Anointed: A Devotional Anthology for the Deities of the Near and Middle East

By Tess Dawson and the Editorial Board of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Price: $14.99 (paperback)
Publication Date: 25 July 2011
Place of Publication: Asheville, North Carolina
ISBN: 1463728972 / 9781463728977
Pages: 352 pp
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 5.5″x8.5″

You immerse your fingers in the warm sacred oil and sweep the golden liquid across your brow. Pungent myrrh incense billows and the air quivers with the words of an ancient prayer. Oil lamps flood the sanctuary with light and magic of the Near and Middle East.

Anointed is a collection of articles and art, poems and prayers, recipes and rituals inspired by Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Arabia, and the Levant. The Deities honored within include Athirat, Asherah, Baʻal Hadad, Tiamat, Astarte, Yahweh, Ereshkigal, Atargatis, ‘Anat, Inanna, Marduk, Allah, Tanit, Nikkal, Cybele, Attis, Ishtar, El, and more.

Cook a Sumerian dinner. Make a balm for dreams or a set of prayer beads. Celebrate the moon Mesopotamian-style or sing a hymn to a Hurrian Goddess. Learn about the indigenous polytheisms of the Near and Middle East and about their modern revivals. Let the joy of the Deities fill your life.

Anointed is the latest devotional anthology in Neos Alexandria’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina series, a collection of books dedicated to the Gods of Greece, Egypt, Rome, and the surrounding regions.

[Read the Patheos interview with editor Tess Dawson. Read Tess’ interview with The Temple of Athena. Listen to Tess’ interview at Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole and WitchTalk.]

It can be purchased in paperback format from  Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. All of the proceeds from Anointed – as well as many of the other volumes in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina series – will be used to help promote the revival of the worship of the ancient Gods, with a portion of the proceeds given to a worthy charitable organization in their name.  So, not only will you be getting a wonderful book about the modern worship of Asherah, Ba’al, Ishtar, El, and many other Deities – but your money will be going to do good work and help the revival of ancient polytheistic religions.

ATTENTION Librarians, Teachers and Retailers: Anointed is also available at reduced cost for academic institutions, lending libraries (public and private) and retailers. Check our online store, or email baeditor@gmail.com with any questions.

We are rebuilding the Library of Alexandria one book at a time!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments — v

Canaanite Prayer I by Tess Dawson — xii
Canaanite Prayer I in Ugaritic Cuneiform by Tess Dawson
Anointed by Tom Isham — xiii

Introduction — xiv

Chapter One: To Honor
Blessing for the Morning Star by D’vora K’lilah — 3
O Thou Great Light by AdoniBa‘al — 4
Shapshu, the Sun Goddess  by Tess Dawson — 5
A Song to Enlil by Amanda Sioux Blake — 6
Atargatis by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 7
Hymn to Ishtar I by Rebecca Buchanan — 8
Mighty El by Amanda Sioux Blake — 9
Telepinu by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 10
Mother of Chaos by Amanda Sioux Blake — 11
Honoring Athirat, Asheratu, Asherah by D’vora K’lilah — 12
May Ba‘al Bless the Land by AdoniBa‘al — 13
The Hand and The Eye by Patrick John Larabee — 14
Dagon by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 15
Me by Michele Arista — 16
Ishtar by Rebecca L. Brown — 18
In Thanks to Enki by Amanda Sioux Blake — 19
A Midwife’s Prayer to The Kathirat by Rebecca Buchanan — 20
Three Moons by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 21
Hymn to Asherah I by Rebecca Buchanan — 22
Reshef by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 23
Tiamat by Rebecca L. Brown — 24
Ahura Mazda by Amanda Sioux Blake — 25
Song of Seduction by Tess Dawson — 26
Asherah by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 27
Hail Shamash by Amanda Sioux Blake — 28
Allat by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 29
Hymn to Atargatis I by Rebecca Buchanan — 30
To Ereshkigal by Amanda Sioux Blake — 31
Ubelluris by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 32
Anat Astarte Asherah by Michele Arista — 33
Sumerian Incantation to Utu by Christopher Cressey — 34
Hymn to Astarte I by Rebecca Buchanan — 35
Praise to Rashap by Tess Dawson — 36
Peace of Tanit by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 37
In Honor of Kathir-wa-Khasis by Tess Dawson — 38
Hymn to Anat I by Rebecca Buchanan — 39
Star-Bright Inanna by Amanda Sioux Blake — 40
Palmyrian Triad by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 41
Blessing for the Evening Star by D’vora K’lilah — 42
Imazighen Priestess by Michele Arista — 43

Chapter Two: To Contemplate
Anu’s Chuckle by D. Nanos — 47
My God! by Rick Hartwell — 49
Nanna Ascended by Lori Joan Swick — 50
The Appearance of Ereshkigal in Egypt by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 51
Sermon by Rick Hartwell — 53
Quantity by Tess Dawson — 54
Ilu the Compassionate by Tess Dawson — 55
Musing on Etruscan Skies by D. Nanos — 56
Anat’s Marriage by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 57
The Hungry Desert by Shirl Sazynski — 59
Devotion to Desert Gods by Daniel McElwain — 60
Opalescence by Tess Dawson — 62
Nikkal by  Kari Dru Muether — 64
Nehushtan by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 65
Total Commitment by Melia Suez — 67
Torn Web by Rick Hartwell — 68
Prayer to Tiamat by Katie Anderson — 69
Hittites and Mycenaeans by William Doreski — 70
Hercules of Palmyra by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 71
Prophecy, the Shekinah, and the Kabbalah by David Rankine — 75

Chapter Three: To Pray
American Prayer to Ilu and Athirat by D. Nanos — 85
Shemah Yisrael by Steven Posch — 86
Purification by Tess Dawson — 87
Incantation to Fire: An Assyrian Ritual by Christopher Cressey — 88
Mighty ‘Athtar, God of the Eastern Star by Tess Dawson — 89
Shema by D’vora K’lilah — 90
Call to Inanna by Literata Hurley — 91
Community Prayer by Tess Dawson — 94
Spell of Iao Sabaoth by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 95
Prayer to Anat for Protection by D’vora K’lilah — 96
Winged Serpent Woman by Shirl Sazynski — 97
Prayer to Men by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 98
Prayer to Asherah I by Rebecca Buchanan — 100
Rashap Healing Ward by Tess Dawson — 101
Prayer to the Kathirat I by Rebecca Buchanan — 102
Hannahanna Work Verse by D. Nanos — 103
Bejeweled: A Prayer to Nikkalu for Abundance by Tess Dawson — 104
Nikkalu by Sekhmetbitu — 105
Invocation to Marduk by D. Nanos — 106
Wild Anath by Amanda Sioux Blake — 108
Dreaming by Tess Dawson — 109

Chapter Four: To Create 
O, Sauska! by D. Nanos — 113
The Su-Luh Ceremony by Christopher Cressey — 114
Tanit by Michele Arista — 115
Tanit Ritual by Michele Arista — 116
Carthaginian Bloody Sunset by D. Nanos — 118
Birthing the Synergy Wave of Tiamat by Andrieh Vitimus — 119
Facing Fear: Using the Call to Inanna in Ritual by Literata Hurley — 127
Inanna: She Dreams the Stars by Michele Arista — 130
Recitation and Prayer Beads for Ilu by Tess Dawson — 131
Diagram of Prayer Beads
The Ritual State of Mind by Michele Briere — 136
Song for the Twin Gods, Dawn and Dusk by Tess Dawson — 149
Astarte Dance by D. Nanos — 150
Rekindling the Lamp: Exploring Canaanite Ritual by Tess Dawson — 151
Hunger by Steven Posch — 163
Breaking Bread: Sumerian Cooking by Richard Lyke — 165
Sumerian Solstice Tree by Ed VanDerJagt — 169
Ilu’s Sweet Dreams: Balm Recipe by Tess Dawson — 172

Chapter Five: To Understand
The God Choron: Enchanter, Exorcist, Enforcer by Tess Dawson — 177
Do the Judean Pillar Figurines Represent the Goddess Asherah? by Caroline Tully — 182
Asherah: Protectress of the Home II by Kristine Cummins — 190
Smelting the Golden Calf: Temple Sex in Canaan? by Tess Dawson — 191
Stele 1 by Olivia Andromache Lycourinou — 199
Qudshu: The Naked Goddess of Heaven and Earth by Damon Zacharias Lycourinos — 199
Stele 2 by Olivia Andromache Lycourinou
Arinna, A Sun Goddess by William Doreski — 210
Ereshkigal in the Graeco-Roman-Egyptian Magical Tradition by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 213
In the Queen’s Hands: Athirat, Goddess of Creation by Tess Dawson — 225
Aphrodite Hellenized: The Taming of a Goddess of Sex and Power by Caroline Tully — 233

Chapter Six: To Belong
In the Great Temple by William Doreski — 245
Tyre and Sidon by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus — 246
My Little Astarte by Steven Posch — 248
Full Circle: Seeking Paganism in Israel by Natalie Kobets, Orly Mizrahi, and Tess Dawson — 250
Imaging Torah: A Kohenet Perspective by D’vora K’lilah — 258
The Happy Birthday of Death  by Yakov Rabinovitch — 261
Souls of Shade and Stellar Dust by Patrick John Larabee — 264
Where Did the Hittites Get Tin? by William Doreski — 263
Tel Aviv by Yakov Rabinovitch — 265
Meditation for Peace in the Middle East by Tess Dawson — 266
God with Horned Helmet by Tess Dawson — 272
Encounter with Baʻal by Sophie Reicher — 271
The Early Years of Writing by William Doreski — 273
Olive Oil and Myrrh: Ancient Canaanite Religion for a Modern Age by Tess Dawson — 275
Whisper of Tree and Word of Stone: The Return of the Old Religions to the Near East by AdoniBaʻal — 286
A Dream of Passion and Light by Hani-Baʽal — 292
Kappu-Palm by Tess Dawson — 295
Canaanite Prayer II by Tess Dawson — 294
Canaanite Prayer II in Ugaritic Cuneiform

Appendix One: Who’s Who and What’s What: A Glossary of Places, Personalities, and Concepts — 295
Appendix Two: Our Contributors — 326

About Bibliotheca Alexandrina — 334

Current Titles — 335

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