In the days of ancient Israel, Figurines and Idols were very important for the religious aspect of daily life. As evidenced by the findings at sites like Beer Sheba and the Bull site, these idols were very widespread in their use. Likely all the cults that existed at the time used them in one form or another. Therefore, studying their construction and use would be important.
The construction of these idols is interesting on its own. The book details the process of creating a wooden idol, which was taken from Isaiah 44: 12-17. At least for the wooden figurines and idols, the process began with trees. The idol maker would take a block that had been cut and squared from trees that may have been set apart when they were planted. The idol maker then would then mark the rough outline for the figure, and then he would set about the actual sculpting. Interestingly enough, throughout the sculpting process the idol maker would keep all the shavings until after the carving was done. Once the idol was complete, the idol maker would use the shavings to stroke a fire over which he prepared a meal consisting of bread and meat , which may have been a sort of communion meal. Interestingly, the idol maker wouldn't drink water during his labors. After eating his meal, the idol maker would prostrate himself before the idol he had made and say some sort of prayer, likely a prayer meant to empower the idol with the god its was based on.
There are several interesting things about this entire process. For starters, the bible passages mention that the trees were taken from the forest, meaning that they were freshly fallen trees, and hadn't been sitting there dead for a while. This would indicate that dead trees were of no use to the people, that perha...
... middle of paper ...
...hey were important theologically for the people back then.
Citations
1. (Oppenheim, 1964:184-6; and cf. Hallo, 1983:3; Jacobsen, 1987: 22-8: Horowitz, 1989: 48-73;
2. (Oppenheim, 1964: 187; Mann, 1977: 76-89; Berlejung, 1997: 67-8).
1995b: 339-47; Berlejung, 1996: 146-9; 1997: 45-51,71)
Isaiah 44: 12-17
Isaiah 30:22
Isaiah 40: 18-20
1st Samuel 19:13-16
Exodus 21:6
Ezekiel: 3-4, 7-8
Ezekiel: 14:3-4,
Deuteronomy 6:8, 11:18
Works Cited
Citations
1. (Oppenheim, 1964:184-6; and cf. Hallo, 1983:3; Jacobsen, 1987: 22-8: Horowitz, 1989: 48-73;
2. (Oppenheim, 1964: 187; Mann, 1977: 76-89; Berlejung, 1997: 67-8).
1995b: 339-47; Berlejung, 1996: 146-9; 1997: 45-51,71)
Isaiah 44: 12-17
Isaiah 30:22
Isaiah 40: 18-20
1st Samuel 19:13-16
Exodus 21:6
Ezekiel: 3-4, 7-8
Ezekiel: 14:3-4,
Deuteronomy 6:8, 11:18
A good view the Truax had was that for every tree cut down, 5 more are planted. It is a fact that newer trees give off more air than older trees, so cutting down the older trees
...ugh, was the wood itself. When asked, the savages helped the men to harvest the wood. They even carried the logs to the ships during several journeys. The savages shoulders were all bruised and torn by the weight of the wood but they thought themselves fortunate “to do this service for the Christians, whom they love, cherish and honour” (pg. 31).
The statue of Khafre is an example of how pharaohs utilized their wealth to elaborate the power they possessed while they were alive and to utilize while they were dead. They ordered statues to be made in their name to decorate the valley temple. The valley temple is a funerary setting in which Khafre ordered 23 statues to be made for it. In this case, Khafre’s statue was made and place near the
Egyptian art is infamous across the world - classified by the monumental pyramids, and the Sphinx. Although these are both valid forms of Egyptian art, they do not make up the entire artistic history of the country. On the contrary, perhaps the most replicated example of classic Egyptian art, from the Old Kingdom, can be found in their rendering of the human form. An interest in portraiture developed early in Egypt. (Gardner, 75) Whether painted on pottery, or cut into rock, the figures all had notably Egyptian characteristics. "The seated statue is one of only a very small number of basic formulaic types employed by the sculptors of the Old Kingdom." (Gardner, 75)
Constructed during Egypt's 4th Dynasty, The Pyramids of Giza are truly an astonishing work of architecture. These pyramids display several of the characteristics, that are now known, to be attributed to the Ancient Egyptian era. Years of research show that much of the ancient Egyptian's focus in their artistry, was that of a religious nature, regardless of medium. Artists of the time, focused their efforts on depicting the various Gods and Goddesses, immortality and the afterlife, and the glorification of the pharaohs. (MindEdge) One of the best examples of this are the pyramids. Each pyramid was built to be the final resting place of a pharaoh (Khufu, Khafre, or Menkaure) upon his death, and subsequent mummification. They were built on the
The votive statues were created by worshipers of the ancient Mesopotamian gods. They were crafted out of materials such as limestone, alabaster, gypsum, and other such materials (Votive Statues). These statues were created around 2900 to 2350 BCE at the Square Temple at Eshnunna. The creators of these statues created them in their own likeness to be held at the Square Temple, a place of worship to their gods. It was the worshipers belief that the gods would bless these statues and in turn, bless the creators (Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art, 2004). Worship of the gods was a huge part of the culture of Ancient Mesopotamia, as such these votive statues played a major role in that culture.
Let’s begin with what was going on during the time period for each sculpture. During the 2458-2446 BCE. Userkaf was thriving over his brother Sahure, and he became the new ruler of Egypt. In the start of 2446 BCE, Neferirkare beings his dominant over Egypt. King Sahure and Nome God is a high relief it is still attached to a surface of a stone. The Pharaoh sitting on his thorn wearing a Nemes headdress (it is usually blue and gold striped), fake beard. The king has an emotionless facial expression. It was made for a decoration for the king pyramid complex. The symbol behind this statue could be the gathering of the Nome gods form Upper and Lower Egypt around t...
In Christianity, trees were viewed as a primary source of life and knowledge, exhibited in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). Denver used trees as a safe haven for her; a safe place where she can hide from her mother after the trauma that transpired the night that crawling already? was killed. “Veiled and protected by the live green walls, she felt ripe and clear, and salvation was as easy as a wish,”(Morrison, 29). Contrasting with the safety of the trees for Denver, Sethe’s idea of trees has much darker connotations. As a child, she saw “Boys hangin’ from the most beautiful sycamores in the world. It shamed her-remembering the wonderful soughing trees rather than the boys,” (Morrison 6). For Sethe, the symbolism of trees has been twisted into viewing trees not as hope, but as death, and the pain from her past. As Amy had observed, the scars on Sethe only served as reminders of her painful time at Sweet Home, where she had very little hope for the future. A lesson that should be derived from this book is that the perspective from which you look at the past could help it become less painful. Sethe is too focused on the pain of her past, so therefore she is unable to see trees as they were meant to be seen, while Paul D views them as a pathway to second chances. He views trees as “inviting; things you could trust and be ear; talk to if you wanted to as he frequently did since way back when he took the midday meal in the fields of Sweet Home,” (Morrison,
The pieces of sculpture are both carved using the subtractive method of sculpting from stone. However, the types of stone used were very different. The sculpture of Mycerinus and Kha-merer-nebty II was carved from a stone called greywacke, a dark colored, very hard stone the Egyptians prized for sculpture despite the fact t...
The past history have a huge impact on the future. From the ancient art history until current years it is safe to say that the art changed drastically, it shows that people nowadays have different values, styles and priorities in life. The past teaches people about the future and helps to avoid mistakes. In the Paleolithic period, where folks were focusing on hunting and gathering, where everyday life was dynamic, meaning they were moving from one place to another in search of better resources (Upper Paleolithic, 28) to Mesopotamian period where things were more certain and people liked to stay in one place. Paleolithic period did not consist of writing which is the main reason people can only guess and interpret the culture based on their own guesses what was the society like back then.
The primary focus of ancient Greek sculptures was that of the human body. Almost all Greek sculptures are of nude subjects. As the first society to focus on nude subjects, Greek sculptors attempted to "depict man in what they believed was the image of the gods and so would come to celebrate the body by striving for verisimilitude or true – likeness (realism and naturalism!)."(Riffert) Not only did the Greeks celebrate the human form in their art but also in everyday life. (Riffert) One of the favorite topics for sculptors was that of the athlete. In Greek culture athletes were described as "hero–athletes". (Riffert) This shows that athletes were revered and looked upon as heroes. The influence of athleticism is evident in many famous sculptures. I will attempt to show how the human form influenced Greek art. It is important to note that many of the Greek sculptures discussed do not exist in their original form but rather in Roman copies of the original bronze sculptures. (Riffert)
Perhaps one of the most defining and easily identifiable aspects of the ancient Greek culture was the immortalization of humans and gods in sculpture. Sculpture had existed in the world for thousands of years before the ancient Greeks made their stake in the art, but the Greeks added an entirely new set of aspects to their sculptures. Unlike the Egyptian and Mesopotamian sculpture centuries earlier, the Greeks set forth not just to capture the image of a man but to capture that which made him a man. The Greeks set in place three base tenants to display the tone of a sculpture. Through the use of Humanism, Realism, and Idealism the ancient Greeks were able to capture humans and gods forever in marble.
We live in a world full of different religions and all of them have, for the most part, a lot of similarities between them. Some of said similarities include beliefs or practices, art, statuary and architecture or buildings such as temples or churches. They serve as reminders of teachings or beliefs and also a place to gather and worship. The architecture or structures are so revered by the people who build them that they themselves become intricate works of art. Another form in use is statues. Most religions use some form of statuary as shrines to visit or pray to, also as a representation of the image portrayed by their chosen religion. A religion with a strong representation of this practice is Buddhism. Today, Buddhism is recognized as one of the world’s major religions.
The development of semiotics in the 20th century revealed much about ideology in mass culture. Structuralist Roland Barthes' texts on the matter are very much products of their times, yet many still have a troubling modern-day relevance. Barthes' Mythologies demonstrates the possibilty to find meaning through the 'trivia' of everyday life. He claims to want to challenge the 'innoncence' and 'naturalness' of cultural texts and practices, as they are capable of producing a multitude of supplementary meanings, or 'connotations'.
Many sands had the tree known; many green neighbors had come and gone, yet the tree remained. The mighty roots had endured such whips and scorns as had been cast upon it, but the old tree had survived, a pillar of twisted iron and horn against the now sickly sky. In the waning light of evening, the tree waited.