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Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide (Harvard University Press Reference Library) Hardcover – Illustrated, November 30, 2004

by Sarah Iles Johnston (Editor)
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Religious beliefs and practices, which permeated all aspects of life in antiquity, traveled well-worn routes throughout the Mediterranean: itinerant charismatic practitioners journeying from place to place peddled their skills as healers, purifiers, cursers, and initiators; and vessels decorated with illustrations of myths traveled with them. New gods encountered in foreign lands by merchants and conquerors were sometimes taken home to be adapted and adopted. A full understanding of this complex spiritual world unfolds in Religions of the Ancient World, the first basic reference work that collects and organizes available information to offer an expansive, comparative perspective.

At once sweeping in scope and groundbreaking in format, the Guide eschews the usual encyclopedic approach, instead presenting, side by side, materials from ten cultures and traditions. Thus specific beliefs, cults, gods, and ritual practices that arose and developed in Mediterranean religions--of Egypt, Anatolia and the Near East, Mesopotamia, Iran, Greece, and the Roman world, from the third millennium to the fourth century C.E.--are interpreted in comparison with one another, and with reference to aspects that crisscross cultural boundaries, such as Cosmology, Myth, Law and Ethics, and Magic. Written by leading scholars of ancient religion, the essays in this guide sketch the various religious histories, raise central theoretical issues, and examine individual topics such as Sacred Times and Spaces; Prayers, Hymns, Incantations, and Curses; Sin, Pollution, and Purity; Death, the Afterlife, and Other Last Things; Divination and Prophecy; Deities and Demons; and Sacred Texts and Canonicity.

Clearly and stylishly written, grandly illustrated, this comprehensive work welcomes readers as never before into the diversity and interconnections of religion in the ancient world.

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  1. Print length
    736 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
  4. Publication date
    November 30, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    8.25 x 1.25 x 10.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0674015177
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0674015173
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Comparative study of ancient cultures--especially ancient religious conceptions--has evolved in recent decades, and this volume meets an important desideratum in light of scholarly advances... 'Key Topics' is the most distinctive feature of the book, and one that will make this reference tool valuable for many years to come, especially when used together with the first two parts for comparative purposes...This volume contains a wealth of information.”―Bill T. Arnold, Review of Biblical Literature

“Every once in a long while, a reference work comes along that is certain from the outset to become a well-used standard. Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide is such a work, which is unsurprising given that approximately one hundred forty top scholars contributed to the articles inside. Not quite an encyclopedia, not quite a collection of essays, this unique volume is the first comprehensive and comparative reference guide to a wide array of topics in ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern religions.”―Frances Flannery, Journal of the American Oriental Society

About the Author

Sarah Iles Johnston is the College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Religion and Professor of Classics and Comparative Studies at The Ohio State University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Edition Unstated (November 30, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 736 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0674015177
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0674015173
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.25 x 1.25 x 10.5 inches

About the author

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Sarah Iles Johnston

Sarah Iles Johnston

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Sarah Iles Johnston teaches courses on religion and Classics at The Ohio State University. For as long as she can remember, she has been fascinated by ancient Greek myths and the characters who inhabit them.

Most recently, she has been thinking about how myths, as well as other kinds of stories, can change the beliefs of those who read them or listen to them when they are engagingly composed and vividly performed. Her new project is Gods and Mortals: Greek Myths Retold (2021), which narrates Greek myths for adults and young adults. Read excerpts from this book and learn about her other projects at www.sarahilesjohnston.com.

You can hear a podcast interview in which she talks about some of the ideas that inform her narration, and about her most recent book, The Story of Myth, at: soundcloud.com/voices_arts_sciences/voe-sarahjohnston

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4.7 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Rose
    5.0 out of 5 stars buy this book if you love reading about different types of religions and learning about ...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    buy this book if you love reading about different types of religions and learning about cultures and cities and demons. that was my favorite section in the book. i will definitely be buying this book when the price goes down a little bit.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Paul V. Beyerl
    5.0 out of 5 stars Far better than I had hoped
    Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I stumbled onto a reference to the book when doing some research online. Was very pleased to have the information on death and burial customs. But the entire book is academically sound with credible data, top quality writing, and it's a real gem.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • AJP
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well written & organized text
    Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    It's a textbook rather than a popularized (dumbed-down) review.
    If you have more than a passing interest in the subject, it's the book for you.
    Reasonably as up to date as one would expect for a textbook.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Oneirae
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2019
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    Great
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Christine
    3.0 out of 5 stars NOT ancient world - near eastern world is more accurate
    Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    This book is NOT about religions of the ancient world. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Taoism, Confuscianism, Shinto, Bon etc are not covered. If you are looking for a thorough examination of western religions from 3rd millineum BCE to 5 century CE then this is quite a book; however, as there is no treatment of half of the "civilized" world in this time frame then the book hardly can claim to treat religions of the ancient world. Apparently either India, China and environs had no ancient religions or they are not of this world -;)
    49 people found this helpful
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  • ram
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2017
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    School text needed for school. Came promptly for start of class. Came as described.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Island
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2017
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    as described. fast shipping. thanks
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  • Wyote
    5.0 out of 5 stars a great guide to ancient Mediterranean religions
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2004
    The purpose of this book is to provide a student or layperson with a background to the religions of the ancient Mediterranean, emphasizing their influences on each other. It does a very good job, and is the only book of its kind that I know of. I recommend it--despite its considerable cost--to any student in this field, and very strongly to any interested layperson.

    Imagine that for some reason one day you wonder about libation in Mesopotamian religion, or Hittite rites of passage, or Greek curses. If you want a brief summary of the known evidence and scholarly interpretation, this is the book you would go to. If you think you might someday find yourself wondering about the god Dagan, this book is yours.

    The book is over 600 pages long, and although there is no reason for anyone to read it cover to cover, that would be possible and the organization favors it. (I'm trying to do that now.) The writing level is appropriate for college students or graduates, but jargon is rarely used, and well-explained. Each topic is covered briefly but thoroughly, hitting all the background points and giving a student a solid background for further study.

    In the third part of the book are numerous black and white photos, their subjects consistently well chosen for their fame among scholars. I was pleased to find a picture of a Canaanite cult stand from Taanach that I'd only read about previously. There are perhaps 100 illustrations in all; with about 20 illustrations in color in the center of the book.

    The first part of the book is a series of essays on various topics, each by well-known and highly respected scholars. At this time shoppers are unable to look inside the book to see the table of contents, so I will list the essays. The topics in the first part include:

    "What is Ancient Mediterranean Religion" by Fritz Graf; "Montheism and Polytheism" by Jan Assman; "Ritual" by Jan Bremmer; "Myth" by Friz Graf; "Cosmology: Time and History" by John J. Collins; "Pollution, Sin, Atonement, Salvation" by Harold W. Attridge; "Law and Ethics" by Eckart Otto; "Mysteries" by Sarah Iles Johnston; "Religions in Contact" by John Scheid; "Writing and Religion" by Mary Beard; and "Magic" by Sarah Iles Johnston.

    The second part of the book covers histories of the religions of various areas or peoples: Egypt by Jann Assman and David Frankfurter; Mesopotamia by Paul-Alain Beaulieu; Syria and Canaan by David P. Wright; Israel by John J. Collins; Anatolia: Hittites by David P. Wright; Iran by William Malandra and Michael Stausberg; Minoan and Mycenaean Civilzations by Nanno Marinatos; Greece by Jon Mikalson; Etruria by Olivier de Cazanove; Rome by John North; and Early Christianity by Harold Attridge.

    The third part of the book resembles an encyclopedia, with contributors covering key topics in various regions. The key topics include Sacred Times and Spaces; Religious Personnel; Religious Organizations and Bodies; Sacrifice, Offerings, and Votives; Prayers, Hymns Incantations, and Curses; Divination and Prophecy; Deities and Demons; Religious Practices of the Individual and Family; Rites of Passage; Illnesses and Other Crises; Death, the Afterlife, and Other Last Things; Sin, Pollution, and Purity; Ethics and Law Codes; Theology, Theodicy, Philosophy; Religion and Politics; Controlling Religion; Myth and Sacred Narratives; Visual Representations; Sacred Texts and Canonicity; Esotericism and Mysticism.

    And in case you actually read straight through, the book ends with an epilogue.

    So that's it: a thorough scholarly introduction to every aspect of ancient Mediterranean religion. If that's what you want, I doubt you'll find a better book.
    99 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Jacques van Heerden
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2017
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    Good
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  • D. J. Mccann
    3.0 out of 5 stars Useful, but could have been better
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Firstly, the term Ancient World is used in its usual academic sense, to mean the civilisations of Europe and the Near East before the area was transformed by Christianity and Islam. Secondly, this is basically an encyclopedia: short articles by 136 contributors.

    Although the accounts of specific religions are good, the general surveys of topics like ethics or sacrifice are often disappointing. None of their contributors seems to have a background in the phenomenology of religion and around a third of them are Christian theologians, some of whom display open bias. The problem here is that the editors selected the contributors but did not supervise them.

    The lack of supervision also shows up in the bibliographies: some are adequate, some are not, and some articles have none. In a work like this, guidance on further reading is surely essential.

    In any encyclopedia, as one of the editors points out, much is sacrificed on the altars of the Big Picture and the Small Article. Sometimes, too much: the history of Zoroastrianism tells us less about the dating of Zarathustra than Wikipedia! Better planning and design would have helped to provide more space. Should the Etruscans have been included, when so little can be said? Do Judaism and Christianity even belong to the Ancient World? Both may be said to have opted out. The third part of the book is in double columns, the first and second in single column. Despite the use of a larger type, those parts have to have very large margins, wasting more space.

    The best thing about this work is its existence: if you need a quick source of information on things like Roman divination or Hittite worship, this is the only game in town.

    A cut-down paperback version, consisting of just the first two parts, is available under the title "Ancient Religions".
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