1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910782313003321

Autore

Cryer Frederick H

Titolo

Divination in ancient Israel and its Near Eastern environment : a socio-historical investigation / / Frederick H. Cryer

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Sheffield, England : , : JSOT Press, , 1994

©1994

ISBN

1-281-80343-X

9786611803438

0-567-05963-4

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (368 pages)

Collana

Journal for the study of the Old Testament. Supplement series ; ; 142

Disciplina

221.6

291.3/2/0933

Soggetti

Divination - Middle East

Divination - Biblical teaching

Magic

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Nota di contenuto

CONTENTS; PREFACE; ABBREVIATIONS; INTRODUCTION; Chapter 1 WHY MAGIC?; Chapter 2 EVANS-PRITCHARD E.E. Evans-Pritchard and the Azande: A Magic Society; Chapter 3 BETWEEN THE RIVERS-AND ELSEWHERE; Divination as an Intellectual Activity: Omens and the Literary Tradition; What Did it All Mean?; Chapter 4 SOME QUALIFICATIONS; Chapter 5 DIVINATION IN ANCIENT ISRAEL; Other Forms of Israelite Divination Signs; Chapter 6 THE LITERARY USES OF DIVINATION; CONCLUSION; SELECTED LITERATURE; INDEX OF AUTHORS; INDEX OF BIBLICAL CITATIONS

Sommario/riassunto

In this revealing study, the author suggests that ancient Israel was a 'magic society' like those around it, and similar in many respects to a number of magic-using 'savage' societies studied by modern social anthropology. Although the Old Testament attempts to distinguish between priestly and prophetic divination, this distinction was not sharply drawn in ancient times. References to divination in fact are found in all genres of Israelite literature, implying that many of these practices were performed throughout Israelite society.