Les tombes royales et les tombes de prestige sont spécifiques d’une partie de la communauté détenant un pouvoir régional ou local. Dans le contexte du Bronze Ancien en Mésopotamie et en Syrie, l’étude archéologique a permis de distinguer les tombes de prestige des autres tombes selon trois critères principaux : l’architecture monumentale, la localisation topographique et le matériel funéraire déposés dans les tombes. Ces traits constituent un ensemble de signes complexes intégré dans un discours idéologique. L’étude a eu pour objectif de replacer les pratiques funéraires dans la société et les pratiques rituelles et sociales du pouvoir. Une perspective anthropologique apportée au sujet des tombes royales et de prestige a permis de mettre en évidence comment les pratiques funéraires sont un instrument institutionnel de manipulation idéologique, intégrées dans un discours social et politique structuré. Comme d’autres moments centraux de la société, les pratiques funéraires sont des pratiques rituelles et sociales qui jouent un rôle dans la représentation du pouvoir des élites et la structuration de la communauté. Elles permettent de reproduire et de maintenir l’équilibre social et de justifier le pouvoir des dites élites. / The royal tombs and the tombs of prestige are specific of a group detaining a regional power or local power. We have identified archaeological traits in the Syrian and Mesopotamian Early Bronze Age context which could distinguish the prestige tombs from the others. These formal features are the monumental architecture, the specific location of the prestige tombs and the group of graves associated, and the grave goods. The wealth of the deposition and the structure are characteristics of the prestige tombs and it constitutes complex signs integrated in an ideological discourse. Thus, an anthropological perspective has been essential to appreciate the social implication of the elite funerary practices. As others main events in the society, funerary practices of prestige are rituals and social practices which play a role in the representation of the elite power and in the structure of the society. The royal tombs and the tombs of prestige are social instruments of ideological manipulation; the funerary practices are integrated in social discourse through rituals in order to reproduce and maintain social structure and justify the elite power.

Cette étude concerne les bas-reliefs rupestres des montagnes du Kurdistan irakien, notamment ceux découverts dans les trois provinces de Dohuk, Erbil et Sulaymaniyeh.Les bas-reliefs sont une source importante de données sur les sociétés du Proche-Orient ancien. Ils sont des témoignages d’idéologies, de croyances, de cérémonies et de rituels anciens. Nous avons pris en compte une large période depuis le début de l’âge du Bronze jusqu’au 3e siècle après J.-C. Cela concerne un corpus d’étude de 132 objets dont 43 bas-reliefs du Kurdistan irakien. Les bas-reliefs étaient aussi un moyen de satisfaire le désir d'immortalité des gouvernants ; une partie de ces bas-reliefs représentent une iconographie royale avec des scènes de guerre et de victoire sur les ennemis, de couronnement royal, la mise en place des projets d’irrigation, d’autres concernent des événements religieux.L’analyse des bas-reliefs a été effectuée à partir d’observations réalisées sur le terrain et l’étude de la bibliographie existante afin de mieux connaître les causes de leur création. Nous disposons de mesures précises, de photos et de schémas de ces bas-reliefs, élaborés de façon exhaustive et similaire, ce qui permet ensuite de les comparer avec d'autres vestiges archéologiques bien datés. Nous les avons traité sur les plans technique et artistique, en étudiant l’iconographie, les décors, les personnages, les vêtements, les armes et les symboles divins que l’on retrouve sur ces œuvres. Cette analyse détaillée des éléments figurés et des scènes de ces reliefs est très utile pour connaitre leur contexte historique qui étaient encore mal connues, en raison du grand nombre d’avis contradictoires émis par les précédents chercheurs.Nous retraçons à travers ces bas-reliefs une fresque de l’histoire du Kurdistan irakien qui va de 3000 avant J.-C à 300 ans après J.-C. / This study concerns the rock reliefs of the mountains of the Kurdistan (Iraq), including those discovered in three provinces of Dohuk, Erbil and Sulaymaniyeh.The reliefs are an important source of data concerning the societies of the Ancient Near East. They have been used as evidence of former ideologies, beliefs, ceremonies and rituals. We have taken in account a large period from the early Bronze Age until the 3rd century after AD. This concerns a corpus of study including 132 objects which 43 low-reliefs found in the Iraqi Kurdistan. The reliefs were also a way to satisfy the desire for immortality of previous rulers; some of these reliefs represent a royal iconography with scenes of war and victory on the enemies, royal coronation, the implementation of projects of irrigation; others relate to religious events.The analysis of the low-reliefs was conducted from observations of the field and by the study of the previous bibliography to have a better knowledge of the causes of their creations. We have a description of these reliefs with accurate measurements, photos, and drawing, done with exhaustive and similar methods, which then allows them to compare with other well dated archaeological evidence. Then we have dealed with these reliefs on technical and artistic level, by studying their iconography, the decors, the characters, the clothes, the weapons and the divine symbols found on these works. This detailed analysis of the figuredelements and sceneries of these reliefs is very useful to know their historic context that were still not wellknown, because of the large number of conflicting opinions from the previous researchers.We track through these low-reliefs a fresco of the Iraqi Kurdistan history that goes from 3000 BC to 300 years after AD.

This thesis aims to map non-Semitic influences in the religion and culture of the Late Bronze Age Syria. During the Late Bronze Age, Syria was divided into many local kingdoms which were most of the time subdued to the great empires of the ancient Near East (Mitanni and Ḫatti) and Egypt. Influences from these cultural areas are the most noticeable. Trade across the Mediterranean brought many cultural influences, too. These are mostly observable in art. The thesis is centred around case studies from Ugarit, Amurru, Byblos, Karkemiš, Alalaḫ, Ḫalāb, Emar, Tunip and Qaṭna. Each case study shows peculiarities of individual sites and different modes of cultural transfer. The data are set into a broader anthropological perspective and some general conclusions are made about the process of culture transfer and about conceptions of foreignnessin theculturesof theancientNearEastand Egypt.Abroadertheoryof cultureasa system of concepts is outlined and the material is interpreted in its light. Key words Foreigners, foreignness, culture transfer, religion, Late Bronze Age, ancient Syria, ancient Near East, Egypt, Ḫatti, Mitanni, Hittites, Hurrians, Egyptians, Ugarit, Amurru, Byblos, Karkemiš, Alalaḫ, Ḫalāb, Emar, Tunip, Qaṭna.

Bibliography: leaves 176-186 / The relationship between political, religious ideology and the interpretation of archaeological excavation in the Holy Land has faced criticism and has been debated by scholars since the beginning of biblical archaeology in the 19th century and up to the present day. These debates are not just academic but have manifested itself in the public narrative and are alleged to have consequences regarding the history of Israel and the physical space inhabited by both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Some of the current excavations in Jerusalem are viewed with suspicion. Archaeology is singled out to be biased in its interpretation and that it is being used for political ends. An investigation of the point of intersection between archaeology, politics and religion is important for the discourse and question whether archaeology in Israel has become complicit in the establishment and continued maintenance of nationhood and the Zionist project, as alleged by the minimalist scholars and opponents of Israel. Biblical archaeology has been drawn into this debate and its interpretation. The negative externalities of this discipline are the perceived use of the biblical text as a reference document and the subsequent findings of Late Bronze and Iron Age archaeology, which raise questions about the veracity of the biblical text and its impact on biblical scholarship and religion. Archaeologists and their interpretation of these spaces find themselves amid this paradigmatic revolution. The integrity of these scholars, their methodologies and their motivations are interrogated to the point of an ideological debate. The position of Palestinian archaeology hangs in the balance and there is no clear indication as to its future or whether any collaboration with Israeli archaeology is possible due to the politicisation in the region and the distrust that exists between Israel and the West Bank in general. This research reveals the extent in which these externalities of biblical archaeology and its interpretation have had an effect on ideology and its prevalence, and whether the questions and criticisms raised are justified. The views of archaeologists who have been actively involved in the excavation of the region provide these answers. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Phil. (Biblical archaeology)

The presented master's thesis deals with the Epic of Zimrī-Lîm, a text from the ancient city of Mari from the beginning of the 18th century BC. The text of the epic is included in transliteration (based on the edition by Michaël Guichard from 2014) and in English translation. The epic has also been published online as the first entry of NERE (Near Eastern Royal Epics) project on ORACC (Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus). In addition to the text itself, the thesis includes a broader historical-cultural commentary. There, selected elements of the ancient text are portraited as well-set within the lived cultural-political environment of the ancient Near East, with particular attention to the time of Zimrī-Lîm. Most of the space is devoted to the religious aspect of the work, especially the role of the deities. Last but not least, the composition is discussed within the context of other royal epics of the ancient Near East. Key Words Zimrī-Lîm, Mari, TellHariri, epic, royal epics, Akkadian literature, narrative, royal ideology, religion, ancient Syria, ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Near East, Middle Bronze Age

Historiquement et jusqu’à aujourd’hui, la Bible a été utilisée afin de justifier une homophobie, soit-elle religieuse ou laïque. Les passages de prédilection employés à cet effet sont le récit de Sodome et de Gomorrhe en Genèse (Gn) 19 et les interdits du Lévitique (Lv) en 18,22 et 20,13. Depuis au moins les travaux de Derrick Sherwin Bailey (1955), le récit de Genèse 19 est souvent interprété à travers le prisme du thème de l'inhospitalité au sein des traditions chrétiennes, plutôt qu’un interdit spécifique de l'homosexualité. En revanche, les extraits du Lévitique, en tant que textes de loi, présentaient un autre type d'autorité et ont eu droit à une réception distincte. Ainsi, selon une approche historique maximaliste, il serait considéré comme historiquement illégal pour un homme d'avoir des rapports sexuels avec un autre homme, sous peine de mort. Dans le cadre de ce mémoire, je propose d'explorer Lv 18,22; 20,13 et ses interprétations contemporaines, à partir d'une analyse exégétique et d’une excursion comparatiste en histoire des religions. En somme, quelles lectures pouvons-nous faire du Lévitique 18,22 et 20,13 concernant les relations sexuelles entre hommes à la lumière du contexte sociohistorique du Proche-Orient ancien ? / Historically and up to the present day, the Bible has been used to justify homophobia, whether religious or secular. The preferred passages employed for this purpose are the account of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis (Gen) 19 and the prohibitions in Leviticus (Lev) 18:22 and 20:13. Since at least the works of Derrick Sherwin Bailey (1955), the narrative of Genesis 19 has often been interpreted through the lens of the theme of inhospitality within Christian traditions, rather than as a specific prohibition of homosexuality. On the other hand, the Leviticus verses, as legal texts, held a different type of authority and received distinct reception. Thus, according to a maximalist historical approach, it would be considered historically illegal for a man to engage in sexual relations with another man, punishable by death. In the scope of this paper, I propose to explore Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 and their contemporary interpretations through exegesis and a comparative excursion into the history of religions. Ultimately, what interpretations can we derive from Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 regarding sexual relations between men in light of the sociohistorical context of the ancient Near East?

Die Bybel is die boek wat die meeste gelees word en tog is dit moeilik om die leefwêreld van daardie era te verstaan. My doel is om ’n nuwe blik te gee op ’n paar Ou-Testamentiese simbole. Die ontdekking van ivoorobjekte in die middel negentiende eeu in Nimrud se paleise het tot groot opwinding gelei, aangesien dit met die literatuur ooreenstem. Die ivoorstukke het ’n “verhaal” kom vertel. Deur die streke se kuns te bestudeer kan ons ’n prentjie vorm van die kuns wat in die Ystertydperk in Mesopotamië en Palestina se paleise en welaf huise voorgekom het. Die ikonografie word ontrafel deur ’n paar ivoorstukke te “lees.” Ikonografie is die beskrywing en verklaring van beelde wat op bepaalde onderwerpe betrekking het. Sekere beelde kom herhaaldelik voor in Mesopotamië. In dié studie word hoofsaaklik die Gevleuelde Wesens, die Boom van Lewe, die Gevleuelde Sonskyf asook Rosette beskryf. / The Bible is widely read but it is difficult to understand the world and culture of the era that it is set in. It is my aim to provide new insight into a few Old Testament verses with their symbolic meaning. When ivory was discovered at Nimrud the discovery elicited huge excitement. The ivory pieces came to tell a story. Through studying the art of the different cultures a picture begins to appear of the palaces and homes of the wealthy in the Levant. The iconography could be “read.” Iconography is the science of interpreting the message the art wants to convey to the viewer. A few images are repeatedly showing up in the Levant during the Iron Age. In this study I am focusing mainly on The Tree of Life, the Winged Disc, the Rosette and Winged Spiritual Beings. I am attempting to discern the meaning behind these images. / Biblical & Ancient Studies / M.A. (Ou Nabye-Oosterse Studies)

is study is composed of two units: manuscript of the author's publication Interpreting Ancient Egyptian Narratives: A Structural Analysis of the Tale of Two Brothers, the Anat Myth, the Osirian Cycle, and the Astarte Papyrus (Nouvelles études orientales, Bruxelles-Fernelmont: EME, 2014) and an additonal chapter entitled Accommodating Ambivalence: Case of the Doomed Prince and His Dog, which follows directly a er the Index of the first unit and which extends the applied methodology to yet another New Kingdom mythological narrative, the so-called Tale of the Doomed Prince. Methodologically, the author follows the neo-structuralist approach. Both studies explain the strong configurational character of ancient Egyptian (mythological) thought which has the ability to connect various ontological levels of human experience with the surrounding world into complex synchronic structures. ese symbolical systems are shown to be mediating between the various cultural paradoxes which were inherent to ancient Egyptian society. Axial role in this process is a ributed to the institution of positional kingship represented by the Pharaoh. Its transformative function is also put into relation to the special status of female characters who are shown to play the part of the "powerful powerless ones" further personifying...

Die Bybel is die boek wat die meeste gelees word en tog is dit moeilik om die leefwêreld van daardie era te verstaan. My doel is om ’n nuwe blik te gee op ’n paar Ou-Testamentiese simbole. Die ontdekking van ivoorobjekte in die middel negentiende eeu in Nimrud se paleise het tot groot opwinding gelei, aangesien dit met die literatuur ooreenstem. Die ivoorstukke het ’n “verhaal” kom vertel. Deur die streke se kuns te bestudeer kan ons ’n prentjie vorm van die kuns wat in die Ystertydperk in Mesopotamië en Palestina se paleise en welaf huise voorgekom het. Die ikonografie word ontrafel deur ’n paar ivoorstukke te “lees.” Ikonografie is die beskrywing en verklaring van beelde wat op bepaalde onderwerpe betrekking het. Sekere beelde kom herhaaldelik voor in Mesopotamië. In dié studie word hoofsaaklik die Gevleuelde Wesens, die Boom van Lewe, die Gevleuelde Sonskyf asook Rosette beskryf. / The Bible is widely read but it is difficult to understand the world and culture of the era that it is set in. It is my aim to provide new insight into a few Old Testament verses with their symbolic meaning. When ivory was discovered at Nimrud the discovery elicited huge excitement. The ivory pieces came to tell a story. Through studying the art of the different cultures a picture begins to appear of the palaces and homes of the wealthy in the Levant. The iconography could be “read.” Iconography is the science of interpreting the message the art wants to convey to the viewer. A few images are repeatedly showing up in the Levant during the Iron Age. In this study I am focusing mainly on The Tree of Life, the Winged Disc, the Rosette and Winged Spiritual Beings. I am attempting to discern the meaning behind these images. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.A. (Ou Nabye-Oosterse Studies)

The archaeology of the region, referred to in scholarly lexicon as the Ancient Near East, is richly endowed with artefacts and monumental architecture of ancient cultures. Such artefacts, as a non-renewable resource are, therefore considered to be a scarce commodity. So also is the context and the provenance of these objects. Once an object’s provenance has been disturbed, it is of no further significant use for academic research, except for aesthetic value. Historically, as well as in the present, we see that humans have exploited this resource for various reasons, with very little regard given to provenance. The impact of forgery, illicit trade and looting are the greatest threat to the value of provenance. Contrary to some arguments, collectors, curators, buyers, looters and certain scholars play a significant role in its destruction. This research reveals to what extent unknown provenance has become a disturbing problem in the study of archaeological artefacts. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.Th. (Biblical Archaeology)