Ancient Near East, Semitics and Judaica – November 2013

By Emma Wilson-Shaw|December 5, 2013|Ancient Near East, Semitics and Judaica|0 comments

Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations Approaching rituals in ancient cultures: Questioni di Rito: Rituali come Fonte di Conoscenza delle Religioni e delle Concezioni del Mondo nelle Culture Antiche, proceedings of the conference, November 28-30, 2011, Roma / edited by Claus Ambos and Lorenzo Verderame.  Frühe Götterdarstellungen in Mesopotamien / Eva Andrea Braun-Holzinger Die Wahrsagekunst im Alten Orient : Zeichen des Himmels und der Erde / Stefan M. Maul Etudes Ougaritiques III

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Book Review: Ancient Babylonian medicine: theory and practice / Markham Geller.

By Mary Fisk|July 10, 2013|Ancient Near East, Semitics and Judaica, History|0 comments

Professor Dr. Markham Geller is a Visiting Professor at the Freie Universität in Berlin, and Director of UCL’s Institute of Jewish Studies. His recent monograph, Ancient Babylonian medicine : theory and practice (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010) has been reviewed by John Steele (Professor of Egyptology and Ancient West Asian Studies at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island) in the online journal Aestimatio (Vol.10, 2013) (Institute for Research in Classical Philosophy and Science) Professor Steele concludes

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Mesopotamian deities: new web resource

By Mary Fisk|February 25, 2013|Ancient Near East, Semitics and Judaica, Religions|0 comments

All you need to know about fifty ancient Mesopotamian deities, from Anu to Zababa, is brought together on Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses (AMGG), a new resource from ORACC (Open Richly Annoated Cuneiform Corpus). Enlil and Ninlil – from a mural decoration at Susa (image Paul Bedson http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EnlilandNinlil.jpg) The site is aimed at undergraduate students and provides concise information on the deities, with links to images, further readings and online projects. Click

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Traditional Parsi death rituals in modern Mumbai

By Mary Fisk|December 12, 2012|Religions, South Asia|0 comments

Image from Wikimedia: (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Indian_Vulture-_Gyps_indicus.jpg) Link to this New York Times article on how Parsi leaders in Mumbai are building aviaries to re-establish the native vultures which traditionally consumed the corpses of the of the Parsi dead, laid out in specially constructed Towers of Silence, so that the elements of air, earth, fire and water would not be polluted by death. The scheme will also bring the birds back from the brink of extinction. Image

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