Among the Host of Heaven: The Syro-Palestinian Pantheon as BureaucracyDuring the past two generations, there have been many studies on the structure, organization, and "function" of the gods of the Levantine and ancient Near Eastern worlds. In this important study, Lowell Handy provides new directions for thinking on this crucial topic, arguing that the structure of the pantheon worshiped in Syria-Palestine mirrored the social structure of the city-states in that region. While many recent studies have investigated the relations of the gods in both biblical and extra-biblical texts from the area, Handy shows that the pantheon functioned as a bureaucracy. This perspective may well be the primary key for understanding hierarchy among the gods. |
Contents
| 3 | |
Tablets and Texts | 19 |
Authoritative Deities | 65 |
Active Deities | 97 |
Artisan Deities | 131 |
Messenger Deities | 149 |
Summary | 169 |
| 179 | |
| 205 | |
Common terms and phrases
active Anat Ancient Ancient Near East angels appears artisan Asherah aspect assembly assumed attempt authority Baal behavior belief Bible biblical bureaucracy called Canaanite carry century city-state clear clearly common considered cosmos cult culture deal deities described divine early Eastern Egyptian evidence example existence fact fragment function given goddess gods Greek hierarchy highest authority History human importance included individual inscriptions Israel king known Kothar-wa-Hasis literature major material means messengers mythological myths narratives noted Old Testament organization original pantheon particular passage Philo of Byblos Phoenician position possible presented problem proper question realm reason references reflect Religion religious remains ritual rule ruler scholars seen Semitic Society sources status story structure Studies suggested superiors Syria Syria-Palestine Syro-Palestinian tablets temple texts theory thought tion tradition translated Ugarit University University Press various Yahweh York
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