Did the so-called 'oriental cults' form a coherent group? And can they be called 'oriental' at all? This collective volume, originating from an interdisciplinary conference at Heidelberg University, answers these questions and deals with their expansion in the Roman Empire, focusing on the three cults of Isis (and Osiris), Mithras and Jupiter Dolichenus.
This collective volume, originating from an interdisciplinary conference at Heidelberg University, deals with the expansion of the so-called oriental cults in the Roman Empire. The concept of 'oriental cults' itself has come under discussion in recent years because it has been questioned whether the cults in question really formed a coherent group and to what degree they might be called 'oriental' at all. This discussion is reflected throughout the papers of the volume which focus on the three cults of Isis (and Osiris), Mithras and Jupiter Dolichenus. Of special interest are the (alleged) origins of these cults in Egypt, Persia and Northern Syria, their expansion and adaptation within the Roman Empire (through some sort of 'religious flows'), their linguistic and visual expressions as well as the architecture and decoration of sanctuaries and the rituals connected with them.
Joachim Friedrich Quack
Born 1966; studied Egyptology, Semitic Studies, Biblical Archaeology, Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Pre- and Early History in Tübingen and Paris; 1990 Magister; 1993 Dr. phil.; 2003 Habilitation at the FU Berlin; Professor of Egyptology at the University of Heidelberg.
Egypt Religious Transformation in the Roman Empire Visual Concepts Sanctuaries and Rituals 'Oriental Cults' in the Roman Empire