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Gods in the Desert explores the fascinating religious cultures of the ancient Near East. From the mysterious pyramids, tombs, and temples of Egypt to the powerful heroes, gods, and legends of Mesopotamia, Glenn Holland guides readers through the early religions that are the root of many of todays major faiths. Holland compares the religions of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Syria-Palestine, including Israel and Judah, from the Neolithic era through the conquest of Alexander the Great. He provides a historical survey of each region, then discusses the gods, the rulers, the afterlife, and the worship rituals. This accessible overview makes clear how these religions converged and diverged, and are intimately connected to many of the religions we recognize today, sometimes in surprising ways.
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Gods in the Desert
Gods in the Desert Religions of the Ancient Near East
Glenn S. Holland
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC. Lanham • Boulder • New York • Toronto • Plymouth, UK
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ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC. Published in the United States of America by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.rowmanlittlefield.com Estover Road Plymouth PL6 7PY United Kingdom Copyright © 2009 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. First paperback edition 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: The hardback edition of this book was previously cataloged by the Library of Congress as follows: Holland, Glenn Stanfield, 1952– Gods in the desert : religions of the ancient Near East / Glenn S. Holland. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Middle East—Religion. 2. Mythology, Middle Eastern. I. Title. BL1060.H635 2009 200.939'4—dc22 2009009444 ISBN 978-0-7425-6226-4 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-7425-6227-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-7425-9979-6 (electronic) The Scripture quotations used herein are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America
⬁™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
y Contents
List of Illustrations
vii
List of Maps
ix
Time Line
xv
Preface
xix
Introduction: Religion and Its Characteristic Expression
xxiii
Section 1
Egypt
Chapter 1
Egypt: Historical Survey
Chapter 2
Egypt: The Gods and the World They Made
15
Chapter 3
Egypt: The King and Royal Power
37
Chapter 4
Egypt: The World of the Dead
57
Chapter 5
Egypt: The Human World
77
Section 2
Mesopotamia
Chapter 6
Mesopotamia: Historical Survey
Chapter 7
Mesopotamia: The Gods and the World They Made
v
3
99 111
vi
y Contents
Chapter 8
Mesopotamia: The World of Kings and Heroes
131
Chapter 9
Mesopotamia: The World of the Dead
149
Chapte