Women and Religion in the Ancient Near East and Asia, 1st Edition

The recent years have seen an upswing in studies of women in the ancient Near East and related areas. This volume, which is the result of a Danish-Japanese collaboration, seeks to highlight women as actors within the sphere of the religious. In ancient Mesopotamia and other ancient civilizations, religious beliefs and practices permeated all aspects of society, and for this reason it is not possible to completely dissociate religion from politics, economy, or literature. Thus, the goal is to shift the perspective by highlighting the different ways in which the agency of women can be traced in the historical (and archaeological) record. This perspectival shift can be seen in studies of elite women, who actively contributed to (religious) gift-giving or participated in temple economies, or through showing the limits of elite women’s agency in relation to diplomatic marriages. Additionally, several contributions examine the roles of women as religious officials and the language, worship, or invocation of goddesses. This volume does not aim at completeness but seeks to highlight points for further research and new perspectives.Women and Religion in the Ancient Near East and Asia 1st Edition is written by Nicole Brisch, Fumi Karahashi and published by De Gruyter. ISBNs for Women and Religion in the Ancient Near East and Asia are 9781501514531, 1501514539 and the print ISBNs are 9781501518614, 1501518615. Additional ISBNs include 9781501514821, 9781501523601.