religion

Question 1

interaction of the persians with greek religion

Answer 1

xerxes destroys many temples in herodotus - destroyed the old temple of athena and the older parthenon

persians also responsible for the destruction of temple of Phocaea

Question 2

assyrian religious policy

Answer 2

usually reduced to israel and judah - reduced to vassal states - assyrian inscriptions make references to destruction and deportation of statues of gods

not mentioned in the hebrew bible that the cult of assyrian gods was ever actively imposed upon them

assur as a god not preserved in greek/roman or hebrew texts - imposition either didn’t happen or was very unsuccessful

Question 3

why was judaism traditionally repressed

Answer 3

repression of religion uncommon in ancient world - problem is interaction of polytheism and monotheism - religion as a vehicle for rebellion / hostile to state - persian king as a god - undercut by monotheistic ideas

Question 4

impiety by cambyses?

Answer 4

epitaph of the apis bull - in herodotus 3 impious killing of the apis bull - stele from saqqara carries a contrasting epitaph - says he made all the offerings himself

cambyses installed troops in egyptian temple compound - profaned temple with their unclean things, seized festivals and processions - temple left standing but no longer functioning as such

Question 6

xerxes at the temple of babylon

Answer 6

herodotus suggests some kind of destruction/theft oriented action which is carried forward in tradition
herodotus says he stole a statue of Bel and killed the priest without giving a reason - later authors link to punishment for revolt - later the text the greater the destruction (persian confirmation? Daiva inscription of xerxes)

no archeologiucal evidence that the temple was destroyed - documents suggest that. it continues functioning and structural remains still there

Question 7

daiva inscription of xerxes

Answer 7

references destroying the ‘sanctuaries of daiva (demons)’ and enforcing the worship of ahuramazda but does not confirm which country is the one that rebelled or worshipped demons just says it is one within the list of those he now controls

Question 8

babylonian revolt

Answer 8

in the year of revolt - archives of nearly all elite families from the area associated with temples in northern babylonia (babylon and surrounding) come to sharp end - killed?

reorganisation of the temple in years that follow - takes away prerogatives, privileges and honours of these families

pro-persian new order of elites move into position