Babylonian Priesthood during the Third Millennium BCE: Between Sacred and Profane
This article offers an overview of the early Babylonian priesthood, as it was organized and operated during the third millennium BCE. It is emphasized that the priests and priestesses proper, i.e., individuals who were specifically concerned with cultic matters, represented a relatively small segmen...
| Published in: | Journal of ancient Near Eastern religions |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
[2019]
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| In: |
Journal of ancient Near Eastern religions
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
History 3000 BC-2400 BC
/ Sumer
/ Lagasch
/ Religion
/ Temple
/ Priest
/ Power
/ Civil servant
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| RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy AG Religious life; material religion BC Ancient Orient; religion |
| Further subjects: | B
palace
B managerial class B early Sumerian kingship B purification priests B Sanga B Lu A List B temple household B Ensik B Lugal B Nam-šita |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | This article offers an overview of the early Babylonian priesthood, as it was organized and operated during the third millennium BCE. It is emphasized that the priests and priestesses proper, i.e., individuals who were specifically concerned with cultic matters, represented a relatively small segment of the employees of temple households. Much more numerous within these institutions (which might more appropriately be termed “temple communities”) were the individuals whose roles were of either administrative or economic character. Focusing on the administrators of temple households, and identifying them as “Managerial Class,” the article argues that, during Pre-Sargonic times, this social group wielded great economic and political power, which at times even exceeded that of the emerging secular leaders (such as ensiks and lugals). To demonstrate this point, an interaction between these two competing centers of powers (particularly in the city-state of Lagaš) is studied in detail.In memory of Itamar Singer |
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| ISSN: | 1569-2124 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of ancient Near Eastern religions
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15692124-12341307 |