Introduction
Sarah Iles Johnston

Note on Translation and Transliteration

Abbreviations

Maps

ENCOUNTERING ANCIENT RELIGIONS

What Is Ancient Mediterranean Religion?
Fritz Graf

Monotheism and Polytheism
Jan Assmann

Ritual
Jan Bremmer

Myth
Fritz Graf

Cosmology: Time and History
John J. Collins

Pollution, Sin, Atonement, Salvation
Harold W. Attridge

Law and Ethics
Eckart Otto

Mysteries
Sarah Iles Johnston

Religions in Contact
John Scheid

Writing and Religion
Mary Beard

Magic
Sarah Iles Johnston

HISTORIES

Egypt
Jan Assmann and David Frankfurter

Mesopotamia
Paul-Alain Beaulieu

Syria and Canaan
David P. Wright

Israel
John J. Collins

Anatolia: Hittites
David P. Wright

Iran
William Malandra and Michael Stausberg

Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations
Nanno Marinatos

Greece
Jon Mikalson

Etruria
Olivier de Cazanove

Rome
John North

Early Christianity
Harold Attridge

KEY TOPICS

Sacred Times and Spaces

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Etruria

Rome

Christianity

Dictionary of Religious Festivals

Religious Personnel

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Etruria

Rome

Christianity

Religious Organizations and Bodies

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia
Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Rome

Christianity

Sacrifice, Offerings, and Votives

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Etruria

Rome

Christianity

Prayers, Hymns, Incantations, and Curses

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Etruria

Rome

Christianity

Divination and Prophecy
Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Etruria

Rome

Christianity

Deities and Demons

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece and Rome

Etruria

Christianity

Dictionary of Deities and Demons

Religious Practices of the Individual and Family

Introduction

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Etruria

Rome

Christianity

Rites of Passage

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Rome

Christianity

Illnesses and Other Crises

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece and Rome

Etruria

Christianity

Death, the Afterlife, and Other Last Things

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Etruria

Rome

Christianity

Sin, Pollution, and Purity

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Rome

Christianity

Ethics and Law Codes

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Rome

Christianity

Theology, Theodicy, Philosophy

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece and Rome

Christianity

Religion and Politics

Introduction

Egypt

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Rome

Christianity

Controlling Religion

Introduction

Egypt

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Rome

Christianity

Myth and Sacred Narratives

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece and Rome

Etruria

Christianity

Visual Representations

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Syria-Canaan

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece, Rome, and Etruria

Christianity

Sacred Texts and Canonicity

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Israel

Anatolia

Iran

Greece

Etruria

Rome

Christianity

Esotericism and Mysticism

Introduction

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Israel

Manicheism

Theurgy

Hermeticism

Gnosticism

Epilogue
Bruce Lincoln

Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Contributors

Index

Color plates follow p. 172

Sarah Iles Johnston is Professor of Greek and Latin at Ohio State University.

Read More by Sarah Iles Johnston:

• Ancient Religions