Religion in the Ancient Mediterranean World

By: Glenn S. Holland, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Glenn S. Holland

Step back to a time when the mysteries of the universe could seem overwhelming. Cycles of nature kept predictable time with the sun, the moon, and the stars, yet crops failed, disease struck, storms ravaged, and empires fell without warning. In the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, people responded to such tumult with a rich variety of religious beliefs.

From these beliefs, we get some of Western civilization's most powerful texts: the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, the Hebrew Bible, the Greek epics of Homer, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and the New Testament, among many others. Composed largely of stories of human interaction with the divine, these narratives gave ordinary people a window into the unfathomable realm of the sacred.

Archaeological remains show that ancient peoples also responded with a complex array of religious rituals, and their temples, cultic statues, funerary goods, and household devotional items are among the world's greatest cultural treasures.

Using such textual and archaeological evidence, these 48 marvelous lectures explore the religious cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world, from the earliest indications of human religious practices during prehistoric times to the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity in the 4th century of the Common Era.

You'll discover the religious traditions of a wide range of civilizations, including the ancient kingdom of Egypt; ancient Mesopotamia; ancient Syria-Palestine, including Israel and Judah; Minoan civilization on the island of Crete and the successive civilizations of the Greek mainland; and the city of Rome, whose empire dominated the entire Mediterranean world at the end of the ancient era.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2005 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2005 The Great Courses

This was amazing!

This was the perhaps the best audio book I have ever listened to. It was full of information I had never known or considered before. By the way, if this says Bernadette Perkins or Holly Simon wrote this, they are wrong.

Solid Overview of Ancient Mediterranean Religion

Organized and well presented overview of Ancient Mediterranean religion. The only missing piece was ancient Iranian religion especially Zorasterianism.

Excellent overview

This lecture provides a brief yet detailed overview of religion in the ancient Mediterranean region. Professor Holland is easy to listen to and clearly an authority in his field. In addition to an overview, this lecture provides interesting comparisons between these important religions, which to me brought it to five stars.

Fair...Not Good.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

In general I would have to say yes.

Would you be willing to try another book from The Great Courses? Why or why not?

I have read/listened to several Great Courses lectures in the past, while this was certainly not the best, I have been very pleased in the past.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The tempo was normally fine, although Dr. Holland did overly repeat himself at times, which caused the tempo to lag.

Was Religion in the Ancient Mediterranean World worth the listening time?

Yes. But it is not the most academically credible examination of the subject matter currently available.

Any additional comments?

This is not a lecture series in comparative religious studies. Whether or not it was Dr. Holland's intent, much of his treatment of ancient Hebrew and early Christian religious practices have more in common with Christian apologetics than a thoroughly credible examination of the known and demonstrable traditions/dogma of these rather well-known religions. This pro-Christian bias, while general subtle, is pervasive in the relevant chapters in which they are discussed. There was little to know examination of Hittite or Syro-Hittite states whose own religious practices are a continuing source of inquiry for modern historians. If I was to reconfigure the course's content, I would leave out a significant portion (say half) of the discussion on ancient Judaism and early Christianity and replace it with Hittite, Syro-Hittite, Canaanite (Phoenician) as well as the religion of the Carthaginians- which arose from largely from the earlier Canaanite tradition. Holland's treatment/analysis of other religious traditions is much more academically credible and sticking with the same degree of detachment throughout the entire course would have served him well. To be fair, this course is not without some redeeming qualities and many may find it useful, but don't expect to be awed by Holland or his analysis of the topic.

Listened to it twice

One of my favorite lectures in the Great Courses series. There's so much material in these lectures! Get ready to bookmark!