Thesis (Th. D.)--Grace Theological Seminary, 1988. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 235-264).

The purpose of the Roman Argei ceremony, during which the Vestal Virgins harvested made and paraded rush puppets only to throw them into the Tiber, is widely debated. Modern historians supply three main reasons for the purpose of the Argei: an agrarian act, a scapegoat, and finally as an offering averting deceased spirits or Lares. I suggest that the ceremony also related to war and the spectacle of displaying war casualties. I compare the ancient Near East and Rome and connect the element of war and husbandry and claim that the Argei paralleled the sacred marriage. in addition to an agricultural and purification rite, these rituals may have served as sympathetic magic for pre- and inter-war periods. As of yet, no author has proposed the Argei as a ceremony related to war. By looking at the Argei holistically I open the door for a new direction of inquiry on the Argei ceremony, fertility cults in the Near East and in Rome, and on the execution of war criminals.The Argei and new year’s sacred marriage both occurred during the initiation of campaign and spring planting and harvest season. Both in the ancient Near East and in Rome, animal victims were sacrificed and displayed through impaling, crucifixion, and hanging for fertility and in war. for both Rome and the Near East war casualties were displayed on sacred trees. Through the Near East cultures a strong correlation existed between impaling, hanging, and crucifixion in war and Sacred Tree fertility worship. By examining Roman tree worship, military rituals, and agricultural ceremonies a similar correlation becomes apparent. on the same day of the Argei, Mars was married to the anthropomorphized new year and within the month became a scapegoat expelled from the city. Additionally, on the first day of the Argei boys became soldiers.

<p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka Asherahs roll i den forntida israelitiska religionen i förhållande till Jahve.</p>

Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka Asherahs roll i den forntida israelitiska religionen i förhållande till Jahve.

In the historical tapestry of the development of the Goddess, from 10,000 - 330 BCE one golden thread shines through. Despite the vicissitudes of differing status, she remained essentially the same, namely divine. She was continuously sought in the many mysteries, mystic ideologies and through the manifestations that she inspired. In all the countries of the Ancient Near East, the mother goddess was the life giving creatrix and regenerator of the world and the essence of the generating force that seeds new life. While her name may have altered in the various areas, along with that of her consort/lover/child, the myths and rituals which formed a major force in forming the ancient cultures would become manifest in a consciousness and a spiritual awareness. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M.A. (Language and Culture)

In the historical tapestry of the development of the Goddess, from 10,000 - 330 BCE one golden thread shines through. Despite the vicissitudes of differing status, she remained essentially the same, namely divine. She was continuously sought in the many mysteries, mystic ideologies and through the manifestations that she inspired. In all the countries of the Ancient Near East, the mother goddess was the life giving creatrix and regenerator of the world and the essence of the generating force that seeds new life. While her name may have altered in the various areas, along with that of her consort/lover/child, the myths and rituals which formed a major force in forming the ancient cultures would become manifest in a consciousness and a spiritual awareness. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M.A. (Language and Culture)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T13:49:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ANA LUISA ALVES CORDEIRO.pdf: 1151113 bytes, checksum: f7942a3c4ac0cf3c9c0de1dc63942b13 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-12 / To several readers of the holy Bible the idea of a single God, Yahweh, seems to be clear. Thought, the Bible and some other archaeological discoverys shows that things were not always like this. Before a monotheist theological elaboration on ancient Israel, there was a religious polytheistic reality, wich Yahweh was part of. The research intend to clarify this reality, questioning for the presence of the female divinity, specially Asherah, for the impacts of Josiah reform (around the VII b.C. century, in the ancient Israel) and the important points on the discution about the Goddess nowadays. The research intend to study 2Kings 23,4-7, showing that are actions taken for the good of monotheism, are held by intolerance, violence and suppression of the other. The female representation, while Goddess, was present in the ancient Israel and even suppressed in the monotheist elaboration process, the Goddess continue resurging nowadays like symbolic possibility to imagine the holy. / Para a maioria das pessoas que lêem a Bíblia, a idéia de um único Deus, Javé, parece ser clara. No entanto, tanto a Bíblia quanto algumas descobertas arqueológicas deixam entrever que nem sempre foi assim. Antes de uma elaboração teológica monoteísta no antigo Israel havia uma realidade religiosa politeísta, da qual Javé também fazia parte. A pesquisa busca elucidar essa realidade, perguntando pela presença da divindade feminina, em especial Aserá, pelos impactos da reforma de Josias (em meados do século VII a.C., no antigo Israel) e as relevâncias da discussão sobre a Deusa na atualidade. A pesquisa busca analisar o texto de 2Reis 23,4-7, demonstrando que se trata de medidas impetradas em prol do monoteísmo, permeadas de intolerância, violência e supressão do(a) outro(a). A representação feminina, enquanto Deusa, esteve presente no antigo Israel e apesar de suprimidas no processo de elaboração monoteísta, as Deusas continuam ressurgindo na atualidade como possibilidade simbólica de imaginar o sagrado.

En mettant l’accent sur les figures extrabibliques de Dieu, cette recherche explore des aspects souvent négligés du développement de l’identité de la divinité qui est devenue à certain moment le Dieu unique et tout puissant des monothéismes « abrahamiques ». Pour les Égyptiens tous les baalim étaient des manifestations séthiennes. Seth, divinité très ancienne est devenue figure extrabiblique de Yhwh, très souvent oubliée, on a essayé d’explorer ses différents aspects en suivant son évolution et ses liens avec les populations d’origine sémitique et de manière générale de la côte levantine. Il est à l’autre extrême d’une longue période de temps, précisément au moment du dernier empereur romain non-chrétien, Julien II que l’on va chercher la trace d’une autre figure extrabiblique négligée de Dieu qui est très complexe. Il s’agit, en fait, de multiples approches philosophiques à l’idée d’une divinité supérieure. La deuxième partie de la thèse s’occupe des figures vétérotestamentaires de Dieu. Complément aux figures extrabibliques, on trouve dans la Bible hébraïque fortes traces d’un panthéon primitif autour de Yhwh/El et sa parèdre. Les dynamiques d’assimilation, association, usurpation, fusion et rejet des attributs des membres de cette « famille divine » en faveur d’une seule divinité toute puissante se trouvent dans les textes bibliques. / Putting the accent on the extrabiblical images of God, this research explores some often neglected aspects of the process which lead to the formation of a particular identity for the Only and all mighty God of the “abrahamic” monotheisms. For the Egyptians, all baalim were sethian manifestations. Seth, a very ancient god, became one of the sometimes forgotten Yahwe’s extrabiblical images. We have explored its different aspects following its evolution and ties with semitic populations, and in general with those of the Levantine coast. On the other chronological extreme of a very long historical period, during the reign of the last non-christian Roman Emperor, Julian the 2nd, we looked for another very complex extrabiblical image. It is is in fact, not one but many philosophical approaches to the ida of a superior divine entity. The second chapter studies God’s images inside the Hebrew Bible. These images are related and they complete the extrabiblica ones. In the biblical text we find strong tacs of an ancient local pantheon leaded by Yahweh/El and his paredra. We find in the biblical texts dynamics of assimilation, association, substitution, equivalence, fussion and rejection of divine attributs from this “family of gods” to the Only God.

My motivation and purpose of this research particularly evolve around the question on the origin of Yahweh and the development of Yahwism, as well as the role of marginal groups in the maintaining of a pre-exilic Yahweh-alone monotheism, and the subsequent conversion by Judahites – who previously practised a syncretistic religion – to a post-exilic Yahweh monotheism. In accordance with the Kenite hypothesis, the Yahwist tradition originated in the South amongst the Midianites and Kenites. A Moses-type figure acquired knowledge about Yahweh from these tribes who venerated Yahweh before the Israelites did. According to the Chronicler's genealogy, marginal southern groups were all related. The Kenites and Rechabites had the opportunity, due to their nomadic lifestyle and particular trade – as coppersmiths – to spread their religious beliefs. Although the majority of Israelites practised syncretism, these marginal groups – particularly the Rechabites – sustained their Yahwistic faith throughout the Monarchical Period, actively involved in a Yahweh-alone movement. Jeremiah set the Rechabites – who followed a puritanical lifestyle – as an example for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. My hypothesis is that the Israelite God Yahweh was originally a Midianite/Kenite deity and that marginal groups related to the Kenites, such as the Rechabites, played a signi¬fi¬cant and dominant role in the preserving of a pre-exilic Yahweh-alone movement, as well as in the establishment of a post-exilic Yahweh monotheism. My approach to this research was with the premise that the Yahwist tradition originated in the South whence it spread to Judah and the North. According to a recurring biblical tradition, Yahweh emanated from the South. Evidence from certain Egyptian documents endorses Yahweh's presence in the South. It was also my aim to establish the interdependence – or not – of different disciplines relevant to the Hebrew Bible. In my research it became clear that archaeology and biblical scholarship – particularly historiography – cannot operate effectively without the acceptance of their mutual dependence. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Ancient Languages / unrestricted

The purpose of this study is to illustrate the role of fertility goddesses in the lives and beliefs of the people of the Ancient Near East. Artefacts from the late Paleolithic period were crude female figures of pregnant women representing fertility. A mother goddess was specified as the giver and taker of life and vegetation. The polytheism of pre-exilic Israel that existed proves that not only Yahweh but also other gods existed. In the creation stories of the Ancient Near East, creation myths played a major role; in the Ugaritic myths the universe was ruled by powerful deities, and their presence could be felt in rain, vegetation and crops. Fertility cults were the force in their worship. Cultic sites associated with deities were often located in groves of trees, which made them sacred to the people. There was a close relationship between tree and tree figures, as well as gods and goddess images. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.A. (Biblical Archaeology)