Title: Born in Heaven Made on Earth
Subtitle: The Making of the Cult Image in the Ancient Near East
Description: 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.
Subjects: Ancient Near East, Ancient Religion, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Near Eastern Art, Idols and images, Rites and ceremonies, Middle east, history, Middle east, religion
Time periods: Bronze Age