Objects, Qualities, and Attributes as Deities in the Ancient Near East

Objects, Qualities, and Attributes as Deities in the Ancient Near EastSeries: Culture and History of the Ancient Near East, Volume: 144Author: Jennifer SingletaryThis book analyzes examples of objects, qualities, and attributes treated as deities in ancient Near Eastern texts spanning the second and first millennia BCE. Specifically, this cross-cultural study examines attestations of this phenomenon in texts from Mesopotamia, Ebla, Alalakh, Emar, and Ugarit, as well as first millennium inscriptions, Aramaic texts from Egypt, and the Hebrew Bible. Through the application of recent research in cognitive science of religion and prototype theory, the book concludes that these types of deities are natural products of the human mind.Front Matter Preliminary Material Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: i xvAuthor: Jennifer Singletary Dedication Author: Jennifer Singletary Motto Author: Jennifer Singletary Acknowledgments Author: Jennifer Singletary Abbreviations Author: Jennifer Singletary Chapter 1 Gods, Deities, and the Superhuman Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: 1 29 Chapter 2 Reconsidering the Evidence from Mesopotamia Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: 30 55 Chapter 3 The Evidence from Ebla Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: 56 85 Chapter 4 The Evidence from Alalakh Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: 86 93 Chapter 5 The Evidence from Emar Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: 94 103 Chapter 6 The Evidence from Ugarit Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: 104 118 Chapter 7 First Millennium Inscriptions Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: 119 131 Chapter 8 Aramaic Documents from Egypt and the Hebrew Bible Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: 132 152 Chapter 9 Understanding Objects, Qualities, and Attributes as Deities Author: Jennifer Singletary Pages: 153 178 Back Matter Bibliography Author: Jennifer Singletary Index Author: Jennifer Singletary