The formula 'for the life of' is often found in votive inscriptions, cast in Aramaic and other languages, which originate from the Syrian-Mesopotamian desert and adjacent areas and which roughly date from the first three centuries A.D. They belong to objects like statues and altars that usually were erected in temples and other structures with a ritual or sacred function. The inscriptions establish a relationship between the dedicator and one or more beneficiaries, those persons for whose life the dedication was made.
Since the social context evidently bears on both the meaning of the inscriptions as well as the status of the dedications, this volume deals with the nature of the relationships and the socio-religious function the dedications perform.

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Religions in the Graeco-Roman World, Life and Loyalty: A Study in the Socio-Religious Culture of Syria and Mesopotamia in the Graeco-Roman Period Base

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Dijkstra, Klaas

Koninklijke Brill N.V.

E.J. Brill

Religions in the Graeco-Roman world,, Leiden, New York, Netherlands, 1995

Religions in the Graeco-Roman world, Leiden ; New York ; Köln, 1995

Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, 1995

Netherlands, Netherlands

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Includes bibliographical references (p. [351]-366) and index.

Life and Loyalty: A Study in the Socio-Religious Culture of Syria and Mesopotamia in the Graeco-Roman Period Based on Epigraphical Evidence 6
Contents 10
Preface 12
Abbreviations 14
1 Introduction: A habit of dedicating 16
Definitions of culture and religion 19
Syncretism in the Roman Near East: tribal factors 22
Hellenism in the Near East 26
Peculiarities of segmentary society 27
The dynamics of dedications 30
Dedications within the context of Euergetism and Philotimia 33
Euergetism and Patronage 38
Dedicators and Beneficiaries: social relationships 43
Concluding comments 47
2 For the life of ... kings: The Nabataean perception and employment of the formula 49
Preliminary remarks 49
The origins of the Nabataeans 57
The nature of Nabataean epigraphy 61
The oldest Nabataean ˁl ḥyy-inscription 63
ˁl ḥyy-inscriptions from Petra 65
ˁl ḥyy-inscriptions from the Nabataean Empire 78
ˁl ḥyy-inscriptions from beyond the borders of the Empire 85
Inscriptions with beneficiaries other than royalty 89
The inscription from Ruwwafa 92
3 For the life of ... 'family': The Palmyrene perception and employment of the formula 96
Historical background 96
Major dedications 104
Dedications from the temple of Baalshamin 127
Altars of considerable dimensions as objects of dedications 138
Major dedications from the Palmyrena 145
Major dedications outside of the Palmyrena 151
Minor dedications 154
Dedicators of minor dedications 157
Beneficiaries of minor dedications 163
The 'Anonymous God' 167
Comparing dedicatory and honorific inscriptions 169
For the victory of ... 182
4 For the life of ... whoever: The Hatrene perception and employment of the formula 186
Preliminary remarks 186
The institutions of lordship and kingship in Hatra 192
The tribal factor in Hatrene society and administration 200
The employment of the formula ˁl ḥyy: major dedications 203
Major dedications as products of a joint effort 223
Minor objects of dedication 228
Statues as objects of dedication 234
Roman presence and influence in Hatra 251
Inscriptions from the Hatrena 254
Summary 258
5 For the life of ...: Incidental findings and Greek and Latin equivalents 260
The old Aramaic inscriptions 261
Ashur 265
Edessa and Sumatar Harabesi 266
Dura-Europos 274
Single Greek and Latin inscriptions 296
In conclusion 300
6 Conclusions 302
Appendix A: Assessing Diodorus' and Strabo's accounts on the Nabataeans 312
Appendix B: About translating Aramaic ˁl ḥyy 323
Appendix C: Some remarks on epitheths of Nabataean deities 325
Appendix D: The meaning of ˀḥ and ˀḥt in the Nabataean royal context 330
Appendix E: Obodas the God 334
Appendix F: Palmyrene dedicatory inscriptions on incense-burners 337
Appendix G: Palmyrene honorific inscriptions 350
Appendix H: Two tentative Hatrene family-trees 359
Appendix I: Latin and Greek inscriptions from the Fertile Crescent employing an equivalent of the Aramaic formula ˁl ḥyy 360
References 366
Epigraphical Index 382
Back Matter 392

In this volume a particular class of mainly Aramaic votive inscriptions dating from roughly the first three centuries A.D., featuring, next to dedicators, human beneficiaries, is examined in order to establish its social and religious meaning and function.

2016-03-21