Book Cover; Title; Contents; List of plates; Preface and acknowledgements; Introduction; Death in the Ancient Near East; Osiris and Isis: The life-theology of Ancient Egypt; Zoroaster, Ahura Mazda and Ahriman; Canaanites and Mesopotamians; Mere texts or living realities? The possible influence of the older thanatologies on Judaism and Christianity; From caves and rock-cut tombs to Judaism; The general archaeology of the Ancient Near East; Judaism: Towards the common era; Burying the Jewish dead; Good luck with your resurrection! Opening the heavens and raising the dead
Summary
Jon Davies charts the significance of death to the emerging religious cults in the pre-Christian and early Christian world. He also draws on the sociological theory of Max Weber to present a comprehensive introduction to the subject
