Some Observations on the New Religious Concept and Cosmic System in the Roman Middle East According to Greek Magical Papyri


Turkan A.

OLBA, cilt.22, ss.307-336, 2014 (AHCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 22
  • Basım Tarihi: 2014
  • Dergi Adı: OLBA
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.307-336
  • Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

From the 1st to the 4th centuries AD the Greco-Roman World had underwent a transformation process in all social institutions including religion. Prayers and hymns in Greek magical papyri provides to know what people really thought and believed in conjunction with the sensitive nature of the mageia. In this direction, it is possible to observe traces of "new religion concept" and cosmic system belonging to the society of this period living in the Roman Middle East. Texts show a great monotheist tendency and syncretism in the religious structure and in parallel with them, draw a new syncretic cosmic system before the absolute domination of Christianity. Revealing characteristics of this structure including various monotheist and polytheist religious traditions will provide to enlighten this sophisticated period and throw light on cultural bases which Christianity had placed as a systematic body.