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Ancient Cosmologies
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Book Synopsis Ancient Cosmologies by : Carmen Blacker
Download or read book Ancient Cosmologies written by Carmen Blacker and published by . This book was released on 2024-08-28 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Ancient Cosmologies (1975) nine eminent scholars seek to answer the question, what was the shape of the universe to the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Jews, Indians, Chinese, Arabs, Greeks and Norsemen? How did they see the visible heavens as well as the other hidden worlds of the dead, gods and demons?
Book Synopsis Ancient Cosmologies by : Carmen Blacker
Download or read book Ancient Cosmologies written by Carmen Blacker and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-08-28 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Ancient Cosmologies (1975) nine eminent scholars seek to answer the question, what was the shape of the universe imagined by those ancient peoples to whom all modern knowledge of geography and astronomy was inaccessible? How did the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Jews, Indians, Chinese, Arabs, Greeks and Norsemen conceive the form of the cosmos which accommodated not only the known face of the earth and the visible heavenly bodies but also those other worlds which it was deemed necessary to locate comprehensibly in space – the realms of the dead, both blessed and damned, and the countries inhabited by gods and demons?
Book Synopsis Ancient Astronomy by : Clive L. N. Ruggles
Download or read book Ancient Astronomy written by Clive L. N. Ruggles and published by . This book was released on with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Genesis 1 as Ancient Cosmology by : John H. Walton
Download or read book Genesis 1 as Ancient Cosmology written by John H. Walton and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2011-06-23 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ancient Near Eastern mode of thought is not at all intuitive to us moderns, but our understanding of ancient perspectives can only approach accuracy when we begin to penetrate ancient texts on their own terms rather than imposing our own world view. In this task, we are aided by the ever-growing corpus of literature that is being recovered and analyzed. After an introduction that presents some of the history of comparative studies and how it has been applied to the study of ancient texts in general and cosmology in particular, Walton focuses in the first half of this book on the ancient Near Eastern texts that inform our understanding about ancient ways of thinking about cosmology. Of primary interest are the texts that can help us discern the parameters of ancient perspectives on cosmic ontology—that is, how the writers perceived origins. Texts from across the ancient Near East are presented, including primarily Egyptian, Sumerian, and Akkadian texts, but occasionally also Ugaritic and Hittite, as appropriate. Walton’s intention, first of all, is to understand the texts but also to demonstrate that a functional ontology pervaded the cognitive environment of the ancient Near East. This functional ontology involves more than just the idea that ordering the cosmos was the focus of the cosmological texts. He posits that, in the ancient world, bringing about order and functionality was the very essence of creative activity. He also pays close attention to the ancient ideology of temples to show the close connection between temples and the functioning cosmos. The second half of the book is devoted to a fresh analysis of Genesis 1:1–2:4. Walton offers studies of significant Hebrew terms and seeks to show that the Israelite texts evidence a functional ontology and a cosmology that is constructed with temple ideology in mind, as in the rest of the ancient Near East. He contends that Genesis 1 never was an account of material origins but that, as in the rest of the ancient world, the focus of “creation texts” was to order the cosmos by initiating functions for the components of the cosmos. He further contends that the cosmology of Genesis 1 is founded on the premise that the cosmos should be understood in temple terms. All of this is intended to demonstrate that, when we read Genesis 1 as the ancient document it is, rather than trying to read it in light of our own world view, the text comes to life in ways that help recover the energy it had in its original context. At the same time, it provides a new perspective on Genesis 1 in relation to what have long been controversial issues. Far from being a borrowed text, Genesis 1 offers a unique theology, even while it speaks from the platform of its contemporaneous cognitive environment.
Book Synopsis Ancient Christian Ecopoetics by : Virginia Burrus
Download or read book Ancient Christian Ecopoetics written by Virginia Burrus and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2018-09-14 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In our age of ecological crisis, what insights—if any—can we expect to find by looking to our past? Perhaps, suggests Virginia Burrus, early Christianity might yield usable insights. Turning aside from the familiar specter of Christianity's human-centered theology of dominion, Burrus directs our attention to aspects of ancient Christian thought and practice that remain strange and alien. Drawn to excess and transgression, in search of transformation, early Christians creatively reimagined the universe and the human, cultivating relationships with a wide range of other beings—animal, vegetable, and mineral; angelic and demonic; divine and earthly; large and small. In Ancient Christian Ecopoetics, Burrus facilitates a provocative encounter between early Christian theology and contemporary ecological thought. In the first section, she explores how the mysterious figure of khora, drawn from Plato's Timaeus, haunts Christian and Jewish accounts of a creation envisioned as varyingly monstrous, unstable, and unknowable. In the second section, she explores how hagiographical literature queers notions of nature and places the very category of the human into question, in part by foregrounding the saint's animality, in part by writing the saint into the landscape. The third section considers material objects, as small as portable relics and icons, as large as church and monastery complexes. Ancient Christians considered all of these animate beings, simultaneously powerful and vulnerable, protective and in need of protection, lovable and loving. Viewed through the shifting lenses of an ancient ecopoetics, Burrus demonstrates how humans both loomed large and shrank to invisibility, absorbed in the rapture of a strange and animate ecology.
Book Synopsis Queer Ancient Ways by : Zairong Xiang
Download or read book Queer Ancient Ways written by Zairong Xiang and published by punctum books. This book was released on 2018 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Queer Ancient Ways advocates a profound unlearning of colonial/modern categories as a pathway to the discovery of new forms and theories of queerness in the most ancient of sources. In this radically unconventional work, Zairong Xiang investigates scholarly receptions of mythological figures in Babylonian and Nahua creation myths, exposing the ways they have consistently been gendered as feminine in a manner that is not supported, and in some cases actively discouraged, by the texts themselves. An exercise in decolonial learning-to-learn from non-Western and non-modern cosmologies, Xiang's work uncovers a rich queer imaginary that had been all-but-lost to modern thought, in the process critically revealing the operations of modern/colonial systems of gender/sexuality and knowledge-formation that have functioned, from the Conquista de America in the sixteenth century to the present, to keep these systems in obscurity. At the heart of Xiang's argument is an account of the way the unfounded feminization of figures such as the Babylonian (co)creatrix Tiamat, and the Nahua creator-figures Tlaltecuhtli and Coatlicue, is complicit with their monstrification. This complicity tells us less about the mythologies themselves than about the dualistic system of gender and sexuality within which they have been studied, underpinned by a consistent tendency in modern/colonial thought to insist on unbridgeable categorical differences. By contextualizing these deities in their respective mythological, linguistic, and cultural environments, through a unique combination of methodologies and critical traditions in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Nahuatl, Xiang departs from the over-reliance of much contemporary queer theory on European (post)modern thought. Much more than a queering of the non-Western and non-modern, Queer Ancient Ways thus constitutes a decolonial and transdisciplinary engagement with ancient cosmologies and ways of thought which are in the process themselves revealed as theoretical sources of and for the queer imagination.
Book Synopsis The Biblical Cosmos by : Robin A. Parry
Download or read book The Biblical Cosmos written by Robin A. Parry and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2014-10-08 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of the Bible. When we read Scripture we often imagine that the world inhabited by the Bible's characters was much the same as our own. We would be wrong. The biblical world is an ancient world with a flat earth that stands at the center of the cosmos, and with a vast ocean in the sky, chaos dragons, mystical mountains, demonic deserts, an underground zone for the dead, stars that are sentient beings, and, if you travel upwards and through the doors in the solid dome of the sky, God's heaven--the heart of the universe. This book takes readers on a guided tour of the biblical cosmos with the goal of opening up the Bible in its ancient world. It then goes further and seeks to show how this very ancient biblical way of seeing the world is still revelatory and can speak God's word afresh into our own modern worlds.
Book Synopsis Cosmology’s Century by : P. J. E. Peebles
Download or read book Cosmology’s Century written by P. J. E. Peebles and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2022-04-26 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Nobel Prize–winning physicist P. J. E. Peebles, the story of cosmology from Einstein to today Modern cosmology began a century ago with Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity and his notion of a homogenous, philosophically satisfying cosmos. Cosmology's Century is the story of how generations of scientists built on these thoughts and many new measurements to arrive at a well-tested physical theory of the structure and evolution of our expanding universe. In this landmark book, one of the world's most esteemed theoretical cosmologists offers an unparalleled personal perspective on how the field developed. P. J. E. Peebles was at the forefront of many of the greatest discoveries of the past century, making fundamental contributions to our understanding of the presence of helium and microwave radiation from the hot big bang, the measures of the distribution and motion of ordinary matter, and the new kind of dark matter that allows us to make sense of these results. Taking readers from the field's beginnings, Peebles describes how scientists working in independent directions found themselves converging on a theory of cosmic evolution interesting enough to warrant the rigorous testing it passes so well. He explores the major advances—some inspired by remarkable insights or perhaps just lucky guesses—as well as the wrong turns taken and the roads not explored. He shares recollections from major players in this story and provides a rare, inside look at how science is really done. A monumental work, Cosmology's Century also emphasizes where the present theory is incomplete, suggesting exciting directions for continuing research.
Book Synopsis Tracing Old Norse Cosmology by : Anders Andrén
Download or read book Tracing Old Norse Cosmology written by Anders Andrén and published by Nordic Academic Press. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Old Norse religion is considered as one of the best-known pre-Christian religions in Europe, due to the rich and varied Icelandic literature from the 12th to the 14th century. Since the Icelandic texts are Christian there has been an ongoing debate regarding their value as sources for deeper knowledge about pre-Christian religion in Scandinavia. However, with the help of archaeology it is possible to show that some elements in the texts actually have a pagan origin. Archaeology can also be used to outline a history of Old Norse religion through time. The collection of essays is a thorough study of some fundamental cosmological elements in Old Norse religion, such as the sun, the world-tree and the concept of Midgard (i.e. Middle Earth). Andrén argues that representations of all these elements can be traces through images and material culture during different parts of Scandinavian prehistory. By studying the history of these representations it is possible to outline a long-term perspective on Old Norse religion, including periods of fundamental changes.
Download or read book Genesis written by John H. Walton and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2016-01-12 with total page 750 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many today find the Old Testament a closed book. The cultural issues seem insurmountable and we are easily baffled by that which seems obscure. Furthermore, without knowledge of the ancient culture we can easily impose our own culture on the text, potentially distorting it. This series invites you to enter the Old Testament with a company of guides, experts that will give new insights into these cherished writings. Features include • Over 2000 photographs, drawings, maps, diagrams and charts provide a visual feast that breathes fresh life into the text. • Passage-by-passage commentary presents archaeological findings, historical explanations, geographic insights, notes on manners and customs, and more. • Analysis into the literature of the ancient Near East will open your eyes to new depths of understanding both familiar and unfamiliar passages. • Written by an international team of 30 specialists, all top scholars in background studies.
Book Synopsis Scripture and Cosmology by : Kyle Greenwood
Download or read book Scripture and Cosmology written by Kyle Greenwood and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2015-09-03 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kyle Greenwood introduces readers to ancient Near Eastern cosmology and the ways in which the Bible speaks within that context. He then traces the way the Bible was read through Aristotelian and Copernican cosmologies and discusses how its ancient conceptions should be understood in light of Scripture?s authority and contemporary science.
Book Synopsis The Genealogical Adam and Eve by : S. Joshua Swamidass
Download or read book The Genealogical Adam and Eve written by S. Joshua Swamidass and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2019-12-10 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What if the biblical creation account is true, with the origins of Adam and Eve taking place alongside evolution? Building on well-established but overlooked science, S. Joshua Swamidass explains how it's possible for Adam and Eve to be rightly identified as the ancestors of everyone, opening up new possibilities for understanding Adam and Eve consistent both with current scientific consensus and with traditional readings of Scripture.
Book Synopsis Decoding Maori Cosmology by : Laird Scranton
Download or read book Decoding Maori Cosmology written by Laird Scranton and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-05-08 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of New Zealand’s Maori cosmology and how it relates to classic ancient symbolic traditions around the world • Shows how Maori myths, symbols, cosmological concepts, and words reflect symbolic elements found at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey • Demonstrates parallels between the Maori cosmological tradition and those of ancient Egypt, China, India, Scotland, and the Dogon of Mali in Africa • Explores the pygmy tradition associated with Maori cosmology, which shares elements of the Little People mythology of Ireland, including matching mound structures and common folk traditions It is generally accepted that the Maori people arrived in New Zealand quite recently, sometime after 1200 AD. However, new evidence suggests that their culture is most likely centuries older with roots that can be traced back to the archaic Göbekli Tepe site in Turkey, built around 10,000 BC. Extending his global cosmology comparisons to New Zealand, Laird Scranton shows how the same cosmological concepts and linguistic roots that began at Göbekli Tepe are also evident in Maori culture and language. These are the same elements that underlie Dogon, ancient Egyptian, and ancient Chinese cosmologies as well as the Sakti Cult of India (a precursor to Vedic, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions) and the Neolithic culture of Orkney Island in northern Scotland. While the cultural and linguistic roots of the Maori are distinctly Polynesian, the author shows how the cosmology in New Zealand was sheltered from outside influences and likely reflects ancient sources better than other Polynesian cultures. In addition to shared creation concepts, he details a multitude of strikingly similar word pronunciations and meanings, shared by Maori language and the Dogon and Egyptian languages, as well as likely connections to various Biblical terms and traditions. He discusses the Maori use of standing stones to denote spiritual spaces and sanctuaries and how their esoteric mystery schools are housed in structures architecturally similar to those commonly found in Ireland. He discusses the symbolism of the Seven Mythic Canoes of the Maori and uncovers symbolic aspects of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha in Maori cosmology. The author also explores the outwardly similar pygmy traditions of Ireland and New Zealand, characterized by matching fairy mound constructions and mythic references in both regions. He reveals how the trail of a group of Little People who vanished from Orkney Island in ancient times might be traced first to Scotland, Ireland, and England and then on to New Zealand, accompanied by signature elements of the global cosmology first seen at Gobekli Tepe.
Download or read book Reshaping the World written by Ana Díaz and published by University Press of Colorado. This book was released on 2020-04-01 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reshaping the World is a nuanced exploration of the plurality, complexity, and adaptability of Precolumbian and colonial-era Mesoamerican cosmological models and the ways in which anthropologists and historians have used colonial and indigenous texts to understand these models in the past. Since the early twentieth century, it has been popularly accepted that the Precolumbian Mesoamerican cosmological model comprised nine fixed layers of underworld and thirteen fixed layers of heavens. This layered model, which bears a close structural resemblance to a number of Eurasian cosmological models, derived in large part from scholars’ reliance on colonial texts, such as the post–Spanish Conquest Codex Vaticanus A and Florentine Codex. By reanalyzing and recontextualizing both indigenous and colonial texts and imagery in nine case studies examining Maya, Zapotec, Nahua, and Huichol cultures, the contributors discuss and challenge the commonly accepted notion that the cosmos was a static structure of superimposed levels unrelated to and unaffected by historical events and human actions. Instead, Mesoamerican cosmology consisted of a multitude of cosmographic repertoires that operated simultaneously as a result of historical circumstances and regional variations. These spaces were, and are, dynamic elements shaped, defined, and redefined throughout the course of human history. Indigenous cosmographies could be subdivided and organized in complex and diverse arrangements—as components in a dynamic interplay, which cannot be adequately understood if the cosmological discourse is reduced to a superposition of nine and thirteen levels. Unlike previous studies, which focus on the reconstruction of a pan-Mesoamerican cosmological model, Reshaping the World shows how the movement of people, ideas, and objects in New Spain and neighboring regions produced a deep reconfiguration of Prehispanic cosmological and social structures, enriching them with new conceptions of space and time. The volume exposes the reciprocal influences of Mesoamerican and European theologies during the colonial era, offering expansive new ways of understanding Mesoamerican models of the cosmos. Contributors: Sergio Botta, Ana Díaz, Kerry Hull, Katarzyna Mikulska, Johannes Neurath, Jesper Nielsen, Toke Sellner Reunert†, David Tavárez, Alexander Tokovinine, Gabrielle Vail
Book Synopsis When the Earth Was Flat by : Dirk L. Couprie
Download or read book When the Earth Was Flat written by Dirk L. Couprie and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-11-01 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a sequel to Heaven and Earth in Ancient Greek Cosmology (Springer 2011). With the help of many pictures, the reader is introduced into the way of thinking of ancient believers in a flat earth. The first part offers new interpretations of several Presocratic cosmologists and a critical discussion of Aristotle’s proofs that the earth is spherical. The second part explains and discusses the ancient Chinese system called gai tian. The last chapter shows that, inadvertently, ancient arguments and ideas return in the curious modern flat earth cosmologies.
Book Synopsis Four Corners of the Sky by : Steve Zeitlin
Download or read book Four Corners of the Sky written by Steve Zeitlin and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2000-10-15 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of folk stories from around the world, each accompanied by background information, that explain the various perspectives of different peoples on how the universe and their world came to be.
Download or read book On the Heavens written by Aristotle and published by Aeterna Press. This book was released on 1969 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the Heavens (Greek: Περὶ οὐρανοῦ, Latin: De Caelo or De Caelo et Mundo) is Aristotle’s chief cosmological treatise: written in 350 BC it contains his astronomical theory and his ideas on the concrete workings of the terrestrial world. It should not be confused with the spurious work On the Universe (De mundo, also known as On the Cosmos).
