철기 II 시대 트랜스요르단의 암몬 종교 연구

An Integrative Study on the Ammonite Religion in Transjordan during the Iron Age II Period:Glimpsing Religion in Text and Artifact

Regarding the Ammonite religion, Milkom was the national deity of Ammon in Transjordan, and he was also the king of the Ammonite pantheon. The stone sculptures of Milkom with the Egyptian ‘atef crown is very unique in both sides of the Jordan, through there were some Ba‘al and El figurines wearing the similar crown. The Amman Citadel Inscription also indicates that Milkom was closely linked to the Ammonite royal house. Although it was recently reported that there was an Ammonite temple in its state capital Rabbath-Ammon, further information is still required regarding this site. In addition to Milkom, many Ammonite personal names and the plaster text from Tall Dayr ‘Alla suggest that El was another deity whose cult seems popular among the Iron Age II Ammonites. Beyond El, Ammon presents the most foreign elements among the three Transjordanian states, especially from the divine elements in the personal names and the motifs from the seals, including deities from Egypt, Canaan, Syria, Assyria, and Phoenicia. The local shrines also demonstrate another aspect of the Ammonite religion: Only the courtyard shrine at Tall al-‘Umayri whose main functions seems to be presenting votives rather than making animal sacrifice belongs to the Iron Age II period; however, other Ammonite shrines and cultic installations from the Late Bronze Age to Iron Age I periods suggest that the religious activities in Ammon seem to be very similar to other two Transjordanian states. In addition to the cultic installations, the variety of the Ammonite statues and figurines display the development of the Ammonite local traditions and the finds of figurines from many dwellings also indicate the widespread practice of domestic cults in this state. In terms of the burial practices, the Ammonite presents a picture similar to contemporary Moab, despite the fact that the ceramic anthropoid coffins with many handles were peculiar to Ammon.