In antiquity, the Mediterranean region was linked by sea and land routes that facilitated the spread of religious beliefs and practices among the civilizations of the ancient world. The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Mediterranean Religions provides an introduction to the major religions of this area and explores current research regarding the similarities and differences among them. The period covered is from the prehistoric period to late antiquity, that is, ca.4000 BCE to 600 CE. The first nine essays in the volume provide an overview of the characteristics and historical developments of the major religions of the region, including those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Syria-Canaan, Israel, Anatolia, Iran, Greece, Rome, and early Christianity. The last five essays deal with key topics in current research on these religions, including violence, identity, the body, gender and visuality, taking an explicitly comparative approach and presenting recent theoretical and methodological advances in contemporary scholarship.
• Offers a list of works for further reading on each topic • Includes chronological charts that outline the history of each religion • Gives glossaries of terms and names of divinities • Provides a map with geographical locations of important sites for each religion
Contents
1. Egypt Emily Teeter; 2. Mesopotamia Beate Pongratz-Leisten; 3. Syria-Canaan Shawna Dolansky; 4. Israel Mayer Gruber; 5. Anatolia Billie Jean Collins; 6. Iran William Malandra; 7. Greece Jennifer Larson; 8. Rome Celia Schultz; 9. Early Christianity H. Gregory Snyder; 10. Violence Bruce Lincoln; 11. Identity Kimberly Stratton; 12. The body Elizabeth A. Castelli; 13. Gender Ross Kraemer; 14. Visuality Robin Jensen.
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