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Life, Society and Politics in Relation to Religion at Ugarit in the Late Bronze Age
Válek, František ; Antalík, Dalibor (advisor) ; Miglio, Adam E. (referee) ; Vita, Juan Pablo (referee)
The presented dissertation attempts to cover some aspects of the extensive topic of religion at Ugarit, an ancient site on the Syrian Mediterranean coast at the very end of the Late Bronze Age (late 14th to early 12th century BC). Religion is explored here in relation to everyday, social, and political life. It is based on theassumption thatreligion isnotmerelya matterof theologicalconceptsand mythological narratives but is, first and foremost, a way of living in the world. Religion does not exist as a distinctly separate sphere of life but runs through the whole spectrum of human existence in different forms and with varying intensity. The present work discusses this broadly defined topic from several very different perspectives. After the first introductory chapter comes the second part, in which religion is set in the broader context of the surrounding world. The surrounding landscape, mountains, rivers, seas, forests, skies, mineral resources, etc., have a considerable, though not straightforward, influence on lived religion. Social and historical contexts are also considered as essential factors. In the third chapter, the thesis focuses on one of the central concepts of religious life in Ugarit: divinity. Here, the ways in which divinity manifests itself in the availablesources are explored....
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The Epic of Zimrī-Lîm
Válek, František ; Mynářová, Jana (advisor) ; Miglio, Adam E. (referee)
The presented master's thesis deals with the Epic of Zimrī-Lîm, a text from the ancient city of Mari from the beginning of the 18th century BC. The text of the epic is included in transliteration (based on the edition by Michaël Guichard from 2014) and in English translation. The epic has also been published online as the first entry of NERE (Near Eastern Royal Epics) project on ORACC (Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus). In addition to the text itself, the thesis includes a broader historical-cultural commentary. There, selected elements of the ancient text are portraited as well-set within the lived cultural-political environment of the ancient Near East, with particular attention to the time of Zimrī-Lîm. Most of the space is devoted to the religious aspect of the work, especially the role of the deities. Last but not least, the composition is discussed within the context of other royal epics of the ancient Near East. Key Words Zimrī-Lîm, Mari, TellHariri, epic, royal epics, Akkadian literature, narrative, royal ideology, religion, ancient Syria, ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Near East, Middle Bronze Age
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Foreign Influences in Religion of Ancient Syria
Válek, František ; Antalík, Dalibor (advisor) ; Čech, Pavel (referee)
This thesis aims to map non-Semitic influences in the religion and culture of the Late Bronze Age Syria. During the Late Bronze Age, Syria was divided into many local kingdoms which were most of the time subdued to the great empires of the ancient Near East (Mitanni and Ḫatti) and Egypt. Influences from these cultural areas are the most noticeable. Trade across the Mediterranean brought many cultural influences, too. These are mostly observable in art. The thesis is centred around case studies from Ugarit, Amurru, Byblos, Karkemiš, Alalaḫ, Ḫalāb, Emar, Tunip and Qaṭna. Each case study shows peculiarities of individual sites and different modes of cultural transfer. The data are set into a broader anthropological perspective and some general conclusions are made about the process of culture transfer and about conceptions of foreignnessin theculturesof theancientNearEastand Egypt.Abroadertheoryof cultureasa system of concepts is outlined and the material is interpreted in its light. Key words Foreigners, foreignness, culture transfer, religion, Late Bronze Age, ancient Syria, ancient Near East, Egypt, Ḫatti, Mitanni, Hittites, Hurrians, Egyptians, Ugarit, Amurru, Byblos, Karkemiš, Alalaḫ, Ḫalāb, Emar, Tunip, Qaṭna.
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Cultic Use of Alcohol in Religion of Ancient Syria
Válek, František ; Antalík, Dalibor (advisor) ; Čech, Pavel (referee)
The presented paper deals with use of fermented beverages in cult of ancient Syria. The basis is work with written source material from Emar, Ugarit, Mari, Alalaḫ, Tuttul, Terqa and Ebla. Apart form cultic, administrative and legal texts, alcohol i also reflected from view of mythological and epic texts, as has been preserved in Ugaritic texts. Archeological and iconographical material is considered only briefly to illustrate the idea. The most interpretative part of the paper are chapters on perception of alcohol in wider cultural context of ancient Syria. Here we can see the influence of V. Turner's theory of liminality and antistructure, partial influence of M. Douglas's concept of ambivalence and M. Dietler's findings about alcohol form anthropological perspective. The most important finding of this paper is the relationship between feast and sacrifice, especially perception of sacrifice as feast and vice versa. It is in the context od feasting, where alcohol plays a crucial role as intoxicating drink, not as mere nourishment.
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