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Syllabus The Gods of Ancient Mesopotamia: Theology Myth & Ritual - 42311
עברית
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Last update 08-03-2022
HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 1st degree (Bachelor)

Responsible Department: Archaeology & Ancient near East

Semester: 2nd Semester

Teaching Languages: Hebrew

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Prof. Uri Gabbay

Coordinator Email: gabbay.uri@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: on appointment

Teaching Staff:
Prof Uri Gabbay

Course/Module description:
knowledge of ancient Mesopotamiaan gods in myth and ritual

Course/Module aims:
knowledge of ancient mesopotamian gods, their mythology and the cult they participated in/
knowledge of the various levels of perception of the mesopotamian god
analysis of the gods of mesopotmia in particular and of other religions in general using the tools given in the course

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
knowledge of the ancient mesopotamian gods
reading and analysis of ancient religious texts (in translation)
analysis of religious phenomena in mesopotamia and in other religions

Attendance requirements(%):
75

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: lectures
discussions in class
1-2 exercises
bonus exercises

Course/Module Content:
mythology of mesopotamian gods
perception of god in ritual: the creation of the god
god and nature

Required Reading:
primary sources in translaation by teacher and from the book "In Those Ancient Days," J. Klein and Sh. Shifra, Tel Aviv 1996)

Additional Reading Material:
J. Black and A. Green, Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary, London 1992
Th. Jacobsen, The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion, New Haven 1976
A. L. Oppenheim, “Chapter IV: Why a ‘Mesopotamian Religion’ should not be written,” in: Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization, Chicago 1964, pp. 170-227
ש' שפרה וי' וקליין, בימים הרחוקים ההם: אנתולוגיה משירת המזרח הקדום, תל אביב 1996
א"ו הורוויץ, "לדיוקנו של האל המסופוטמי", בתוך: אלי קדם: פוליתאיזם בארץ ישראל ושכנותיה מן האלף השני לפסה"נ ועד לתקופה המוסלמית (עורכים: מ' קיסטר, י' גייגר, נ' נאמן, ש' שקד; ירושלים: יד יצחק בן צבי, תשס"ח), עמ' 1-33

מיתוס
W.G. Lambert, “Myth and Mythmaking in Ancient Mesopotamia,” in: J.M. Sasson (ed.), Civilizations of the Ancient Near East, vol. III, New York 1995, pp. 1825-1835
W.G. Lambert, “Mesopotamian Creation Stories,” in: M. Geller and M. Schipper (eds.), Imagining Creation, Leiden-Boston 2008, pp. 15-59

פולחן
Ch. Walker and M.B. Dick, “The Induction of the Cult Image in Ancient Mesopotamia: The Mesopotamian mīs pî Ritual,” in: M.B. Dick (ed.), Born in Heaven, Made on Earth: The Making of the Cult Image in the Ancient Near East, Winona Lake 1999, pp. 55-121
A. Berlejung, “Washing the Mouth: The Consecration of Divine Images in Mesopotamia,” in The Image and the Book: Iconic Cults, Aniconism, and the Rise of Book Religion in Israel and the Ancient Near East (ed. K. van der Toorn; Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology 21, Leuven: Peeters, 1997), 45-72
W.G. Lambert, “Myth and Ritual as Conceived by the Babylonians”, Journal of Semitic Studies 13 (1968), pp. 104-112

Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 0 %
Presentation 0 %
Participation in Tutorials 10 %
Project work 60 %
Assignments 20 %
Reports 10 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 0 %

Additional information:
 
Students needing academic accommodations based on a disability should contact the Center for Diagnosis and Support of Students with Learning Disabilities, or the Office for Students with Disabilities, as early as possible, to discuss and coordinate accommodations, based on relevant documentation.
For further information, please visit the site of the Dean of Students Office.
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