Family Religion in Babylonia, Syria and Israel Continuity and Change in the Forms of Religious Life

Karel van der Toorn examines the religious practices of the family in the ancient Babylonian, Syrian, and Israelite civilizations. The book gives an exhaustive description and analysis of the rites of the ancestor cult and the devotion to local gods. Van der Toorn demonstrates the role of these two aspects of family religion in the identity construction of its followers. The section dealing with Israel pays particular attention to the relationship between family religion and state religion. The book is of particular importance to biblical scholars, Assyriologists, and all those interested in the history of ancient Near Eastern religion.