Goddesses in Context: On Divine Powers, Roles, Relationships and Gender in Mesopotamian Textual and Visual Sources (Orbis Biblicus Et Orientalis) (Orbis Biblicus Et Orientalis, 259)

This Book Examines From Different Perspectives Some Of The Most Challenging Themes In Mesopotamian Religion Such As Gender Switch Of Deities And Changes Of The Status, Roles And Functions Of Goddesses. The Authors Incorporate Recent Scholarship From Various Disciplines Into Their Analysis Of Textual And Visual Sources, Representations In Diverse Media, Theological Strategies, Typologies, And The Place Of Image In Religion And Cult Over A Span Of Three Millennia. Different Types Of Syncretism (fusion, Fission, Mutation) Resulted In Transformation And Homogenization Of Goddesses' Roles And Functions. The Processes Of Syncretism (a Useful Heuristic Tool For Studying The Evolution Of Religions And The Attendant Political And Social Changes) And Gender Switch Were Facilitated By The Fluidity Of Personality Due To Multiple Or Similar Divine Roles And Functions. In Loving Memory -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction / Julia M. Asher-greve And Joan Goodnick Westenholz -- Map Of Mesopotamia -- Chronological Table -- Gender Theory And Issues / Julia M. Asher-greve -- On Sexual Differences And Gender Categories -- Changing Gender, Function, Domain, Rank/status Of Deities -- The Discourse On The Marginalization Of Goddesses -- Plethora Of Female Deities / Joan Goodnick Westenholz -- The Processes : Syncretism, Fusion, Fission, And Mutation -- The First Stage : Profusion -- Goddesses And Their Cities In The Late Uruk Period (ca. 3300-2900) -- Praising The Goddesses In The Early Dynastie Period (ca. 2900-2350) -- The Melting Pot Of Goddesses In The Old Akkadian Period (ca. 2350-2150) -- Retrospective Notions And New Trends : Goddesses In The Neo-sumerian Period (ca. 2150-2000) -- The Second Stage : Recession -- Goddesses In Transformation In The Old Babylonian Period (ca. 2000-1595) -- Continuity And Change : Goddesses In The Middle Babylonian Period (ca. 1595-1000) -- The Third Stage : Homogeneity And Simplification -- Conflation : Goddesses In The Neo-babylonian Period (740-539) -- Goddesses In Perpetuity In The Late Babylonian Period (539-141) -- General Trends -- Facets Of Change / Julia M. Asher-greve -- The Case Of Ninhu̮rsaĝa -- Mythological Messages -- Enki And Ninmah ̮or When A Goddess Fails As 'mother' -- Two Tales Of Becoming Enlil's Spouse -- Images / Julia M. Asher-greve -- Image And Religion -- The Image Issue -- Images As Religious Medium -- Visualizing Deities -- Survey Through Time, Space And Place -- Inventing Images Of Goddesses In The Early Dynastie Period -- Akkadian Innovative Images -- Goddesses In The Majority : Neo-sumerian Period -- High-ranked Goddesses On Public Monuments -- Protective Goddesses -- Principal Goddesses -- Seal Images Of Principal Goddess -- Seal Images Of Principal Goddess Associated With Birds -- Neo-sumerian 'conservatism' -- Statues -- The Temple Of Ningal At Ur And The Goddess On Anserini -- Goddesses In Neighborhood Shrines At Ur -- Goddesses In Palaces And Private Houses -- Roles And Functions Of Terracotta Images Of Goddesses -- In The Minority : Goddesses On Old Babylonian Seals -- Images Of The Sippar Pantheon -- Goddess And King Embracing -- Affinities To Goddesses -- Power Of Presence : Images Of Goddesses After The Dark Age -- Epilogue / Julia M. Asher-greve And Joan Goodnick Westenholz -- Abbreviations -- Bibliography -- Indices -- Index Of Subjects -- Index Of Divine Names -- Index Of Temples, Sanctuaries, Shrines -- Index Of Topographical Names -- Index Of Royal And Personal Names -- Index Of Sumerian And Akkadian Words Discussed -- Figures. Julia M. Asher-greve, Joan Goodnick Westenholz. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 301-355) And Indexes. The authors examine from different perspectives some of the most challenging themes in Mesopotamian religion such as gender switch of deities and changes of the status, roles and functions of goddesses. Julia M. Asher-Greve and Goodnick Westenholz incorporate recent scholarship from various disciplines into their analysis of textual and visual sources, representations in diverse media, theological strategies, typologies, and the place of image in religion and cult over a span of three millennia. Different types of syncretism (fusion, fission, mutation) resulted in transformation and homogenization of goddesses' roles and functions. The processes of syncretism (a useful heuristic tool for studying the evolution of religions and the attendant political and social changes) and gender switch were facilitated by the fluidity of personality due to multiple or similar divine roles and functions. Few goddesses kept their identity throughout the millennia. Individuality is rare in the iconography of goddesses while visual emphasis is on repetition of generic divine figures (hieros typos) in order to retain recognizability of divinity, where femininity is of secondary significance. This richly illustrated book demonstrates that goddesses were never marginalized or extrinsic and that their continuous presence in texts, cult images, rituals, and worship throughout Mesopotamian history is testimony to their powerful numinous impact. This richly illustrated book is the first in-depth analysis of goddesses and the changes they underwent from the earliest visual and textual evidence around 3000 BCE to the end of ancient Mesopotamian civilization in the Seleucid period. Goddesses in Context is a compelling contribution to Mesopotamian religion and history as well as to history, art history, history of religion and gender studies. p_I-IV_no_259 OBO 259_Asher-Greve_Westenholz_TOC TEXT_02 collections_no_259