in Greek and Coptic, continuing with essays focussing on taxonomy and definition. The concluding essays apply contemporary theories to analyses of specific test cases in a broad variety of ancient Mediterranean cultures. Paul Mirecki, Th.D. (1986) in Religious Studies, Harvard Divinity School, is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas. Marvin Meyer, Ph.D. (1979) in Religion, Claremont Graduate School, is Professor of Religion at Chapman University, Orange, California, and Director of the Coptic Magical Texts Project of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity.Trade Review"…an excellent overview with enough depth to satisfy specialists interested in magic or any of the academic contexts within which the topics are found." – Jennifer Wees, in: Laval Theologique et Philosophique, 2004
£55.20
Brill The Daimon in Hellenistic Astrology: Origins and
Book SynopsisIn The Daimon in Hellenistic Astrology: Origins and Influence, Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum investigates for the first time the concept of the daimon (daemon, demon), normally confined to religion and philosophy, within the theory and practice of ancient western astrology (2nd century BCE – 7th century CE). This multi-disciplinary study covers the daimon within astrology proper as well as the daimon and astrology in wider cultural practices including divination, Gnosticism, Mithraism and Neo-Platonism. It explores relationships between the daimon and fate and Daimon and Tyche (fortune or chance), and the doctrine of lots as exemplified in Plato’s Myth of Er. In finding the impact of Egyptian and Mesopotamian ideas of fate on Hellenistic astrology, it critically examines astrology’s perception as propounding an unalterable destiny.Trade Review"...Greenbaum's The Daimon in Hellenistic Astrology will indubitably enthrall those interested in the difference between fatalism and determinism and the solutions provided by astrologers of the past." - Levente László, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, in: Aestimatio, vol. 13 (2016-2018) "...the book has achieved a new level of excellence in the subject area." - Nicolas Campion, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, in: Bryn Mawr Classical Review (2017)Table of ContentsList of Figures, Tables and Illustrations Acknowledgements Abbreviations and Text Conventions Astrological Symbols Introduction Part I. Daimon and Fortune Chapter 1. Kindled Spirits: The Daimon, Plutarch and Vettius Valens Chapter 2. Keeping in Good Spirits: The Places of Good Daimon and Fortune in Astrology Chapter 3. Twists of Fate: Daimon, Fortune and Astrology in Egypt and the Near East Chapter 4. Hie Thee to Hell: The Place of the Bad Daimon Part II. Gods and Daimons Chapter 5. Divergent Paths: Daimons and Astrology in Gnosticism and Mithraism Chapter 6. Ambivalent Daimons and Astrology Chapter 7. Porphyry, the Oikodespotēs and the Personal Daimon Part III. Lots and the Daimon Chapter 8. Allotment, the Daimon and Astrology Chapter 9. Endowment and Chance: The Lots of Fortune and Daimon Chapter 10. ‘Parents of Human Civilisation’: The Lots of Love and Necessity Conclusion Appendices Bibliography Index
£237.13
Brill Mithraic iconography and ideology
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£43.52
Brill Essays on Babylonian and Biblical Literature and
Book SynopsisThese studies take up several themes that the author has pursued in addition to his work on witchcraft literature and Gilgamesh. The volume contains general articles on Mesopotamian magic, religion, and mythology; studies, synchronic and diachronic, on Akkadian prayers; treatments of literary classics; comparative studies of terms and phenomena; and examinations of legal texts.Trade Review"This volume collects together 25 essays that have been published over a period of nearly four decades of A.’s significant contribution to the study of Babylonian literature and religion and its interface with biblical material. The wide range of papers reflects his deep knowledge in various sub-fields, such as diachronic and synchronic approaches alongside exegesis of primary sources. (...) This important collection will definitely be a valuable tool for those interested in an emic perspective of the milieu in which these texts were produced and developed." - Anderson Yan, in The Society for Old Testament Study Book List 2022.Table of ContentsPreface Sources Abbreviations part 1: Magic and Religion Overviews and Surveys 1 Mesopotamian Religion 1 The Basis of Mesopotamian Religiosity 2 The Mesopotamian Pantheon 3 Magical Cult (Cult of the Individual) 4 The Epic of Gilgamesh 2 Magic in Mesopotamia 1 Introduction 2 Earlier Approaches to Mesopotamian Magic 3 Conceptions of the Universe and of Its Powers 4 Magical Texts 5 Ceremonies 6 Evil 3 Sacrifice in Mesopotamia 1 Mesopotamian Sacrifice: A Description 2 Blood in Mesopotamia and West Asia: A Hypothesis Ghosts and Gods 4 Ghost and God: Some Observations on a Babylonian Understanding of Human Nature 1 Mythological Formulation 2 The Significance of Flesh as the Source of the Ghost 3 God, ṭēmu, and Personal God 5 Etemmu אטים 1 Name and Etymology 2 Character and History 3 Inside the Bible 6 Ištar 1 Name and Etymology 2 Character and History 3 Inside the Bible 7 Marduk 1 Name and Etymology 2 Character and History 3 Inside the Bible Talking to the Gods in Mesopotamia 8 Prayers and Incantations 1 Prayers 2 Incantations 9 The Promise to Praise the God in šuilla Prayers 10 The Form and Meaning of a Babylonian Prayer to Marduk 1 The Hymnic Introduction 2 The Marduk šuilla: A New Form 3 A Prayer for Success and the Conclusion of the šuilla 11 The Form and History of a Babylonian Prayer to Nabû 12 A Paean and Petition to a God of Death: Some Comments on a šuilla to Nergal 1 Introduction 2 Hymnic Introduction 3 Petitioner’s Justification and Description of His Approach to the God 4 Description of the Petitioner’s Difficulties 5 Petitioner’s Supplication 6 Conclusions 13 The Reconciliation of Angry Personal Gods: A Revision of the šuillas 14 Two Versions of a šuilla to Gula part 2: Literary Studies 15 Fortune and Misfortune of the Individual: Some Observations on the Sufferer’s Plaint in Ludlul bēl nēmeqi II 12–32 16 Kingship in Ancient Mesopotamia: The Case of Enūma eliš 1 Divine Origin and Physical Features 2 Kingship over His Own Family 3 The Battle 4 Creation 5 Kingship over the Universe 17 Some Observations on the Babylon Section of Enūma eliš 18 Biblical Accounts of Prehistory: Their Meaning and Formation 1 Introduction 2 Mesopotamian Sources 3 Biblical Sources 4 Summary and Conclusions 19 Two Passages in the Biblical Account of Prehistory 1 The Creation of Man and Woman 2 The Tower of Babel 20 Jonah and God: Plants, Beasts, and Humans in the Book of Jonah part 3: Comparative Studies 21 alaktu and halakhah: Oracular Decision, Divine Revelation 1 alaktu: Mesopotamian Sources 2 halakhah: Jewish Sources and Mesopotamian Influence 22 Blood in Israel and Mesopotamia 23 Cultures in Contact: Ancient Near Eastern and Jewish Magic part 4: Ancient Near Eastern Legal Practices and Thought 24 A Shepherd’s Bulla and an Owner’s Receipt: A Pair of Matching Texts in the Harvard Semitic Museum 25 “He Should Continue to Bear the Penalty of That Case”: Some Observations on Codex Ḫammurabi §§3–4 and §13 1 Introduction 2 Analysis and Translation 3 Meaning and Significance 4 Confirmation: Variant Readings and §13 5 Conclusion Bibliography Index of Passages Quoted
£234.65
Peeters Publishers Religious Excitement in Ancient Anatolia: Cult
Book SynopsisThis book provides a detailed insight into the typology, characteristics and conceptual and iconographic elements of the solar and lunar divinities of Asia Minor. It has a special focus on native or indigenised cults. Furthermore, Anatolian divinities are studied not only in the Roman, but also during the incipient phases of these cults. The main topics include issues of polymorphism, polyonymy and the specific cultural adaptations of the Anatolian deities, the world of the gods, that of mortals and the relations between dedicators and divinities. The first part studies the origin of the name and of the divinity, an attempt to determine the area of dessemination, epithets, attributes, identifications with other gods, myths and the associated divinities, as well as symbolism and iconographical elements. The second part features the economic life of the temples, the organisation of the sacred space, the nature of the priesthood and the categories of dedicators, association patterns, age and kinship, and the alterations that occurred during this period in the perception of the divine world both in the Anatolian area and throughout the Roman empire. In the last part of the volume the reader can find useful information regarding the typology of inscriptions used by the author and the means of communication between the divine world and the terrestrial one.
£115.00
Peeters Publishers Études d'histoire biblique
Book SynopsisLes études présentées dans ce volume sont basées sur les cours et conférences d’histoire et d’archéologie bibliques donnés par l’auteur de 1986 à 2020. La bibliographie de ces années figure au début du volume, faisant suite à celle des années 1958-1995, parue dans la même série, OLA 65. Le premier chapitre présente les rapports de l’Égypte antique avec Canaan, Israël et Juda durant deux millénaires, divisés selon les périodes de l’histoire égyptienne qui font découvrir des ancêtres des tribus israélites en Cisjordanie, Transjordanie et au Nord de la Péninsule Sinaïtique, bien avant les données bibliques. Par exemple, la Maison de Joseph, connue plus tard comme Éphraïm, apparaît dès les XIXe et XVIIIe siècles av.n.è., tout comme la tribu de Siméon, dans les Textes d’Exécration du Moyen Empire, dirigés contre des princes et des tribus dont on pouvait craindre l’inimitié. Jérusalem est alors mentionnée quatre fois. Chapitre II compare divers aspects du droit biblique au droit de l’antique Mésopotamie. Le droit familial vient notamment en ligne de compte avec l’avortement, la sodomie, l’inceste, l’adultère. Des exemples de lois cultuelles sont présentés ensuite et un paragraphe de l’ouvrage de Maïmonide, «Le guide des Égarés», est analysé. Chapitre III traite ensuite du mariage, divorce et lévirat en se basant sur la législation biblique et sur les documents de l’époque gréco-romaine trouvés à Qumrân et dans le Désert de Juda. Chapitre IV examine les actes de mariage judéo-araméens d’Éléphantine, provenant de la colonie militaire du Ve siècle av.n.è., où nombre de documents bien conservés ont été retrouvés. Le développement de l’idéologie royale est présenté au Chapitre V depuis les cas exceptionnels de la divinité du roi au Ps. 45,7 et Éz. 28 jusqu’au choix divin de la dynastie de David et le messianisme. Le chapitre suivant traite de la situation sociale de l’esclave qui peut être très différente selon son sexe, sa nationalité ou la période où il vivait. Le prophétisme sous ses différents aspects est examiné au Chapitre VII. Il ne s’agit pas d’une revue des écrits prophétiques de la Bible, mais du prophète vu par l’historien. Chapitre VIII traite en particulier de l’histoire quelque peu compliquée des tribus de Transjordanie, tandis que Chapitre IX dresse une brève histoire des Édomites, vivant au sud de Juda. L’histoire générale d’Israël et de Juda n’est pas traitée directement dans ce volume, car elle a fait l’objet des deux ouvrages récents de la même série, OLA 275 et OLA 287.
£79.00
Peeters Publishers Suffering in Babylon: Ludlul bel nemeqi and the
Book SynopsisSuffering in Babylon comprises a series of studies on Ludlul bel nemeqi. Part One examines the modern scholarship surrounding the poem’s textual reconstruction and translation. Ludlul exists today as a composite text, pieced together over the last 180 years from dozens of cuneiform tablets and fragments from various archaeological sites. With these disparate sources, Assyriologists have reconstructed three quarters of the poem’s original text, which is here translated anew with extensive epigraphic and philological notes. Part Two explores the historical contexts of the poem and its reception among first-millennium scribes. Whether the poem’s protagonist is the historical Subsi-mesrê-Sakkan or not, his experiences as described in the poem provide insight into the worldview and concerns of the ancient scholars among whom the poem’s author was counted, likely from the ranks of the exorcists. The protagonist’s experience with divine revelation sheds light on those scholars’ divinatory worldview. The anatomical and pathological vocabulary used to describe his suffering compares well to the vocabulary in exorcism texts. The ritual failures he experiences reflect the poem’s institutional agenda. And the structure and language of his first person account shows intertextual connections with incantation prayers, a genre distinctive to exorcism. The poem’s subsequent incorporation into various scribal curricula and tablet collections demonstrates the poem’s cultural stature among first-millennium scribes, who wrote a commentary on Ludlul and used the text in the creation of others. Part Three offers a comparative study that bridges the ancient and modern scholarly horizons. Drawing on both ancient and modern scholarship, it compares the protagonist’s experience of the alû demon with the clinical condition known today as sleep paralysis. The book’s underlying goal is to illustrate the potential of a multi-perspectival approach to Akkadian literature that acknowledges the contexts of both ancient and modern scholars involved in producing meaningful readings of this ancient literary gem.
£92.00
Stockholm University Press The Hostages of the Northmen: From the Viking Age
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£19.00
Prakash Books Illustrated Tales from Indian Mythology
£16.19
HarperCollins India Mahagatha: Puranon se 100 kahaniyan
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£16.62
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project Herrschaftswissen in Mesopotamien: Forman der
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£73.91
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project La Magie neo-assyrienne en Contexte: Recherches
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£37.36
Independently Published Don Nicanor Ochoa: Oraciones de Invocación Para
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£7.91
Rockridge Press Witchcraft for Healing: Radical Self-Care for
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£21.24
Rockridge Press Practical Magic for Beginners: Exercises,
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£21.24
Althea Press The Door to Witchcraft: A New Witch's Guide to
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£47.50
BiblioRossica Der erniedrigte Christus Volume II
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£31.45
Casemate Publishers Archaeology of Symbols: ICAS I: Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Archaeology of Symbols
Book SynopsisThis third volume in the Material Religion in Antiquity series stems from the First International Congress on the Archaeology of Symbols (ICAS I) that took place in Florence in May 2022. The archaeological process of reconstructing and understanding our past has undergone several reassessments in the last century, producing an equal number of new perspectives and approaches. The recent materiality turn emphasizes the necessity to ground those achievements in order to build fresh avenues of interpretation and reach new boundaries in the study of the human kind and its ecology. Symbols must not be conceived only as allegory but also, and perhaps mainly, as reason (raison d'etre) and meaning (culture). They may be considered key elements leading to interpretation, not only in their physical manifestation but by being infused with the gestures, beliefs and intentions of their creators, created in a specific context and with a specific chaine operatoire. In this volume a variety of case studies is offered, representing disparate ancient cultures in the Mediterranean and central Europe and the Near East. The thread that connects them revolves around the prominence of symbols and allegorical aspects in archaeology, whether they are considered as expressions of iconographic evidence, material culture or ritual ceremonies, seen from a multicultural perspective. This (and subsequent ICAS) volumes, therefore, aims to embrace all the different aspects pertaining to symbols in archaeology in a specific 'place', allowing the reader to deepen their knowledge of such a fascinating and multifaceted topic, by looking at it from a multicultural perspective.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Guido Guarducci, Nicola Laneri, and Stefano Valentini Symbols in Currents or Strings of Energy: Ian Hodder Some Remarks about the Representation of the Cupping-Vessel ( /cucurbita) in the Ancient World: Maria Angeles Alonso Alonso Abstract Depictions of Animals on Late Bronze Swords from East Georgia: Simone Arnhold, Shorena Davitashvili A Comparison between Philistine/Canaanite and Judean Iconography during the Iron Age II: David Ben-Shlomo Reflection of a Soul? Mirror-Linked Symbolism in Early Nomadic Burials (Southern Urals, Russia): Natalia Berseneva, Margaryan Kseniya The Physical Materiality of the Divine and Its Symbols: The Case of Sarapis' Attributes in Hellenistic Egypt: Efstathia Dionysopoulou Ritual and Symbolism in the Matiate Underground City: Durmus Ersun The Architectural System of the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara: Its Symbolic Expression Between Social and Semiotic Sphere: Massimiliano Franci Icon - Index - Symbol. Experiencing Material Signs through Ancient Figurines: Regine Hunziker-Rodewald, Andrei Aioanei The Human Hand as a Symbol in Ancient Egyptian Thought: Christos Kekes Feminine Symbolism in the Iconography of 'Luristan Bronzes': Zahra Kouzehgari Images and Symbols of 12th c. BC Pictorial Pottery from Cyprus: Anna Lekka Insights from the Philistine 'Symbol-Scape' on Philistine Origins and Social Structure: Aren Maeir Deer Symbolism in the Kura-Araxes Culture: A View from the Village of Kvatskhelebi, Georgia: Sarit Paz Network of Symbolisms in a Private Tomb in Ancient Thebes: Maria Violeta Pereyra, Mariano Bonanno Is it the Hairstyle? Female Figurines with Hairdo in the Context of the 6th Millennium BC Imagery of the Southern Levant: Dina Shalem, Ianir Milevski, Nimrod Getzov, Ehud Galili, Anat Cohen-Weinberber
£70.03
Crossed Crow Books Travels Through Middle Earth: The Path of a Saxon Pagan
£16.19
Crossed Crow Books Witchcraft & the Shamanic Journey
Book SynopsisThis beautifully written book will show seekers of the magical arts how to reclaim the old traditions of our pagan ancestors, which, as this book will show, were heavily rooted in shamanism. Kenneth Johnson takes the reader on a journey far into the past where these shamanistic practices of medieval and Renaissance European people can be explored while simultaneously teaching the working Witch how to incorporate these older traditions into their own magical practice. Included in this book are explorations of the mystical otherworld, instructions on how to discover one''s Tree of Power, methods of entering the World Mountain to gain wisdom, an in-depth overview of folkloric initiatory practices, the folklore of the Wild Hunt, and much more.
£17.99
