Fertility goddesses from the Ancient Near East

Roux, Wanda

dc.contributor.advisor	Scheepers, C. J. V. W.
dc.contributor.advisor	Boshoff, W. S. (Willem Sterrenberg), 1958
dc.contributor.author	Roux, Wanda
dc.date.accessioned	2018-08-02T14:13:54Z
dc.date.available	2018-08-02T14:13:54Z
dc.date.issued	2018-03
dc.identifier.citation	Roux, Wanda (2018) Fertility goddesses from the Ancient Near East, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24535>
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24535
dc.description.abstract	The purpose of this study is to illustrate the role of fertility goddesses in the lives and beliefs of the people of the Ancient Near East. Artefacts from the late Paleolithic period were crude female figures of pregnant women representing fertility. A mother goddess was specified as the giver and taker of life and vegetation. The polytheism of pre-exilic Israel that existed proves that not only Yahweh but also other gods existed. In the creation stories of the Ancient Near East, creation myths played a major role; in the Ugaritic myths the universe was ruled by powerful deities, and their presence could be felt in rain, vegetation and crops. Fertility cults were the force in their worship. Cultic sites associated with deities were often located in groves of trees, which made them sacred to the people. There was a close relationship between tree and tree figures, as well as gods and goddess images.	en
dc.format.extent	1 online resource (xviii, 226 leaves) : color illustrations, maps	en
dc.language.iso	en	en
dc.subject	Fertility	en
dc.subject	Goddesses	en
dc.subject	Temples	en
dc.subject	Anat	en
dc.subject	Asherah	en
dc.subject	Astarte	en
dc.subject	Inanna	en
dc.subject	Ishtar	en
dc.subject	Isis	en
dc.subject	Hathor	en
dc.subject.ddc	202.11409012
dc.subject.lcsh	Goddesses, Prehistoric -- Israel, Ancient	en
dc.subject.lcsh	Mother goddesses -- Israel, Ancient	en
dc.subject.lcsh	Fertility cults -- Israel, Ancient	en
dc.subject.lcsh	Israel, Ancient -- Antiquities	en
dc.title	Fertility goddesses from the Ancient Near East	en
dc.type	Dissertation	en
dc.description.department	Biblical and Ancient Studies	en
dc.description.degree	M.A. (Biblical Archaeology)