ANE Today, 10 July 2025

What is a God in the Hebrew Bible? Part I, the FOA Chicago Tour, our Object of the Week, plus the usual round-up of news, books, and other media.

Jul 10, 2025

Plaque from a cross, ca. 1160-1170 CE. 6-winged cherubim. Champlevé enamel over gilt copper. From the Meuse valley. Louvre MRR 245. ©2021 GrandPalaisRmn (Musée du Louvre) / Stéphane Maréchalle.

By Michael B. Hundley

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a 4-part series on the nature of god in the Hebrew Bible and the Near East. If you missed the first one, check it out here.

Who is considered a god in the Hebrew Bible, better known from the Christian perspective as the Old Testament? Most agree on the quantity of deities — one, the Israelite god YHWH. Debate arises about the nature and characteristics of this singular god, with many arguing for an omniscient and omnipotent, invisible and immaterial being in keeping with modern Christian ideas. However, a closer look at the text reveals many other gods who differ from the stereotype. Even the biblical YHWH diverges from his modern profile. Instead, gods in the Hebrew Bible resemble ancient Near Eastern deities far more than most modern interpreters expect and may be comfortable with.

Read the full article here.

Friends of ASOR Chicago Tour

In the News:

The first genome sequenced from ancient Egypt reveals surprising ancestry, scientists say (CNN)

Çatalhöyük possibly ruled by females living in a “matriarchal society” more than 9,000 years ago (CBS)

Egyptian conservators give King Tut’s treasures a new glow (Phys.org)

Türkiye’s archaeology sector struggles beneath surface of global success (Türkiye Today)

Iron Age kohl in Iran: Kani Koter cemetery reveals a previously unknown recipe (Phys.org)

Work, wages and apprenticeships: sifting for clues about the lives of girls in ancient Egypt (The Conversation)

Is the Mesha Stele Also a Forgery? (Times of Israel)

Cypro-Minoan script on Tel Dor lagoon anchor reveals 11^th-century trade routes (Jerusalem Post)

Object of the Week:

Part of a model chariot, with an impression of the sun god Shamash rising over the mountains. Ceramic, ca. 2000 – 1600 BCE. Metropolitan Museum of Art 48.131.

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From the Archives:

Monotheism or Monopoly? Akhenaten and His Religious-Political Reform

Horus wearing the solar disk and uraeus © archives of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University, Prague.

By Jiří Janák
Few ancient personalities excite as much interest as Akhenaten. Was he an enlightened religious leader and an idealistic politician, or was he mentally ill and physically frail? Read more here.

Sponsored: BASONOVA Lecture, Zoroastrianism: Ancient Religion, Modern Lives

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 8 pm via Zoom: Kristin Romey, Emerita Editor, National Geographic

Friends of ASOR is pleased to share information on BASONOVA & BAF lectures. This presentation is focused at the origins of Zoroastrianism—considered by some to be the world’s first monotheistic religion—and how followers practice it in the 21st century.

Zoroastrianism is an ancient Iranian religion founded by the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra). It is believed to have originated around the 6th century B.C.E., is centered on the worship of Ahura Mazda, the supreme god, and emphasizes the duality of good and evil. Zoroastrianism was the state religion of three Persian dynasties, until the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century C.E.. Zoroastrian refugees, called Parsis, escaped Muslim persecution in Persia by emigrating to India. Zoroastrianism now has an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 worshipers worldwide, and is practiced today as a minority religion in parts of Iran and India.

To register for this Zoom event, click here. Questions? Email info@basonova.org

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