Papers by Nathanael Loper
University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Ancient Egyptian Religion, 2023
Since the dawn of humanity, mankind has looked to the vast array of stars overhead for a great ma... more Since the dawn of humanity, mankind has looked to the vast array of stars overhead for a great many things. These nightly luminaries have inspired great mythologies and tales, as well as answers to some of life’s questions on origins and the afterlife for various cultures. In many cases, the stars have also provided chronological cues regarding seasons and the passing of time throughout the year.
For civilizations around the world, looking up to the night sky has not only driven thoughts on the composition of the celestial tapestry of stars and planets, but a deep question regarding its possible significance and meaning. This is no different when it comes to Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs.
What role did the stars, moon, sun, and planets play in developing and shaping the cosmological landscape of early Egypt, and what possible stories and beliefs were derived from looking up at the night sky? In this paper, I present some theories on the possible origin and utilization of some of the early Egyptian iconography and religious practice derived from observation of the night sky.
One such important discussion is the Egyptian ankh and its representation of life and the afterlife. Where did the symbol originate from? What role did it possibly play as a physical object? How was the physical form of the Ankh perhaps further utilized in crafting the narrative of the afterlife in Ancient Egypt?
The discussion then dives into the cosmic relation to the afterlife, and how night sky places like the northern circumpolar region were significant to the Ancient Egyptians. What clues do we have from Egyptian records on the possible means for calculating perfect north, even without the existence of a North Star throughout much of their history?
This paper presents some examinations of those questions and provides some new theories of original research to be pondered and further investigated regarding the night sky and Egyptian cosmological beliefs.
University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Spaces, Places and Objects in Ancient Mediterranean Religions, 2023
This paper describes an early Yahwist cult site on Mount Ebal, with an outline of its location, s... more This paper describes an early Yahwist cult site on Mount Ebal, with an outline of its location, significance, and possible cultic practices by an emerging proto-Israelite community. The site description attempts to investigate the various phases of construction, religious practices, natural and man-made heterotopia, and the continued use of this site over subsequent centuries.
By establishing and understanding the various aspects of this site, one might better grasp the cultural distinctiveness and development of Yahwist ceremony—some of which have played a role in the origin of modern religious practices today.
The use of the term "cult" in this paper is of a purely academic nature regarding a system of belief and veneration, and should not convey any sort of negative connotation about Yahwist worship, nor that of any past or present Judeo-Christian beliefs.
Paper for the Spaces, Places, and Objects in Ancient Mediterranean Religions class at University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Spaces, Places and Objects in Ancient Mediterranean Religions, 2022
This paper is an object analysis of a lead tablet, the style of which is sometimes referred to as... more This paper is an object analysis of a lead tablet, the style of which is sometimes referred to as a defixio or “curse tablet“ that was discovered at an altar site on Mount Ebal in the West Bank, near the modern-day city of Nablus. The purpose of analyzing this artifact is in relation to a greater site analysis of the altar itself and cult practices on Mount Ebal that I will provide in subsequent research and writing. The lead tablet has the potential to aid archaeologists and historians in securing a date for the rise of Yahwist cult worship and the establishment of the proto-Israelite peoples in the Levant.
The use of the term "cult" in this paper is of a purely academic nature regarding a system of belief and veneration, and should not convey any sort of negative connotation about Yahwist worship, nor that of any past or present Judeo-Christian beliefs.
University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Spaces, Places and Objects in Ancient Mediterranean Religions, 2022
This paper is a critical review of the article published by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz on April 3, 20... more This paper is a critical review of the article published by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz on April 3, 2022, in the Jerusalem Post titled “Does 'curse amulet' prove the discovery of Joshua's altar on Mount Ebal?”
Written for the "Spaces, Places and Objects in Ancient Mediterranean Religions" class at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
University of Oxford: Ancient Egypt, An Introduction, 2019
University of Oxford: Archaeology in Practice, 2020
Dendrochronology has for some time been a very useful tool in aiding the archaeologist. Combining... more Dendrochronology has for some time been a very useful tool in aiding the archaeologist. Combining the words dendro for relating to trees, and chronology for the arrangement of time, dendrochronology is a method employed by which scientists determine the near-absolute age for certain structures and sites often built long ago.
While things like sedimentary superposition (the order of soil horizons being created by natural or anthropological means) can give us a pretty good idea regarding the sequence and longevity of certain periods of time, it often fails to reveal the exact date something happened-leaving us with a relative date for looking into the past.
This is a simple paper written for part of my Archaeology in Practice class from the University of Oxford. It is not written as, nor intended to be, a comprehensive research paper on the topic, but a mere introduction to the benefits and aid which dendrochronology can bring to the field of archaeological research.
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Papers by Nathanael Loper
For civilizations around the world, looking up to the night sky has not only driven thoughts on the composition of the celestial tapestry of stars and planets, but a deep question regarding its possible significance and meaning. This is no different when it comes to Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs.
What role did the stars, moon, sun, and planets play in developing and shaping the cosmological landscape of early Egypt, and what possible stories and beliefs were derived from looking up at the night sky? In this paper, I present some theories on the possible origin and utilization of some of the early Egyptian iconography and religious practice derived from observation of the night sky.
One such important discussion is the Egyptian ankh and its representation of life and the afterlife. Where did the symbol originate from? What role did it possibly play as a physical object? How was the physical form of the Ankh perhaps further utilized in crafting the narrative of the afterlife in Ancient Egypt?
The discussion then dives into the cosmic relation to the afterlife, and how night sky places like the northern circumpolar region were significant to the Ancient Egyptians. What clues do we have from Egyptian records on the possible means for calculating perfect north, even without the existence of a North Star throughout much of their history?
This paper presents some examinations of those questions and provides some new theories of original research to be pondered and further investigated regarding the night sky and Egyptian cosmological beliefs.
By establishing and understanding the various aspects of this site, one might better grasp the cultural distinctiveness and development of Yahwist ceremony—some of which have played a role in the origin of modern religious practices today.
The use of the term "cult" in this paper is of a purely academic nature regarding a system of belief and veneration, and should not convey any sort of negative connotation about Yahwist worship, nor that of any past or present Judeo-Christian beliefs.
Paper for the Spaces, Places, and Objects in Ancient Mediterranean Religions class at University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
The use of the term "cult" in this paper is of a purely academic nature regarding a system of belief and veneration, and should not convey any sort of negative connotation about Yahwist worship, nor that of any past or present Judeo-Christian beliefs.
Written for the "Spaces, Places and Objects in Ancient Mediterranean Religions" class at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
While things like sedimentary superposition (the order of soil horizons being created by natural or anthropological means) can give us a pretty good idea regarding the sequence and longevity of certain periods of time, it often fails to reveal the exact date something happened-leaving us with a relative date for looking into the past.
This is a simple paper written for part of my Archaeology in Practice class from the University of Oxford. It is not written as, nor intended to be, a comprehensive research paper on the topic, but a mere introduction to the benefits and aid which dendrochronology can bring to the field of archaeological research.
For civilizations around the world, looking up to the night sky has not only driven thoughts on the composition of the celestial tapestry of stars and planets, but a deep question regarding its possible significance and meaning. This is no different when it comes to Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs.
What role did the stars, moon, sun, and planets play in developing and shaping the cosmological landscape of early Egypt, and what possible stories and beliefs were derived from looking up at the night sky? In this paper, I present some theories on the possible origin and utilization of some of the early Egyptian iconography and religious practice derived from observation of the night sky.
One such important discussion is the Egyptian ankh and its representation of life and the afterlife. Where did the symbol originate from? What role did it possibly play as a physical object? How was the physical form of the Ankh perhaps further utilized in crafting the narrative of the afterlife in Ancient Egypt?
The discussion then dives into the cosmic relation to the afterlife, and how night sky places like the northern circumpolar region were significant to the Ancient Egyptians. What clues do we have from Egyptian records on the possible means for calculating perfect north, even without the existence of a North Star throughout much of their history?
This paper presents some examinations of those questions and provides some new theories of original research to be pondered and further investigated regarding the night sky and Egyptian cosmological beliefs.
By establishing and understanding the various aspects of this site, one might better grasp the cultural distinctiveness and development of Yahwist ceremony—some of which have played a role in the origin of modern religious practices today.
The use of the term "cult" in this paper is of a purely academic nature regarding a system of belief and veneration, and should not convey any sort of negative connotation about Yahwist worship, nor that of any past or present Judeo-Christian beliefs.
Paper for the Spaces, Places, and Objects in Ancient Mediterranean Religions class at University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
The use of the term "cult" in this paper is of a purely academic nature regarding a system of belief and veneration, and should not convey any sort of negative connotation about Yahwist worship, nor that of any past or present Judeo-Christian beliefs.
Written for the "Spaces, Places and Objects in Ancient Mediterranean Religions" class at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
While things like sedimentary superposition (the order of soil horizons being created by natural or anthropological means) can give us a pretty good idea regarding the sequence and longevity of certain periods of time, it often fails to reveal the exact date something happened-leaving us with a relative date for looking into the past.
This is a simple paper written for part of my Archaeology in Practice class from the University of Oxford. It is not written as, nor intended to be, a comprehensive research paper on the topic, but a mere introduction to the benefits and aid which dendrochronology can bring to the field of archaeological research.