Some Aspects of Hittite ReligionParallels between Hittite civilisation and the Old Testament belong largely to the field of religion. In the first of his three Schweich lectures (delivered in 1976) Professor Gurney traces the historical development of the Hittite pantheon, while in his second and third lectures he selects some aspects of Hittite religion which can be compared with ancient Hebrew and Canaanite institutions. The second lecture describes the cult, both local and official, and the purpose of the open-air temple at Yazilikaya. The third is devoted to Hittite rituals of elimination and substitution and the mortuary ritual for the King. Parallels are drawn with the biblical masseba as a cult object and with the scapegoat ritual of Leviticus. |
Common terms and phrases
Allanzu Allatum Ammihatna Anatolian ANET Anitta appears Arinna Arzawa Babylonian Bin-Nun Boğazköy Bossert bull chamber cult Damkina deities divine drink effigy Erishkigal evil Friedrich galgalturi goat goddess Goetze Gurney Güterbock Haas and Wilhelm Hatti Hattian Hattusa Hattusili Hattusili III Hebat hešti-house Hethiter hethitische Hittite religion Hittite texts Hoffner Hurrian huwaši stone ibid IBOT Ishhara Ishtar Kammenhuber Kamrusepa Kanesh king and queen Kizzuwadna KUB XXX Kubaba Kumarbi Kummanni Kümmel Laroche Lelwani libation logogram Luwian magical Mezulla Moon-god Mursili II myth nakkušši Nerik Old Woman Otten pantheon passage prayer priest Primeval Gods purulli festival Relief rites ritual sacrifice Sanda Sarruma Sausga scapegoat sheep showing musicians playing šipant slaughter StBoT substitute Sun-god of Heaven Sun-goddess of Arinna Suppiluliuma tablet tarpalli Telipinu temple Teshub Throne-goddess translated Tudhaliya Tudhaliya IV Underworld Vieyra Weather-god Wiesbaden word WVDOG Yarri Yazilikaya Zalpa