The Religion of Ancient Palestine in the Second Millenium B.C.

A reconstruction of religious life in Palestine during the latter half of the second millennium B.C., assembled from archaeological discoveries, contemporary inscriptions, and comparative study. It surveys sanctuaries and sacred locales, cult objects and symbols such as trees, stones, and images, and communal practices including sacrifice, burial customs, and purity rules. It considers popular beliefs in spirits, oracles, animistic forces, and the divinity or representative role of rulers, while tracing the presence and adaptation of foreign deities under Egyptian and Mesopotamian influence. The work is organized thematically, outlining the regional pantheon and contemporary theological ideas and noting methodological cautions in interpreting the evidence.