Towards a Comparative Approach to Demonology in Antiquity: The Case of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Lucarelli
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Ancient World ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
New York University ◽  
General Introduction ◽  
International Conference ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Evil Spirits ◽  
And Function

Abstract This essay provides a general introduction to demonology in antiquity as well as a focus on ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. It is also meant as an introduction to those papers which were originally presented at the international conference titled “Evil Spirits, Monsters and Benevolent Protectors: Demonology in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia,” held on April 23, 2012 at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World of New York University, contained in the first section of this volume. Questions of the definition and function of demons in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations are raised and discussed in light of a comparative approach to the study of ancient religions.

scholarly journals Lovely Ugly Bes! Animalistic Aspects in Ancient Egyptian Popular Religion

Arts ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Branko F. van Oppen de Ruiter
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Popular Religion ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Religious Significance ◽  
To Come ◽  
And Function ◽  
Newborn Children

The popular yet demonic guardian of ancient Egypt, Bes, combines dwarfish and leonine features, and embodies opposing traits such as a fierce and gentle demeanor, a hideous and comical appearance, serious and humorous roles, an animalistic and numinous nature. Drawing connections with similarly stunted figures, great and small cats, sacred cows, baboons, demonic monsters, universal gods and infant deities, this article will focus on the animalistic associations of the Bes figure to illustrate that this leonine dwarf encompassed a wider religious significance than apotropaic and regenerative functions alone. Bes was thought to come from afar but was always close; the leonine dwarf guarded the sun god Ra along the diurnal solar circuit; the figure protected pregnant women and newborn children; it was a dancer and musician; the figure belonged to the company of magical monsters of hybrid appearance as averter of evil and sword-wielding fighter. Exploring the human and animal, demonic and numinous aspects of this leonine dwarf will not only further our understanding of its nature and function, but also its significance and popularity.

scholarly journals EGYPTOLOGIST Ye. V. CHEREZOV (1912-1988) AND HIS SCIENTIFIC LEGACY

2019 ◽  
pp. 27-30
Author(s):  
A. Kotsur
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Ancient World ◽  
Tax System ◽  
Scientific Heritage ◽  
Scientific Legacy ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Land Relations ◽  
Long Time ◽  
History Of

The article deals with Yevgeniy Vikentiyovych Cherezov, the most important milestones of his life, with his scientific and pedagogical activity as well-known Ukrainian Egyptian, Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor, long time head of the Department of History of the Ancient World and Middle Ages of Chernivtsi University. The focus is on poorly researched pages of biography of a scientist and teacher. Separately are analyzed his scientific works, in particular, concerning Ancient Egypt. The scientist’s publication has been characterized the problems of decoding of Egyptian hieroglyphs on sphinxes; land relations; the situation of ancient Egyptian slaves and various categories of peasants; tax system; the classification and description of agricultural tools of Ancient Egypt; development of fisheries; economy and state system of the period of the Ancient kingdom and others like that. The article focuses on the monograph by Ye. Cherezov "Agriculture Engineering in Ancient Egypt". An assessment is given on the scientific heritage of the prominent Ukrainian Egyptologist.

Dating Ancient Egyptian Papyri through Raman Spectroscopy: Concept and Application to the Fragments of the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife and the Gospel of John

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-133
Author(s):  
Sarah Goler ◽  
James T. Yardley ◽  
David M. Ratzan ◽  
Roger Bagnall ◽  
Alexis Hagadorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Raman Spectra ◽  
Gospel Of John ◽  
Fourth Century ◽  
Columbia University ◽  
New York University ◽  
Scientific Model ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Fourth Century Bce ◽  
Close Study

The Ancient Ink Laboratory is an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental working group based at Columbia University and New York University dedicated to exploring the chemical nature of ancient inks. We report here the results of a systematic study of the Raman spectra of 23 Egyptian papyri from the fourth century bce to the tenth century ce and its implications for two controversial papyri: the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife and an associated fragment bearing a text from a Coptic Gospel of John. Close study of the Raman spectra reveals specific variations that correlate closely with the date of writing. This discovery enables us to determine the average Raman spectroscopic parameters as a function of manuscript date and so establishes, in principle, the basis for a non-destructive scientific model capable of predicting the date of ancient manuscripts written in carbon ink from Egypt for the period defined by this study. We have analyzed Gospel of Jesus’ Wife and the Gospel of John according to this methodology and present our findings here in the context of our wider study and our current research.

Ancient World

2020 ◽  
pp. 192-227
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
The Self ◽  
Ancient World ◽  
Behavior Patterns ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Synchronous Cultures ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
The World ◽  
Active Channels ◽  
And Behavior

The features of depicting space in the reliefs and murals of Ancient Egypt are considered. Attention is drawn to the preservation of the connection of ancient Egyptian art with primitive art in sacred paintings and to the evolution of the ways of depicting space in secular scenes. There is enough material to reconstruct the ancient Egyptian version of the World Tree myth and to establish links with other archaic myths and ideas about the World Tree in the synchronous cultures of the Middle East. When analyzing markers of evolutionary changes, the most active channels were established and the forecast of the self-organization scenario was checked. The results are presented in the form of generalized psychological portraits and behavior patterns of representatives of the main estates.

scholarly journals The Digital South Caucasus Collection: An International Digital Library Project

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-78
Author(s):  
Jasmine Smith
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Digital Library ◽  
International Institutions ◽  
Ancient World ◽  
New York University ◽  
South Caucasus ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Digital Library Project ◽  
Library Collections

The Library of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) at New York University aims to provide access to scholarship on the ancient world for the widest audience possible, both domestically and internationally, via our digital library collections. Our latest project, the Digital South Caucasus Collection (DSCC), is an international collaboration between ISAW and archaeological institutions in the south Caucasus that seeks to preserve and provide open access scholarship on the ancient south Caucasus. This poster describes some of the initial challenges and approaches to building a digital library project during a global pandemic. The project is very much a work in progress, but has already provided various insights into collaborating with international institutions on digital library collections.

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