The Religions of Ancient Israel: A Synthesis of Parallactic ApproachesZiony Zevit This is the most far-reaching interdisciplinary investigation into the religion of ancient Israel ever attempted. The author draws on textual readings, archaeological and historical data and epigraphy to determine what is known about the Israelite religions during the Iron Age (1200-586 BCE). The evidence is synthesized within the structure of an Israelite worldview and ethos involving kin, tribes, land, traditional ways and places of worship, and a national deity. Professor Zevit has originated this interpretive matrix through insights, ideas, and models developed in the academic study of religion and history within the context of the humanities. He is strikingly original, for instance, in his contention that much of the Psalter was composed in praise of deities other than Yahweh. Through his book, the author has set a precedent which should encourage dialogue and cooperative study between all ancient historians and archaeologists, but particularly between Iron Age archaeologists and biblical scholars. The work challenges many conclusions of previous scholarship about the nature of the Israelites' religion. |
Contents
An Essay about Humanities Religion History | 1 |
Figures | 29 |
Of Cult Places and of Israelites | 81 |
b of a typical fourroom house | 101 |
from Giloh Hazor Khirbet Teleil | 108 |
Israelite Cult Places | 123 |
99 | 140 |
106 | 150 |
The Material and Textual Aspects of Cultic | 267 |
Writ on Rock Script on Stone | 350 |
Israelite Religions in Israelian and Judahite Historiography | 439 |
Israelite Mantic Religions in Literary Social and Historical | 480 |
Israelite Religions through | 511 |
The Names of Israelite Gods | 586 |
A Parallactic Synthesis | 611 |
694 | |
128 | 157 |
129 | 164 |
excavation | 166 |
188 | 217 |
221 | 259 |
753 | |
782 | |
Index of Scriptural Citations | 798 |
Common terms and phrases
Aharoni Ahaz Ajrud altar ancient Arad Aramean archaeological artifacts Asherah assume Assyrian attested Baal bāmōt Beer Sheba Beit biblical Bronze Age building Canaanite cave century BCE Chapter Chron clans considered context cult places cult room cultic culture deity described Deut Deuteronomistic discussion divine Dtr's Egyptian eighth century Ekron excavated Exod Ezek Figure figurines Gitin goddess groups Hazor Hebrew historians images incense indicate inscription interpretation involved Iron Age Israel Israelian Israelite Israelite religion Jeroboam Jerusalem Josh Judah Judahite Khirbet Khirbet Beit Lei Kings Lachish Late Bronze literary Mazar Megiddo model shrine narrative northern objects paradigm period Phoenician pithos platform presented prophets refer reflected religious ritual Samaria Shechem significant social sources stand stones story stratum structure suggests Ta'anach temple texts tion tradition tribal tribes tumulus Ugaritic verse wall word worship Yahwistic YHWH Zevit