The Concept of Purity in Ancient Anatolian Religions: Water’s Sanctity in Purification

Purification, considered essential in ancient Anatolia, was the crown of religious rituals. Providing the most comprehensive archive of ancient Anatolia, The Hittite texts have many terms related to purity. These terms indicate that physical and spiritual purification was the most important conditio...

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Main Author: Nuriye Külahlı
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Istanbul University Press 2024-07-01
Series:Anadolu Araştırmaları
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/268CDF60ECA2498B92A80935755CFCED
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author Nuriye Külahlı
author_facet Nuriye Külahlı
author_sort Nuriye Külahlı
collection DOAJ
description Purification, considered essential in ancient Anatolia, was the crown of religious rituals. Providing the most comprehensive archive of ancient Anatolia, The Hittite texts have many terms related to purity. These terms indicate that physical and spiritual purification was the most important condition of the rituals organized for Hittite, Hurrian, and Luwian deities within Hittite syncretism. In Hittite texts, the term “water” most frequently used for purification and mentions that the person must be clean by performing purification rituals. The main purpose of these rituals is spiritual purification. Existing findings in Anatolia indicate that purification continued in the religious rituals of the Phrygians, Lydians, Lycians, and Urartians. The aim of this study is to examine the sanctity of water in rituals in light of Hittite texts and modern sources through the cross-cultural development of the concept of physical and spiritual purity in ancient Anatolian religions and to identify the factors that led to this development. In this context, the sanctity of water in the religions of the Anatolian civilizations from the historical ages to the end of the Iron Age will be examined and the continuity of the issue will be discussed.
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spelling doaj-art-47131e1ccd424e539cdea9d3128780f02025-08-20T02:27:53ZdeuIstanbul University PressAnadolu Araştırmaları2667-629X2024-07-01309310710.26650/anar.2024.30.1445515123456The Concept of Purity in Ancient Anatolian Religions: Water’s Sanctity in PurificationNuriye Külahlı0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2287-8650Selçuk Üniversitesi, Konya, TurkiyePurification, considered essential in ancient Anatolia, was the crown of religious rituals. Providing the most comprehensive archive of ancient Anatolia, The Hittite texts have many terms related to purity. These terms indicate that physical and spiritual purification was the most important condition of the rituals organized for Hittite, Hurrian, and Luwian deities within Hittite syncretism. In Hittite texts, the term “water” most frequently used for purification and mentions that the person must be clean by performing purification rituals. The main purpose of these rituals is spiritual purification. Existing findings in Anatolia indicate that purification continued in the religious rituals of the Phrygians, Lydians, Lycians, and Urartians. The aim of this study is to examine the sanctity of water in rituals in light of Hittite texts and modern sources through the cross-cultural development of the concept of physical and spiritual purity in ancient Anatolian religions and to identify the factors that led to this development. In this context, the sanctity of water in the religions of the Anatolian civilizations from the historical ages to the end of the Iron Age will be examined and the continuity of the issue will be discussed.https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/268CDF60ECA2498B92A80935755CFCEDancient anatolian religionspurificationpuritysacred waterhittite rituals
spellingShingle Nuriye Külahlı
The Concept of Purity in Ancient Anatolian Religions: Water’s Sanctity in Purification
Anadolu Araştırmaları
ancient anatolian religions
purification
purity
sacred water
hittite rituals
title The Concept of Purity in Ancient Anatolian Religions: Water’s Sanctity in Purification
title_full The Concept of Purity in Ancient Anatolian Religions: Water’s Sanctity in Purification
title_fullStr The Concept of Purity in Ancient Anatolian Religions: Water’s Sanctity in Purification
title_full_unstemmed The Concept of Purity in Ancient Anatolian Religions: Water’s Sanctity in Purification
title_short The Concept of Purity in Ancient Anatolian Religions: Water’s Sanctity in Purification
title_sort concept of purity in ancient anatolian religions water s sanctity in purification
topic ancient anatolian religions
purification
purity
sacred water
hittite rituals
url https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/268CDF60ECA2498B92A80935755CFCED
work_keys_str_mv AT nuriyekulahlı theconceptofpurityinancientanatolianreligionswaterssanctityinpurification
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