The Religion and Rituals of the Nomads of Pre-Islamic Arabia: A Reconstruction Based on the Safaitic Inscriptions

Description

This book approaches the religion and rituals of the pre-Islamic Arabian nomads using the Safaitic inscriptions. Unlike Islamic-period literary sources, this material was produced by practitioners of traditional Arabian religion; the inscriptions are eyewitnesses to the religious life of Arabian nomads prior to the spread of Judaism and Christianity across Arabia. The author attempts to reconstruct this world using the original words of its inhabitants, interpreted through comparative philology, pre-Islamic and Islamic-period literary sources, and the archaeological context. 9789004504271 9789004504271 ‎Contents ‎Preface ‎Illustrations ‎Sigla ‎Chapter 1. Introduction ‎1. Religion and the Inscriptions of the Pre-Islamic Nomads: From Thamudic B to Safaitic ‎2. Scope and Methodology ‎2.1. Previous Works and Present Goals ‎Chapter 2. Rites ‎1. Animal Sacrifice ‎1.1. Sacrifice before/during Dangerous Activities ‎1.2. Seasonal Sacrifices ‎1.3. Location of Sacrifice: The ṣamd ‎1.4. Thanksgiving? ‎2. Erection of the nṣb Stone ‎2.1. The nṣb, nfs, and Mortuary Installations ‎3. The Ritual Shelter ‎3.1. Statues ‎4. The Pilgrimage ‎4.1. Time Period of the Pilgrimage ‎4.2. Pilgrimage Sites ‎5. Ritual Purity ‎6. Offerings ‎6.1. Unspecified Offerings ‎6.2. Burnt Offerings and Libations ‎6.3. Images ‎7. Vows and Oaths ‎8. Sacred Water ‎Chapter 3. Divinities and Their Roles in the Lives of Humans ‎1. Location of the Deities ‎2. The Gadds ‎3. The Gods and Their Worshippers ‎3.1. Travel ‎3.2. Far from Home and Reunion ‎3.3. Assistance and Justice ‎3.4. Curing Illness and Prolonging Life ‎4. Sin, Obedience, and Repentance? ‎4.1. Forsaken by the Gods ‎5. Malignant Magic ‎Chapter 4. Fate ‎Chapter 5. Afterlife ‎1. Burial Installations ‎2. Invoking the Names of the Dead ‎Chapter 6. Visual Representation of Deities and the Divine World ‎Chapter 7. Amplification and Why Write ‎Chapter 8. Worldview—A Reconstruction ‎Appendix 1. Glossary of Divinities ‎Appendix 2. Previously Unpublished Inscriptions ‎Bibliography ‎General Index ‎Index of Inscriptions