Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Pejoratively referred to as idols in the Hebrew Bible and in western tradition, the cult image occupied a central place in the cultures of the ancient Near East. In Mesopotamia, a ritual (mis pi) was used to give birth to the god represented by the cult image. In this volume, three separate essays examine the topic within different ancient Near Eastern cultures, and a fourth provides a modern analogy as counterpoint.
Table of Contents
Prophetic parodies of making the cult image / Michael B. Dick -- The induction of the cult image in Ancient Mesopotamia : the Mesopotamian måis pãi ritual / Christopher Walker and Michael B. Dick -- The theology of cult statues in ancient Egypt / David Lorton -- The divine image in contemporary South India : the renaissance of a once maligned tradition / Joanne Punzo Waghorne.