engleski

Betyls-symbols of Gods and Deities in the Ancient Near East

The Semitic word “beth-el” (byt‘l), means “dwelling/house/temple of god” and is mostly used to describe sacred stones which ancient people used to erect in the Levant. Archaeological excavations have provided many examples of sacred stones from the Levant, most of which have been published. Their iconography can sometimes help us determine to which deities they were presented but most of them can be recognised only by their position, shape, size or other characteristics. Erecting stones as a religious and sacred act is well attested in ancient literature but they do not always have a unique feature. The need for an interdisciplinary approach to studying and unveiling the meaning of betyls is well understood but it presents a difficult task. The author of the paper will try to present guidelines for such research with a short synthesis of the results collected so far in an effort to re-evaluate the importance of this interesting symbol.

sacred stones, betyls, masseboth, sikkanum

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